her

oppressor. In this sense, rulers and judges are appointed for the very purpose of avenging, of seeing justice done to the wronged and oppressed, and of punishing offenders. In the language of Paul to the Romans,* "Rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then

not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: for he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain; for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil."

The widow brought her complaint before this unjust judge; and the circumstances of the case warrant the supposition that she urged her suit often and earnestly, and would have continued to do so, however long it had been necessary. "The portion of Christian widows," says one,+ "consists in affliction and the cross, in constancy and perseverance in prayer. It is from such a widow that we must learn to pray well, because she is an emblem of the Church, and of every soul which has no hope but in God. A widow who is desolate and oppressed, without relations, friends, substance, and support, what other refuge can she have but humble prayer, assiduous supplication, and importunate perseverance? Such is my soul in thy sight, O my God! and even more desolate, since it has not even the power to pray unto thee, unless thou vouchsafe to bestow it on me as a gift and an alms."

Judges are bound to manifest impartiality between the rich and the poor. "Thou shalt not countenance a poor man in his cause." "Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment; thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour." But, as there are particular temptations to overlook the cause of the poor and the helpless, such as widows, Scripture is very explicit in stating the duty of attending to them, and the sin of neglecting them. "Wash you, make you clean, put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes: cease to do evil; learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.""Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves; every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the father*Rom. xiii. 3. + Quesnel. Exod. xxiii. 3; Lev. xix. 15.

less, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them." For all kind attention to such we have the example of the great God himself: "A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation."+ Let us think of this, and study, according to our opportunity and ability, to be followers of God in this respect. "I delivered the poor that cried," said Job, " and the fatherless, and him that had none to help. The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me; and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy. I was a father to the poor; and the cause which I knew not I searched out."

66

The application which the widow made was reasonable, and it ought to have been attended to by whomsoever made; but this irreligious and regardless judge, having no principle of conscience to urge him on, and having nothing to hope from her gifts or favour, and nothing to fear from her displeasure and opposition, "would not for a while" listen to her suit, or pay any attention to her. And so it is that much sin is committed against God, and much injury done to men by procrastination. Let us not delay what justice and mercy require, but set ourselves quickly and diligently to its performance.

.

66

Finding, however, that the widow was persevering in her application, the unjust judge resolved at last to take up and decide her cause. 66 Afterward he said within himself”this was the reasoning which passed in his mind-" Though I fear not God, nor regard man, yet because this widow troubleth me, I arill avenge her," or do her justice, “ lest by her continual coming she weary me." This wicked man, you observe, was quite conscious of his wickedness, and yet did not resolve on or desire any radical and sincere change. And is it not so with many? While many unrenewed men are led to entertain a favourable opinion of their religious state by ignorance and self-deception, there are also many who cannot hide, and do not attempt to hide, from them selves their own ungodliness, who yet remain in that awful state, regardless of their everlasting welfare, and minding only their present ease and indulgence. What an infatuation! The unjust judge resolved, it is true, to do what the widow craved, not, however, from any sense of duty, but from mere selfishness, and in order to get rid of her, that he might be no longer troubled with her. Let us, from this, learn not only to do what is required by the letter of God's * Isa, i. 16, 24. + Ps. lxviii. 5.

law, but to do it readily, and cheerfully, and from a regard to that law. In acts of justice, if we do not perform them without an urgency being brought to bear on us amounting almost to compulsion, we are proved to be hardly just; for, needless delay is injustice outwardly, and unwilling payment or performance is injustice at the heart. In acts of benevolence, too, that is not proper charity which is extorted. "The Lord loveth a cheerful giver;" and that is doubly acceptable to man which is given, or done, readily and pleasantly. We may here observe, farther, that while it is a duty to avoid giving unnecessary trouble to others, those who are very ready to complain of trouble, speak in a way which is neither kind nor Christian, nor likely to give a favourable opinion of themselves, nor calculated to recommend what is good. In dealing with dependants, children for example, their superiors should take care to let them see that what they do at their request, they do, not because they selfishly wish to avoid trouble, but because they think it right and advantageous.

Here the parable itself ends, strictly speaking, though our Lord goes on to apply it, and to deduce from it the consequence in favour of importunate prayer. "And the Lord said," that is, the Lord Jesus Christ said to his disciples, and we may add, he is now to be considered as saying to us, "Hear what the unjust judge saith;" consider well his inward reasoning just disclosed, and mark how he confesses himself to have been overcome by importunity. "And shall not God avenge his own elect, who cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?"

