"Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour."
Here finisheth the wonderful subject, in the Lord's manifested grace, and her soul's joy. O woman, great is thy faith; belt unto thee even as thou wilt. As if Jesus threw the reins of government into her hand, saying, as by the Prophet, Concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me. Isaiah 45:11. And was there ever a more finished instance of grace and mercy, not only in following up this daughter of Abraham's petition; but planting such faith. in her heart, as might sustain so long, and painful a trial. Reader! I pray you, dismiss it not, until you have gathered some, at least of the many blessed instructions it contains, for your own private encouragement, under the lesser exercises of your faith.
And, First. Behold the sovereignty of Almighty grace, in this chosen vessel of God; and taken from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon How evident is it, that Jesus hath a Church, to be gathered from all nations. They shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south. And the certainty of their coming is in the covenant. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. Psalms 110:3
Secondly. Mark the grace of the Lord, in disposing the way for this poor Gentile to come to Christ. By inducing afflictions of body, and giving grace in the soul, she is brought to Jesus. Oh! how often the Lord thus mercifully deals with his people.
Thirdly. Learn from the Lord's dealings with her, how to form proper judgment of his dealings with all his people. Though from the first, more disposed to grant than she to ask; yet to enhance the blessing, and to improve her faith, the mercy is suspended for a space. So Jesus doth by all. And sweet it is, when by waiting upon the Lord, We renew our spiritual Strength.
Fourthly: Behold what humbleness of soul grace accomplisheth in the heart. Truth, Lord, said this poor member of Christ's mystical body, I am unworthy of children's fare. Reader! depend upon it, in proportion to our views of Christ's glory, such will be our views of our own unworthiness. It is Christ alone that shall be exalted. And now this poor Canaanite is sitting down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of our God, and of his Christ!