as her service this afternoon by singing hymn number 318, the tune of St. John, number 845.

From the Holy Word of God, we'll read two portions this afternoon Firstly, the 22nd Psalm, Psalm 22. We'll read verses one to 19. And here, David complaineth and prayeth as one sorely distressed. He promiseth public thanksgiving and prays for mercy shown him.

Psalm 22, verses one to 19.

My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not, and in the night seasoned, and am not silent.

But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in thee, they trusted and now didst deliver them. They cried unto thee and were delivered, they trusted in thee and were not confounded.

But I am a worm and no man, a reproach of men and despised of the people. All they that see me laugh me to scorn, they shoot out the lip, they shake the head saying, he trusted on the Lord. that he would deliver him. Let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.

But thou art he that took me out of the womb. Thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts. I was cast upon thee from the womb. Thou art my God from my mother's belly.

Be not far from me, for trouble is near, for there is none to help. Many balls have compassed me, strong balls of bastion have beset me round. They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.

I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax, it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a pot's herd, that is a broken piece of pottery, and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws, and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.

For dogs have compassed me, the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me, they pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones, they look and stare upon me, They part my garments among them and cast lots upon my vesture.

But be not thou far from me, O Lord, O my strength, haste thee to help me.

Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. Matthew chapter 15, reading from verse 21. Matthew 15, reading from verse 21 to the end of the chapter. And here we read of Christ healing the daughter of a woman of Canaan and a great multitude near the Sea of Galilee. He feedeth more than 4,000 with seven loaves and a few small fishes.

Matthew 15, verses 21 to 39.

Verses 21 to 39.

Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David. My daughter is grievously vexed with the devil. But he answered her not a word, and his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away, for she crieth after us.

But he answered and said, I am not sent, but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshiped him saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, it is not meet to take the children's bread and to cast it to dogs. And she said, truth, Lord. Yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table. 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.

And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the Sea of Galilee, and went up into a mountain, and sat down there. And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet, and he healed them. In so much that the multitude wondered when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to behold, the lame to walk, and the blind to see, and they glorified the God of Israel,

Then Jesus called his disciples unto him and said, I have compassion on the multitude because they continue with me now three days and have nothing to eat and I will not send them away fasting lest they faint in the way. And his disciples say unto him, whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness as to fill so great a multitude? And Jesus said unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, seven, and a few little fishes. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves and the fishes and gave thanks and break them and gave to his disciples and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat and were filled. And they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full. And they that did eat were 4,000 men beside women and children.

And he sent away the multitude and took ship and came into the coasts of Magdala.

May the Lord bless the readings from his own holy word of truth and help us once more to come before him in prayer. Let us pray. O thou thrice holy, ever merciful, gracious Lord God. We give thee thanks, Lord, that we are found once more in thy courts, and that they are freely open for us to attend, and thy word is set before us in our own tongue for us to understand. And we pray, O Lord, that in this, the afternoon service, thou wilt grant a word of encouragement a word in season, a word to strengthen, bless, and uphold.

O Lord, may we not be, as it were, weak, asleep in the flesh this afternoon. It is an hour of the day when the flesh would like to take its rest, and Lord, we are no different from disciples in the garden to whom thou didst say, the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. And O Lord, may it indeed be a willing spirit that we come with, may we not come out of cold routine and custom, but may we come, Lord, with a real felt need of mercy, a real desire for thyself, a hungering and thirsting after righteousness for Christ, the living bread, that we may find that full satisfaction in thee and may be granted that blessing for our souls. O Lord, thou knowest when thy people come, they sometimes feel they have a gone cold religion, as, O Lord, we do indeed feel as though we are indeed worldly ourselves, cold, fallen creatures, and how, Lord, we need that renewing of the inner man, day by day, that blessed revival within.

But, O Lord, the candle of thy light, as fueled by the oil of thy grace, may not be enabled to go out. But, Lord, it may be Granted more grace that shall light that candle and enlighten our darkness.

O Lord, may it burn brighter, brighter and brighter into a burning flame, full of love, grace and truth, love to thyself, repentance for sin, and a love to Christ.

