"And the judge would not for a while:" it was not agreeable to his selfish disposition to relieve the poor widow; it might have given him some trouble to relieve her; and so he refused to interfere in her cause. But the poor widow was not to be thus rejected. She felt her distress and weakness too nearly to submit to be repulsed so easily: she therefore persevered and was earnest in urging her suit; and at length "the judge said within himself, Though I fear not God nor regard man ; yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me."

See now what was the conduct of the widow! and hear what the unjust judge saith!" She was rejected; yet she persevered, and at length her petition was granted.

And shall not we persevere, and will not God grant our petitions? Is he not so kind that he is always willing to do it, though for wise purposes time seem to refuse? Is he not so power

he may
may for a

ful, that it is as easy for him to grant as to deny them? Instead of casting us from him, does he not invite us to him? Instead of saying that he will not relieve us, does he not promise that he will, and that he will "give all good things to them that ask him" in his Son's name a?”

Many words here would be unnecessary; for a few will sufficiently express the sum of what is to be said upon this part of the subject. We all know that we want many things, which we feel that we are too weak to be able to procure for ourselves. We know that God is all-powerful; and that he alone therefore can supply our wants : -that he is good and full of compassion, and is therefore willing to supply them :that he has accordingly promised to supply them, as far as may be for our benefit; and that he is faithful and just and true, and therefore will supply them.

We know on the other hand that he has appointed a condition, which we must ob

serve, if we would have our wants supplied by him and that the same truth and justice, upon which we ground our confidence that he will fulfil his promise, and grant what we want, if we observe the condition; will also prevent him from assisting us, if we do not observe it. The condition is that we" always pray and faint not."

Now, knowing these things, (and it is to be presumed that we all do know them,) it must be folly in us to expect that we shall have what we want from God, if we do not ask him as he has appointed; and it must be something worse than folly, a stupid blindness to our own interest, and a certain mad contempt of him and of his power, if we refuse or neglect to ask him.

Such was not the conduct of the poor widow. She felt that she was distressed, and was not able to help herself; she knew that the unjust judge was able to help her; she thought that by perseverance she should prevail upon him to help her; she persevered therefore, beseeching him, we may be sure, with all her heart; and at length

she succeeded. Such is the conduct which our Saviour holds out for our example: and undoubtedly this poor widow will "rise up against us in the day of judgment and condemn us," unless we do as she did; unless we "pray always, and faint not."

II. We now therefore proceed to consider, in the second place, what is meant by the precept that "we ought always to pray and not to faint."

It certainly is not intended that we should be always upon our knees, to the neglect of our ordinary business; without a proper attention to which we cannot be doing our duty in that state of life, to which it has pleased God to call us.

If however we are not hereby called upon to be always actually praying, we are required to be always in a state of mind fit for praying; to bear about with us à habit, or, more properly speaking, the spirit of piety, and to cherish such a settled belief and fear and love of God, as will teach us to look up to him with confidence amidst

all the afflictions we may suffer, and with thankfulness amidst all the blessings we may enjoy.

Such I take to be the general temper of mind recommended by our Saviour's direction, that we "ought always to pray and not to faint." But the words may lead us more particularly to consider the manner in which, and the frequency with which, we ought to perform our more regular devotions. And upon each of these points I shall speak somewhat more at length.

1. Now there are some persons who seem to be of opinion, that the whole of this duty consists in saying or hearing a few prayers, without any attention to the business that engages them. But there cannot be a more gross or dangerous error: for it is impossible that such lip-service, unattended with the worship of the heart, can be effectual; if the scripture be true (as it undoubtedly is) which tells us, that "God is a spirit, and they that worship him must, worship him in spirit and in truth ".?

b John iv. 24.