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