O Lord, we do pray that thou wilt visit us this afternoon, come down as the sound of a rushing mighty wind and fill all this place where we are sitting. The cloven tongues of fire, Lord, may sit upon each one of us, and that we may know thy presence with us this afternoon.

Do grant thy blessing upon what was attended to in the morning hour, and Lord, do follow with thy blessing with signs following. Do speak in mercy to each one of us.

Thou knowest, Lord, any particular sins that may grieve us and trouble us, Lord, from our past days, O Lord, indeed may we be burdened over all our sin, truly.

O Lord, thou art sometimes those which particularly burden us. We pray, O Lord, thou grant some sweet assurance that thou hast forgiven, that it is washed away in thy shed blood, and O Lord, may we come to that fountain by faith, trusting that the blood of Jesus Christ, thy son, cleanseth us from all sin.

For, O Lord, that is the only means of salvation. There is no other. O Lord, yes, good deeds and words and thoughts may have a place, but, Lord, there's no perfection in any of us. Sin is mixed with all we do, think, and say, and we plead, O Lord, have mercy upon us.

Help us to walk in thy paths of righteousness, of light and truth. Do, O Lord, Help us to do so. We know we are so easily tempted to the right hand or to the left, to bypass the meadow, off to the things of this time sense.

And how, Lord, we do pray that thou uphold our goings in thy paths, that our footsteps slip not. How true it is, Lord, that faith fails to weaken from time to time, and how we need more mercy, more grace, more upholding.

O Lord, do grant it blessedly and freely. And oh Lord, help us to reach the heavenly city where our happy home eternally is, a place where there is no death, sorrow, nor crying, but only eternal blessing, eternal love.

And Lord, we pray that that may be our chiefest desire. We may not be laying up treasure on earth where moth and rust are corrupt, and where thieves do break through and steal.

O Lord, may our hearts be with thee in heaven, thy dwelling place, that we may be able to say with the hymn writer, the streams on earth I've tasted, more deep I'll drink above.

Enrich us in thy word, Lord, enrich us with thy grace. We pray, O Lord, help us to understand thy word, for truly, Lord, it is something that is beyond our natural understanding and abilities.

We need thy help to understand it truly, spiritually. We may know of certain passages which we have been told by our parents and heard from the pulpit in the time past, but, O Lord, there is always something new to learn and understand.

And, O Lord, may that something new be granted this afternoon to each of us, that what we understood not before or had not thought of before, may we do so today. That it may be made real food and encouragement for our souls, Lord, as we journey on towards eternity. That it may be, Lord, part of Thy preparation for a never-ending eternity. And how solemn, Lord, if we do not know Thy preparation. Indeed, if we never come to know it.

O Lord, it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgment. And, O Lord, to those that come to the judgment seat, having never sheltered under the blood, the verdict is guilty, the sentence is eternal death. O Lord, may that not be the case with any of us here, or any that we know and love, and with those, Lord, whom we have known in the past, and those gathered elsewhere in thy courts.

Lord, we pray that thou would appear and grant a gracious revival in this day in which we live, where there is such disregard for the truth, such disregard for thy word and thy day, and praising of worldly things. We pray, O Lord, that thou wilt pluck many brands from the burning, take away some of Satan's most prized possessions, could it please thee. Indeed, Lord, bring many a sinner unto thyself, as part of those other sheep that are currently not of the fold, that are yet to be brought.

And so, Lord, we would Give thanks for all thy kindness and goodness to us over many years, for which, Lord, we would be truly thankful. We thank thee, Lord, for food, clothing, health, and strength, daily provisions all freely granted, the beds we sleep in, the homes we have, our friends and our loved ones, safety, journey, and mercies, and times in the past, Lord, when thou hast appeared, for which we would be truly thankful.

And Lord, do go on to be gracious. And know us, Lord, where there are those prayers yet to be answered. Oh, do help us to believe, Lord. May we be as the father of the son grievously afflicted, who was lunatic. Lord, I believe. Help thou mine unbelief.

