and SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST; and his APOSTLES, Eßc. 177 anyof his hearers, through an immoderate love of the world, fhould be prevailed on, in order to fave their goods, after they were admonifhed from heaven of their danger, by the figns which prognofticated the deftruaion of Jerufalem ; or if any of them, through want of faith, fhould think, that the calamities prediaed to fall on 'the nation, would not be either fo great or fudden as he had declared, and did not ufe the precaution of a fpeedy flight; they might behold in Lot's wife, an example both of their fin, and of their punifhment: he added, that thofe who endeavoured to fave their lives, by flying into the city, should meet the deftruétion they were en- deavouring to avoid ; whereas, thofe who retired into the open towns and defencelefs villages, should be fafe : Whofoever /hall feek tofave his life, shall lofe it ; andwhofo- ever fhall lofe his life, shall preferve it. Our bleffed Lord, after makingthefe pre - ditdions,fpakethe followingparable, in order to excite them to a confiant perfeverance in prayer, and not to be fo weary and faint in their minds, as to neglea thisneceffary duty. There was in a city, faid our. Lord, a judge, who, being governed by atheiftical principles, had no regard to the precepts ofreligion; and, being very powerful, did not regard what was faid of him by man : fo that all his decifions were influenced merelyby pafhion or intereft. In the fame city was alfo a widow, who, having no friends to afCift her, was abfolutely unable to defend herfelf from injuries, or procure redrefs for any the had received. In this deplorable fituation, the had recourfe to the unjuft judge, in order to obtain fatis- faltion for fome oppreffive wrong ffie had lately received : but the judgewas foaban- doned to pleafure, that he refufed, for a time, to liften . to her request ; he would not give himfelf the trouble to examine her cafe, though the crying injuftice pleaded fo powerfully for this diftreffed widow. She was not, however, intimidated by his refufal ; the inceffantly importuned him, No. 15. till, by repeated reprefentations of her difirefs, the filled his mind with fuch dif-- pleafing ideas, that he was obliged to do her juflice, merely to free himfelf from her importunity : Though, faid he to himfelf, I fear not God, nor regard sean; yet, because this widow troubletls me, I will avenge her; left, by her continual coming, flze weary. nze. The fentiment, conveyed by our bleffed Lord in this parable; is very beautiful : we hence learn, that the cries of the afflired will, by being inceffantly repeated, make an impreffion, even on the flony hearts of' wicked men, who glory in their impiety, and laugh at all the precepts of juftice, virtue, and religion : and, therefore, can-. not fail of being regarded by the benevo- lent Father of the univerfe, who will liften to the petitions ofhis faithful fervants, and pour on them the choiceft of his bleffings. Hear, faid our gracious Lord, what the unjuft judge faith. And /hall not God avenge his own elel, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with him? I tell you, that he will avenge them' fbeedily. Arguments of this kind, taken from the feeble goodnefs,. or even from the imperfeftions of men, to illufirate the fuperior and infinite perfeétions of the Almighty, were often made ufe of by the bleffed JESUS, and with great fuccefs in working the convifiion defigned. It was indeed hardly poffible to withstand fuch powerful appeals ; they force their way direfly into men's hearts, bear down all oppofition, and make a lasting im- preffion on men's minds. Our bleffed Lord having thus enforced the duty of prayer, in this expreffive pa- rable, asked the followingappofite question, Nevertheless, when the Sass of man cometh, (hall he find faith on the earth? As if he had raid, notwititftanding all the miraclesI have wrought, and the excellent doétrines I have delivered, (hall I find at my fecond coming, the faith among the children of men there is, reafon to expeEt? Will not molt of them be found to have W w abandoned
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