This Pharisee to my mind seems to have the same spirit with those today who would desire to teach a conditionalistic doctrine - First, he thanked God that he was not like other men; that is, like the poor sinner and publican that felt that he had no works that were presentable to God, although he was also by nature a son of Abraham, as well as the self-righteous Pharisee. He knew and felt within himself that the holy law of God had done it's just work within him; that it is, it had arrested him. hailed his soul and spirit to court and to the Law's tribunal as a righteous judge, found him quilty and thus short of the glory of God, sentenced him, and thus cast him into it's prison of bondage, from which he could and would not come forth until he had "paid the utmost farthing of and to it's most righteous demands; but he was ten thousand talents in debt to his master, with nothing to pay with, so all he could do was smite himself upon his own breast, and cry: "Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner!" But it was different with the other son of Abraham, to " Whom also was an Israelite; to whom pertained the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; of whose were the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came..," and he therefore stood in pride and arrogance of this fact, and thus made his boast. In fact, he by nature, and in his flesh was just like the poor publican; The only difference being that the poor publican knew that he was an undone sinner, had no supposed works to offer in the form of a hypocritical "prayer" as the other did. The Pharisee, because he was a conditionalist, and therefore felt that he could do all things commanded, stood and prayed "within himself". He prayed within himself because he felt no real need of God's intercession on his behalf. He felt that he had everything that was sufficient to serve Him and that was contained "within himself" as all "do- it- your-selfers teach". He was an adherent of the philosophy that "God helps those that help themselves"; So, he was also a "help-your-selfer" - to grace, life and salvation, as there are millions yet proclaiming throughout this world. like those today, he thought these things were offers, propositions, at least they were there for the taking if one would just "help-themselves" to them, so he was also a "help-your-selfer", thats why he liked the trite saying (and might have invented it) that "God helps those that help themselves." Therefore since he didn't need any real help from God (since he was a "do-it your-selfer", a "help-your -youselfer" and then no wonder, as he considered himself to be sufficient within himself to serve God, (as he was a "sufficient-within-himselfer" too), he stood there, and thus "prayed within himself", so we also find that he was a "pray-it-your-selfer", and a "pray-it-within-yourselfer." So that is why his "prayers" didn't reach any higher than his own head; and why should they? for he basically had everything that he needed "within himself" - so he was a "religion-within-himselfer" also, as a lady once told me that she "had a religion all of her own". so was this Pharisee, because none of this religion came from above through the intercession of the Spirit. The Pharisee just needed to tell God about it. (as if God didn't already know.) This "help-your-self" Pharisee didn't feel that he really needed any help from God, or strength from God that would enable him and give him the ability to serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear, but he felt that he constantly possessed all of these virtues "within himself" and had a full sufficiency of them already, so he just told the Lord how he appreciated (the gift of) all these wonderful virtues, after he had thanked the Lord that such was the case, and thanked Him for all of His wonderful works that God had given him to do in His Name, by which he had become so righteous in God's sight, in others sight, and in his own sight. He really needed no Savior, for he deemed himself to be already saved once and for all. He thought he possessed a supply of righteousness that would last a life-time; and this he thanked God for. He no doubt, like many today had come to the place of "full assurance" of his own righteousness, and therefore of his rightful place in the "world to come", or his home in Heaven.

- While the poor publican found himself in the very opposite condition; he had nothing within himself which he felt that he could thank God for, because he was feeling so miserable under the weight of sin at the time, and could think of nothing of merit that he had ever done for which he might boast of. He only felt the old native depravity of his old sinful nature and heart, and felt that he had no supply of anything to present before God that God was interested in. This same publican felt not the least able to keep the demands of God's most holy Law within himself by virtue of being a descendant of Abraham, for he knew not the letter and formal study of the law of works as the Pharisee did; while the Pharisee, looking at his own supposed and self-esteemed ability to do so, thus put up his "prayer" to God - which was no more than to tell God what a "good fellow" he esteemed himself to be, since he was able to keep, and was thus keeping all things that the Law in duty commanded.

