appeal to a better principle in the querist's heart, from the narrow and unloving theories and systems in which he had been trained. It is to be hoped that through no unwillingness to acknowledge the truth, though it has something of that appearance, the lawyer in reply to the Lord's question, Who was this poor man's true neighbor? circuitously replies, "He who showed mercy on him;" grudging to give the honor directly and by name to a Samaritan. But having acknowledged this, whether grudgingly or freely, "Go," said the Lord to him, now we trust a humbler and larger-hearted man, “Go, and do thou likewise."

These last words will hardly allow one to agree with those, who in later times have maintained that this parable and the discourse that led to it are, in fact, a lesson on justification by faith-that the Lord sent the questioner to the law, to the end that, being by that convinced of sin and of his own short-comings, he might discover his need of a Saviour. His intention seemed rather to make the lawyer aware of the great gulf which lay between his knowing and his doing,-how little his actual exercise of love kept pace with his intellectual acknowledgment of the debt of love due from him to his fellow-men: on which subject no doubt he had secret misgivings himself, when he asked, "Who is my neighbor?" It is true indeed that this our sense of how short our practice falls of our knowledge, must bring us to the conviction that we cannot live by the keeping of the law, that by the deeds of the law no flesh shall be justified-so that here also we shall get at last to faith as that which alone can justify: but this is a remoter consequence, not, as it seems to me, the immediate purpose of the parable.

* So Bengel: Non invitus absinet legisperitus appellatione propria Samaritæ.

XVIII.

THE FRIEND AT MIDNIGHT.

LUKE xi. 5-8.

THE Connection between this parable and the words that go before is easy to be traced. The disciples had asked to be taught in what words they should pray, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples." He graciously gives them that perfect form which has ever since been the treasure of the Church: but having done so, he instructs them also by this parable in what spirit they must pray, even in the spirit of persevering faith, "continuing instant in prayer." There is the same argument as in the parable of the Unjust Judge, one from the less to the greater, or more accurately, from the worse to the better, but with this difference, that here the narrow-heartedness and selfishness of man is set against the liberality of God, while there it is his unrighteousness which is tacitly contrasted with the righteousness of God. The conclusion is, if selfish man can yet be won by prayer and importunity to give, and unjust man to do right, how much more certainly shall the bountiful Lord bestow, and the righteous Lord do justice.* And perhaps there is this further difference, that here it is intercessory prayer, prayer for the needs of others, in which we are bidden to be instant; while there it is rather for our own needs. Yet must we not urge in either case, the illustration so far, as to conceive of prayer as though it were an overcoming of God's reluctance, when it is, in fact, a laying hold of his highest willingness. For though there is an aspect under which

* Augustine (Ep. 130, c. 8): Ut hinc intelligeremus, si dare cogitur, qui cùm dormiat, à petente excitatur invitus, quantò det benignius, qui nec dormire novit, et dormientes nos excitat ut petamus.

†This is finely expressed by Dante (Parad. 1. 20), in words which have as much a theological as a political interest:

Regnum cælorum violenzia pate

Da caldo amore e da viva speranza,

Che vince la divina volontate,

Non a guisa che l' uomo all' uom sovranza,

Ma vince lei, perché vuole esser vinta,

E vinta vince con sua beninanza.

God may present himself to us, similar to that of the Unjust Judge and this churlish neighbor, yet is there ever this difference, that his is a seeming neglect and unwillingness to grant, theirs a real. Under such an aspect of seeming unwillingness to hear, did the merciful Son of man present himself to the Syro-Phoenician woman. (Matt. xv. 21.) But why? Not because he was reluctant to give, but because he knew that her faith was strong enough to bear this trial, and that in the end, though the trial for the moment might be hard, it would prove a blessing to her, more mightily calling out that faith; since faith ever needs to find some resistance, before it can be called out in any strength. In like manner the angel of the Lord, the great Covenant Angel, contended with Jacob, and wrestled with him all the night, yet allowed himself at the last to be overcome by him, and left a blessing behind him; and Jacob henceforth was Israel, that is, was permanently lifted up through that conflict into a higher state, marked by that nobler name which henceforth he bore," for as a Prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed." (Gen. xxxii. 28.)

