Female Scripture Biography, Volume II / Including an Essay on What Christianity Has Done for Women

by F. A. Cox

We have here a remarkable specimen of faith. When, the father of the young man who had a dumb spirit brought him to Jesus, "If," said he, after describing his case, "if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us." This was an implication deregatory to the glory, and disparaging to the power of the Son of God. It implied at least a doubt of his capacity to afford the requisite assistance, and consequently occasioned the remonstrance; "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." q.d. "The question is not whether I possess power, but whether you can exercise faith. Nothing obstructs my benevolent exertion but human infidelity. This, and this only, is the great barrier, the insurmountable impediment to the more universal display of my character, and the multiplication of my wonderful works" This woman, however, expressed no suspicion, intimated no doubt; but, with unhesitating confidence, addressed him as the "Lord, the Son of David."

"O blessed Syrophenician, who taught thee this abstract of divinity? What can we Christians confess more than the Deity, the humanity, and the Messiahship of our glorious Saviour? His Deity as Lord, his humanity as a son, his Messiahship as the son of David. Of all the famous progenitors of Christ, two are singled out by way of eminence, David and Abraham, a king and a patriarch; and though the patriarch was first in time, yet the king is first in place; not so much for the dignity of his person, as the excellence of the promise, which, as it was both later and fresher in memory, so more honorable. To Abraham was promised multitude and blessing of seed, to David perpetuity of dominion. So as, when God promiseth not to destroy his people, it is for Abraham's sake; when not to extinguish the kingdom, it is for David's sake. Had she said, 'the Son of Abraham,' she had not come home to this acknowledgment. Abraham is the father of the faithful, David of the kings of Judea and Israel; there are many faithful, there is but one king; so as in this title she doth proclaim him the perpetual king of his church, the rod or flower which should come from the root of Jesse, the true and only Saviour of the world. Whoso shall come unto Christ to purpose, must come in the right style; apprehending a true God, a true man, a true God and man: any of these severed from other, makes Christ an idol, and our prayers sin." [[35]]

The disadvantageous circumstances of this woman illustrate the superiority of her faith. There is no evidence of her having seen the Saviour before, much less of her having been a witness of his miraculous works. She had only heard the report of them in her distant residence, and yet, under the guidance of that Spirit who wrought conviction in her mind, hastened to cast herself at his feet. Hers was the blessedness of those who have "not seen, and yet have believed." What a fine contrast do her faith and zeal exhibit to the conduct of the Scribes and Pharisees of the Jewish nation, who in defiance of evidence, of signs and wonders daily performed before their eyes, persisted not only in rejecting Christ as the Messiah, but in plotting against his life. She beheld the rising brightness of the Sun of Righteousness, and was attracted by his glory, though at a distance; whilst they who were near shut their eyes against his heavenly light. She was, therefore, not only distinguished from her fellow-countrywomen, but from the mass of the Jewish people, who voluntarily forfeited their noblest privileges; and, under the influence of the basest prejudice, eventually completed the long train of their iniquities in rejecting and stoning the prophets, by crucifying the Son of God.

Happy would it be for the best interests of mankind, did the annals of succeeding ages present no other specimens of the same infatuation! But, alas! similar follies are reacted every day. Amidst the most favourable circumstances for spiritual improvement, what awful degeneracy of character exists! Multitudes who have enjoyed the best means, who have been religiously educated, repeatedly admonished, and carefully superintended; who have been taught the holy Scriptures from their youth--who have been led to the house of God, and had "line upon line, and precept upon precept"--on whose behalf a thousand supplications have been presented to heaven, and over whom ten thousand thousand tears have been shed--have continued to manifest an aversion against the claims of truth, and the disobedience of spirit to the commands of Christ. Like the barren fig-tree, they have remained unproductive of any good fruits, notwithstanding unusual cultivation; and have been unsightly as well as useless "cumberers of the ground;"--on the other hand, some whose early habits and irreligious connections were singularly unfavorable to piety, have nevertheless been "brought out of darkness into marvellous light" Our privileges enhance our responsibility: let us, therefore, anxiously avoid the misconduct of the Jews, and beware lest those who have fewer means of improvement, advance, through a better use of them, to higher degrees of spiritual attainment and excellence.