He could not then say with the honest servant (who is also a son in grace) "Though I have done all things commanded me, yet I feel to be an unworthy and unprofitable servant, for I have only done that which it was my duty (or that which was laid upon me) to do." Therefore Thou hast no obligation to me to reward me, though I have labored more than my fellow and contemporary servants, it was not I that laboured, but Christ's Spirit that wrought in me those things that were well-pleasing in His sight, for "... I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. "... But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me..." 1 Cor 15:10.

The Pharisee gave no evidence whatsoever that the "sentence of death" or the work of the law had ever entered into his soul. He, like Paul, (and he at this time could very well have been called Saul of Tarsus) who "Was alive unto his own righteousness", and the inherent ability to serve God at his own charges and options; because these are the very things that the Scribes and Pharisees taught - They boasted of their own ability, and sought praise in their own eyes and before men for their profession of knowing and entering into the righteous way, who "...Trusted in themselves that they were righteous, (by nature and their good works, which they advocated and commended to others for emulation, while at the same time"... they despised..." (had no regard for, esteeming themselves so much higher in their performances than others who they deemed were of a lower moral order than they themselves - and they excluded these whom were truly seeking for a way of entrance into the true grace of God to them, which the legalist's endeavored with all their ability to white-wash over with the gloss that they put upon the truth and demands of the Law which they toned down to accomodate their hypocrisy.

The poor, destitute publican, with poor Lazurus could find no place of rest for his sinful soul amidst such a hypocrital and legal system that they had invented and replaced Mose's Law with, therefore our Lord cried and wept in sorrow for His children under bondage to this legal system "...O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered THY CHILDREN (not referring to Jerusalem itself, because that place was destined to be utterly destroyed not many years hence). "...(gathered) together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" (not that the children that were held in bondage to that legal system would not, but the rulers of that corrupt system would not let them go.) "...Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord..." Matt 23:37-39. Legalism may dominate and rule over the conscience of God's believing and hungry children for a time, but their Lord, even Christ has appointed unto them a year of jubilee and a day of rejoicing when He shall say:

"...For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this..." Isa 37:32. and, "...For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem..." Isa 2:3. and, "

... Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. "...For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. "...But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all..." Gal 4:24-26.

At the time that Paul wrote this, Old Jerusalem was yet standing (literally) and we might say legally also, as her children were yet under the Law until her final destruction, and therefore the final termination and consumation of that Dispensation.

"...For that day shall not come, except there first come a falling away first, and ..that man of sin be revealed... the son of perdition..."2 Th 2:3.

By rejecting the true Messiah, and who would not have Him to rule over them, (which was in accordance to Jesus's parable and the divine predictions made by Him to His disciples) - for they had placed themselves within God's temple, (that belonged to Christ) made it a den of thieves by stealing God;s Glory and acceding it unto themselves, made mechandise of Christ's humble poor, killed and stoned all the prophets that God had ever sent unto them, including The Great Prophet, Priest and King, and persecuted His devoted servants that followed Him; Therefore, all the blood of the prophets and Jesus Himself was required in vengeance upon that nation and economy, for the mouth of The Lord had spoken it. through these things they thus declared and showing themselves to be their own god; And he (the spirit of Satan, the great adversary and accuser of the brethren,) that defiles the temple of God (our body) shall God destroy, according to the Apostle - which He did literally as pertained to that old center of worship under the Law.

This was all totally accomplished in about 70 A.D. by the Roman General Titus under Vespasian his father, the Emperor; But experimentally His Spirit is daily conquering every high thing that rises up, and tends to exalt itself against the knowledge of God, and brings into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. (2 Cor 10:5)

"In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise," (Eph 1:13 KJV)

"Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." (Eph 1:14 KJV)

"And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner."

"And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold."

"And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham."

"For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." (Luke 19:7-10 KJV)