The Pharisee and the Publican

Transcribed from the 1845 Thomas Nelson “Works of the Puritan Divines (Bunyan)” edition by David Price, email ccx074@pglaf.org

THE
PHARISEE AND THE PUBLICAN.

Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, _and
the other a Publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with
himself; God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are_,
extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this Publican.
I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
And the Publican, _standing afar off would not lift up so much as
his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be
merciful to me a sinner_.—Luke, xviii. 10–13.

IN the beginning of this chapter you read of the reason of the parable of the unjust judge and the poor widow; namely, to encourage men to pray. “He spake a parable to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;” and a most sweet parable for that purpose it is: for if through importunity, a poor widow woman may prevail with an unjust judge, and so consequently with an unmerciful and hard-hearted tyrant, how much more shall the poor, afflicted, distressed, and tempted people of God, prevail with, and obtain mercy at the hands of, a loving, just, and merciful God? The unjust judge would not hearken to, nor regard the cry of, the poor widow, for a while: “But afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.” “Hark,” saith Christ, “what the unjust judge saith.” “And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him?—I tell you that he will avenge them speedily.”