Oh, Lord, we are easily plagued by unbelief. It is the very sin that brought all other sin into the world. from the Adam fall. We have inherited our first parents' fallen nature and we have to plead, foul I too the fountain fly. Wash me, Saviour, or I die. Cleanse, O, cleanse us from our sins, O Lord, we plead.

And Lord, whatever concerns, whatever burns, whatever stones we have in our pathway this afternoon, Help us to lay them all at thy dear feet, to trust that thou wilt do all things well, to trust that thou knowest the things that we have need of before we even ask thee, that we may prove again and again, my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. A beautiful word, Lord, and how, and oh Lord, if only we constantly believed it, If only we'd always had faith, and not just some of the time. Oh, Lord, if only we always believed. Truly, Lord, it is to our shame that we do not.

Help us to trust, Lord, in Thee at all times, and to pour out our heart before Thee in prayer. For how true those words of that hymn writer, O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, or because we do not carry everything to God in prayer. Truly, Lord, we would pray, Lord, save me, Lord, help me, Lord, bless me, Lord, undertake for me, Lord, go before me. Lord, we sometimes know not where to begin in prayer, but we trust thou dost know exactly what we mean when we sigh and look up unto thee with our burden. and with all our concerns. Lord, help us to have faith, we do pray.

And so, Lord, we pray for the pastor of this place. Do be with him, Lord, in his labors this day and his infirmities. Do grant a measure of health and strength. Could it please thee and healing mercies? Could it be thy holy majesty's will?

And Lord, do bless the people at Hanover, Tunbridge Wells. We pray, O Lord, thou pour out thy blessing upon them there, and O Lord, may the word preached here, there, and in all thine earthly courts here in these islands and throughout this world be powerfully blessed to all they that hear the gospel's joyful sound.

We pray for our nation, Lord, our royal house, we thank thee for the news that the cancer treatment of his majesty the king is to be reduced somewhat, Please, O Lord, that it may go into full remission, and that, O Lord, this may be a sanctifying time for him and his soul, and the royal house also, the heir to the throne, and all those of the House of Windsor, we pray. Do have mercy upon them, Lord, and our parliament and our government. Do, Lord, grant great mercy and love to them, and raise up in authority over us those that fear thy name, or at least respect thy name, who will be made a real blessing and help to this nation, for the furtherance of thy gospel and kingdom, we plead.

To turn this nation unto thyself once more in true repentance, we pray, Lord, and where the gospel day sheds not its glorious ray, let there be light. O Lord, we think of how thy courts are so disregarded on thy day, of where some places where the gospel was once faithfully preached, but now used for worldly, secular, heathen practices, O Lord, snatch these places out of heathenism and grant that thy honour may dwell in them once more. Could it be thy holy majesty's will?

Not in our power to do these things, Lord, but with thee all things are possible. Thou canst save unto the uttermost all that come unto God by thee, and thou canst make something out of nothing. O Lord, help us to believe that with thee nothing shall be, impossible.

And so, Lord, we pray for those in affliction's pathway. We pray that thou grant healing and restoring mercies to them. Be with those, Lord, near the end of life, Lord, in old age. And indeed, Lord, we have to be faithful to thy word, any who might yet be young. Lord, thy word is clear, the old must and the young may. Do grant, Lord, the ability for those we know, love and care for, to be able to say in their soul, it is well, with their soul, for Lord, in such an hour as we think not, or the Son of Man come, prepare us, each Lord, to stand before thy face.

Thy spirit must the work perform, for it is all of grace. Be with those in the midst of life's journey, those who have responsibilities in family, and in church, and in business, and work, Lord, who helped them in all things, truly, Lord, even small matters we have to prove that without thee we can do nothing. And Lord, we pray thee that we may prove day after day that thou art our help, that thou art our deliverer, and that thou art truly gracious and good.

Be with us, Lord, we pray, and help us as we come to thy word. Enrich us with thy word, educate us in thy word, and do show us, Lord, the things of Christ, the unsearchable riches of Christ, contained within both Old and New Testament pages, that we may find food for our souls this day. O empty, send us not away, Lord. Fill us with Christ, the living bread, and do grant safe journey, mercy's home, at the end of these services we plead.