The parable with which now we have to do, rests on a humble and familiar incident of our common life; and spoken to humble men, it may easily have come within the limits of their own experience: "Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves: for a friend of mine in his jour ney is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?" I do not see in these words any deeper meaning than lies on the surface; yet it is well worth observing that they have afforded ample scope for allegorical and mystical interpretations, and some of these of considerable beauty. For instance, it has been said that the guest newly arrived is the spirit of man, which, weary of its wanderings in the world, of a sudden desires heavenly sustenance, something that will truly nourish and satisfy it,—— begins to hunger and thirst after righteousness. But the host, that is, man, in so far as he is "sensual, having not the Spirit," has nothing to set before this unexpected guest, and in this his spiritual poverty and distress, is here taught to appeal unto God, that from him he may receive that which is bread indeed, and spiritual nourishment for the soul.†

* "At midnight:" In media tribulatione constitutus. Augustine.

+ Bede (Hom. in Luc. xi.): Amicus qui venit de viâ, ipse noster est animus, qui toties à nobis recedit, quoties ad appetenda terrena et temporalia foris vagatur. Redit ergo, cœlestique alimoniâ refici desiderat, cùm in se reversus superna cœperit ac spiritualia meditari. De quo pulchrè qui petierat, adjungit, se non habere quod ponant ante illum, quoniam animæ post seculi tenebras Deum suspiranti, nil præter eum cogitare nilque libet intueri. And Bernard (In Rogat., Serm.): Amicum venientem ad me, non alium intelligo quàm meipsum, cùm transitoria deserens, ad cor redeo. Venit amicus de regione longinquà, ubi pascere porcos, et ipsorum sili

There is, besides, another interesting adaptation of the parable, which Augustine gives. He is urging upon his hearers the duty of being able to give a reason for their faith, a reason not merely defensive, but one which shall win and persuade: and this, because it might often happen that some one from the yet heathen world, or it might be a heretic, or even a nominal Catholic, weary of his wanderings in error, weary of the bondage of sin, and desiring now to know something of the Christian faith, but lacking confidence or opportunity to go to the bishop or catechists, might be take himself to some one of them, desiring fuller instruction in the faith. While this was possible, he therefore urges upon all, that they have what to communicate; or if, when such occasion arises, when such a friend comes to them, craving spiritual hospitality, they find they have nothing to set before him, he instructs them out of this parable what they should do, and to whom they should betake themselves for the supply of their own needs and the needs of their friend,—that they go to God, praying that he would teach them, that so they might be enabled to teach others. Vitringa's explanation † is a modification of this last. With him the guest is the heathen world; the host who receives him, the servants and disciples of Jesus, who are taught from this parable that they can only nourish those that come to them with bread of life, as they themselves shall receive the same from God, which therefore they must solicit with all perseverance and constancy of supquas insatiabiliter esurire solebat. Venit fame laborans, sed heu me! pauperem eligit hospitem, et vacuum ingreditur habitaculum. Quid faciam huic amico misero et miserabili? Fateor amicus est, sed ego mendicus. Quid venisti ad me, amice, in necessitate tantà? Festina, inquit, discurre, suscita amicum tuum illum magnum, quo majorem dilectionem nemo habet, sed neque substantiam ampliorem. Clama et dic, Amice, commoda mihi tres panes. Compare Augustine (Quæst. Evang., 1.2, qu. 21); and a discourse which is not Augustine's, but has sometimes been attributed to him (Serm. 85, Appendix), where the explanation given, at first sight seems slightly different, but in reality comes to the same thing. Every good desire, visiting the soul and awakening in it a hunger and thirst after righteousness,-a longing after God, is the guest from the way, whose hunger can only be satisfied by spiritual nourishment,-by the bread from heaven.

