unto the grave." Though they cannot pray for revenge, they properly pray for redress, and protection against all enemies, in behalf of themselves and the Church. 66 Keep me as the apple of thine eye; hide me under the shadow of thy wings, from the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies who compass me about. Arise, O Lord, disappoint him, cast him down."- "O let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just." Our Lord teaches that God will certainly avenge his own elect who thus cry to him; he will vindicate their cause, and deliver them from their enemies, whether temporal or spiritual. He will interpose, "though he bear long with them."* This may refer, either to God's elect, or to their enemies: and we probably have the sense most complete when we include both. God is often long in answering these prayers of his people, and, of course, bears long with their oppressors. However, a delay is not a denial for his people. Delay serves to try their faith, to call them forth to greater earnestness, to give a higher relish to deliverance when it comes, and to afford an opportunity of a more glorious interposition in their behalf.

“I tell you that he will avenge them speedily." That may be said to come speedily which comes as soon as it can come with propriety; especially if, at last, it come in a striking way, suddenly, and at a time when it was not expected. "The Lord will help" the righteous, "and that right early." And, as for the ungodly, "their judgment lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not:" they need not, therefore, promise themselves perpetual impunity, or set their hearts in them fully to do evil, because sentence against an evil work is not always executed speedily or immediately. "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward; not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

It is proper to remark that we must not, from any thing that is said in this parable, entertain the unworthy idea that God may be wearied by many words, and weakly led to do what is contrary to his will, or what he did not intend to do. The argument stands just thus:-If this wicked man was prevailed on by importunity, much more will the great

*There are many opinions, and critical difficulties, connected with this clause, which the scholar may examine, but which it would be of little importance here to discuss.

God. Between the situation of petitioners at the throne of God's grace, and that of this widow applying to this judge, there is something of a resemblance, but there is much more of a contrast. This judge was unjust; but the Lord God is a just God, and a Saviour. This judge was unfeeling and cruel; but God is the Lord God, merciful and gracious. This judge was wearied and displeased with the widow's frequent applications; but God invites and loves importunity. This widow had no connexion with the judge; but those of whom we speak are God's own elect. She had no friend to plead for her; but they have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous, whom the Father heareth always. She, instead of encouragements and promises, had everything to damp her; but they have every encouragement, especially the express promise of a gracious answer at last. How obvious and undeniable, therefore, the delightful inference! Again, then, the conclusion is, that we should give ourselves to earnest and persevering prayer. Thus saith the Lord, "The vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it shall speak, and not lie; though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.'

"

"Nevertheless," adds our Lord, in conclusion-notwithstanding all these warnings and exhortations, "when the Son of man cometh shall he find faith on the earth?" His coming seems here to refer primarily to his providential coming, by the Roman army, at the destruction of Jerusalem; and he intimates that there would then be but little faith on the earth, or rather, on, or in, the land—that is, in the land of Judea. At the time referred to, the great majority of the Jews were in a state of total unbelief, while even most of the Christians were, probably, so disheartened as to have but little expectation of deliverance, and not a few false professors altogether apostatized. In the 24th chapter of Matthew, our Lord says, in reference to the same period, "Many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And, because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." This seems also to refer to Christ's personal coming at the day of judgment, of which his providential coming to overthrow Jerusalem was an emblem. Peter says "that there shall come, in the last days, scoffers,

* See more on the subject of importunity in prayer, in Lecture lvii. + Την πίστιν. There seems no good reason for confining the sense, with Dr Campbell, in his Note in defence of the rendering, "this belief." The article does not necessarily so limit the sense, neither does the connection.

walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." And as it is said, in the 20th chapter of the Revelation, that "when the thousand years" of great religious prosperity" are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations," it is thence inferred that there will be a great defection just before the general judgment. How many, too, in every age, are destitute of faith when they are called away by death!

When Christ comes in any way, he seeks for faith, and he is entitled to expect it, and should find it. Say if he would find it in you, were he now to come; or rather, say, simply, whether it be in you at this moment. "All men have not faith."-" Who hath believed our report ?". "Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves: know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates." If you have not that faith which interests in the Redeemer's merits, and leads to prayer and obedience, "he will come at an hour when you are not aware, and will cut you in sunder, and will appoint you your portion with unbelievers." Pray that it may be given to you in behalf of Christ to believe in his name. Seek the grace of faith; and when you have obtained it, hold it fast. "Watch ye; stand fast in the faith; quit you like men; be strong." "Watch and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these thing that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." "Hold fast the profession of your faith without wavering, for he is faithful who hath promised."—" Yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now, the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." Be not, therefore, "of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul."

LECTURE XCIII.

LUKE XVIII, 9–14.

"And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10. Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11. 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. 12. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 13. 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. 14. 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."

THIS parable of the Pharisee and the publican is another of the many admirable parables which are to be found only in Luke; and whereas the foregoing parable inculcated importunity in prayer, this explains the views, and spirit, and conduct, of those worshippers who pray aright, and who are justified, or pardoned and accepted of God.

Let us consider, in the First place, The persons to whom this parable was addressed by our Lord, for their conviction : "He spake this parable unto certain who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others." Whether they had betrayed their sentiments by their way of speaking or not, he knew that such sentiments lurked in the breasts of some of his hearers, and he wisely adapted himself to this class of his audience. So ought every Christian teacher under him, to endeavour to accommodate his instructions to the different characters whom he has to address, and in thus rightly dividing the word of truth, particularly to set himself, from time to time, to expose the folly and danger of self-righteousness. Our Lord had frequently to deal with persons of this turn of mind. Thus, of the lawyer who stood up and tempted him, saying, What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" we read," But he willing," or desirous," to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?"* The Pharisees betrayed the

* Luke x. 29.

*

same spirit on various occasions. Jesus said unto them,* "Ye are they who justify yourselves before men;" and the scriptural outline of the character of most of them shows that they entertained a high opinion of their spiritual excellence, and trusted in their own righteousness for acceptance with God. In connection with this overweening conceit of themselves, the persons to whom our Lord addressed this parable were characterized by a supercilious contempt for others; especially, it may be supposed, for those who did not, in every respect, hold the same opinions, and observe the same forms with themselves. Nor, however prevalent this spirit may have been then, is it unknown now: nay, it is very common; and self-righteousness is still usually accompanied by a feeling of fancied superiority to others. It is according to our fallen nature to cling to the covenant of works, and to be vain, proud, and supercilious; it is of grace that some are brought in truth, as well as in profession, to renounce all trust in themselves, and to become sincerely humble and charitable. We shall see how these points are illustrated in the progress of this parable, which must still be considered as fraught with instruction to us. Let us proceed to notice,

Secondly, The persons who went up to the temple to pray: "Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican." The temple being situated on Mount Zion, those who repaired to it had, of course, to ascend or go up. It was erected for the express purpose of prayer, in connection with sacrifice. Solomon besought the Lord to hear the prayers which should be made, either in, or towards the temple; and the Lord accordingly engaged to hear them when properly offered; and he also said, by Isaiah,† concerning those who keep his Sabbath, and take hold of his covenant," Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people." The usual hours of prayer at the temple were the third and ninth, corresponding to our nine in the morning and three in the afternoon, when the morning and evening sacrifices were offered, along with the burning of incense. We read in the beginning of the 3d chapter of the Acts, that " Peter and John went up together into the temple, at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour." In the passage before us, we read + Isa. lvi. 7.

* Luke xvi. 15.