a man that is a sinner. It is plain from this that they did not know
themselves. Like the Pharisee, they justified themselves, and were
ready even to thank God that they were not like other men. But our
Lord came not to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance. And
we should notice that by sinners he means such as _feel_ and _know_
themselves to be sinners. Jesus adapted himself to the _felt_ wants of
those he came to save. He had no sin-forgiving words for the
self-righteous. He had no blessing for the proud in spirit. He had no
promise for those who exalted themselves.

I love to contemplate this glorious feature of our blessed religion.
The docile, teachable disposition of the little child, coupled with
the honest confession of Peter: "I am a sinful man, O Lord," is the
low plane of feeling upon which the Savior enters the soul. It was
declared by a prophet respecting his first advent into the world:
"Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be
made low." Mountains and hills in this passage signify the proud and
self-exalted desires and lusts of the wicked man, which are to be laid
low because such states of heart and life forever oppose themselves to
the meekness and gentleness of Christ. But the principle of humility,
signified by a valley, is to be exalted: not that humility exalteth or
can exalt itself; but this truly humble state of mind prepares man to
receive the Lord's saving truth, and this exalts a man. "He that
humbleth himself shall be exalted."

For myself, Brethren, I can say with the Apostle Paul, that "in me,
that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present
with me, but to do that which is good is not. For the good which I
would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.... I
delight in the law of God after the inward man: but I perceive a
different law in my members, warring against the will of my spirit,
and bringing me into captivity to the sway of sin in my members." Paul
here speaks of the inward man, and of the members or outward man. This
takes my thought to the tabernacle in the wilderness. It had an outer
court and an inner sanctuary. The tables of God's holy law were placed
in this most holy place. It was right in this most holy place, over
the mercy seat, which was the golden cover to the ark that contained
the tables of the law, that Jehovah had his dwelling place. It was
there he talked with Moses. The outer court was for offeri