against; but it fignifies a Strength and Fervency of Defire, as becometh those that are fenfible of the Value and Importance of the Bleffings they pray for. And furely it is not reasonable for us to expect, that our Prayers fhall be excepted and answered, when we pray as if we did not care whether we were heard or not. It also fignifies a perfevering Conftancy and Affiduity in the Exercise of this Duty: And the fame Reafons that make it proper for us to pray at all make it proper that we should be conftant and perfevering in it. And, to engage us to this, our Lord propofeth two Parables, in a very plain familiar Way, accommodated to the meaneft Capacities.

The one is Luke xi. 5-9, where when his Difciples applied to him to teach them to pray, after he had again repeated to them that excellent Form and Pattern of Prayer, commonly called the Lord's Prayer, which he had recommended before in his Sermon on the Mount; the better to encourage them to a perfevering Importunity and Earneftnefs, he propounded a Parable concerning a Man that came to his Friend at Midnight, to defire three Loaves of him, to entertain one that was just come from a Journey; which the other, though loth to rife, granted him at laft, because of his Importunity. All that our Saviour intend

eth

eth in this Parable is only, by a familiar Comparison drawn from common Life, to fhew the good Effects of earnest and importunate Prayer: And that, if Men àre often prevailed upon by a continued Earneftnefs to do even what otherwise they are unwilling to do, we may be fure that God, who is, of himself, so ready to affift us, full of Compaffion and gracious, will mercifully hear and anfwer the Petitions of his Children, when offered to him in Sincerity and Earnestness of Defire, for Things agreeable to his Will; and, when they continue to wait upon him with Patience, and an humble Affiance, according to his own Appointment.

The fame is the Intention of that other Parable, Luke xviii. 2-7, which we are told he spake to this End, that Men ought always to pray, and not to faint. It is concerning an unjust Judge, who feared not God, nor regarded Man; and yet was wrought upon by the Importunity of a poor Widow, that applied to him for Juftice against one that had wronged her. Our Saviour's Application of this Parable we have, Ver. 6, 7, The Lord faid, Hear what the unjust Judge faith; and fhall 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

VOL. IV.

Speedily,

Speedily, i. e. he will do them Juftice, when oppreffed by their Adverfaries and Perfecutors. The Argument is ftrong and cogent, that, if even an unjust Judge, who had no Inclination, of himself, to do that which is right, was prevailed upon to do it by the unwearied Importunity of a poor Widow that earnestly follicited him, we may be infinitely certain, that an holy and righteous God, who loveth Justice and Judgment, will do Right to his faithful Servants that apply to him by continued earnest Prayers and Supplications; which is the Way he himfelf hath appointed, in order to their obtaining Deliverance. The feveral Circumftances in these two Parables are not to be pushed too far, as if God could be prevailed upon by mere Dint of Importunity to do any Thing which otherwife is not agreeable to him; but the Intention of them is plainly this, to reprefent the Succefs that our Prayers, if we perfist in them with an humble Faith and becoming Earneftness, according to the Will of God, fhall be attended with, though the Answer of them may seem to be delayed for a While. And this certainly is a very important Inftruction, and a great Encouragement to the perfevering Exercife of this Duty.

Sixthly, I would obferve, in the last Place, That as it is of great Confequence

to

to us to watch as well as pray, to exercise a conftant Vigilance over ourselves, in Expectation of the Coming of our Lord at Death or Judgment; fo to engage us to this is the excellent Defign of feveral of Christ's Parables. This Watching includes both a being upon our Guard against the Temptations to which we are expofed, and the employing ourselves in the faithful Difcharge of the Duties required of us. And what can be more encouraging this Way than the Representations he makes of the Blefedness of thofe Servants whom their Lord, when he cometh, fhall find watching? Luke xii. 35, 36, 37, 38. Let your Loins be girded about, and your Lights burning; and ye your felves like unto them that wait for their Lord, when he will return from the Wedding; that, when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Bleed are thofe Servants whom the Lord, when he cometh, fhall find watching. And fo he goes on to defcribe their Blefedness, and the Honour that shall be put upon them, in very beautiful and fignificant Expreffions. And, on the other Hand, Nothing can have an apter Tendency to roufe us out of our Negligence and Security, and to keep us from fuffering ourselves to be feduced by the fatal Charms of fenfual Pleafures and worldly Allurements, than the S 2 Representation

Representation that is made of the miferable Condition and Punishment of the Servant that abused the feeming Delay of his Lord's Coming, to Infolence and Sloth, and to the Indulgence of his fenfual Lufts: But and if that Servant fay in his Heart, My Lord delayeth his Coming; and shall begin to beat the Men-Servants and Maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken ; the Lord of that Servant will come in a Day when he looketh not for him, and at an Hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in funder, and will appoint him his Portion with the Unbelievers. Ver. 46, 47.

These Parables, as appears from St. Luke, were spoken by our Lord, while he was yet in Galilee: But, as the Matter they were defigned to recommend was of great Importance, he repeated them again, in very near the fame Expreffions, at Jerufalem, a little before his Paffion. See Matt. xxiv. 45-51.

Thus have we confidered thofe Parables of our Saviour that feem to have fome one principal religious or moral Inftruction in View, which it is the fpecial Defign of those Parables to inculcate and inforce: And it highly concerneth us to lay to Heart the important Leffons fet before us. Let us frequently review the feveral useful and excellent Parables that have been mention

ed,