the pharisee and the publican-第1节

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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　own　elect；　which　cry　day　and　night　unto　him？I　tell　you　that　he　will　avenge　them　speedily。〃

This　is　therefore　a　very　comfortable　parable　to　such　of　the　saints　as　are　under　hard　usage　by　reason　of　evil　men；　their　might　and　tyranny：　for　by　it　we　are　taught　to　believe　and　expect；　that　God；　though　for　a　while　he　seemeth　not　to　regard；　yet　will；　in　due　time　and　season；　arise　and　set　such　in　safety　from　them　that　puff　at　them；　Psalm　xii。　4。

Let　the　good　Christian　pray　always；　let　him　pray；　and　not　faint　at　seeming　delays；　for　if　the　widow　by　importunity　prevailed　with　the　unjust　judge；　how　much　more　shall　he　with　his　heavenly　Father。　　〃I　tell　you；〃　says　Christ；　〃that　he　will　avenge　them　speedily。〃

But　now；　forasmuch　as　this　parable　reacheth　not　（so　directly）　the　poor　Publican　in　the　text；　therefore　our　Lord　begins　again；　and　adds　to　that　other　parable；　this　parable　which　I　have　chosen　for　my　text；　by　which　he　designeth　two　things：　　First；　The　conviction　of　the　proud　and　self…conceited　Pharisee：　　Secondly；　The　raising　up　and　healing　of　the　cast　down　and　dejected　Publican。　　And　observe　it；　as　by　the　first　parable　he　chiefly　designeth　the　relief　of　those　that　are　under　the　hands　of　cruel　tyrants；　so　by　this　he　designeth　the　relief　of　those　that　lie　under　the　load　and　burden　of　a　guilty　and　disquieted　conscience。

This　therefore　is　a　parable　that　is　full　of　singular　comfort　to　such　of　the　sinners　in　the　world　that　are　clogged　with　guilt　and　sense　of　sin；　and　that　lie　under　the　apprehensions　of；　and　that　are　driven　to　God　by　the　sense　of　the　judgment　that　for　sin　is　due　unto　them。

In　my　handling　of　this　text；　I　shall　have　respect　to　these　things　…

1。　　To　the　persons　in　the　text。

2。　　To　the　condition　of　the　persons　in　the　text。

3。　　To　the　conclusion　that　Christ　makes　upon　them　both。

First；　For　the　persons。　　They　were；　as　you　see；　far　one　from　another　in　their　own　apprehension　of　themselves；　one　good；　the　other　bad；　but　yet　in　the　judgment　of　the　law；　both　alike；　both　the　same；　both　sinners；　for　they　both　stood　in　need　of　mercy。　　True；　the　first　mentioned　did　not　see　it；　as　the　other　poor　sinner　did；　but　that　altereth　not　the　case：　　he　that　is　in　the　judgment　of　the　law　a　sinner；　is　in　the　judgment　of　the　law　for　sin　condemned；　though　in　his　own　judgment　he　be　ever　so　righteous。

Men　must　not　be　judged；　or　justified；　according　to　what　themselves　do　think；　but　according　to　the　verdict　and　sentence　that　cometh　out　of　the　mouth　of　God　about　them。　　Now；　the　sentence　of　God　is；　〃All　have　sinned：〃　〃There　is　none　righteous；　no；　not　one；〃　Rom。　iii。　　It　is　no　matter；　then；　what　the　Pharisee　did　think　of　himself；　God　by　his　word　hath　proclaimed　him　a　sinner：　　a　sinner；　by　reason　of　original　sin；　a　sinner；　by　reason　of　actual　transgression。　　Personally；　therefore；　with　reference　to　the　true　nature　of　their　state；　they　both　were　sinners；　and　both　by　the　law　under　condemnation。　　True；　the　Publican's　leprosy　was　outward；　but　the　Pharisee's　leprosy　was　inward：　　his　heart；　his　soul；　his　spirit；　was　as　foul；　and　had　as　much　the　plague　of　sin；　as　had　the　other　in　his　life　or　conversation。

Secondly；　As　to　their　conditions　（I　do　not　mean　by　condition；　so　much　a　habit　of　mind；　as　the　state　that　they　had　each　of　them　put　themselves　into　by　that　mind。）　　〃The　one；〃　says　the　text；　〃was　a　Pharisee；　the　other　a　Publican。〃　　A　Pharisee：　　that　is；　one　that　hath　chosen　to　himself　such　a　course　of　life。　　A　Publican：　　that　is；　one　that　hath　chosen　to　himself　such　a　course　of　life。　　These　terms；　therefore；　shew　the　divers　courses　of　life　that　they　had　put　themselves　into。　　The　Pharisee；　as　he　thought；　had　put　himself　into　a　condition　for　heaven　and　glory；　but　the　Publican　was　for　this　world　and　his　lusts。　　Wherefore　when　the　Pharisee　stands　in　the　temple；　he　boasteth　of　himself　and　good　condition；　but　condemneth　the　Publican；　and　bitterly　inveigheth　against　him。　　But；　as　I　said；　their　personal　state；　by　the　law；　was　not　at　all　changed。　　The　Pharisee　made　himself　never　the　better；　the　Publican　also　abode　in　his　place。

