condemns. His thoughts are not evil; his desires are not impure; his tastes are not sensual; his wishes are not covetous; his practice is not uncharitable; his feelings are not revengeful, malicious, envious. If thoughts do arise in his mind which tend towards these evil things; they are not cherished, fomented, acted on; but he strives, and labours, and prays against them. And when "the works of the flesh" are laid aside, and "the fruits of the Spirit" appear, then he is become that "new creature" which is formed on the faith of Christ; then that change of heart has taken place which belongs to the kingdom of God; and whose character is, that out of it proceed not evil things, but good; "love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance:" all these good things proceed out of the renewed heart, and prove that it is" born of God."

What remains for us, but to join in David's prayer, "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me?" "Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts; and in the hidden part thou shalt make me know wisdom."

LECTURE XLII.

THE DAUGHTER OF A GENTILE WOMAN CURED.

MARK Vii. 24-30.

24. And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid.

25. For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:

26. The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.

27. But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.

This is spoken in agreement with that election of the posterity of Abraham which God had made from the beginning. It was It was a people whom he had chosen for himself. As Moses had said, "The Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldst keep all his commandments; and to make thee high above all nations which he hath made, in

A foreigner, a Gentile, speaking the Greek language, and, as appears from St. Matthew, inhabiting a district which retained the name of Canaan.

2

praise, and in name, and in honour, and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the Lord thy God, as he hath spoken." And again, "Thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are on the face of the earth. The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people (for ye were the fewest of all people): but because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage."3 In accordance with this original choice and favour, "it was necessary," as St. Paul says, "that the gospel should first be preached" to the Jews. When the Lord commissioned his apostles, he charged them, "Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." And the same order is preserved in his latest communications to them. "Ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” 6

"Known unto God are all his works from the beginning," and carried on with a special design. And in pursuance of this design the Lord answers this Greek woman, or foreigner, in a manner not usual with him. Let the children be first filled, for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and cast it

unto the dogs. "I am not sent," (as is added in St. Matthew,)" but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

28. And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs.

29. And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.

30. And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.

This conclusion explains to us the purpose which our Lord kept in view, whilst for a time he repelled the prayer of this poor woman. What he said, "he said to prove her; for he himself knew what he would do." He drew from her an exhibition of the faith and humility which he saw within her heart. It was not because the reply had been unexpected, that he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; but that he might recommend her conduct to all who should read her story and also that he might show us, by example, the purpose of those trials by which faith is often exercised.

Doubtless there is a reason for them which we cannot always perceive. The apostles could not divine the reason why this woman was for a time repulsed, and not treated with the same ready favour which was granted to other suppliants. The account in St. Matthew tells us that " they came and besought him, saying, Send her away, for she crieth after us." But he was leading her, the while, "in a way which she knew not:" he was leading her by a way which should strengthen her own faith by

7 Matt. xv. 24.

exercising it, and hereafter display a lesson to others. Instead of being indignant that she had received a reply which sounded harshly; she humbles herself to meet the repulse ;-acknowledges its justice; acknowledges that she has no claim in herself, and in her nation;-" is less than the least of all the Lord's mercies." Yet her answer implies that she knew how in him all fulness dwelt, fulness which could never be exhausted; and that after all Judea had been satisfied with his bounty, the fragments that remained would suffice to refresh the whole heathen world.

The conduct of our Lord in this case, and the effect arising out of it, explains other instances of the dealings of God with his people. The case of Abraham, for example. His faith was put to an extraordinary test, when he was commanded to sacrifice his "son, his only son, Isaac, whom he loved." 8 It came to pass that God did tempt " (did try and prove) Abraham. Yet God was perfectly aware what was in Abraham's heart, and "needed not that any should tell him." should tell him." He knew with what resignation he would obey his will. Yet he chose that Abraham should actually exhibit it, and become an example to the Church of that faith which "against hope believes in hope," because it trusts him to whom "all things are possible."

The case of Job is of a like nature. God knew the heart of Job, as well as that of Abraham. When we read his history, we are disposed to wonder at the dispensation which was assigned him, just as the

Gen. xxii. 1.

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Rom. iv. 18.