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to cast children's bread unto dogs." She was a Canaanite. But now this woman, this Canaanite, she believes; comes unto Christ, and believes greatly: "O woman, great is thy faith."

Pray let us observe the wonderful dispensation of God here. The Jews that Christ was sent unto, they rejected Christ a Canaanite that is called a dog, receives Christ. Oh, the wonderful dispensation of God's grace. Mercy takes those in, and free grace takes in those into Christ that are most unlikely. The Jews they were called the children of the kingdom; the children they turn dogs: "Beware of the concision, beware of dogs," Phil. iii. 2. Children turn dogs: and dogs turn children: the Canaanite, a dog, becomes a child and believes; and the Jews that were the children of the kingdom, they turn dogs and rend Christ; oh, what free grace and love is here. Who would rest upon any outward privilege though it be never so great? Who would be discouraged in regard of any unworthiness though it be never so much?

But what says the woman? Says she," Have mercy upon me, O Lord thou Son of David, my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil." "Have mercy upon me, O Lord, thou son of David." Why does she call him the Son of David, and not rather the son of Abraham; and not rather the son of Adam; and not rather the Son of Man? as Christ was often called; why does she here call him the Son of David?

We find in Scripture, that Christ and David did often exchange names. "And David your king shall reign over you," Jer. xxx. 9. A promise is made to the Jews yet to be converted; that is, Christ, David your king, and not Abraham, shall reign over you; but David your king. David was the king of the people of God, and was to feed them: and so Jesus Christ is king of the church, and feeds the people of God. Abraham was not a king, David a king; and therefore, thou Son of David, and not thou Son of Abraham. And then, Messiah ordinarily among the Jews was called David. And therefore this woman here says, " O Lord, thou Son of David."

She does first of all acknowledge his Deity; and therefore she calls him Lord, " O Lord:" she does acknowledge his humanity, and incarnation; and therefore she says, "Thou

Son of David." Her faith was rightly planted; here now ye have her faith in the mustard seed; look but down a few verses, and you find it grown up into a great tree, that the birds of the air, and the saints may come and build their nests in the branches of her faith, But here it is planted. She had in her own country, some that by exorcism did undertake for to cast out devils: she does not go to them: she had her own gods in her own country, she leaves them, and she singles out Christ, and she singles out that name, title, and attribute of Christ, wherein was most of the covenant, and most of the promise: and her faith now, being thus rightly planted, it rises up unto great perfection, she comes on with boldness.

But stay, O woman, a little, thou art a great sinner, thou art a Canaanite, and so a dog, and what dost thou coming unto Jesus Christ? I know what I do, might she say, I do not come to Peter, I do not come to James, I do not come to John; but I come to Christ, and I come to mercy, to mercy itself. I do not plead mine own righteousness, or mine own patience, or my humility, or prayer, or perseverance in prayer; but I plead mercy, " Have mercy on me, O Lord." Behold a miracle in the midst of a miracle, says Chrysostom. The angels in heaven cover their faces in beholding the glory of Jesus Christ; and a poor woman here on earth comes with boldness: the cherubims and seraphims in heaven, says he, fear before Christ; fear above, and faith below; fear in angels, faith and boldness in a poor woman, she comes with boldness.

If faith be true and right, it lays aside all one's own righteousness, and comes unto naked mercy; passes by all other helps and means, singles out Christ, that name and title of Christ that hath most of the covenant, and of God's love in it.

She does not only come with boldness, but she comes with prayer, "Have mercy upon me," &c. She comes praying, for she came believing. Faith and prayer well go together. Prayer is the issue of faith. Faith is prayer in the coal, and prayer is faith in the flame; she comes praying. And mark also, she comes with love; and such love, as makes another body's infirmity and weakness one's own for she does not say thus, "My daughter is grievously vexed with a devil," have mercy on my daughter; but have mercy on me her

daughter's vexation is her own, her infirmity is her own. Faith wrought the love here. Oh, that parents would imitate this woman, and go unto Jesus Christ for their children that are vexed with devils. If a child be sick in body, a parent will run to God and cry for help; but children's souls may be vexed with devils, every lust and sin is a devil, and they do not run to Christ, and say, Oh, Lord, have mercy on me; for my daughter, or my son, or my child is vexed with an unclean devil, or a profane devil; but this woman, having planted her faith rightly, her faith here it does work by prayer, and it works by love, and she says thus," Have mercy upon me, O Lord, thou Son of David, my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil."

