-LORD and SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST. 111 'difcouraged every future attempt ; and, though fhe had conceived fo highan opi- nion of the perfon and condellending goodnefs of our Lord, his reply teems fuf- ficient to have infpired her with bitter dir like and averfion. It is not meet, faid he, 'to take the children's bread, and to call 'it to the clogs. Intimating, that the Jews were the children of God, to whom all 'the privileges and bleffings of the cove- nant ofAbraham belonged; and as the Gen- tiles were vile and contemptible, they could "nett expel to (hare thofe bleflings 'with the fans of Ifrael. This anfwer, however fevere, did but fpeak the 'lan- guage of the petitioner's humility, and, therefore, it did not excite her relent- ment, or caufe her to go murmuring away ; but, acknowledging the jullice of is remark, fhe meekly replied : Truth, Lord; yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fallfrom their 'mailer's table. Thus, con- tinuing the fimilitude which our Lord had laid down, fhe artfully introduced her own cafe, and beautifully and meekly urged her petition at a time when, it might have been 'expeled, the would have declined itwith murmuring refentment. Our Saviour, having thus given the woman an opportunity of manifefling the flrength and fteadinefs of her faith, and declaring what juft notions (he had of her own unworthinefs, and the power and goodnefs of our great Redeemer, he now beheld her with a gracious (mile, com- mended har faith, and wrought the cure which the had fo warmly and fuccefsfully folicited in behalf of her daughter : O wo- man, faid he, great is thyfaith; be it tinto thee 'even as thou wilt. Thefe gracious words were no fooner fpoken, than the great event followed, and the affelionate parent had reafon to rejoice; for herdaugh- ter was made zoholefrom that very hour. This affeling and interefting relation, fhould excite every perfon in diftrefs, efpe- cially thofe who are in diftrefs of foul, to be ardent, confiant, and perfevering in their addrefles to our great Redeemer. Whatever may be the nature Of our diftrefs, and however impoflìble it might feern to "u's, that our comfort íhould he reftored ; yet there is the high'eft encou- ragement to "leek to that great Perron; who is mighty'tofave, and, in his own time and way, will deliver all'that commit their cafe to him, that believe in his name, and come to him for deliverance. Nor ought we to be difcouraged by the moll humbling views which we may have of our own unworthinefs : the Syrophcenician woman was an Heathen and an idolater, but yet fhe was 'not prevented by thofe confidera- tions, from imploring the pity of the Son of God ; fhe fought it perfeveringly, and the found it. Thus, how loft foever we may fuppofe our condition tobe, how clef- perate. foever our cafe, we ought not to defpair: the molt humbling and abafing fenfe of our unworthinefs, ought not to keep us from the great Saviour of'finners, but rather urge us to follow him with our petitions, and ardently and vehemently implorehis relief. And further, from the fuccefs of this afflìeted parent, we may be excited to perfeverance in our petitions, though we do not meet with the defired relief, after a long continuance in our fupplications : the perfon whole cafe we are confidering, for force time met with no anfwer, and was afterwards repeatedly denied ; but tlill fhe perfifted, and at laic prevailed : fo, though the Lord Rands at a diftance from us, leaves us to our forrows, and does not anfwer our prayers in dse time, or the way we might expel ; Rill we are encou- raged to continue our addrefs : he is not offended at our importunity, he is not angry at our wants, nor wearyof our cries ; but the language of his word is, that we ought always to pray, and not to faint. Nor oughtwe tobe wearyof this pious prac- tice, though the Lord may feem to deny Our requeft ; though, inftead of removing our afflilion and difirefs by his gracious finites, he feems to frown upon us, and lays frefh burdens on our fouls: though, at
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