I

THE UNJUST JUDGE.

N a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared for man. And in the same

city there was a widow that had an enemy, and he had done her an injury. And she came to the judge and implored him, saying, "Give me justice; avenge me of my adversary." But he would not. Then the widow came to him every day and cried, "Give me justice;" but still he would not for a long while. At last he became wearied of her constant cry, and he said within himself, "Though I fear not God nor care for man, yet, because this widow troubleth me with her complaint, I will avenge her; lest by her continual coming she weary me."

And Jesus said, "Hear what the unjust judge saith. And if he, who was an unjust judge and a wicked man, would grant the widow's petition, because she asked so often, will not God, who is good and just, give His children what is good and right for them? Shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them?"

By this parable Christ sought to teach the wisdom of constant prayer. We should not lose faith and be disappointed because our prayers are not answered at once. The thing we ask may not really be good for us, or it may not be the right time. Whatever is good for His people, He will give to them.

A

SOWING THE SEED.

SOWER went out to sow his seed, and as he sowed some fell by the wayside and was trodden down, and birds came and devoured it. And some fell upon a rocky place, where there was not much soil, and as soon as it sprang up it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns and weeds, and they sprang up with it and choked it. But others fell on good ground, and sprang up bearing ears, some with thirty, some sixty, some a hundred seeds.

When Jesus had told this parable, His disciples asked Him to explain it to them. He said that the seed is the Word of God. The wayside signifies the people who hear the Word but do not understand it, and Satan comes and takes all thought of it out of their hearts as quickly as the birds devour the seeds. The rocky places without much earth denote those who, when they hear the Word, receive it with great joy and profession of faith; but it never takes deep root in their hearts, and when they are tempted they fall away and the good seed in their hearts is withered up. The thorns and weeds are the pleasures and riches of this life which root so deeply and strongly in men's hearts that the good seed has no chance and is soon killed off.

But the good ground is the hearts of good people who remember God's Word and try, every day of their lives, to do as He wishes us to do, and to live holy and useful lives. The seed falling upon their hearts becomes strongly rooted and grows up vigorously, bearing good fruit.

What shall be said of your heart, my young friend? Is it like the wayside? the rocky place? the thorny ground? or like a good field that has been well prepared for the seed?