THE PHARISEE AND THE PUBLICAN.

by John Bunyan




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