SERMON

XXV.

THE FAITHFUL WOMAN OF CANAAN.

St. MATTHEW, CHAP. XV. VER. 22.

LATTER PART.

Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my Daughter is grievously vexed with a Devil.

THERE is something so singular in the conduct of our Saviour to the woman of Canaan who made this complaint, that at first sight, it seems to strike one as inconsistent with his usual justice and compassion, and even to contradict the great purpose of his coming into the world; but our doubts are soon removed, and our admi

VOL. II.

ration ceases, when we discover that it was the design of our Lord in slighting her request, to make a proper trial of her faith; and so instruct us by this example, that our petitions are only refused for a time, to increase our humility, and to render our prayer and perseverance more acceptable to God, and more advantageous to ourselves.

But to form a true judgment of the mo tives upon which our Saviour acted, it will be necessary to enter more minutely into the several parts of this transaction, as we find it recorded in the gospel.-Jesus departing from the Jews, retired to the borders of the Gentiles, to whom he had not yet made himself known, being commissioned at first to preach the kingdom of God to the people of Israel only; but a certain woman of Canaan, having heard of him, came out of the same coasts. Though she belonged to a race unfavoured

of heaven, and detested of all other na tions; a people sunk in the deepest idolatry, who neither expected nor were prepared to receive the benefits of Christ's coming; yet, urged by the distressed situation of her mind, and encouraged by the hopes she had conceived from report, that he was able and willing to relieve her, she cried unto him, with all the vehemence of an afflicted parent, "Have mercy on 66 me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my "daughter is grievously vexed with a ❝ devil."

Short and simple as this complaint might appear, it comprehended all that a longer and more studied prayer could possibly express; it was the voice of misery; it appealed to the noblest sentiment of the human heart-compassion; and at the same time contained a general confession of her faith, and an instance of the most amiable and endearing of all ties-mo

therly affection. She did not simply apply to our Saviour in behalf of her child, but entered into her cause with an uncommon warmth, giving the strongest proof of her benevolent feelings in making her daughter's affliction her own. Nor was this her only argument; for, fearing lest the melancholy situation of her child, and her own particular distress, however it affected her as a parent, might be viewed by an indifferent person with a less degree of concern, she used a more interesting motive to engage our Saviour to listen to her petition, calling him "Lord," and "Son "of David," a plain acknowledgment that she believed him to be the very and true God, the promised and expected Messiah of the seed of David.

Before we proceed to a further examination of this miracle, let us reflect upon the instruction conveyed to us in the former part.-1st. We are taught to pray

to God in the time of trouble; not in a long and laboured form of words, but in the plainest and most powerful terms, such as express our inmost sentiments, and speak the language of the heart: nor is it enough merely to address ourselves to the Almighty, unless we do it with an entire faith and confidence in him, believing that he is able and trusting that he is willing to hear us. 2dly. The example of this afflicted mother is a lesson well deserving the serious attention of every parent, as it teaches them not to be silent spectators of the misfortunes which may befal their children, either from any natural cause, or from the correcting hand of God, but as far as they are able, to share the weight of their misery, and partake of those sorrows, which, from common motives of humanity, much more from the tender care of parental affection, they should learn to look прон in every respect as their own.