prosperous and externally happy may be his conditionperiods in which he realizes the utter worthlessness of all terrestrial objects, and sighs for a tranquillity and a satisfaction which he cannot find. A more miserable being is not to be met with in the wide range of existence, than the man who knows-who feels, that religion is the one thing needful, and yet remains a stranger to its comforts and its joys. He may be said, almost without a figure, to endure, not merely the torment of unquenchable thirst, but like the fabled Tantalus, the additional aggravation of a stream regularly promising to approach his lips, and as regularly receding in mockery away.

It is folly, then-nay, it is madness, to postpone the business of religion. Seek then at once, dear hearers, the one thing needful. Choose, this very morning, "that good part, which shall not be taken away from you."

"And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him.

And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat. And behold, a woman in the city which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster-box of ointment, and stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Now, when the Pharisee which had bidden him, saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who, and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. And Jesus answering, said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me, therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that he to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house; thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss; but this woman, since the time I came in, hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And they that sat at meat with him, began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace."

It was distinctly foretold, in the prophecies of the Old Testament, that when the Messiah should appear in our world, he would meet with a reception by no means suited to the excellence of his character, and the important object of his divine mission. This prediction was literally verified. He came to his own, and his own received him not. He grew up as a tender plant, and as

a root out of a dry ground; and when he entered on the duties of his public ministry, he seemed without form or comeliness; the generality of those who saw him, discerned no beauty that they should desire him. All classes of the community contemplated him with distrust, while the wealthy and the influential-particularly those in the high places of the temple and the synagogue-displayed a keen and an active hostility to his pretensions and his person.

There were a few, however, even among the opulent and distinguished citizens of Judea, who rose superior to prejudice, and perceived, that Jesus of Nazareth was no ordinary man. Of this description also was Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy individual, who obtained from Pilate the crucified body of Christ, and caused it to be properly interred in his own sepulchre. And of this description too was the Pharisee, concerning whom we read in the passage which we have chosen for comment this morning. It does not, indeed, appear, that he entertained any correct views as to the character and office of our Lord. But he must have formed a favourable opinion, however vague, of one whom, though poor and friendless, he invited to become his guest.

Who this Pharisee was, is a question which critics have not been able exactly to settle. That his name was Simon, is evident form the fortieth verse, and hence some have been led to identify him with Simon the leper, who resided in Bethany, and at whose house Jesus was partaking of a meal, when a female entered and manifested her affectionate regard for him, in a manner similar to what is here recorded. We shall not enter into the controversy, whether the four evangelists allude to the same occurrence, or whether the circumstance related by Luke

is different from the one which Matthew, Mark and John describe as having taken place at Bethany. The arguments in support of both opinions are plausible. But those in favour of the latter supposition appear to us to preponderate. We, therefore, incline to think, that the incident presented to our consideration in the passage before us, has been omitted by the other historians of the New Testament, the coincidence of names to which we have alluded, being merely accidental.

This Pharisee, whoever he was, and wherever he lived, invited our Lord to eat with him. Such a mark of res-: pect, though it did not proceed from a conviction, that Jesus was the Christ, shows at least, that his merits, as a man of piety and intelligence, were appreciated. It is consolatory to reflect, that his poverty and obscure origin did not prevent all from perceiving his excellence, and treating him with a degree of attention and kindness.— The Saviour accepted the invitation, because he was aware that it had been dictated by no improper motive. It was not his custom to keep aloof from society. As he lived only to do good, he mingled, on every suitable occasion, with men.

During the progress of the entertainment in the Pharisee's house, a woman whose character had not been the best, came in to see Jesus, and to manifest her peculiar veneration for him. The opinion has long been a very prevalent one, that this woman was no other than she who is known to the readers of the New Testament by the name of Mary Magdalen. Why such a notion should have obtained so much currency, it is not an easy matter to say. There is not a particle of Scriptural evidence to sustain it. The common, but somewhat unaccountable, impression of Christians has done a gross

injustice to the reputation of Mary Magdalen.* That she was an unchaste woman is a mere presumption, not supported by any thing which the sacred historians have recorded in respect to her. Indeed, from their relations, we should be led to conclude, that she was a female of wealth and most reputable standing in society. It is true, that she is described as one out of whom the Saviour cast seven devils. But we must not imagine, that the subjects of the demoniacal possessions, were persons of a worse moral character than others. Whatever opinion may be adopted concerning the nature of those possessions, all, we presume, must look upon them as afflictive visitations of providence, to which the good and the bad were equally exposed. Calamity in this world, is not a criterion, by which to measure the amount of human guilt. The Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices, were not sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things. Nor were the eighteen upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem. And so neither were those possessed of demons sinners above other individuals, who escaped this dire misfortune.

It is certain, then, that the woman in the passage before us was not Mary Magdalen. All that we know respecting her, is that she was a female who had formerly lived an irregular life, but was now brought to a proper sense of her extreme depravity. She looked back, with the keenest regret, upon her abandoned course, and anxiously desired the pardon of her sins. We may presume, that her convictions of guilt had on some previous occasion, been awakened by the preaching of our Lord, and that, when she heard of his being in the

See, on this subject, a note in Cappe's Sermons, (Sermon xiv. pt. 1.) and also a Tract by the celebrated Dr. Lardner, therein referred to.