' 'Bat what are the marks of election P By what tokens shall a man know whether he is one of God's elect P These marks are clearly laid down in Scripture. Elec- tion is inseparably connected with faith in Christy and joonformity to His image. (Rom. viii. 29^ 30.) It was when St. Paul saw the working "faith/' and patient " hope," and labouring " love " of the Thessalonians, that he knew their " election of God." (1 Thess. i. 3, 4.) Above all, we have a plain mark, described by our Lord, in the passage before us. God's elect are a people who " cry unto Him night and day." They are essentially a praying people. No doubt there are many persons whose prayers are formal and hypocritical. But one thing is very clear, — ^a prayerless man must never be called one of God's elect. Let that never be forgotten.
These verses teach us, lastly, that true faith will be
found very scarce at the end of the world. The Lord
Jesus shows this, by asking a very solemn question,.
" When the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on
the earth P"
The question before us is a very humbling one. It shows the uselessness of expecting that all the world will be converted before Christ comes again. It shows the foi^hness of supposing that all persons are "good," and ihat though differing in outward matters,, they are all right at heart, and all going to heaven. Such notions find no countenance in the text before us.
Where is the use, after all, of ignoring facts under our own eyes, — ^facts in the world, — ^facts in the churches, — fiEiets in the congregations we belong to, — ^facts by our own doors and fire-sides P Where is faith to be seen P
256 BXPOsnxniT THOuoHrrs.
How many around ns really beliere what the Bible con- tains ? How many Uyb as if they believed that Christ died for them, and that there is a judgment, a heaven, and a hell P — ^These are most painful and serious inquiries. But they demand and deserve an answer. . Have we faiOx ourselves ? If we have, let us bless God for it. It is a great thing to believe all the Bible. It is matter for daily thankfulness if we feel our sins, and really trust in Jesus. We may be weak, frail, erring, short-coming sinners. But do we believe ? That is the grand question. If we beHeve, we shall be saved. But he that believeth not, shall not see life, and shall die in his sins. (John ui. 36 ; viii. 24.)
Notes. Lxjilb. XVIII. 1—8.
1. — [And he spake a parable^ do.] Let it be noted that this parable is closely connected with the preceding chapter. After giving a fearM account of the sifting and tribulations which shall attend His owd second advent, our Lord jproceeds to urge on His people the importance of the habit of persevering in prayer as a preparation for the advent, and of not fainting under trial and giving up prayer in despair.
[Always to pray.] This expression does not mean that a man should be incessantly performing the act of prayer. It means that a man should constantly keep up the habit of prayer, and endeavour to be always in a prayerful frame of mind.
2. — [There was in a city^ de.] As usual, there are various opimons about the primary purpose and application of this parable.
It is the opinion of many that the ** widow " in the parable represents the Church, and the "adversary" the devil, or anti- christ ; the widow's distressed state the whole condition of the Church between the first and second advents of Christ, — and her crying for help the groaning of creation for the maoifesta- tion of the sons of God. (Rom. viii. 19.)
Trench mentions a strange view of Vitringa*s, that the un- just judge represents the Roman Emperors, and the widow the early Church; — and a still stranger view of Ireneaus and Hip- poly tus, that the widow is the earthly Jerusalem, and the unjust judge antichrist.