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.