(4.) To enlarge our desires, and put greater fervency into them. A sack that is stretched out holds the more. Delay increaseth importu- nity : Mat. vii. 7, ' Ask, seek, knock ; ' the door is kept bolted that we may knock the harder. The choicest mercies come to us after great wrestlings. She prayeth, but Christ keepeth silence. Silence is an answer, and speaketh thus much, Pray on, and continue your praying still. Though Christ loved the supplicant, and meaneth to grant the petition, yet at first he answereth her not a word.
Secondly, Her next temptation was from the small assistance she had from the disciples : ver. 23, ' Send her away, for she crieth after us.' Interpreters dispute whether this was spoken out of commisera- tion or impatience. I incline to the former, and the sense is, ' Send her away by granting her request ; do that for her which she desireth, that she may be quiet.' But though it were commiseration, yet they spake too coldly as to her distress, and seem to have a greater respect to their own trouble than the woman's affliction, that they might not be troubled with her cries, but they desire for quietness' sake that she might be despatched one way or another. Many a poor benighted soul pray themselves, and set others on praying, till they are weary, and God heareth not, which is a great discouragement to a poor afflicted creature ; but yet it is but a temptation ; for though man's drop be soon spent, yet God's ocean of compassions faileth not When they are troubled, yet importunity is welcome to Christ.
Thirdly, Her next temptation is sorer. Christ seemeth to exclude her out of liis commission : ver. 24, 'But he answered and said, I am
160 SERMON UPON MATTHEW XV^ 21-28.
Dot sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel/ This was a truth, for Christ in the days of his flesh was a minister of the circumcision, Kora. XV. 8. His personal and particular ministry was principally designed for the people of the Jews ; they were to liave the morning market of the gospel, and the first handsel of the Redeemer's grace ; which, by the way, was a rebuke to the Jews that they did no more prize his ministry and dispensation when this stranger was so impor- tunate to receive the benefit of it. But, however, it was a great trial to the woman, as if she were not one of these lost sheep whom Christ came to seek. When salvation itself refuseth to save us, when Christ shall in effect say, I am a Saviour, but not unto thee ; thou art not one of my redeemed ones : this is an amazing thing. Poor believers, when they are in this conflict, seem to be driven from Christ, not only by their own misgiving hearts, but the denunciation of his word : they question their election and the intention of God's grace, whether ever it were meant to them or no. But this is but a temptation ; we must not betray our duties by our scruples ; though it be midnight now, we cannot say it will never be day. Our rule, which we must stick to in such cases, is, God may do what he pleaseth, I must do what he com- mandeth. Our necessities are great, and so are Christ's compassions ; therefore a believing soul must not be put off by groundless fears, nor must the threatenings of the word drive us from, but to the promise ; for God opposeth for a while that he may at length give faith the victory.
Fourthly, when the woman reneweth her suit : ver. 25, 'Then she came, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.' Yet ver. 26, ' He answered and said. It is not meet to take the children's bread and cast it to dogs.* By implication Christ reckoneth her among the dogs; a grievous word to drop from the mouth of a gracious Saviour. But when Christ trieth us, he will try us to the quick, and humble us to the very dust. Our Lord speaketh this according to the common rate of language among the Jews, who accounted all the heathens as dogs, and without the covenant. Such as were within the covenant and pale of grace were holy and consecrated to God ; others who were without the covenant, because of their false religion, were accounted profane and unclean. Dogs and sheep were opposed one to another. The people of Israel are deciphered by the appellation of ' lost sheep ; * others are called ' dogs ; ' Rev. xxii. 15, ' Without are dogs,' a term applied to this day by all oriental people to those whom they count to be misbelievers. Surely one would think now here were an end of her faith and address to Christ. No ; the humble soul maketh an advantage of this: ver. 27, 'Truth, Lord; yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table.' Faith is quick to observe all advantages whereby it may strengthen itself. A dog is allowed to creep under the children's table, and to feed on what falls down there. Thus she maketh a seeming rebuke to be a kind of claim and title. And then Christ can hold out no longer, for he will at length yield, and will not always hide himself from the seeking soul. They that wrestle will at length overcome : Mark vii. 29, ' And he said unto her, For this saying, Go thy way ; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.'