Christ and the Injust Judge.

Luke xviii. 1-8.

HOSE instructive parables that shine like precious

gems on the Sacred page are
history of the Son of Man.

works of his outer life.

outpourings of his inner life.

each an epoch in the His miracles were the

His parables were the

Each culminates in

some new lesson, or illustrates some obscured truth, or enforces some neglected duty, or brings within the horizon some unknown or long-lost privilege.

This parable is commonly called the parable of the importunate widow, or of her who would not be satisfied without having granted to her those things which she so persistently, so earnestly, and so successfully sought. The chief design of it is to illustrate and enforce the value of persistent prayer. It is an argument from the less to the greater, If a human judge could thus be moved by the unwearied persistency of an obscure petitioner he alike despised and hated, how much more will God accept the prayers of a persistent petitioner whom He loves, and for whom He gave his own Son to die! We may not infer from this that God can be overcome by the mere force of importunity, or that much speaking is prevailing eloquence in prayer. It does not teach this. All the parable teaches us is, that we must not be satisfied with asking blessings of God once or twice, but that we are to ask until we finally obtain. God's promise that He will hear prayer is absolute, but how often we shall pray He has not

revealed. He requires our ceaseless dependence on Him, his word, and promise, and our untiring prayer to Him as our Father; and, sooner or later—not too soon to make us proud, nor too late to drive us to despair-He will grant those things which we earnestly and importunately ask of Him, in the all-availing Name of Jesus, our atonement and advocate.

Prayer is not beating the air; it is not a duty to be discharged by us; or a penance to be endured; or a propitiation to be made. It is the voice of the heart rising to the heavens, and entering the ears of the Lord of Hosts. It is want appealing to inexhaustible fulness, weakness to omnipotence, and sin to the mercy that forgives and the grace that purifies. It is not must we pray, but may we pray? The heaviest load is lightened by our kneeling under it. The saddest heart is comforted by pouring out its sorrows in prayer. God makes this our noblest privilege his sovereign command, and our deepest and most lasting interest.

This unjust judge said, "Though I fear not God "—that is, though I have no religion of any sort―" nor regard man,”—that is, though I care not for doing justly or loving mercy, but simply look for my regular stipend for the ordinary duties that I am appointed by the State to discharge; yet because this widow, to whom I have no liking whatever, persists in troubling me day after day with her case, "I will avenge her,"—that is, I will judge and dispose of that cause which she submits to me so unweariedly,-"lest by her continual coming she weary me:" it means literally, "lest she smite me on the face." It is the strongest expression for intolerable importunity.

Jesus said, "Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge"-that is, right the wrongs, defend the cause, and grant the requests of" his own elect"-or Christian people-" which cry day and night unto Him," though He seem to us, who are no judges of the times and the seasons, or of his mind and purposes,

to bear very long with them? "I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man cometh,"—that is, when He comes at his second glorious advent,-"shall He find faith on the earth?" There are two interpretations of these words. One is, Shall He find living faith-that is, Christianity or true religion-upon the face of the earth at all? The earth will then be exhausted of its religion-its fruit will have become sere, and dry, and dead. The other interpretation, which looks equally probable, is, Shall He find faith in this the efficacy of prayer when He comes again to judge the earth? Men, fearing or believing that God has forgotten them, will cease to pray; and, ceasing to pray, they will fail to obtain the blessings and the mercies that they need. But no doubt in whatever light we regard it, every prophecy of the close of this dispensation and of the dawn of the commencement of another, leads us to suppose that whilst God's people will exist upon the earth, they will be few and far between, and that it will be as in the days of Noah-men will be absorbed in the things of earth, and totally indifferent to the things of heaven. Some will be openly profane; some will scoff; others will profess in words, while in deeds they deny Christ. Our duty is plain,-"Watch and pray;" “ Pray without ceasing."