Luke xxv. ver. 25 to the end.—Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found. Upon the serious attentive reading of these words, who can doubt that it is an highly-finished portrait of a pharisee’s heart and conduct. This I believe is the general opinion of the most sound divines; but the very best treatise I ever met with was written by Mr. David Fenner, of the Albany Road, Camberwell. After I had been through several lectures upon the subject of these brothers, I was afterwards much pleased, satisfied, instructed and confirmed by reading that treatise; and my reader will see the reasons why these best of writers consider the elder brother a rigid pharisee. 1st.—His situation: he was in the field, not in the spiritual church of God, but in the same place the poor prodigal was when he was sent to feed swine, working at the law with the rest of the swinish multitude, who can feed upon nothing else but their own fancied goodness; but whether they made a parson of him to feed the rest with such rubbish as is the case now aday, I cannot tell. 2nd.—The awful falsehood, “I never transgressed thy commandment at any time.” This is giving the lie to God’s word, which reveals the sinful state and wretched depravity of every man in heart, lip, and life. Everyman by nature is a God-hater—his carnal mind is enmity against God. There is not a grace-taught person in this world that ever dare to use such arrogant lying language.