Be with, Lord, thy church. Remember, Lord, those places that gather in twos and threes. Lord, where they must feel exceeding tried, fearing that perhaps they will one day have to close the door for the last time. Lord, do help them, do uphold them.

As we have said, extremity is thy opportunity. It might seem lost, it might seem on the brink of closing but yet Lord thou can suddenly bring in a flood a flock of sinners from round about who once cared not for thee but made children of thine yearning to hear the gospel's sound we pray oh lord that that may be so and that even from among them and indeed from those that currently attend thy courts there may be those future ministers of the gospel for as we We continue to pray, Lord, the harvest is great, but the labourers are few.

Do send forth more labourers into thy harvest, we pray. Grant pastors in the churches where there are none. Do grant those faithful missionaries and evangelists and itinerants, Lord, who will go forth with power and authority from thyself to preach thy word and that there'll be much blessing from their labourers. to the honour and the glory of thy great and holy name.

Do grant my blessing, Lord, upon the work of the Mombasa mission, and, Lord, wherever else in the earth, in the far corners of the earth, that thy word is set forth. Do, O Lord, help those who proclaim it to preach in thy name, and, Lord, may we continually prove that thy people consist of every nation, kindred, tribe and tongue.

O Lord, may it be our chiefest desire to dwell among thy brethren in thy courts and in heaven above, come our end, we do pray. Hear us then in these things, pardon our sins and make up in giving where we have so failed in asking. Bless us, we pray, and do grant all needed help and power in pulpit and indeed help to worship in the pew also. We ask for the pardon of our every sin for Christ's sake. Amen.

We'll continue our service by singing hymn number 912. The tune is Laudato Dominum, number 1, 910.

seeking the Lord's most merciful, gracious, and very much needed help in your prayerful attention. I will direct your thoughts this afternoon to the chapter that we read. The gospel is recorded by Matthew chapter 15, and by way of text, the last part of verse 25. Lord, help me. The whole verse reads, then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. During the time of the ministry of the Lord Jesus here upon this earth, he dealt not just with the Jews, but also with the Gentiles. The woman was a woman of Canaan, And by the Jewish people, they judged her to be something of a foreigner, no doubt.

If you look at the words in verse 26 of our Lord, it is not meet to take the children's bread and to cast it to dogs. Now we read elsewhere in scripture, I think it's in Matthew's gospel seven, that we are not to cast that which is holy, unto the dogs. Who are the dogs? It is the unbeliever. It is they who refuse to believe, who are filled with confidence in scientific wisdom and natural human understanding that seek to tear apart the things of truth. Who, if a believer were to testify of what the Lord had done for them in front of them, they would surely pull it apart with all their own human reasoning and care nothing for it. And indeed, that is because they are in a state of hatred towards the Lord. They care not for the truth. They are in a state of unbelief, of virulent hatred for the gospel of Christ.

But we do not find that with this woman of Canaan here. So many times in scripture, it is not just they who are of the, shall we say, current people of God, It is those who are those other sheep that are not of the fold, outside the flock, maybe of heathen nations, so on and so forth, who are yet to be brought into the fold. And indeed, this prayer here, of this woman of Canaan, is exactly the type of prayer which each and every child of God prays throughout their life here below. It is a short prayer, it is an apt prayer, It is a good prayer. Lord, help me.

It is in stark contrast to that Pharisee who prayed thus for himself in the temple, proud of his own righteousness, thanking the Lord that he's not such as other men are, extortioners, idolaters, adulterers, and so on. Well, the thing is, friends, if we know ourselves, if we know what we are by nature, If we have an understanding of how ruinous sin is, and how ruined and lost we are by the fall of our first parents, Adam and Eve, we will know that although we have not committed such sins outwardly maybe, but we have in our minds, in our hearts, and just that renders us guilty and worthy of damnation.

but we give thanks to the Lord that he partook of human flesh. And as he said in Matthew 5, I believe it is, think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets. I am come not to destroy, but to fulfill the whole law. Yes, in word and deed, but also in thought. Nothing amiss, perfect, flawless righteousness. And here we have this woman of Canaan, who in contrast to the perfect Holy Lord is a sinner. But she knows it, she's broken.