* Serm. 105, c. 2: Venit tibi amicus de viâ, id est, de vita hujus seculi, in qua omnes velut peregrini transeunt, nec ullus quasi possessor manet: sed omni homini dicitur, Refectus es, transi, age iter, da venturo locum. Aut fortè de via mala, hoc est, de vitâ malà, fatigatus nescio quis amicus tuus, non inveniens veritatem, quâ auditâ et perceptâ beatus fiat: sed lassatus in omni cupiditate et egestate seculi, venit ad te, tanquam ad Christianum, et dicit: Redde mihi rationem, fac me Christianum. Et interrogat quod fortè tu per simplicitatem fidei nesciebas, et non est unde reficias esurientem, et te admonitus invenis indigentem. Tibi fortè sufficiebat simplex fides, illi non sufficit. Nunquid deserendus est? nunquid de domo projiciendus? Ergo ad ipsum Dominum, ad ipsum cum quo familia requiescit, pulsa orando, pete, insta.

† Erklar. d. Parab., p. 763.

plication, at all events a most important truth, whether it is here to be found or not, for those that have to feed the flock of Christ. In like manner in the "three" loaves various Scriptural triads have been traced, as for instance, it has sometimes been said that the host craving the three loaves, craves the knowledge of the Trinity, of God in his three persons, † sometimes again, it is the three choicest gifts and graces of the Spirit, faith, hope, and charity, which he desires may be his.‡

When he from within replies, "Trouble me not, the door is now shut ;” it means evidently more than merely closed; he would say, "The door is fastened, barred, and bolted, the house is made up for the night, and at this unseasonable hour I cannot disturb my children, who are now with me in bed, by rising and giving thee." Theophylact makes these last words yet further significant; "My children are with me in bed ;” that is, "All who by earlier application to me have obtained right to be called my children, have secured their admission into my kingdom, and are now resting with me there; it is too late to apply, the door is closed, the time is past."§ The lesson to be here learned would then be this, that through earnest importunate prayer, even lost opportunities may be made up and recovered. ||

"I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth." Our version, translating "importunity," has rather softened the original word, which might be rendered by a stronger term; it is his "shamelessness "¶ which extorts the gift. At the same time, the shamelessness which is here attributed to the petitioner is greatly mitigated by the consideration, that it is not for himself but for another, and that he may not be wanting in the sacred duties of hospi

*Augustine: Unde vivo, inde dico; unde pascor, hoc ministro. Compare a sermon by Guerricus, in the Benedict. edit. of St. Bernard, v. 2, p. 1023.

† AUGUSTINE, Enarr. in Ps. cii. 5.

Quæst. Evang., 1. 2, c. 21.

Thauler gives an ingenious reason, why it should be rather charity alone: Ut enim quamlibet pretosia mundi cibaria neque utilia, neque jucunda, neque comestabilia sunt absque pane, ita etiam quidquid agas Deo non multùm placet, si absque caritate fiat. Euthymius: ̓́Αρτους· τὰς θρεπτικὰς τῶν ψυχῶν διδασκαλίας.

Augustine: Quid pulsas sine tempore, qui piger fuisti cum tempore? Dies fuit, et in lumine non ambulasti, nox supervenit, et pulsare cœpisti.

|| It is possible that the word which we translate "children," would be fitter translated "servants," and the sense then would be, "I cannot myself come, and I have none whom I can send; my household as well as myself are gone to rest.” It is clear that rà raidia has been so understood by Augustine (Ep. 130, c. 8): Jam cum suis servis dormientem petitor instantissimus et molestissimus excitavit.

¶'Avaldeia. The Vulgate gives it by a happily chosen word, improbitas, which, like the adjective from which it is drived, may describe unweariedness in a good cause as well as in a bad.