But what now is Christ's answer to her? "He answered her not a word." Now comes the temptation, the three great temptations; do not wonder that I call these temptations. It is true, God tempteth no man, and Christ tempteth no man; but take temptation for trial, so Christ tempts, so God tempteth. Satan, he tempts a man for to draw out his sin; but Christ tempts for to draw out our faith. Satan's temptations are black within, white and sweet without; but Christ's temptations are black without, white and sweet within.

The first temptation therefore, you have here, "He answered her not a word." Not a word! Christ is called the The fountain of

Word: the Word answers not a word. mercy seems to be enclosed; as if he rejected her, and her condition; as if he cared not for it, nor for her; he answered her not a word. Here was a great temptation upon the woman, a great trial; for she might say thus: I have heard "that the Lord heareth prayer ;" and now I come and pray unto him, he answers me not a word; how is the Scripture true? I have heard that this man says, "Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will ease you :" and now I do come unto him, he answers me not a word. The centurion came unto him, and he helped him. A poor leper came unto him, and he helped him: my condition is worse than any body's. Here was a great temptation, Christ answered her not a word.

Though Christ answered her not a word, he heard every word; in not answering her, he answered her.

In not

speaking, Christ speaketh much, many times, for when he speaks no answer to your prayers, the language of his actions speaks thus: Pray on, cry on, and lift up your voice on high. Christ holds the door close, not that he may keep you out, but that he make may Christ lets you knock the more. you continue praying, not because he does not regard your prayer, but because he loves your prayer so well, that he would hear your prayer again and again. Christ knows that strength comes in wrestling.

It is no new thing, then, for believers to have no present, vible answer to their prayers. But mark, although they have no visible answer to their prayers, they have invisible strength: he answered her not a word to her prayer, but he assisted her all that while in praying: he gives her no answer to her prayer, but he gave her prayer, he gave her faith to continue in prayer. So long therefore, as the Lord Jesus Christ does send down his Spirit upon your heart in prayer; though you have no visible answer unto your prayer, yet if he uphold your heart in believing, still to hang upon him, still to wait upon him, your condition is not new, it is no other than that which befals the best of God's children and true believers thus it befel this woman.

If this temptation do befal any of you as it befel this woman, to have no visible answer unto your prayer; pray do as this woman did. What did she?

He answered her not a word; but still she does acknowledge that he was able to help her, does acknowledge his Deity, and says, "Lord." So do you.

She does acknowledge; that it is his office for to help: and therefore she says, "Thou Son of David." So do you also say in your heart, Though I have not help for the present, it is the office of Christ to help me; he is the Son of David.

She does not rest upon her own duty, or her own righteousness; but she comes unto mere mercy, and she waits on that. So do you also.

She does propound her misery, leave her misery at the feet of Christ, and does not stint or limit him to this or that means. "Lord," says she, "my daughter is grievously vexed;" but she does not say how she would have her daughter cured, she leaves that to Christ, only propounds

her misery, and leaves that at the feet of Christ, to take his own way, and use his own means. So do you also.

She continues yet praying, yea, when the disciples had done. The disciples they said, "Send her away for she crieth after us," verse 23. Christ made an answer to them, and ye hear no more of the disciples, they had done. Thus do you also, as this woman did, though your friends, and the disciples of Christ that have been praying for you, be weary, have done, and have no more to speak for you; yet hold you out, and continue praying. Thus did this woman, she would not leave Christ, but she comes on afresh, she comes unto

him again.

What is Christ's answer? not sent, but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Here now is the second temptation. And this indeed seems to be greater than the former. Before, he answered her not a word; and now here is denial, seeming denial, "I am not sent, but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." This temptation is greater: for now in this his dealing, his way seems to run cross unto promises. The promise was made unto the gentiles; the Old Testament is full of it, Isa. xlii. 1. "He shall bring forth judgment unto the gentiles." verse 6. "I have given thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the gentiles." And so in many places, mercy is promised unto the gentiles. Here now our Saviour says, "I am not sent, but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." His dealing with this woman seems to run cross to the promises. Yea, now he comes to the great unanswerable objection; as if he should say thus: There are a company of poor lost ones, that are my sheep, elected, predestinated to salvation from all eternity; and I am sent unto them, I am not sent, but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Whereupon this woman might say, Nay then, what do I waiting any longer? for if I be not one of the elect, if I be not one of Christ's sheep, then there is no hope for me. This was a great, and a very great temptation, to lay these words before her, a great trial, "I am not sent, but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." But mark her carriage; she does not fall to dispute the matter of election, or predestination; she came and worshipped him, saying, "Lord help me," verse 24. As if she should say, Lord, whether I be elected or not, I

"He answered and said, I am

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