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 the whole  law  and  the  prophets. We look  upon  the tomb's exterior  and  we  call  it  foul  or  fair,  according as it  appears  to  us,  but  few  of  us  have  the  moral  courage to  enter  in  and  bring  to  light  the  hidden  dead men's bones. The Pharisee,  having  told  what  vices he had  not,  proceeded  to  enumerate  his  virtues,  and many of  us,  like  him,  are  content  with  avoiding  heinous sins,  or  with  the  easy  outward  forms  of  religion,  to the  utter  neglect  of  the  more  difficult  interior  sanctification. Sanctity means  mare  than  that. The rich young ruler,  that  would-be  Apostle,  soon  learned  his mistake, and  was  so  frightened  that  he  sadly  turned away. To judge  rightly  of  ourselves  we  must  look at God,  and  seeing  ourselves  in  His  righteousness  as in  a  spotless  mirror,  we  will  realize  that  whatever  of good  we  do  comes  from  Him,  for  by  His  grace  we  are what we  are,  and  that  whatever  of  evil  is  in  us — and who shall  estimate  it? — is all  our  own. We will  see then that  like  the  Apostles  on  the  Lake  of  Galilee  we labor  through  the  night  of  life,  unprofitable  servants, taking nothing,  and  in  the  presence  of  our  God  and in very  terror  at  our  unworthiness  we  will  fall  down before Him  as  did  St.  Peter,  crying:  "  Depart  from me,  O  Lord,  for  I  am  a  sinful  man,"  or  supplicating Him in  the  words  of  the  publican:  "  O  God,  be merciful  to  me,  a  sinner."

Brethren, we  learn  from  the  parable,  secondly, how mistaken  are  usually  our  opinions  of  others. If, as  St.  Paul  testifies,  no  man  knows  whether  he be  praiseworthy  or  blamable  before  God,  if  neither Cain nor  Abel  knows  which  is  God's  favorite  until