The humility, the earnestness, and the faith we have been contemplating, it is natural to expect, met with a welcome reception. It is true that mankind often repay confidence with coldness, and shut the hand and the heart against the most importunate entreaties. It is true there are wolves in sheep's clothing, monsters in human form, who aggravate by unkindness the wounds which Providence has inflicted, and who tear and devour as their prey those whom they should supply as their pensioners; but Jesus was "the Lamb of God"--he was "touched with the feeling of our infirmities"--he "went about doing good"--he pronounced blessings on "the merciful"--he was no stranger to personal suffering--it was his nature to sympathize--his element to relieve--the grand predicted feature of his gentle character, that he should "come down like rain upon the mown grass," and should "spare the poor and needy." Who can express the tenderness of that spirit which cherished "pity for us in our low estate" while surrounded by the glories of his Father's throne, and charmed with the harps of heaven, voluntarily descending into this vale of affliction to dry up the tears that flow so copiously from the mourner's eye! We are prepared then, to witness the overflowings of tenderness in his reception of this afflicted mother! But, lo! "he answered her not a word." Mysterious silence! And what were thy feelings, O thou agonized stranger, in these moments of sad suspense? And what explanation can be offered for this extraordinary conduct? Had she escaped his notice amidst the crowd? Had she fallen unobserved at his feet? Did he not then hear that piercing cry--that powerful appeal--that humble entreaty--those words of agony and of faith?--Yes--but "he answered her not A WORD!"

This is not, indeed, a solitary instance. When the adulterous transgressor was brought into his presence by the Scribes and Pharisees, Jesus "stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground as though he heard them not;" but this was to disappoint their malice, whose sole purpose was to obtain some materials for his accusation. When he was attacked by reiterated calumnies in the presence of Pilate, "he answered nothing;" because he would manifest a holy indignation against their unreasonable and exasperating conduct. The railing of the impenitent malefactor, who was his fellow-sufferer on the cross, could provoke no reply; although this dignified reserve was instantly changed into language of gracious promise, when the other entreated his mercy. He could not remain a moment inattentive to the penitent's petition, and far exceeded his desires; for he requested only a place in his memory, but he gave him a place in his kingdom. Delightful pledge, that "he will do for us exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think."

If we were unable to discover any satisfactory reason for his silence, when in the most supplicating attitude and with the profoundest humility the Syrophenician woman besought him to restore her daughter, it would he the height of imprudence to impeach his benevolence. His general conduct, the kindness of all his other actions, the gentleness of his words, the universal benignity of his deportment, would forbid our imputing this apparent deviation from his general goodness to any other than some latent cause, which it might not have been necessary or proper to disclose, or the statement of which the brevity of the inspired narrative precluded. But too frequently we misjudge, and even murmur against the divine proceedings, because our limited capacities cannot trace their ultimate design, or even their present connections and combinations. With a characteristic presumption we act as if we expected that the plans of Heaven ought to be submitted to our inspection, or stopped in their progress to await our approval; whereas it is neither proper nor possible to disclose to us more than "parts of his ways!"

Many reasons, however, might be assigned for this remarkable silence. The principal one was probably the purpose of proving her character, and encouraging a perseverance, which from the strength of her faith he knew would be the result, and which would eventually illustrate both her character and his own. How many, had they even advanced to this point of submission, would have withdrawn in disgust, and misrepresented the conduct they could not comprehend! But she is not offended at this seeming neglect. She does not exclaim, with the sarcastic vehemence of disappointed hope, "Is this Son of David--the wonder-worker of Israel--the meek, the compassionate, the condescending person of whom we have heard such extraordinary reports?--Am I to be neglected while others are relieved?"--but patiently waits the result, still persevering in her suit. "O woman, great is thy faith!" Of this we may be fully assured on every occasion of supplicating the throne of mercy, that if the "cry of the humble" he deferred, it is not "forgotten," and that the trials to which we are exposed always bear a well-adjusted proportion both to the necessity of the case and to our capacity of endurance.

In this interval the disciples interceded for her dismission with the answer she requested. They pleaded her vehement importunity; and, as Christ had expressed a wish for concealment, they probably supposed her cries would excite an unwelcome degree of popular observation. To this he answered, "I am not sent, but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." As this was said in the hearing of this distressed woman, it was not only calculated to silence the disciples, but to discourage the suppliant. A mere inattention to her urgent plea might have been imputed to some deep abstraction of mind, which we know sometimes renders a person in the full exercise of his faculties as indifferent and insensible to external objects or sounds as if he were in a profound sleep; or he might have been supposed to be occupied in meditating upon the woman's distress, and devising means to afford her an effectual and speedy assistance: but his language is an argument to justify his disregard, rather than to solicit time for consideration. His commission was to Israel; he was a "minister of the circumcision;" and that period was not yet arrived when "the Gentiles were to be brought to his light, and kings to the brightness of his rising." That favoured people, who were for so many ages distinguished by celestial visitations, were destined notwithstanding their ingratitude, to receive the first communications of the Son of God. Amongst them he came to labour, to preach, and to die!

The solicitude of the disciples on this occasion was highly laudable. It becomes the fellow-members of the great mystical body to sympathize with each other. By this we fulfil the law of nature, but especially "the law of Christ:" and in nothing can this sentiment be better expressed than in fervent available prayers. "As the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.... And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it, or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ and members in particular."