Indeed　the　Publican　is　here　found　to　recant；　and　repent　of　his　condition；　and　of　the　condition　that　he　had　put　himself　into；　and　the　Pharisee　to　boast　of　his。　　But　the　Publican's　repentance　was　not　of　himself；　but　of　God；　who　can　also；　yea；　and　sometimes　it　is　evident　（Acts　ix。）　he　doth；　make　Pharisees　also　repent　of　that　condition　that　they　have　chosen　to　be　in　themselves；　Phil。　iii。　3…8。　　The　Pharisee；　therefore；　in　commending　of　himself；　makes　himself　never　the　better；　the　Publican　also；　in　condemning　of　himself；　makes　himself　never　the　worse。　　Nay；　contrariwise；　the　Pharisee；　by　commending　of　himself；　makes　himself　much　the　worse；　ver。　14；　and　the　Publican；　by　condemning　of　himself；　makes　himself　much　the　better。　　〃I　tell　you　（says　Christ）　this　man　went　down　to　his　house　justified　rather　than　the　other；　for　every　one　that　exalteth　himself　shall　be　abased：　　and　he　that　humbleth　himself　shall　be　exalted。〃

But；　I　say；　as　to　men's　commending　of　themselves；　yea；　though　others　should　commend　them　also；　that　availeth；　to　God…ward；　nothing　at　all。　〃For　not　he　that　commendeth　himself　is　approved；　but　whom　the　Lord　commendeth。〃　　So　then；　men　in　〃measuring　themselves　by　themselves；　and　comparing　themselves　among　themselves；　are　not　wise；〃　2　Cor。　x。　12。

Now；　this　was　the　way　of　the　Pharisee；　I　am　not；　saith　he；　as　other　men：　　I　am　no　extortioner；　nor　unjust；　no　adulterer；　nor　yet　as　this　Publican。

〃Two　men　went　up　into　the　temple　to　pray；〃　and　they　two；　as　I　said；　as　opposite　one　to　the　other；　as　any　two　men　that　ever　went　thither　to　pray。　　One　of　them　was　over　righteous；　and　the　other　wicked　over　much。　　Some　would　have　thought；　had　they　not　by　the　word　of　Christ　been　otherwise　described；　that　they　had　been　both　of　the　same　religion；　for　they　both　went　up　into　the　temple　to　pray；　yea；　both　to　pray；　and　that　at　the　same　time；　as　if　they　did　it　by　appointment；　by　agreement；　but　there　was　no　such　thing。　　The　one　was　a　Pharisee；　the　other　a　Publican：　　for　so　saith　the　after　words：　　and　therefore　persons　as　opposite　as　light　and　darkness；　as　fire　and　water；　I　mean；　as　to　their　apprehensions　one　of　another。　　The　Pharisee　could　not　abide　the　Publican；　nor　could　the　Publican　brook　the　Pharisee；　and　yet　both　went　up　into　the　temple　to　pray。　　It　is　strange　to　see；　and　yet　it　is　seen；　that　men　cross　in　their　minds；　cross　in　their　principles；　cross　in　their　apprehensions；　yea；　and　cross　in　their　prayers　too；　should　yet　meet　together　in　the　temple　to　pray。

〃Two　men；〃　men　not　of　the　middle　sort；　and　them　too　picked　out　of　the　best　and　worst　that　was：　　two　men；　a　Pharisee；　and　a　Publican。

To　be　a　Pharisee　was　in　those　days　counted　honourable　for　religion；　and　for　holiness　of　life。　　A　Pharisee　was　a　man　of　esteem　and　repute　among　the　Jews；　though　it　is　a　term　of　reproach　with　us；　else　Paul　would　not　at　such　a　time　as　he　did　it；　have　said；　〃Men　and　brethren；　I　am　a　Pharisee；　the　son　of　a　Pharisee；〃　Acts　xxiii；　6；　Phil。　iii。　5。　For　now　he　stood　upon　his　purgation　and　justification；　especially　it　appears　so　by　the　place　first　named。　　And　far　be　it　from　any　to　think；　that　Paul　would　make　use　of　a　colour　of　wickedness；　to　save　thereby　himself　from　the　fury　of　the　people。

A　Publican　was　in　those　days　counted　one　of　the　vilest　of　men；　as　is　manifest；　because　when　they　are　in　the　word；　by　way　of　discrimination；　made　mention　of；　they　are　ranked　with　the　most　vile　and　base；　therefore　they　are　joined　with　sinners〃He　eateth　with　publicans　and　sinners；〃　and　〃with　harlots。〃　　〃Publicans　and　harlots　enter　into　the　kingdom　of　heaven。〃　　Yea；　when　our　Lord　Christ　would　have　the　rebellious　professor　stigmatized　to　purpose；　he　saith；　〃Let　him　be　to　thee　as　an　heathen　man　and　a　publican。〃

We　the