The Pharisee and the Publican | Page 9

parable of lost sheep;
but they are the sinners of the house of Israel, and the publicans are
aliens and Gentiles. I say, how easily might they thus have objected?
but they knew full well, that the parable was pertinent, for that the
publicans were of the Jews, and not of the aliens. Yea, had they not
been Jews, it cannot, it must not be thought, that Christ (in sum) should
call them so; and yet he did do so, when he called them "lost sheep."
Now, that these publicans were Jews, what follows but that for this they
were a great deal the more abominated by their brethren; and (as I have
also hinted before) it is no marvel that they were; for a treacherous
brother is worse than an open enemy, Psalm lv. 12, 13; for, if to be
debauched in an open and common transgression is odious, how odious
is it for a brother to be so; for a brother in nature and religion to be so. I
say again, all this they did, as both John insinuates, and Zaccheus
confesses.
The Pharisee, therefore, was not so good, but the Publican was as bad.

Indeed the Publican was a notorious wretch, one that had a way of
transgressing by himself; one that could not be sufficiently condemned
by the Jews, nor coupled with a viler than himself. It is true, you find
him here in the temple at prayer; not because he retained, in his
apostacy, conscience of the true religion; but God had awakened him,
shewed him his sin, and bestowed upon him the grace of repentance, by
which he was not only fetched back to the temple and prayer, but to his
God, and to the salvation of his soul.
The Pharisee, then, was a man of another complexion, and good as to
his own thoughts of himself; yea, and in the thoughts of others also,
upon the highest and better ground by far. The Publican was a
notorious sinner: the Pharisee was a reputed righteous man. The
Publican was a sinner out of the ordinary way of sinning; and the
Pharisee was a man for righteousness in a singular way also. The
Publican pursued his villanies, and the Pharisee pursued his
righteousness; and yet they both met in the temple to pray: yea, the
Pharisee stuck to, and boasted in, the law of God: but the Publican did
forsake it, and hardened his heart against his way.
Thus diverse were they in their appearances: the Pharisee very good,
the Publican very bad: but as to the law of God, which looked upon
them with reference to the state of their spirits, and the nature of their
actions, by that they were both found sinners; the Publican an open,
outside one, and the Pharisee a filthy, inside one. This is evident,
because the best of them was rejected, and the worst of them was
received to mercy. Mercy standeth not at the Publican's badness, nor is
it enamoured with the Pharisee's goodness: it suffereth not the law to
take place on both, though it findeth them both in sin, but graciously
embraceth the most unworthy, and leaveth the best to shift for himself.
And good reason that both should be dealt with after this manner; to
wit, that the word of grace should be justified upon the soul of the
penitent, and that the other should stand or fall to that which he had
chosen to be his master.
There are three things that follow upon this discourse.
1. That the righteousness of man is not of any esteem with God, as to
justification. It is passed by as a thing of naughtiness, a thing not worth
the taking notice of. There was not so much as notice taken of the
Pharisee's person or prayer, because he came into the temple mantled

up in his own good things.
2. That the man that has nothing to commend him to God, but his own
good doings, shall never be in favour with him. This also is evident
from the text: the Pharisee had his own righteousness, but had nothing
else to commend him to God; and therefore could not by that obtain
favour with God, but abode still a rejected one, and in a state of
condemnation.
3. Wherefore, though we are bound by the law of charity to judge of
men according as in appearance they present themselves unto us; yet
withal, to wit, though we do so judge, we must leave room for the
judgment of God. Mercy may receive him that we have doomed to hell,
and justice may take hold on him, whom we have judged to be bound
up in the bundle of life. And both these things are apparent by the
persons