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monwealth of Israel,—an outcast,—a very dog, -can wrestle with GOD, and prevail ! . . . . This woman had the spirit of the patriarch Jacob, and she renewed his deed. Yea, he had power over the Angel,' (saith the prophet Hosea,) and prevailed. He wept, and made supplication before Him. So did Jacob at Penuel, and so did she. They wrestled with the same Divine Being, and they used the same means, and they met with the same success: for, in Jacob's case, it is added, -'And He blessed him there :' in her's,-'JESUS answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith. Be it unto thee even as thou wilt!'... Be sure therefore that her daughter was made whole from that very hour:' for that was the thing which she willed;' the one thing which had brought her to CHRIST!

Such is the marvellous history recorded in this day's Gospel; and which is doubtless set before us as a great example of prevailing prayer. The intention of the Church thereby, it is not hard to discover; for if Lent be the season of Conversion to GOD, the season when we call specially to mind our LORD's Temptation, and after His glorious example, as well as by His Almighty aid, seek to gain the mastery over Satan, by

a Hos. xxii. 4.

resisting our own corrupt affections and lusts,it must be of the highest importance to us to be reminded, now, of the true method of obtaining from GOD that assistance without which we can do nothing. Of Fasting, as a help to self-discipline, we have nowhere spoken particularly; but the Epistle and Gospel for Ash-Wednesday, as all will remember, recommend the exercise. We may observe, in passing, that Fasting is a means, not an end; and though 'Self-denial' during Lent is doubtless incumbent on every one, without exception, yet Fasting,' in some few cases, may be even improper. Not so Prayer. It is the one weapon without which no soldier of the Cross can hope to prevail. A certain kind of possession 'goeth not out,' we are informed, except by Prayer and Fasting.' Without 'Prayer,' however, let us be well assured that no kind goeth out.

Let us then briefly gather up the lessons on the subject of Prayer which are taught us by the History of the woman of Canaan.

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1. The value and efficacy of Intercession,'the prayer, that is, which one person makes for another, is here strikingly shewn but we will not dwell upon that view of the subject now. We

• St. Matth. xvii. 21.

will notice what is taught us concerning Prayer in general.

...

2. And certainly, before all things, we learn that it ought to be earnest, and persevering. We are shewn the effect of earnestness, or rather of importunity, (if need be,) in our addresses to the Throne of Grace. . . . The parable of the Unjust Judge was delivered by our LORD to this end; namely, to shew that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.' The miracle which we have been considering was surely wrought with the selfsame view, and for the selfsame purpose! . . . . Ask, and it shall be given you. Seek, and ye shall find. Knock, and it shall be opened unto you.' So runs the promise. But take notice that if asking' will not suffice, there must be a seeking' by more painful means for that mercy which yet it is promised that we shall assuredly 'find.' If 'seeking' avails not, then must we 'knock.' And what if we shall have to knock often, and loud, and long? 'I say unto you, Though He will not rise and give him, because He is his friend, yet because of his importunity He will rise and give him as many as he needeth".'

3. Lastly, we are reminded that our Prayers will perhaps not be answered immediately: that

f St. Luke xviii. 2.

St. Luke xi. 8.

GOD will perhaps seem as if He heard not. Let us observe, however, why it was that our SAVIOUR made Himself strange to this woman; and even seemed, (to those, at least, who behold the outside of things alone,) exceedingly severe. It was only because He knew the strength of her Faith. Was it not His gift? and to whom men have committed much, of him do they not ask the more? He yearned towards her with Love unspeakable; but, (like Joseph among his brethren,) ‘He made Himself strange, and spake roughly.' He designed her greater blessedness thereby. 'Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it,'—as it is said in the Psalms. By making her heart dilate with the more longing, He was able to fill it the fuller with Himself. He tried her Faith, only because He knew that she had the Faith to try. And if we never experienced anything of the kind, in our own persons, we shall do well to believe that it is only because we are as yet but babes in Faith and that CHRIST deals with us so gently, only because He knows that we are so weak.

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The Third Sunday in Lent.

THE RELAPSED DEMONIAC.

ST. LUKE xi 24-26.

When the unclean Spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

INASMUCH as Prayer and Fasting are two great instruments, under the Divine Blessing, for enabling us to overcome those suggestions to evil with which the Enemy of souls is for ever plying our fallen nature; a great example of the efficacy of either, is made the subject of the Gospels for the first two Sundays in Lent. The warning which is brought under our notice today completes the lesson. In the words of the text is declared the condition of a soul from which the Evil Spirit has been expelled; namely,

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