And friends, when we pray, may we know what real prayer is. It's God imputed, it's God given, It's laid upon by the spirit, there's a hungering and a thirsting, there's a real need, there's a belief, there's a faith that the Lord will somehow hear and answer. And above all, it is a broken prayer. It's not eloquence, lots of words, friends, although it is true you cannot spend too long in prayer in private, But you see, friends, there is no need to make a great long speech to the Lord in prayer. Yes, so long in private in prayer is a good thing, but may it be real prayer. May it be a case of, Lord, help me, of wrestling in prayer as it was with Jacob shortly before he was to be reunited with his brother Esau in Genesis chapter 32. Lord, help me. Wrestling prayer can wonders do. Prayer can force a passage through iron bars and brazen gates as we sometimes sing. But how quick are we to go to the Lord in prayer? Do we take a matter immediately to Him in prayer? Do we try to fix it in and of ourselves and lean on to our own understanding, our own natural wisdom and thoughts? Friends, that is the worst thing you can do.

Yes, it is true that the Lord does indeed grant man wisdom, but it is only so much a measure of wisdom. And that is because, friends, the Lord will have his people dependent upon him, totally dependent. Not only so much, but totally.

If you think of a child in the home, he or she that depends on his or her father, to provide all their needs, to get them their food and their drink, and sometimes their drink if they can't get it themselves, to administer medicine to them in a time of sickness.

And indeed friends, when we're told by Christ in the early verses of Matthew 18, that except you become as little children, be converted and become as little children, that is the manner of being like a child he speaks of, not the rebellious type of a child, not the foolish type of a child or the naive way of a child, no, but it's to look upon him, depend upon him, to trust in him, that yes, he will supply the need, it will be granted without question, it will come, the answer of prayer is to be given, but you say, well, I've heard these things from the pulpit before.

I've been laying them before the Lord in prayer for a long time now, perhaps, and still no answer has come. You need fresh encouragement. Friends, sometimes when the Lord answers prayer, he does not necessarily answer immediately in the way that we are desirous. Sometimes we need more encouragement first because the time appointed has not yet come. But the Lord does indeed answer prayer. and bring the thing to a close.

But moreover, friends, may your soul be priority number one to you. We've got our earthly needs, I know we have, and I do not mean to minimize anything anyone here might be going through, not at all. But one, thing is needful. You think of at the end of Luke chapter 10, Martha, she's cumbered about with much serving. Yes, there is the right diligence of the things of the household, but one thing is needful.

Christ must be first, the bread of life, the one thing needful, the altogether lovely one who is all sufficient for his people. who supplies not only their needs of providence, but their needs of mercy, a patient, quiet, gentle nature, meek and humble like as he was. As he is still, he is still unchangeable. As we read in the word of God, Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever. I believe you find that word in Hebrew seven, if I remember correctly.

Lord, help me. Now friends, why does one come into this prayer of Lord help me? What is it that brings them to pray this prayer? And what is the nature of them when they pray this prayer? Well, first of all, there's a need, a real need. If the Lord will, we'll speak of a few providential things in a few moments, but particularly I would put first the things of grace. Has the Lord forsaken his people? You might sometimes feel he has forsaken you, but that is mere feeling, friends. It is not to be relied upon. Cast thy burden upon the Lord, your rock. He shall sustain. Your feelings might move around, but the rock is never removed from underneath you. The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms, as we read in Deuteronomy chapter 33, if I remember correctly. The eternal God is thy refuge, or it might be in 31. And underneath are the everlasting arms to help, encourage, uphold, and to strengthen. Be in no doubt.

David here in this psalm, and be aware from the life of David, he had many times when he would surely have prayed, if perhaps not audibly, but certainly inwardly, Lord, help me. Without question. How he had to flee from Saul, be mercifully, wonderfully spared from being pinned to the wall, speared by that javelin which Saul had in his hand. And although we don't read of it in the account of 1 Samuel 17, of him actually praying that prayer, no doubt that would have been his prayer inwardly. For he came to Goliath in the name of the Lord God of hosts, whose armies Goliath had defied.

