Diary Notes.—We should not conclude from this parable that our heavenly Father is compared to an unjust judge who has no regard for his subordinates. This is not at all the point of comparison. We should not let our minds dwell here for a moment, because the contrast between the character of the judge and that of God is so great that there is no point of similarity.
The whole lesson, I think, is found in the power of prayer. What moved the judge to grant the widow's request? It was her importunity. But he did this only to get rid of her. It, however, shows what earnestness will do even with an unfeeling man. Here the comparison comes in. If an unfeeling man, who has no reverence for God and no regard for the welfare of others, can be influenced to regard the petition of a poor widow, though from a selfish motive, because she will not be put off, what may we not expect to do by prayer when our Father in heaven is ever ready to hear and answer prayer? He invites us to pray. He says: "Pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly." We must by no means lose sight of the one great point in the comparison, and that point is the widow's earnestness. Prayer, without earnest feelings of want and dependence upon God, is but a form of words, and no prayer at all.
But let us notice the point in her prayer: "Avenge me of mine adversary." Who her adversary was we have no means of knowing, nor how he became her adversary. But we are told who the Christian's adversary is. Peter tells us in these words: "Your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." The word avenge means to conquer or destroy an enemy, for the purpose of securing tranquility to the party avenged. In this sense Moses avenged the children of Israel on the Midianites. In the same sense Ahimaaz said: "Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that the Lord hath avenged the king of his enemies." I think you are now prepared to understand what the Lord means by the words: "And will not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily."
It is now understood that the devil, the very vilest and worst of all tramps, is the Christian's adversary. But God has promised to avenge him, if he will call upon him in that spirit of earnestness which is deaf to denial, such as the widow had. We must not forget, however, that God, in all he has ever done for man in the way of avenging him of his enemies or adversaries, required man's assistance. As Paul puts it, we are coworkers with God, and so must we ever be.
Let us now test this matter a little. God is willing to bruise Satan's head under your feet, and thus avenge you of the worst adversary you have ever known. He is at hand, ready, with more than twelve legions of angels at his service, if needed. You are sorely tried. You are tempted to commit adultery with some one until every nerve in your body trembles from the agony of suspense between conscious right and conscious wrong. One deep, fervent prayer from the heart breathed to Almighty God: "Lord, save, or I perish," will avenge you of your adversary, will put him to flight, and leave you and God masters of the field. Brethren and friends, this is no idle talk. God will as surely give you the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, as he has promised it.
The Lord says with apparent emphasis: "Hear what the unjust judge saith." There must then be something in it which deeply concerns us to know. Just what I have said is in it, the power of prayer. "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."
But again: You are tempted to do something very sinful, and you seem to yourself to try to pray. You feel the serpent's coil about your heart drawing tighter and yet tighter, until your spiritual breath seems almost gone. I will tell you now just how you have got into this fix. You did not look to God soon enough. You put off praying and allowed the tempter to twist himself around you in the way he is. Do you ask what you are to do in this case? I will tell you. If you will just summon breath and courage to say from your inmost soul: "God, be merciful to me a sinner," your adversary will let go his filthy hold of you, and the Lord will set your spirit free. "God will avenge his own elect speedily." But they must cry unto him.
I love this word "cry." It carries with it to my mind the cry of an innocent child to its parent, when it fears danger or feels the need of something. Brethren, such let our cry to the Lord ever be. There is never any dallying with words in the mouth of a little child. Its requests, though they may not always be wise, are always sincere, and sincerity is what the Lord most loves, and hypocrisy is what he most abhors. "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye can not enter into the kingdom of heaven."
Thursday, September 19. They had meeting at a schoolhouse near Brother Brumbaugh's. They spent the night at Jacob Burket's. The next day they came to Brother Samuel Coxe's, in Logan's Valley, and spent the afternoon in writing letters. I here note an example of Brother Kline's exactness. He this afternoon wrote a letter to Brother Henry Koontz. He notes the main points in the letter. One is that he wants Brother Koontz to be at the Flat Rock meetinghouse on December 8, at 10 o'clock, without fail.
Saturday, September 21. They came to Brother Jacob Beck's, and had night meeting in the Baptist meetinghouse near by.