rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even his wife showed an undue fondness for the things which she had left, and transgressed the command, Look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain." And she became a monument of God's anger against those who "mind earthly things," instead of raising their hearts to those heavenly things which God has prepared for them that love him.

Even so should it be in the days of the Son of man in the days when the fulfilment of his predictions should prove him to be "the Christ of God." He had clearly disclosed God's purposes; and together with his warnings he had given directions, by which they might escape, who should believe and obey. But these would be few. As it was in the days of Noah and Lot, even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth to the other part under heaven: so shall also the Son of man be in his day. As sudden, as terrible, and as unlooked for as lightning he shall descend, and " slay those murderers, and burn up their city."

And how shall it be in that last great day of which these past destructions, the deluge of water, and the deluge of fire, and the deluge of war, are emblems? "When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith in the earth?" There is every reason to fear, that former examples will too exactly describe the future too. In defiance of warnings, and in neglect of revelations, the world will be taken by surprise. Men will continue to eat

and drink, to buy and sell, to plant and build, till "the day of the Lord shall come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up."3 We know where the fault is; not in eating, or drinking, or selling, or buying, or planting, or building, but in fixing the heart upon these and other things below, and buying no real truth, building no eternal habitation, laying up no treasure in heaven.

Yet it need not be so. At the destruction of Jerusalem, two women should be grinding together; the one should be taken, and the other left. Two men should be in the field; the one should be taken, and the other left. So shall it be at the end of the world. The same employments, the same circumstances, the same condition of life, shall send forth heirs of death, and heirs of everlasting glory. Remember Lot's wife. Entangled with earthly affections, she perished: whilst Lot departed from the wilderness around him, escaped to the mountain, and looked down from his place of safety upon the burning plain below. Remember the days of Noah. The world was delighting in wickedness, or engrossed with cares: whilst Noah prepared an ark for the saving of his house, and did not perish with the world. Remember the days of the Son of man. The mass of the Jewish people turned their eyes from testimony, and their ears from warning, till the eagles came and preyed upon the carcase of the large and wealthy city; whilst

3 2 Pet. iii. 10.

the Christians, separated from the mass of their countrymen, obeyed their Master's injunctions, and were secure from the general destruction. And

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even so in the last great day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men," all those shall be safe who have taken timely warning, and sought shelter in the cross of Christ. "Even then shall his hand lead them, and his right hand shall hold them." For it is not the will of our heavenly Father, that one of his little ones should perish.

LECTURE LXVII.

BY THE PARABLE OF THE WIDOW AND THE UNJUST JUDGE, JESUS ILLUSTRATES THE EFFICACY OF PERSEVERING PRAYER.

LUKE xviii. 1-8.

1. And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

2. Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:

3. And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.

4. And he would not for a while but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard

man:

5. Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.

42 Pet. iii. 7.

We cannot mistake the purport of the parable. It was spoken to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint: that having an object which they desire to obtain from God, they should seek it of him, and persist in seeking it, by earnest and continual prayer. The widow had her object; that she might be avenged of her adversary, i. e. that some one who had taken advantage of her helpless condition to do her injury, might be brought by the judge to give her her just rights. But the point to be observed is, the manner in which she offers her petition. Not carelessly, not hypocritically, not occasionally: not after the manner in which we fear that the prayers of the church, and the prayers of the family, and the prayers of the closet, are too often offered. It was not that sort of prayer which the judge was so afraid of, that he granted the poor widow her entreaty, lest by her continual coming she should weary him.

When God, by the mouth of his prophet, (Mal. i. 8,) was reproving the Israelites for their hypocrisy, because they pretended to come to him with sacrifice, but brought the blind, and the sick, and the lame, instead of the male without blemish and without spot-he said, "Offer it now unto thy governor will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person?" So might we often say of what is termed prayer. Offer it to the governor, and see whether it will prevail with him. Offer it to the rich man, and see whether it will be answered by a gift. Offer it to the adversary whom you have offended, and see whether it will incline him to be reconciled.

To avoid such worse than useless prayer, often reflect what prayer is: the chain between heaven and earth, by which God's blessings are brought down to us-the blessings of this world, and of that which is to come-the blessings of pardon, and grace, and spiritual joy. Let this thought rouse our dull and sluggish hearts; and incline us to put up one prayer, at least, with meaning and earnestness, that we may be enabled to pray with faith, and pray with life!

But the point which the parable is especially directed to show, is, that prayer must be persevered in, till the object which we desire is gained. That which the widow sought, the judge refused for a while but afterward he said within himself, Because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.

6. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.

7. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?

8. I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

These words point out to us, that when we desire anything in this world, we seek it with perseverance; we do not easily take a denial; and often procure by importunity, what otherwise we should never have succeeded in obtaining.

God invites us to follow the same course, in those things which we ask of Him, and which he alone can grant us.

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