confidence, that he was able to heal her daughter. This faith induced her to go forth to meet him, as the fame of his being in that part of the country bad reached her ears. She was one that was a stranger to the commonwealth of Ifrael, a defcendant of that accurfed nation, which had been devoted to deftruction by that fentence pronounced more than two thousand years before," Curfed be Canaan." When a whole nation is caft off from God, it never implies in it, that every individual of that people muft perifh eternally. This woman and many other inftances in fcripture, are evidences hereof.

Now faith caufed this perfon to arife and go to Jefus, being fully perfuaded that he was all fufficient, and infinitely able to do all that for her, which her heart defired. When fhe came near unto him, fhe prefented her petition in the moft de. cent, warm, pertinent and believing manner. "She cried unto "him faying, have mercy upon me, O Lord, thou Son of Da«vid." The very form of the addrefs, fhows both her knowledge of Chrift's character as the promifed Redeemer of his people, and her faith in him as the only Saviour. It may raife wonder in fome, that this poor woman did not make her complaint to the difciples, that they might have introduced her to their Lord, but it is manifeft fhe had too much faith and knowledge for this. A proper understanding of the truth, and a real faith, will have no angels or faints for interceffors, but will apply directly to the Son of David, to the Lord of all power and grace. And fhe pleads no merit or worthiness, but her fole defire is mercy; to mercy the looks, and on mercy fhe refts all her hopes. As if fhe had faid, "O thou Son of David, Ifrael's King, upon fufficient information and teftimony, I fully believe that thou art Jefus, the fent of God to be the Saviour of loft men, I therefore appear in thy prefence as a needy fupplicant who have nothing to recommend me to thy favour but my mifery, fiu and wretchedness, I atk no

bieffing due, or meritorious reward, but what I humbly and devoutly beg, is an act of thy mere beneficence, pure mercy and free grace."-One would have thought the merciful and compaffionate Savicur, would ir ftantly have granted her hearty and earnest defire. But lo, his conduct on this tender and affecting occafion, how widely different from any thing it ever was before? For the trial of her faith, and to exhibit her as an example to all future believers, he affumes an air of diftance and referve; he proceeds on his way, without feeming to hear her, or even deigning to give her a look from his countenance, "He answered her not a word." Difcouraging confideration indeed! How muft her tender heart be wounded? What must be her painful feelings? She fought, fhe prayed, she cried, but alas! fhe fought, and prayed, and cried in vain. "He "answered her not a word." Might not this poor Canaanitish woman have rationally paufed, and thought with herself; Surely this cannot be the Son of God, fo famed for his tenderness and clemency; has he heard others and turns a deaf ear to me? I have addressed him in as humble and decent a manner, as any I ever heard of? Is he thus referved, filent and partial? I will go no more after him; I will follow him no farther." Would not fome fuch reflections upon the treatment she received be extremely natural? But however natural they might be to a corrupt mind, they are far from being natural to a renewed ful; to divine faith, that is in pursuit of favour from the Lord. But though Chrift answered her not, and in filence went on his way, this feems to encrease her faith, to cause her to fend forth more fervent prayers and tender cries, infomuch that the difciples were moved and affected with her cafe, and voluntarily became interceffors on her

66

behalf.

Believers will feel for believers in affliction and perplexity, and they will plead and intercede for them. Thus "His "difciples came and Lefought him, faying, fend her away

for he crieth after us" Her cries pierced their tender hearts; they fympathized with her in her diftreffes, and they entreated him to grant her request and fend her away, that they might not be harraffed with her painful importunities. At the melting request of his difciples, he ftops, though he would not speak to the woman; he speaks, he replies to them, in her hearing. Is it an answer of encouragement, hope or comfort? Nay, quite the reverfe. It is big with horror and repulfe. Thefe heart cutting words proceed from his lips. "I am not "fent, fays he, but unto the loft fheep of the houfe of Ifrael." This ftrikes dumb the difciples, and muft penetrate like daggers to her heart. Behold, how the ftands mute, overwhelmed in tears, and ready to fink into the earth. Her cafe was deplorable indeed; and these words might, methinks, have thrown her into eternal defpair. With what plaufibility and juftice might the have argued against her election, as many do, who have no fuch reafons? How might the have poured out her defpairing foul in fuch wailings as thefe ? "Alas! Jefus is only fent to fhew mercy and be a Saviour to the people, to the loft fheep of the houfe of Ifrael; it is true I am loft, a loft creature indeed, and now must be loft to all eternity; I am not of the happy and chofen family of Ifrael, but of the reprobate, the curfed race of the gentiles; there is no encouragement, no hope, no mercy, no falvation for me ; and my dear child must be rapped in the flames of damnation; I have fought his merciful favour with an humble and broken heart, with fighs, and cries, and tears; I am not a chofen veffel, I pertain not to the eledion of grace, but must have my doom in the regions of horror and everlafting mifery." Are not fuch defpairing thoughts natural? Where is the believer that could ever again look to Jefus, after such a repulfe. But this does not difpirit the faith of this woman, it engages her to more zeal, it fires all the powers of her foul; inftead of relinquishing her purpofe by thefe difcouragements, fhe re

