Secondly, Her victory over these temptations. (1.) By her importu-
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Dity : (2.) Her humility ; (3.) Her resolved confidence ; all which are the fruits of great faith.
1. Her importunity. She will not be beaten ofi" by Christ's silence; but she maketh some advantage of it ; for it is not said, he ' heard her not a word,' but ' answered her not a word.' Christ may hear his people when he doth not presently answer them. She seemed to be excluded out of Christ's commission, but neither this nor reproach of her own con- dition doth hinder the exercise of her faith, but still she reneweth her suit, * Lord, have mercy on me ; Son of David, help me.' The woman will not be put off praying when Christ seemeth to forbid or not to regard her pra}'ing. Her daughter was sore vexed, and she must have help from Christ or none. The more God seemeth to refuse us, the more instant should we be in prayer, and pursue our suit constantly. Let Grod answer how he pleaseth ; if he be silent, we must resolve to follow the suit till we get audience ; if he seem to deny, we must get ground by denials ; if he rebuke us, we must still make supplications. Be it a suspension, a seeming denial, a contrary providence, faith will not give over. To sink under the burden argueth weakness, but it is strength of faith to wrestle through it. We read of Pherecides, a Grecian, in a naval fight between his nation and Xerxes, that he held a boat in which the Persians were fighting, first with hiij right arm, when that was cut off with his left, when that was cut off with his teeth, and would not let go his holdfast but with his life. This doth somewhat represent an importunate soul. This woman, when Christ doth seem to tm'n away from her and refuse her prayer, yet she prayeth, ' Lord, help me.' When he reasoneth from his charge, yet still she will come and worship him. When he putteth her off with the common reproach which the Jews did cast upon all that were not of their religion, his doctrines and miracles were children's bread, she turueth a discourage- ment into an argument, and maketh her claim, ' The dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from their master's table.' Thus all true believers are in good earnest ; come what will of it, they are resolved to pray stilL Thus blind Bartimeus, the more they rebuked him, the more he cried, Mark x. 48. Faith is like fire, the more it is pent up, the more it striveth to break out, and worketh effectually in us. We read of Jacob's wrestling with God : Gen. xxii. 24, ' There wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.' And it is explained, Hosea xii. 3, 4, ' He had power with God ; yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed ; he wept, and made supplications to him.' Wrestling souls that are good at holding and drawing with the Almighty will not let him go till he bless them. The woman doth not turn her back upon Christ, but draws the nearer to him the more he seemeth to drive her away from him, and keepeth arguing with him, and beseeching of him, till he giveth her satisfaction.
But how shall we do to keep up prayer in the midst of so many dis- couragements ? A71S. (1.) Our necessity should quicken us ; and (2.) God's goodness and power should support us. Faith pressed with need is earnest in prayer, when it is dealing with a God gracious and powerful ; why should we give over the suit ?
2. Her humility. We read of no murmuring and impatience or discontent at Christ's carriage. No ; if we will wrestle with God, we must
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wrestle with prayers and tears, with humble and broken hearts ; there must be no complaining of God, but to God. The woman doth not tax Christ as harsh and severe, but only maketh supplication, ' Lord, have mercy upon me ; Son of David, help me.' It is said, Mat. xv. 25, 'She worshipped him.' But in Mark. vii. 25, it is said, 'She fell at his feet.' She fell prostrate before him, and owneth the term of 'dog,' that justly she might be accounted so, and maketh it her plea and claim. Humility is contented to be humbled as deeply as the Lord pleaseth, but cannot bear this, to be excluded from Christ and the benefit of his grace. In all faith there is always a deep humility. When Christ rebuketh her as a dog, she doth not make a murmuring retort, but an humble plea, that some of the mercy provided for Israel might be spared to a poor Canaanite, a crumb at least.
3. A resolved faith under our greatest pressures : Job. xv. 14, ' Though he slay me, yet I will trust in him.' As Antisthenes told his master that taught him philosophy, that he should not find a club big enough to beat him from him. Faith will not quit its adherence to God for any difficulty whatsoever ; when God seemeth to quit the believer, the believer will not quit God, but take him as a friend when he seemeth to deal as an enemy, and still put a good construction upon his providence. This resolute adherence is seen in three things —