to the worst; why he sat so loose from the righteous, and stuck so
close to the wicked. "The whole," saith he, "have no need of the
physician, but the sick. I came not to call the righteous, but
sinners to repentance;" Mark ii. 15-47.

Above you read, that the scribes and pharisees said to his disciples,
"How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?"
Alas! they did not know the reason: but the Lord renders them one,
and such an one as is both natural and cogent, saying, These have
need, most need. Their great necessity requires that I should be
most friendly, and show my grace first to them.

Not that the other were sinless, and so had no need of a Saviour; but
the publicans and their companions were the biggest sinners; they
were, as to view, worse than the scribes; and therefore in reason
should be helped first, because they had most need of a Saviour.

Men that are at the point to die have more need of the physician than
they that are but now and then troubled with an heart-fainting qualm.
The publicans and sinners were, as it were, in the mouth of death;
death was swallowing of them down: and therefore the Lord Jesus
receives them first, offers them mercy first. "The whole have no
need of the physician, but the sick. I came not to call the
righteous, but sinners to repentance." The sick, as I said, is the
biggest sinner, whether he sees his disease or not. He is stained
from head to foot, from heart to life and conversation. This man, in
every man's judgment, has the most need of mercy. There is nothing
attends him from bed to board, and from board to bed again, but the
visible characters, and obvious symptoms, of eternal damnation. This
therefore is the man that has need, most need; and therefore in