Pz

I

news her addrefs with more humility, earnestness and terven Behold the woman approaching his prefence, bowing becy. fore him, paying him homage and profound adoration, bathed in tears, and collecting her whole foul into one pathetic petition.

Then came fhe, and worshipped him, faying, Lord, help What Chrift had faid, put to filence the difciples, but she continues her prayer, and applies with greater importunity; fhe determines that if the perifh, fhe will perish at the feet of Jefus, pleading for mercy, with her last breath praying for help. Alas! what now is the confequence?-a further and feverer repulfe. He turns to her, and would reafon her out of her prayers and importunities, points out the unfitnefs of her request, with the twinging addition of a rebuke and reproach. "But he answered and faid, it is "not meet to take the children's bread and caft it to dogs." As though he had faid, "Woman, your defire is unreasona ble and unjuft; I came to be a minifter of the circumcifion and my favours are to be bread to the children of Ifrael, but you are a dog of the Gentiles, it would be highly improper to take the bread of children, and beftow it on fuch vile creatures as you; you are out of the covenant, out of the pale of the church, and to be paffed over with neglect and contempt." Here was an answer clouded with difcouragement; its apparent amount was an abfolute refufal. And not only denied, but also reproached with the degrading epithet of a dog. What heart could bear, what fpirit could brook fuch treatment and infult as this? Not to be attended to, nor observed; to be told he had no bufinefs with her nation; that it was unfit to give her any of the children's bread; and then to fub. join reproaches upon her character as too base and ignoble, fit only to be ranked with the bafeft of the animal tribes. Would not any perfon poffeffed of a foul rife, refent and retort the injury?" What ?-Can this be the Son of David?

Can this be the Saviour of the world, reputed for kindness, mercy, compaffion, goodrefs and love? No: he is not the Chrift, but fome vile impofter; I have been deluded, I will go no more after him; I will feek to him, I will pray to him no more." But, how widely different is the humble, believing heart, that loves the Lord Jefus. In meeknefs, patience and humility, it readily takes all in good part as juft and right. She feels deferving of fuch an answer, or of no notice. In righteoufnefs Chriit might pafs her by, a wretched dog and worse. Yet her faith will not part fr cms object. She owns all to be reasonable, just and true; all the auftere ufage which he receives, is perfectly right. Yet her faith is fuch, that though he flay her, she will trust in him. Nothing can separate or break the band of faith; neither death, nor life, nor principalities, nor powers, nor repulfes, nor denials, nor reproaches. Faith, a true and living faith will carry the foul through all oppofition. The more difficulties. difcourage. ments and trials the believing chriftian meets with, the more earnest and fervent in prayer will he be. He will wrestle with God himfelf, and will not ceafe the ftruggle until he prevail. He will argue and difpute the matter even with Chrift. And faith will furnish him with power, dexterity and skill, in the argument; he will overcome.

Thus this Canaanitifh believer proceeds to answer the Lord's objections against her. She begins with an acknow-ledgement, all he faid was true; "And the faid, truth Lord;" what thou fayeft is perfectly right; I am as vile and unworthy as a dog, I am worse than brutish, I deferve no favour, I merit no mercy from thy hand. Yet, allow me in deep humility to fay, when the children eat their bread there are crumbs falling from the table, which are not denied to the dogs that lie under it." Behold, the importanity, the wisdom, ftrength and beauty of her faith. She acknowledges that the was as a dog, and all fhe begged was only the favours, privileges and advantages of