trusting in him, and looking for his coming? Will such be the state of the world at large? Will it be the general state of those to whom the gospel has come?

Leaving this question unanswered, as our Lord leaves it, though it is too plain what answer he means us to supply, let us seek to learn for ourselves practically the lesson of perseverance in prayer, which the parable is meant to teach.

I. "Men ought always to pray"; that is, continually; and that for the same blessing. Once let us be sure that our prayer is according to the will of God, and we are told then to "be instant in prayer." Day after day this widow approached the judge's house with the same petition; day after day should our wants, and especially the one want (whatever it may be) that chiefly presses upon us, be laid before the throne of

grace.

II. "And not to faint." We are apt to faint. We pray, and seem to receive no answer; we speak to God, and yet no voice replies; and so we become discouraged, we faint, we are ready to leave off praying. But not if faith be strong. There must be faith, or we cannot really pray at all; and faith leads us to persevere in the face of discouragement. True, we see nothing, we hear nothing; yet faith enables us to realize God's nearness, God's presence, God's blessing. If we walk by sight, we shall faint; if we walk by faith, we shall persevere. This is what God would have us to do. He could bless us in a moment with all that we want. If he is pleased to keep us awhile still praying, shall we think despondingly that he hears us not?

III. "And shall not God avenge his own elect?"

This question is a strong assurance that God will avenge them. And this particular answer to prayer seems drawn directly from the parable. Even the unjust . judge at length did justice to the widow: so will God, in answer to their prayers, help all his people who labour under injustice and oppression, sooner or later, in his own good time. But he will also hear prayer of every kind, and help and comfort and bless in all need. There is not a want which he cannot supply, not one which he will not supply, if it be really a want. Earnest, persevering, prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, a crying day and night unto God, will never be unheard.

IV. Yet our Lord shows that the blessing may be long withheld; "though he bear long with them." It often is so. See that pale and care-worn face. That mother has a son-an ungodly son, and it is care for him that has saddened her face and dimmed her eye. Yet she is a woman of prayer: day and night she lays her son's case before God, and pleads for him with a mother's heart. Let her not doubt, let her not faint. God is bearing long with her, yet he hears her. Only let her pray, and pray again, and wait, and believe. Ah! it is easy to say this, but it is not easy to do it. To hope against hope, to endure the heart-sickness of hope deferred, to see no change, no token for good, and yet to pray,-this is not easy. Yet it is what God calls us to, and what God promises to bless. We are to cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with us.

V. Faith is what is wanted-more faith. Whether he find it in many or in few when he comes, let our Lord see faith in us now. Let us lay hold of the

promises, and set them against all discouragements. There would be no room for faith, if there were no waiting, if we could see all, and see it at once. But faith is the very thing that God requires, and that he is working in us continually. Oh that our faith may be increased! Oh that the Holy Spirit may teach us to believe more, and to pray more! Oh that all God's promises and all his dealings may lead us to prayer, to trust, to peace, to joy. We have to do with no unjust judge, no unkind lord. When we pray, we go to more than a judge, even the justest and kindest. We go to our Father, our reconciled Father in Christ Jesus. Shall we doubt him? He has given us his Son; shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

XXXIV.

THE PHARISEE AND THE PUBLICAN.

"And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 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. I tell you, 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."

LUKE Xviii. 9-14.

HESE two men went to the same place, at the same time, and for the same purpose; yet how different were they in heart and character! There is much difference now also among those who meet together in the house of God, and often even among those who come together in a more private way for prayer, and for the hearing of the word. God only knows the heart.

But though these two men both went up into the temple, yet they did not worship in the same part of it. It may have been because the Jewish law did not allow the publican to be where the Pharisee was, for there were different courts, to which different classes of people might come, or it may have been through his deep humility, that the publican "stood afar off," while the Pharisee worshipped in the inner part. There are

no different courts in the Lord's house now. High and low, male and female, Jew and Gentile, may worship together. The gospel has made all one. Whatever differences there may be in other places, in the house of God all stand on one footing.

Thus these two men prayed in different places; but their prayers were more different still.

"The Pharisee stood, and prayed thus with himself." Some think the meaning to be that he stood by himself and prayed; and this would quite agree with the general character and practice of the Pharisees, who thought themselves peculiarly holy, and wished to keep others at a humble distance from them. At all events, he stood up boldly in his proud self-righteousness, and spoke the words of prayer apart.

Prayer? It is called prayer, because it professed to be so; but there was nothing of real prayer in it. The words were addressed to the Almighty; "God, I thank thee "; but his thoughts were upon himself. He was really speaking to himself, rather than to God. And what words they were! True, the opening words show nothing wrong: "God, I thank thee." Fit words indeed with which to begin prayer; but we judge of the feeling from which they sprang by what follows, God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are."

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In the solemn hour of prayer, how could his thoughts be fixed upon the faults of others? Had he no sins of his own to confess? What had he to do with "other men" at such a moment? Who had taught him to compare himself with his neighbours, rather than with God's holy law? If he had but looked into that perfect law, and compared himself with it, how different would his feelings and his prayer have been! We can