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This prayerful spirit is the mark of God's children. They cry day and night unto Him. An old writer makes this beautiful remark, The whole life of the faithful," he says, "should be one great connected prayer"; and again, "Prayer should be the salt which is to season everything."

May God give us a more praying spirit! May He teach us that the more we are in His presence the happier we are! May we feel as David felt, "My soul thirsteth for God, the living God!"

But our Lord, in the passage before us, adds that men "ought not to faint"; that is, They ought not to be discouraged, though God may seem not to hearken to their supplications. I say seem, because God always does hear the prayers of His people. Yes, and He always answers our prayers, if we pray according to His will, though His answer may not come immediately.

We ought not then to faint or be discouraged, but to believe and persevere. The poor Widow had but one weapon, and that was persevering prayer; but by it she prevailed. By her continued entreaties she at

length won over the man, who at first seemed so unlikely to be moved by them.

We have a beautiful instance of this in the case of the Syrophenician Woman, mentioned in the Gospels. She comes to our Lord, and for a while He appears not to heed her, like the Judge in the Parable. But she prays on boldly and hopefully. She is nothing daunted by His seeming indifference. And at length her anxiety is relieved: He sends her away with her request granted. He yielded, not as the Judge did, because He was wearied by her earnestness, but because He loved to meet her with a blessing, and because He only waited in order to try her faith.

We very often find a difficulty with these poor unbelieving hearts of ours, to pray at all. But still more difficult do we find it to go on praying, when the desired answer does not come. For instance, we ask for a blessing on our own souls. We pray for more faith, more love, more power to resist temptation, for brighter views of Christ, for a more rejoicing hope. But our hands still hang down, and our knees are still feeble. seems no nearer to us. Ah, this sorely trics

God

our confidence.

gift will come.

But let us pray on. The "Though it tarry, wait for

it it will surely come."

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Or, again, we draw near to the throne of grace for a dear Friend, or a Relative, or a Neighbour. We entreat God to change his heart, and wash his soul. But we see him still going on frowardly in his ways; his heart remains untouched. What are we to do? Shall we give over? Shall we leave him to himself? No; we "ought to pray, and not to faint." This Parable is our encouragement.

See how plainly we are told that God is willing to hear the prayers of His people. Will He pay no heed to them? says our Lord. Will He not " avenge his own elect, who cry day and night unto him"? They may be persecuted and oppressed in a thousand ways; but He loves them. They are unspeakably dear to Him. They are often disposed to cry in their distress, "O God, how long shall the adversary do this dishonour? Why withdrawest thou thy hand? Why pluckest thou not thy right hand out of thy bosom to destroy

enemy?" But never-no never-do they

speak to Him in vain. He may seem not to notice their wants. But He will avenge them, and that certainly, seasonably, speedily-not one moment later than is good for them. Perhaps He may see it well to keep them waiting, as He did His disciples in the storm; but He will come at last, though it be not till "the fourth watch in the night;" and then He will deliver them.

Our Lord finishes with these remarkable words, "Nevertheless"-notwithstanding God's promise to His people-"when the Son of man cometh, will he find faith on the earth?" He knew there was at that time not much faith in the world. And, looking forward to His coming again, it grieved Him to think how little of this faith there would be even then-this faith which shews itself in persevering prayer-this faith which hopes even against hope.

May this faith be found in you and me! May we, like the Widow, or like the Syrophenician Woman, call upon the Saviour with untiring earnestness! May we, like Jacob, wrestle with our God in prayer, and “not let him go except he bless us "!

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THE WIDOW AND THE JUDGE.

LUKE XVIII. 1—8.

"And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man and there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?"

THE object or end of this Parable is told in the first verse. It was "spoken," St. Luke

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