And is there a Goliath facing you this very afternoon? Indeed Satan is your Goliath, don't you worry about that. He really is. He would love to give your flesh to the hosts of hell and into the bottomless pit of fire. But the Lord defeated him at Calvary. The Lord defeated Satan at Calvary. And it is the Lord, friends, who will uphold you all your journey through.

My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? He hath not Forsaken. I believe the word is in Jeremiah 33 if I remember properly. Yea, the Lord hath appeared of old unto me saying, yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness have I drawn thee.

According to certain sources, the word old is a Hebrew term which refers more to distance than it does to time. In other words, there is the voice afar off. You might not perhaps get the experience that you wanted, the experience of blessing, of definite confirmation, but then there is that still small voice afar off, which speaks that word of peace, that word of comfort, that word of assurance. Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness have I drawn thee from the prophet Isaiah, Chapter 63, if I remember properly.

My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? You may feel as though there are a great many temptations surrounding you. Satan and the hellish hosts besiege you. Well, look at the nature of this psalm that we've got here before us this afternoon, of Psalm 22. We have the unbeliever, and just note very particularly, this psalm is a strong prophesying of the sufferings and the aggression which the Lord Jesus himself would face when arrested, but before Caiaphas, the high priest, before Pilate, before the Roman soldiers, and when he was crucified upon the cross.

All they that see me laugh me to scorn. They shoot out the lip. They shake the head saying he trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him. Let him deliver him. seeing he delighted in him. Some of those of you young ones here might testify that at school you might face this. Perhaps your classmates know that you attend the house of God and they challenge your belief that there is no God, they say. They might even laugh and mock you and even bully you for the truth's sake, perhaps. Well, I would point you to Daniel chapter six, where the Lord shut the mouths of the lions. Of course, you do not face literal lions when you go to school, but may the Lord shut the mouths of those that perhaps do exactly this, that laugh you to scorn and shake their head and mock the Lord God who you come to the Lord's house on the Lord's day to worship. The gospel is for the child, not just for the adult. And furthermore, look at what we also have here.

We have, many bulls have compassed me. Strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. They gaped upon me with their mouths as a ravening and a roaring lion. You see, friends, bulls, lions, fierce beasts, especially wild bulls. I understand that Bashan was a certain grazing ground for some of those graziers of the ancient world in those long ago days. Many bulls have compassed me, strong bulls of Bacian have beset me round, strong and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws. Thou hast brought me into the dust of death, for dogs have compassed me. The assembly of the wicked have enclosed me. They pierce my hands and my feet.

Satan, his agents, and our fellow men may do exactly this. You may not perhaps cry it outwardly, but may you inwardly. Lord, help me to turn the hearts of men, to turn them back from their wild, rebellious, destructive course. And above all friends, may you know what the path the Lord Jesus himself walked.

He answered them to never a word when before Caiaphas, when before Pilate, and when before the Roman soldiers. How easy of him to retaliate and to destroy them in a moment. Did not he say in the garden that if he prayed that his father would presently give him 12 legions of angels, As I believe you read in Matthew 26 and in another account. But no, he bore it all without a word. The smitings, the abuse, the spitting, the mocking. He did not once try to justify himself to the crowd that cried away with this man and release unto us Barabbas.

He is a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. not just in his physical sufferings upon the cross and before the aggressive multitude at the time of his crucifixion, but when he was here below, he saw the ruins of sin, the fruits of sin, the poisons of sin, and how it without question grieved him. That was his sorrow. And how he overcame it all, what he endured, No tongue can tell. And he did it all, friends, so that you and I may cry to him in the time of soul trouble when our souls feel to be beset by strong balls of bastion and the assembly of the wicked, of Satan and his agents.

But the Lord delivers, friends. Look at Psalm 34. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. And as a defense, friends, the angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them. So what do they say when that happens? Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man that trusteth in him. When he tastes what deliverance is, what answer to prayer is, how wonderful and blessed It truly is. Glory and honor be to the Lord God of hosts.

Now, furthermore, I think it's at the end of Psalm 38. You have another Psalm of David where he says in the last verses, verses 21 to 22, forsake me not, O Lord. O my God, be not far from me. Make haste to help me, O Lord. of my salvation. Make haste to help me, O Lord of my salvation.

