SELECTIONS by Robert Newton

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 21, 1857

SELECTIONS.

By Robert Newton

THE SYROPHENICIAN WOMAN,

Being the substance of a Sermon preached in John-st. church on Sunday morning, May 17th, 1840, by Robert Newton.

"Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt." Matt. xv, 28.

In how many ways did the great Teacher, when he was upon earth, answer that request of his disciples, "Lord, teach us how to pray"—not only at that time when he gave them that form of sound words, that perfect model of prayer which is now used by his church in almost all languages and countries in which we are permitted to address the God of the universe as "our Father;" but he taught them, and us also, by all the precepts which require the performance of this duty, thus interposing his authority in this matter, and making the duty binding on all. He taught them also by those precious promises which he gave to encourage them in the performance of this duty, saying unto them, "Ask, and it shall be given." "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father also give his holy Spirit to those who ask him?" By his own edifying example, the example of a pure and holy devotion which he himself has left us, continuing sometimes whole nights in prayer to God, when he was about to engage in a work of more than ordinary importance. By parables, also, and by those miracles of power and mercy which he wrought in direct answer to prayer. Ah! my brethren, how can we who pray so seldom and with so little fervency, reckon ourselves the disciples of such a Master?

Our text affords us another illustrious example of the efficacy of fervent, humble prayer. A poor woman of Canaan, whose ancestors for many generations had been the grossest idolaters, attracted by the fame of his miracles, or driven by domestic afflictions, came unto him on behalf of her daughter, "who was grievously vexed with a devil," and after a painful trial of her faith, obtained of him the blessing which she so earnestly desired. The whole account is highly interesting, and furnishes us with many important and useful observations. Demoniacal possessions in the days of our Lord were very common. That evil spirit who is alike the foe of God and man, knowing that the time had come when the "seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head," exerted a more than ordinary degree of his malevolent influence in afflicting and tormenting the children of men. In the present instance that tender compassion which dwelt in the Redeemer's breast seems for a moment to have left him, and contrary to his usual habit of answering the cries of the distressed, when this woman had her case before him, "he answered her not a word." The disciples, to their credit as men, though of another nation, "came and besought him, saying, Send her away, (that is, grant her her request,) for she crieth after us." His answer to them, however, was as discouraging as his silence to her, "I am not sent," said he, "but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Though as the Redeemer of all mankind, I came to save all, yet my personal ministry while on earth must be confined to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. But mark this woman's perseverance: "Then came she and worshiped him, saying, Lord, help me." Jesus answered, referring again to the Israelites, the chosen people of God, "It is not meat to take the children's bread and cast it to dogs." Such an answer to an ordinary mind was enough to sink it into despair, but this woman begins to reason with her Lord thus: "Truth, Lord, I acknowledge the justice of what thou hast said; nevertheless, let me have such kindness as the dogs of any family enjoy. Thou, O Lord, art truth itself; thy word can be no other than truth; thou hast called me a dog, and indeed such I am; a poor outcast, a sinner, a Gentile. Give me, therefore, the favor and privilege of a dog, that I may gather up the crumbs of mercy from under the table whereat thy children sit. I presume not to press to the board; let that be for the children, but to creep under it; deny me not then those crumbs which fall from the children's table, and which if the dogs do not gather them, will be swept away and lost in the dust." "Then Jesus answered her, O woman, great is thy faith, be it unto thee even as thou wilt." This word "then" is emphatic. After so many discouragements, still to persevere, it may well be said, Then

Jesus granted unto her to the full extent of her desire.

There are two or three things more deducible from this interesting narrative and the miracle which is here recorded.

1. In connection with other miracles it affords strong evidence of the Messiahship of Jesus Christ, and of the truth of his religion.

2. It may be taken as an evidence of God's purpose of bestowing mercy upon the Gentiles, and if so, then let us who are "sinners of the Gentiles" take encouragement to hope in his mercy.

3. It is directly calculated to encourage us in the exercise of prayer—indeed, this seems to be its principal design. Prayer, then, is our subject, and we may observe,

1. It is as gratifying as it is surprising to meet with praying people where we least expected to find them. Yet so it was in the case of this woman—Gentile as she was—heathen as she was, having heard of the fame of Jesus, or read in the law and the prophets something of his character, or learned some way or other that he pitied the distressed, healed the diseased, and cured the blind, she came to him and besought him to have mercy on her by healing her greatly afflicted daughter. Had she attended the synagogue where the Scriptures were read every Sabbath, and compared what is therein written with the character and miracles of Christ, it would not have been so surprising that she should come to the conclusion that Jesus was the true Messiah, but with the few opportunities and slender means of obtaining information which she possessed, it is somewhat wonderful that she attained to such consistent views of the character of the Redeemer, and such strong faith in his goodness and power. And in this view of the matter, how would this conduct of a heathen reprove the pride and unbelief of the Jews: they rejected him—this poor Gentile believed in him. Let us bring the matter a little nearer home and to our own times. Has it not been the privilege of many here present to-day to be taught from their infancy to cry, "My Father, thou art the guide of my youth?" Have not many of us been taken by the hand and led along to the house of God from childhood? But ah! how many have in after years resisted the convictions of their early life, restrained prayer, and given themselves up to work wickedness, while others, like this poor Gentile woman, who never, or but seldom having heard of the way of salvation, have, nevertheless, almost at the first hearing of the name of Jesus, as the Saviour of sinners, believed on his name. We learn.

