from outward sin—very precise and moral—virtuous and consistent, yet envious at the conduct of God our heavenly Father towards a most desperate backslider. This I acknowledge was my opinion for some years; but in time I was led to see that this opinion was wrong, and that the prodigal son refers to the state of God’s elect as fallen in Adam the first, and called, convinced, and effectually converted in Adam the second, by the Holy Spirit; and that the elder brother is an exhibition of the whole group of pharisees in every age and of every denomination. For however moral a believer may be kept all his days, yet was there ever, is there now living, one child of God upon earth that ever could use such language as this proud boaster is represented using. “Lo, take notice Lord, these many years have I served thee—I never transgressed thy commandment AT ANY TIME.” I say again, there NEVER was such a believer to be found that dare to make use of such arrogance and awful lies. None but the God-man Mediator has a right to such language—He never transgressed the commandments of God at any time, but fulfilled all righteousness for the justification of his church, which is the best and first robe that clothed the repenting prodigal. The saints of God, as recorded in the word of God, have at times made use of very passionate language under pinching trials, and when falsely accused have vindicated themselves from cruel aspersions; they have also appealed to God of the sincerity of the heart, made so by grace; but all boasting is for ever excluded in the religion of free grace. God has declared the lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of man shall be brought low, and the Lord alone shall be exalted. This must be the case with every man in this world, or else where God is he never can come: except a man be born again he cannot enter into the kingdom of God, neither the liberty of the gospel here, nor the mysteries of grace, nor eternal glory. It is very evident that this poor creature, bragging and boasting of his goodness, never had been through the needle’s-eye of regeneration—that camel had never been reduced small enough for that, and of course unfit for communion with God upon earth or in heaven. I beg my reader will once more attentively read the Saviour’s account of this ambitious, arrogant, envious, lying, ignorant, self-righteous boaster.