prayed with himself, and thanked God that he was not like other men, or even as this publican, that he fasted twice in the week, and gave tithes of all that he possessed; the publican, standing afar off, and with humbled heart, smote upon his breast, and ejaculated, "God be merciful unto me a sinner!" Of these two persons, the Lord Jesus, who searches the heart, and knows what is in man, observes, that the publican 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." (ver. 14.)
O my soul! look well to thy motives in states of prayer! Beware of self-exaltation; for the pride that inflates, but feeds the soul with wind. Pray not with thyself, but open thy heart to God; then shall He fill thee with the good things of heaven, and thou shalt go down to thy house in peace.
Prayer that is true and spiritual consists not of a multiplicity of words, asking for worldly things, but in a real desire of the soul to receive heavenly blessings. Prayer does not so much imply the asking of God to bestow upon us his favours, as it does an ardent desire that the heart may be open to receive; for as God is the universal Giver of all good, so his language of mercy is, "Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it." (Psalm lxxxi. 10.) The Lord is a constant giver; but our minds are too often closed against his blessings. True prayer is the soul desiring to possess, not temporal but eternal things; for if the kingdom of God and his righteousness be first sought, all things necessary will be added. Prayer being a holy desire of soul, is a withdrawal from the world; in which state
