* * * * *

And it seems to me that that was how the Publican felt, when he had told God he was a sinner, and had asked for His mercy.

He went home happy, and forgiven!

GOD BE MERCIFUL TO ME, A SINNER!

Here is a comforting promise for us all—

"This is a faithful saying . . . that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners!"

[XXX. An Uninvited Guest]

One day the Lord Jesus was invited to dinner by a rich man whose name was Simon.

Perhaps this rich man asked Jesus to dinner because he wished to see Him do some miracle—something wonderful which no one else could do; or he may have imagined that people would think more of himself if he had Jesus for a guest; at any rate, by what we read afterwards, I am afraid Simon the Pharisee did not invite Jesus because he loved Him.