study to profit by it too; for it is to be. feared that there are few, if indeed there be any, of us, who do not stand in need of being reminded, that we "ought always to pray and not to faint."

Many persons, it is true, come to church almost as regularly as the Lord's day returns; but all that come, do not seem to be well aware of the nature of the place, where they are; nor of the business, for which they come thither.

Many are satisfied with themselves, and think perhaps that they have done as much as can be required or expected of them, if they come once to church: and having thus pretended to keep holy a part of that day, the whole of which God has sanctified and set apart for his service; they seem to think themselves at liberty to spend the rest of it in whatever manner they please..

Many think and act as if the whole of their religious duty was performed by their coming to church once, or it may be,

twice, on the Sabbath-day; and dismiss all care of God on leaving his house, and never think to worship him in private the other days of the week.

Some again, who may have so much feeling of religion about them as sometimes to cast a thought towards God when they are alone, have not a care beyond this. And it perhaps never occurs to them to call their families about them; and teach them, that the best way of securing the good blessing of God upon their labours is by being diligent and sincere in asking for it.

It is to be feared that there is too much occasion for these complaints not merely in this or that parish, but throughout the country. And it is the disgrace, and will perhaps in the end be the ruin, of the country that it is so.

What therefore we have to do is to look to ourselves; to see if we are answerable for any of these faults; and if so, to endeavour with God's grace to amend them.

It is not sufficient that we may sometimes pray to God; but we ought, as our Saviour teaches us, "always to pray and not to faint;" that is, we ought to be really sincere and in earnest, when we do pray to him; and we ought to pray to him not only fervently, but regularly and frequently also.

I have made choice of this parable for our consideration, because the subject of it is such as I am particularly anxious that you should reflect on with seriousness. And I pray our most merciful Father, for the sake of his well-beloved Son, to grant you the aid of his Holy Spirit; and to dispose your minds to such serious reflection on the duty of prayer, as may confirm you in the performance of it, where you have been in the habit of doing right, and improve your practice, where you have been careless or neglectful.

I proceed therefore to lay before you such remarks as the parable most naturally holds out to us: and shall consider, in the first place, the arguments, which it fur

nishes, for diligent and constant prayer; and secondly the sense in which we should understand the moral of the parable," that men ought always to pray and not to faint."

I. With regard to the first point; what are the arguments furnished by the parable to encourage us in diligent and constant prayer?

The end of our prayers undoubtedly is that we may gain the things we pray for. Now consider the parable; and see, what assurances it gives us, that we shall receive what we pray for, if we "pray and faint not."

“There was in a city a judge, who feared not God, nor regarded man:" a man of such a character as this; without religion or humanity; without fear of what might happen to him either in this world or in another;-such a man, I say, might not be thought likely to exert himself in behalf of a poor destitute suppliant. Nei

ther a sense of justice nor of compassion could be expected to affect him. But who now is the judge, with whom we have to do? It is God; a most merciful Judge, and a most tender and affectionate Father: who is not only just and good, but is justice and goodness itself: and who must therefore be as much, nay infinitely more disposed, to grant our petitions, than the unjust judge could have been to reject those offered to him.

"And there was a widow in that city, and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary." The person represented as applying to the judge for relief, was a widow and oppressed: and was therefore the less likely to engage an unprincipled man in her favour. We too are destitute and unable to protect ourselves: but our weak and distressed state, so far from being an obstacle to the success of our petitions, is indeed a passport and a recommendation of us to God, "whose eyes consider the poor, and who loves to help the meek upon earth."