My own impression is that the parable was meant simply to describe the duty of individual believers during the whole period of the present dispensation, and to encourage them to persevering prayer, by holding out the hope that God will at length plead their cause, when things seem at the worst.

[Which feared not God...regarded man.] This is a proverbial description of a thoroughly bad man in high office. Our Lord Jesus Christ, be it observed, knows that there are such men in high places, and will one day reckon with them.

The description has stumbled some commentators, and has been treated as a great difficulty. They have been offended at the idea of such a man as this judge standing in the position of a type and emblem of God. To avoid this seeming inconsistency, Theophylact mentions a strange and monstrous view held by some, that the words exactly describe God, since He is one who need not fear God, and is no respecter of men's persons!

The difficulty raised appears to me thoroughly unreasonable. Both here, and in other places, we are not meant to draw an exact parallel between the person described and God. The one single point we are meant to notice is, that even an unjust and wicked man can be moved by importunity. And the inference pressed on us, is simply this, that if a wicked man is to be moved by importunity, much more is God.

Quesnel says, "We may make a good use even of the worst examples. Every thing serves to display the justice and goodness of God, either by way of conformity or opposition, either as lines which form the resemblance thereof, or as shadows which heighten the lustre and liveliness of the colours." 3.-A widow.] The helpless and friendless condition of a widow in Eastern countries and Bible times, should be carefully remembered. See Exod. xxii. 22; Deut. x. 18; Job. xxix. 13; 1 Kings xvii. 9, 12.

5-[Weary me.] The Greek word translated "weary," is very peculiar. It signifies literally "to strike under the eyes." Some have thought it very strange that a man in the judge's position should use such language, and express any fear that a poor weak, defenceless woman could trouble him so much as to require such a strong phrase. Yet a moment's reflection will show us, that selfish, worldly, wicked men, are just exactly the persons who employ such violent expressions, in order to express their sense of annoyance even on trifling occasions. How often for instance people talk of being "tired to death," or "worried out of their lives," when there is nothing to justify the use of such language.

6.-[The unjust judge.] The Greek words here mean literally "the judge of injustice." It is precisely the same form of lan

guage, that is used in a previous chapter describing “the unjust steward." Luke xvi. 8.

7.—Which cry day and night.] This is doubtless a proverbial expression, signifying a habit of continual prayer.

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[Bear long.] The Greek word so translated is generally rendered "have patience," "is longsuffering." The remark of Pearce on the passage is worth reading. The word is commonly used for delaying to punish a bad man. Here it has another sense, and signifies the delaying to help a good man. So Peter seems to use the expression, 'longsuffering,' when he says, 'account that the longsuffering of God is salvation,' that is, that though He delays long to save you, yet He will save you at the last." (2 Pet. iii. 15.)

8.-[He will avenge them speedily.] This sentence points to the second advent of Christ. To our eyes it seems long delayed. But a thousand years in God's sight are but as one day.

[When... Son of man...faith...earth.] These words are differently interpreted.

Some, as usual, can see in the "coming of the Son of man," nothing but the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans. They think the sentence means, when the Jewish polity is overthrown, the number of believers will be found very small.

Wordsworth maintains that "the earth" means the " world," in contradiction to the children of light.

I believe the

I am unable to see either view to be correct. view given in the Exposition is the true one. Our Lord teaches that there will be comparatively few true believers upon earth when He comes again. True faith will be found as rare as it was in the days of Noah, when only eight persons entered the ark, and in the days of Lot, when only four persons left Sodom. He is speaking, we must remember, in close connection with the account of the second advent, and His own vivid comparison of the days of Noah and Lot, with the day when the Son of man shall be revealed.

There is doubtless an implied lesson here, that persevering prayer is the secret of keeping up faith. Augustine says, "When faith fails, prayer dies. In order to pray, then, we must have faith; and that our faith fail not, we must pray. Faith pours forth prayer; and the pouring forth of the heart in prayer, gives steadfastness to faith."

The unbelief of man on the subject of both advents is strikingly shown in the beginning of Isaiah liii. and of 2 Pet. iii.

LUKE XVIII. 9-14.

9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a Publican.

11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this Publican.

12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

13 And the Publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

THE parable we have now read is closely connected with the one which immediately precedes it. The parable of the persevering widow teaches the value of importunity in prayer. The parable of the pharisee and publican teaches the spirit which should pervade our prayers.-The first parable encourages us to pray and faint not. The second parable reminds us how and in what manner we ought to pray. Both should be often pondered by every true Christian.

Let us notice, firstly, the sin against which our Lord Jesus Christ warns us in these verses. There is no difficulty in finding out this. St. Luke tells us expressly, that “He spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others." The sin which our Lord denounces is "self-righteousness."

We are all naturally self-righteous. It is the familydisease of all the children of Adam. From the highest to the lowest we think more highly of ourselves than we ought to do. We secretly flatter ourselves that we are not so bad as some, and that we have something to recommend us to the favour of God. "Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness." (Prov. xx. 6.) We forget the plain testimony of Scripture, "In many

things we offend all."—"There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not."-"What is man that he should be clean, or he that is born of a woman that he should be righteous." (James iii. 2. Eccles. vii. 10. Job xv. 14.)

The true cure for self-righteousness is self-knowledge. Once let the eyes of our understanding be opened by the Spirit, and we shall talk no more of our own goodness. Once let us see what there is in our own hearts, and what the holy law of God requires, and self-conceit will die. We shall lay our hand on our mouths, and cry with the leper, "Unclean, unclean." (Levit. xiii. 45.)

possess.

prayer,

Let us notice, secondly, in these verses, the prayer of the Pharisee, which our Lord condemns. We read that he said, "God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week. I give tithes of all that I One great defect stands out on the face of this -a defect so glaring that even a child might mark it. It exhibits no sense of sin and need. It contains no confession and no petition,-no acknowledgment of guilt and emptiness, no supplication for mercy and grace. It is a mere boasting recital of fancied merits, accompanied by an uncharitable reflection on a brother sinner. It is a proud, high-minded profession, destitute alike of penitence, humility, and charity. In short, it hardly deserves to be called a prayer at all.

No state of soul can be conceived so dangerous as that of the Pharisee. Never are men's bodies in such desperate plight, as when mortification and insensibility set in. Never are men's hearts in such a hopeless condition, as

when they are not sensible of their own sins. He that would not make shipwreck on this rock, must beware of measuring himself by his neighbours. What does it signify that we are more moral than "other men?" We are all vile and imperfect in the sight of God.-"If we contend with Him, we cannot answer Him one in a thousand." (Job ix. 3.) Let us remember this. In all our self-examination let us not try ourselves by comparison with the standard of men. Let us look at nothing but the requirements of God. He that acts on this principle will never be a Pharisee.

Let us notice, thirdly, in these verses, the prayer of the Publican, which our Lord commends. That prayer was in every respect the very opposite of that of the Pharisee. We read that he "stood afar off, and smote upon his breast, and said, God be merciful to me a sinner." Our Lord Himself stamps this short prayer with the seal of His approbation. He says, "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other."

The excellence of the Publican's prayer consists in five points, each of which deserves attention. For one thing, it was a real petition. A prayer which only contains thanksgiving and profession, and asks nothing, is essentially defective. It may be suitable for an angel, but it is not suitable for a sinner. For another thing, it was a direct personal prayer. The Publican did not speak of his neighbours, but himself. Vagueness and generality are the great defects of most men's religion. To get out of "we," and "our," and "us," into "I," and "my," and "me," is a great step toward heaven.-For another thing, it was a humble prayer, a prayer which put self in the

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