The description here given of the people of God as "his own elect," or chosen, is too striking, and too full of doctrine to be passed over without some remarks. Be it known, then, for the confutation of gainsayers, for the overthrow of human pride, for the glory of God, and for the security of those who have been brought to trust in his mercy, that the Lord has a chosen people, a people who are the objects of his sovereign, eternal, electing love. They may be considered in either of two lights-as converted or unconverted. God's love of approbation and complacency only extends to them when they are actually pardoned, regenerated, and brought to love, resemble, and obey him; but his love of benevolence, or love of desire and intention to do them good, and to save them, was from everlasting, and regarded them as condemned, depraved, helpless, and in every sense

undeserving.

"God chose them in Christ before the foundation of the world, that they should be holy, and without blame before him in love: having predestinated them unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made them accepted in the Beloved."* It is not said that he hath chosen them because they were holy; but it is said that he hath chosen them "that they should be holy." It is not said that God has purposed to save them, provided they obey the gospel call, but that he "hath saved them and called them accord

ing to his own purpose and grace which was given them in Christ Jesus before the world began." That this doctrine should be rejected by those who reject the other doctrines peculiar to the gospel, is only what must be expected; but, that it is rejected, or at least disliked, by some who are in most other respects evangelical, must arise, either from their having a mistaken and distorted view of it, or from their not being thoroughly humbled. As to the charges of partiality and cruelty, they are utterly futile. As to partiality, the objectors themselves must allow that God does bestow many favours on some, which he does not bestow on others; but this would be wrong too, if there be any thing wrong in election to eternal life, as the difference would be only in degree. And how can that doctrine be considered as uncharitable and cruel, which refers the whole to an infinitely wise, holy, and merciful God? On the other supposition, and were it not for the positive purpose of God, none would be saved at all: on the true supposition, the salvation of multitudes is secured, though others, for good reasons, are left to reap the fruits of their rebellion; and, therefore, this is by far the more pleasant and charitable doctrine of the two. There is, however, something peculiarly illogical and inconsistent in the views of those who are so far evangelical, as to hold man's inability and the freeness of God's grace, and yet who are not so thoroughly evangelical as to hold the doctrine of election also. They have already admitted that from which this doctrine may be most clearly demonstrated. For, observe, they disclaim the idea of salvation by works, and hold salvation to be of grace; and when the question is put in this form, whether a sinner saves himself, or God saves him, they readily say that it is God. If, then, they allow that God saves the * Eph. i. 4. + 2 Tim. i. 9.

sinner, it is only necessary to ask whether he did not intend to save him. We ask any thinking person whether it would be a worthy idea of God, to suppose that he does anything which he did not before intend to do? Even a sensible human being has a plan on which he proceeds in every great work. Much more evident it is, that the Lord God has a plan, a design in his mind of what he executes: indeed, Scripture expressly declares that "he worketh all things after the counsel of his own will." If, then, it is God who saves the sinner, and not the sinner who saves himself, and if God intended to save him, that is all that we mean by the doctrine of election, or predestination to eternal life. Why, then, not be consistent? Why hesitate to adopt the whole truth, and to use, in its true and decided meaning, the scriptural language with regard to it? It is of great importance that this truth should be received; for, where it is truly and consistently held, all the other doctrines of the gospel follow of course; the soul is stripped of all self-confidence and reduced to its own place, which is the dust; God is exalted, and Christ becomes all and in all; the interests of faith and holiness are promoted, seeing it is always to be kept in view, that "God hath from the beginning chosen" his people "to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth;" instead of stumbling at the doctrine of sovereign grace, application is made to God on that principle; a most delightful representation is seen of that merciful Being who saith, "I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee;" and, beyond all question, the whole scheme and progress of salvation, from first to last, are thus perceived to be calculated to prepare all the redeemed for that heaven where they shall cast their crowns before the throne of God, and say, "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name be the glory."

God's own elect" are all called by his grace in due time; and it is, as called, that they are spoken of here. Though dear to their God, they are exposed to many troubles from without and from within; and we are here reminded that when labouring under trials, they are characterized by earnest and persevering prayer, they " cry day and night unto him." Witness the Psalmist, " Ŏ Lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee. Let my prayer come before thee; incline thine ear unto my cry; for my soul is full of troubles, and my life draweth nigh