2. That a domestic affliction is sometimes in the hand of God a powerful incentive to prayer. The duty of prayer is always binding, but the obligation is not always felt, not always practically acknowledged. Many there are who bring themselves only once in the week to the performance of this duty, on a Sabbath morning perhaps, and even then they do not enter into the spirit of it as they ought. When this is the case, God withdraws those blessings from them which they once used to enjoy, and lays affliction upon some beloved one; then they begin to call upon his name, and to pray more fervently than they ever prayed in their lives before. Then for the first time, perhaps, while praying for another, they discover that they ought to pray for themselves. How many, like David, can say, "Before I was afflicted I went astray?" and how many after they have found mercy in affliction are ready to say to their fellows, "Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul?" Thus they bless God for affliction, not as affliction, but as the means of bringing them to God.

3. We are here very impressively instructed to make the afflictions and sorrows of others our own. I do not know what may be your opinion, but I have long been of the opinion that the virtue of natural affection is most intense and fervent in the maternal breast. None but mothers know what mothers feel. How many pious mothers make the case of an unconverted child their own, and like this woman in the gospel cry out in the anguish of their hearts, "Lord, help me"—Lord, have mercy upon me by showing mercy to my daughter. So a father prays for his prodigal son, and ceases not until he returns to God, and he can say in the joy of his heart, "This my son which was dead is alive again, was lost and is found." So we should feel for our unconverted neighbors. Our language should be, "Lord, this my neighbor, whom I so highly esteem, is unacquainted with thee, have mercy to me by showing mercy to him." What saith the law in this case? "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself;" no matter if he do not live near me, if he be a man, he is a fellow-creature, and I am bound to remember him in my prayers to God always. So Jeremiah remembered his countrymen for good—"For the hurt of my people am I hurt." So St. Paul desired the salvation of all Israel—"Brethren," says he, "my heart's desire and prayer for Israel is, that they might be saved." His heart was in his prayer, and so must ours be in our prayers.

4. Sincere supplications, whether for ourselves or for others, may meet with sore discouragements, as in the case of the Canaanitish woman. How must her heart have sunk within her at the first impulse, when "Jesus answered her not a word." She had heard or read, perhaps, in a fragment of a book, "He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom." I have heard of one, even in Zidon, that he opens the eyes of the blind, and even raises the dead, and I supposed that this was he, but surely I am mistaken. I have used the same prayers that others used, and yet he answers me not; surely this cannot be he. Unasked he raised the dead son of the widow of Nain to life. I come to him, not with a dead son, but a living daughter, and he answers me not.

Such, my brethren, and much more of the same kind, might have passed in this woman's mind, and at first view we may be ready to wonder at his conduct; but we may rest assured that whatever Jesus does he has good and sound reasons for doing. And let us always remember that delay is not denied! If the blessing be delayed, that is no proof that it is denied. The conduct of the disciples is worthy of notice; they joined their prayers with those of this poor woman. Ah! my brethren, we cannot tell how many blessings we enjoy in answer the prayers of the people of God. We may observe, also, the wisdom of Jesus still farther. Had he granted this heathen woman an answer to her prayer at first, the jealous and envious Jews might have been prejudiced against him. Had he granted her her request at first, she might not have valued the blessing so highly; for that blessing which is easily obtained is seldom as much valued as that which costs so much labor and toil. And besides, Jesus knew what was in her heart. He knew how much she could bear. He knew the strength of her faith, and this called it forth for the edification of his disciples, who at this time were but young and weak in the faith. As to affliction, it may be better for us to bear it for a while, than to have it removed; for affliction, when sanctified, "worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." The first prayer of many persons in the time of affliction is, "Lord, remove thy hand;" but, my friends, there is another prayer that ought to come before that; it is this, "Lord, let the end of this affliction be answered;" for when the end is answered, the affliction will be removed.

5. Genuine prayer is always humble and persevering. All her discouragements only served to bring this woman nearer to Jesus, till at last she fell at his feet, crying, "Lord, help me." Mark these expressions, "Lord, help me!" I do not profess to understand the rationality of the sentiment which supposes Jesus Christ to be but a mere man, and yet a good man. What would you think of these my brother ministers, if any one should address such language to them as this woman addressed to Christ and fall prostrate before them, as she fell prostrate before him? Would you not esteem such conduct idolatrous, for such it would certainly be; but it is not idolatry to worship Christ, for he is both God and man. I am glad to meet with those doxologies which ascribe equal glory to the Son as to the Father and Spirit, and would say, in the words of the excellent liturgy of the Church, "Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end, Amen." And let all the people say, Amen. [Here the loud Amen was heard from every part of the house.]

6. There was an ingenuity as well as humility and fervency in this woman's prayer. Christ had said to her, "It is not meet to take the children's bread and give it to dogs." And who, my brethren, would have thought that she could extract an argument out of such a seeming repulse as this? Yet so it was: she admits the justice of the decision that the children's portion should not be given to the dogs, but yet claims that portion which, by common consent of all, belongs to them: "Give me the crumbs; I ask no more." This was enough; her suit was gained. "O woman, great is thy faith, be it unto thee even as thou wilt." The treasury of divine benevolence was now opened to her. She had not only found the treasury, but the door into that treasury, and the key to open that door, and a hand to turn that key, and open that door, and take out of that treasury a supply of all her wants.

"Were half the breath that's vainly spent, To heaven in supplication sent, Our cheerful song would oftener be, 'Hear what the Lord hath done for me.'"

[Youth's Magazine.]