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with him, at his table, and partake of all spiritual blessings, in his presence? He will have mercy, and not sacrifice. To his name be all the praise !

May the faith of this grace in Christ, of his readiness to receive sinners, to sit down, as a friend, with any who will receive him, draw us to him this day! May we hear his word, receive his pardon, experience his healing; and so, at length, "eat bread with him, in the kingdom of God!"

135

SERMON VII.

THE IMPORTUNATE WIDOW.

LUKE Xviii. 1.

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

WHEN the Psalmist calls upon God, in the 65th Psalm, he addresses him by this title, "Thou

that hearest prayer. prayer." It appears, from the verse immediately following, that sin lay heavy upon his mind; and therefore, by this recollection of God, he encourages himself to approach him; takes confidence to come, and cast his burden down at his feet, with some pleasant assurance of relief. "Iniquities prevail against us: as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away." It is very necessary, my brethren, that we should have the same persuasion, that it is not in vain to pray. Prayer is as essential to the life of the soul, as breath is for the body. It is one of the first acts of spiritual life; "Behold,

he prayeth :" and it is a principal ordinance of God, for maintaining that life in vigour, and bringing it to maturity. I suppose, there is nothing, by which we may, at any time, form so correct an estimate of our spiritual condition, as by our engagement of soul to this all-important exercise. I speak not, here, of sensible enjoyment, in prayer; lively frames of devotion; when our hearts burn within us, and our tongues catch the flame; and the whole soul goes forth, in ardent aspirations of prayer and praise: nor do I refer to peculiar kindly, and pleasurable emotions, of godly sorrow for sin; when the soul is graciously melted, under the sweet influences of the Spirit, into repentance unto salvation, not to be repented of. These seasons are, indeed, precious: moments rich in blessing, to the child of God: but they are, usually, brief, and occasional refreshments by the way, to support us under the general ruggedness of it. We are ready to say, at such times, "Master, it is good for us to be here;" but it is not so, or we should enjoy them oftener. In truth, the communion of the Christian with his God, were it, ordinarily, of this character, would rather resemble that sensible communion, that uninterrupted fellowship, which is reserved for a better. world. But, "the just shall live by his faith." His prayer is "the prayer of faith :" and, by en

gagement of soul to this exercise, I mean, rather, that stedfast continuance therein, that patient waiting on God, in the unshaken conviction of his faithfulness and love, (let our measure of comfort, and acceptance, in prayer, be what it may,) which brings honour to God, and which is no small evidence of spiritual health, and strength of divine grace, in those with whom it is found. We are such creatures of sense, so prone to live continually by feelings, instead of living on the simple word and truth of God, that, when God shuts us up to these, and we have nothing else left us, to animate our hopes, and support our courage, presently, our hearts fail us: we give up prayer; or it is little more than unbelieving lamentations and complaints: we expect nothing from it.

Our gracious Lord, well knowing the discouragements which cause us to grow weary in this blessed exercise, sets himself, here, to their removal and, in his intimate acquaintance with the wants and workings of the human heart, he is not content with a bare exhortation to this duty of perseverance in prayer, but, with admirable skill, puts a case, in which the extremes of helplessness on the one hand, and of heartless indifference, and cruel selfishness, on the other, are combined and, by simply exhibiting what we may all see to be a natural result of impor

tunity, even under circumstances so hopeless, he brings home an appeal to us, with irresistible force, whether it be possible, where God is the party on the one hand, and the people of his love on the other, that their cry can ever be disregarded.

May the Spirit of Jesus enable us to enter into the touching parable on which his appeal is founded; and encourage us, by it, to neverceasing supplications; though everything in us, everything around us,-the word, the providence, the long-continued silence of our God, seem to be against us. "They that know thy name will put their trust in thee; for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. The needy shall not alway be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever." (Ps. ix. 10, 18.) Note,

I. The case put by our Lord, in the parable before us.

II. The exceeding encouragement to prayer, which it is calculated to afford.

I. The case put by our Lord, in the parable before us.

"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,

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