10. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

11. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will ye give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?

12. Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 1

13. If ye then, bing evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

Our Lord had a merciful consideration for the weakness of our nature, when he left these encouragements to earnest, persevering prayer. When a person seriously applies himself to the main business of a Christian's life, that of subduing the sinfulness of his nature and of his practice, he begins with earnestness and vigour. The new thoughts which are uppermost in his mind, or the thoughts which, though they had been long in his mind, are now for the first time uppermost, carry him forward rapidly. But, after a while, he finds that it is easy to declare war against sin; but not easy to conquer it. That which is deeply rooted in our heart, that which, perhaps, has gained strength by being long unchecked and uninterrupted, is constantly rising up again, and trying to make head. Whatever the sin may be, this has been always found the case. Sin will not quit its hold readily. Whether it be violence of passion: whether it be obstinate or irritable temper: whether it be evil desire: whether

1 The size and appearance of this reptile is not unlike that of an egg.

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subdued it, as Indeed, if we All the servants of

it be intemperate excess: we have not soon as we have begun to oppose it. had, where would be our trial?

God have found this in all ages. Can we doubt, whether St. Paul found it so, when he wrote of his own practice; "I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection; lest, while I have preached to others, I myself should become a cast away." Why should he keep his body under, if it were not wont to rebel? Why bring it into subjection, if it were not disinclined to yield to proper discipline?

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This, then, is the call for persevering prayer. Prayer alone can get a lasting dominion over sin. And prayer will obtain it, if we pray always, and do not faint." The victory may be slower, and the enemy stronger, than was expected. Men may be discouraged by many disappointments. They may be ready to say with David, "Has the Lord forgotten to be gracious, and will he shut up his loving-kindness in displeasure? Is his mercy clean gone for ever, and his promise come utterly to an end?" Go on, however, to say with him; "This is my infirmity. But I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High." I will remember that he said, If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

And the parable which introduces these words is especially intended to furnish reasons why we should not doubt, but earnestly believe, that if we

ask, it shall be given to us: if we seek, we shall find: if we knock, it shall be opened unto us. The neighbour here, to whom the request is made, is represented as being what men too often are, selfish: loving himself, and his own ease and pleasure, too well to assist another. His reply is, Trouble me not the door is now shut; and my children are with me in bed: I cannot rise and give thee. Yet even he is prevailed on, and cannot resist importunity. I say unto you, Though he will not rise 1 and give him because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity, he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.

With what different feelings may we approach GOD in prayer! He is always ready to receive us: he assures us, that we can never apply unseasonably. We may offend him by not asking: but our petitions can never offend him. We may "ask amiss," and therefore not receive but what we ask faithfully, we shall obtain effectually; be the request ever so great, even for eternal life itself: be the petitioner ever so unworthy, even a sinner seeking pardon for his transgressions.

The heart, however, which shall be disposed to profit by God's mercy, must still be the gift of his mercy. And we must end, as the disciples began, by entreating, Lord, teach us to pray!

LECTURE XLI.

THE DELIVERANCE OF A DUMB MAN FROM AN UNCLEAN SPIRIT GIVES OCCASION TO DECLARE THE POWER OF JESUS OVER SATAN.

LUKE Xi. 14-26.

(Matt. xii. 22-30. Mark iii. 20-30.)

14. And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered.

15. But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils.

16. And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven.

17. But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation: and a house divided against a house falleth.

18. If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub.

19. And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges.

20. But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.

St. John relates, (John xi. 47,) that after the resurrection of Lazarus, the chief priests and elders held a council together, saying, What do we? For this man doeth many miracles. So they resolved upon his death. The time for this was not now come.

But some explanation must be given to the people of his power of working miracles, which they could not deny; so they ascribed them to a confederacy with Satan. He casteth out devils through Beelzebub,1 the chief of the devils.

Our Lord, knowing their thoughts, showed the folly of them. What! he said, is it likely that Satan should fight against himself? When he has possessed a wretched creature, and got him into his power, will he himself furnish the arms by which he may be driven out? If a house is divided against a house, or a kingdom against itself, that family and that nation must quickly come to ruin. And so if Satan opposes his own instruments, and frees the soul which his spirits have enthralled,-how shall his kingdom stand?

But, in truth, the kingdom of God is established to destroy the power of Satan. As Jesus had recently intimated, when the seventy exulted, "saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven." He would not, therefore, strengthen the hand which was to subdue him. It must then be the finger of God: And if I by the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. My overcoming the power of devils, and relieving men from their dominion, is a sure sign that I have an authority greater than theirs. Ye have thus a clear proof that I am come in the power of God, and are bound to believe and follow me.

1 The name of a god worshipped among the Philistines, and adopted from them by the Israelites, to signify the chief of evil spirits.