But His labour was ill repaid. They heeded not His warnings: they rejected His gracious invitations. Oh that it may not be so with us! May we be led to feel the value of Christ's salvation, and accept it with all our hearts! May we be won over by the Saviour's tenderness and love!

ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.

ST. LUKE, XVIII. 9-14.

Jesus spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a Publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this Publican: I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the Publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner, I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

We have today another of our Lord's Parables. And the very first of these verses informs us what it is about. We are told that Jesus spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others.'

Here then we have the class of persons

whom our Lord intended to condemn ; 1; namely, the self-righteous. And for this purpose He places He places before us two men, who both go up to the House of God, but in a very different frame of mind. The one was a proud Pharisee: the other a despised Publican.

Now, the sect of the Pharisees was the strictest and most religious sect among the Jews. They were more exact about outward observances than about the inward condition of the heart; and they looked down with great contempt upon all who did not belong to their own party.

The Publicans, as you probably know, were a kind of Tax-gatherers, a set of people very much hated and scorned by the Jews, and many of them persons of indifferent character; so much so, that the name became almost a bye-word. Hence our Lord says, when speaking of one who walks disorderly, 'Let him be unto thee as a heathen man or a Publican;' as much as to say, Let him be an outcast from your

company.

But, however low these men were, God's grace could reach them. Here and

there a penitent Publican joined himself to the flock of Christ, and became a true disciple. In the next chapter, for instance, we read of Zacchæus, who was one of them, becoming a follower of Jesus. Matthew

too was a Publican; and when Christ called him he was sitting at the receipt of customs'—at the office where the taxes or customs' were paid.

One can hardly fancy two more opposite characters than these men who went up to the temple to pray, 'the one a Pharisee, and the other a Publican.'

He

We will first take the Pharisee. goes into the House of God full of selfconfidence, his heart swelling with pride. There he stands, in some spot where he may be seen, without a single misgiving, without a thought that there can be anything wanting in him. He presently looks around, and casts a scornful eye on his fellow-worshipper, the poor brow-beaten Publican.

And now mark his prayer. 'God, I thank thee'-he begins. So far all is well

L

enough. It is well to give a large portion of our devotions to the expression of our thankfulness. But what does he thank God for? Not for his many mercies and blessings; but he says, 'I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this Publican.'

His song of praise is not, 'God, I thank thee that, whereas I was once thoughtless, thou hast made me thoughtful - once blind, but thou hast made me see.' It is not, ‘I thank thee that thou hast made me thus or thus:' but I thank thee that I am not as the rest of mankind are.' He praises God; but it is only a thin veil, a poor excuse, for praising himself.

am!'

How different was the language of St. Paul; By the grace of God I am what I But this man speaks in a boastful spirit-Others are committing sins; but thank God, I am free from them: others are bad; but thank God, I am better than they.' And then glancing his eye at his fellowworshipper, he drags him into his prayer, making the sinfulness of the Publican show forth his own goodness in a more striking