The Pharisee and PublicanIndyPublish.com, 2008 - 124 páginas Wherein several great and weighty things are handled: as, the nature of prayer, and of obedience to the law, with how it obliges Christians, and wherein it consists. Wherein is also shewed, the equally deplorable condition of the Pharisee, or hypocritical and self-righteous man; and of the Publican, or sinner that lives in sin, and in open violation of the Divine laws. Together with the way and method of God's FREE GRACE in pardoning penitent sinners; proving that He justifies them by imputing Christ's righteousness to them. "As a theological treatise, the Pharisee and Publican is invaluable. It is clear and perfectly intelligible to every candid and prayerful inquirer. When our author is proving the impossibility of a sinner's recommending himself to the divine favour by any imperfect good works of his own, he draws a vivid picture. A lord invites his friends to a sumptuous banquet, the provision is bountiful and in rich abundance, when some of the guests take a few mouldy crusts out of their pockets and lay them on their plates, lest the prince had not provided a sufficient repast for his friends; "would it not be a high affront to, a great contempt of, and a distrust in, the goodness of the Lord." We are bound to produce good works as a fruit of faith-a proof of love to him that hath redeemed us, but not to recommend us to his favour. The picture of such a feast drawn by John Bunyan must make upon every reader a deep, a lasting, an indelible impression. How bitter and how true is the irony, when the Pharisee is represented as saying, "I came to thy feast out of civility, but for thy dainties I need them not, I have enough of my own; I thank thee for thy kindness, but I am not asthose that stand in need of thy provisions, nor yet as this Publican." The language is bold and striking, but it exhibits the unvarnished truth; an inward change of nature is the only cause of good and acceptable works-good or evil actions are but the evidences of our state by grace or by nature-they do not work that change or produce that state.It is a soul-humbling view of our state of death by sin, or of life by the righteousness and obedience of Christ." George Offor, editor. |