his own wisdom, as being infinite, is the best judge.

If his promise be urged, Isaiah lxv. 24. And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will anfwer, and whilst they are yet speaking, I will bear. Faith will teach us to understand he will do this at times when it may make most for his own glory, and his people's trueft good, the great defigns to which he has a conftant regard.

To all which may be added, that the fame words that bid us pray, bid us wait too, Pfalm xxvii. 14. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and be fhall ftrengthen thine heart: wait, I fay, on the Lord. God will have his praying afflicted people to wait, and fometimes to wait long for an answer, and why should any one of them think to be peculiarly indulged? Thus he will exercise their faith and patience, make trial of their love, excite the more ardent defires and cries after him, in which he delights, and endear the mercy to us when he bestows that which we have been long praying and waiting for; and thus he will make way for the larger tribute of praise to be returned to himself. Under the

feeming flight and filence of heaven, upon fuch grounds as thefe, faith ftill holds the foul to prayer; and the more it seems to be difcouraged, the louder it cries.

Thus did the woman here: tho' Chrift was filent to her first cry, fhe encouraged herself and pursued her fuit and him : and how eminent was the faith fhe discovered!

2. When Christ speaks, and seems to exclude her out of his commiffion to give help and re

Q3

lief;

lief, fhe paffeth over the doubt she could not answer, and instead of disputing, adores him, and prays to him ftill.

When he fays, I am not fent, but unto the loft Sheep of the house of Ifrael. How many fcruples might arife in her mind, from Chrift's saying, I am not fent, but to the loft sheep of the house of Ifrael, about the extent of his commiffion, how far it reached, and whether she could expect to have any benefit at all from it? But she Itays not to give place to thefe, but as it were getting ground by denials, fhe came and worshipped him, praying yet again to him, Lord, help me.

Two or three things are here implied, as what fhe kept her eye upon, and by which he was quickened and helped on in praying to Christ amidst fo many difcouragements, which otherwife would have been enough to fink her.

(1.) Upon her deep neceflity. It was a deplorable cafe her child was in, being grievously vexed with a devil, from fubjection to which the earneftly defired to fee her fet free.

(2.) Upon Chrift's power, and his compaffion joined with it, that he and he only could, and, as The hoped, would relieve her. Her faith as to this is manifefted by her coming to him, and by the title she gives of him, of Lord: Lord help me.

She lived among those who would have gone to inchanters, and made ufe of exorcifers; but having heard of Chrift, fhe would apply to no other. And he came to him as able to help, and of whofe compaffion and grace in helping fo many inftances had been given forth.

(3.) Upon

(3.) Upon him as the Meffiah promised of God, the great deliverer; and fo worflipped him, and caft herself upon him, with this ftrong cry, uttered by a stronger faith, Lord, help me.

3. When Chrift feemed to reproach her by giving her an answer expreffing the low esteem the pharifaic Jews had of her, and of all fuch as fhe was by nation, viz. That they were but as dogs in God's account, compared to them who were his children; fhe humbly let pafs the indignity, and turned that which feemed to make most against her, into an argument for her obtaining the mercy fhe came to him to beg for.

This was a third repulfe, which Christ here gave to this woman, in thefe words, It is not meet to take the childrens meat, and to give it to dogs by which Chrift defigned to mind her of the low efteem the Jews had of her and her people without the visible church, compared with themselves. But he was willing to own herself to be as mean as the Jews reckoned her, and with patience overcame their diminishing comparison of her to a dog, and by faith improved it; meekly defiring, that if she was but even like one, fhe might have a dog's place and privilege. She did not reflect on others, to give honour to herfelf; denied not the Jews to be the children of God, nor herself to be as mean and vile as a dog: fhe owns all, and humbly, replies, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from their master's table.

The Gentiles, intimates fhe, are poor worthless outcasts, and I am one of that number; yet some few of them at least may be allowed to partake

partake in a lower degree of what the Jews enjoy in the greateft plenty. The mercy I beg may be vouchfafed without prejudice to them, It is not the highest place, or the greatest favour I fue for, or can expect; only, if I am allowed but to be as a dog, let me not be wholly rejected or caft off. Though dogs may not come fo high as the table, they may creep under it, and there eat of the crumbs that fall: it is but as a crumb to thee what I defire, and this I would be thankful for.

This was the discovery of this fupplicant's faith under trials. Now followeth,

III. The happy iffue of this, in her faith's triumph. Then Jefus anfwered and faid unto ber, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt.

To how bleffed an iffue is the struggle brought? Chrift's anfwer before, was not fo difcouraging, as this was comfortable, What confolation is it fitted to convey, as it is the teftimony of one that knew the heart, and given after a manner most fit to revive it?

1. Her faith was owned, commended and admired by the author of it, whose words are always fpoken according to truth, most clearly and certainly.

2. The reward of her faith was ample, as large as her defires were, to have it to be, Be it unto thee even as thou wilt. How must her heart fpring at fuch a word as this; giving her at once a conceffion of all her juft defires, and an answer to all her prayers, both those expreffed at this and all other times, as we may

humbly

humbly conceive Chrift to mean by these extenfively gracious words: And we may well fuppose she had defired and prayed for deliverance from all evil, and the enjoyment of all good to its perfection in eternal falvation.

With what joy muft fhe be filled, and every believer of the fame ftrength of faith, who apprehends Chrift, as it were, in particular speaking to him, Be it unto thee, even as thou wilt? And haw faft and far will his thoughts and defires fly after good things? What a compass will they take?

Looking downward, he will fay, I defire to be delivered from the bottomlefs pit, that my foul may not be gathered with finners, nor my portion be with them in their place of torment: And Chrift will fay, Be it unto thee even as thou wilt.

Looking inward, his language will be, O that I may be delivered from this body of death: The defire of my foul is to have fin mortified, and corruption at laft utterly rooted out; guilt pardoned, tranfgreffions forgiven, fears and doubts thereupon fcattered, in order to my walking more comfortably with God. And confidering the state I am in, in a world lying in wickedness, full of dangers, and where the roaring lion continually goeth about feeking whom he may devour; May I be the charge of a special providence, to be kept from making fhipwreck of faith and a good confcience; escape the wiles of the devil, and repel his darts, and at laft be more than a conqueror through him that loved me. Well, to all this Chrift faith, Be it unto thee even as thou wilt.

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