Think of Peter in Matthew 14, walking on the water, he's fine whilst he looks at the Lord Jesus, but begins to look at the wind and the waves which are boisterous and contrary and so Opposite to himself. Again, another three-worded prayer, worded slightly differently, but nevertheless, the meaning is the same. Lord, save me. Lord, save me. And immediately, Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him.

Friends, if we are in need of help, the Lord shall certainly give it in the appointed hour, when we really need it. He'll grant wisdom where it is needed. He will uphold where it is needed. He will strengthen where it is needed, being no doubt about that whatsoever.

Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. Look at her faith. Look what she says, truth Lord, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table. Is he your master? Truly, master with a capital M, your beloved master.

We don't want him by nature. By nature, we don't want any man to reign over us. That's the nature of man. We will not have this man to reign over us. And therefore, friends, there's a spirit of independence, of self-confidence that we can manage without him. Again, I would point you to the word that we brought the first time we came here, without me, ye can do nothing. Not just in the great things, but also the small, without question. And if he is our master, we will understand that we are dogs.

Of course, dogs are thought of in a more positive sense these days as regards being a beloved pet. But in those ancient days, they were pests. They were a nuisance. They were unwanted. And that is what the unbeliever is likened to.

But friends, you cannot pester the Lord when you come to him in prayer. Think of the unjust judge. He answered that woman's prayer for fear that she would trouble him, that he'd get no rest from him. but from her. In contrast, the Lord is delighted to hear and answer your prayers. He is the great burden bearer. He delights to bear your burdens and hear them and answer them for the honour and the glory of his great and holy name, without question.

And so therefore, friends, we are dogs, we are beggars, You know, let's just speak for a few moments on the manner of prayer. Yes, it's broken prayer, and that's how it should stay. But it should never be entitled prayer. We never say, Lord, give me this, give me that. No. Think of it like this. When the prime minister goes to meet the king at the palace every Wednesday, the king is allowed to advise, to suggest, warn, counsel, and recommend the government but he is not allowed to insist. When you go to the King of Kings for your private audiences in prayer with him, you may beg, you may cry, you may ask, you may plead, you may even cry out, but you can never insist, never. The Lord will have us humble Down on our feet where we belong, knowing we are poor, unworthy sinners, not worthy of the least of his mercies.

When we speak of that fear of God, we come before him in a desire to please him and to reverence him. Understanding that we have this need, we want to see it fulfilled. We make the request, but we know we do not deserve it. Philippians 4, be careful for nothing. but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. Let your requests, not your demands, your requests be made known unto God.

Look at what happened here in this account. 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. Her daughter was made whole from that very hour and no doubt there would have been peace in that household. She was vexed with the devil. A terrible thing to be afflicted with. Today we know of people who have certain conditions, who have certain problems and they cannot sit still, they're always worrying, they're always anxious. Such things may be likened to this woman and to this poor daughter of Canaan for certainly when the devil is grievously vexing us, we are filled with anxiety and temptation, are we not? And the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep our hearts and minds by Christ Jesus, the King of Kings. He knows, the altogether lovely one, sees your burden, your care, your concern over your soul, over your sin. He knows and sees it all.

And he is pleased to forgive our sins if we confess them, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. May it be in your prayer, Lord, with my burden I begin. Lord, remove this load of sin. Lord, help me.

Now, what might we cry this prayer for? We pray it for our souls, we pray it for providence, but may we also pray it to understand his word. I wonder how often we have sat in the chapel pew thinking the man in the pulpit knows so much and I know so little. and the members also. There's so much I don't understand. How is it that the Old Testament points to Christ? I do not know, perhaps you may say. And indeed, some of you children here might have a curious wondering as to why it is that every Christmas morning service or around Christmas time, the minister perhaps doesn't take a text from the account of the birth of Jesus in Matthew 1 and Matthew 2 Luke chapters one and two.

Well may it be your prayer, Lord help me to understand the scriptures, to know him and the power of his resurrection, to understand how we have the Old Testament pointing to Christ with Moses, with Aaron, with Abraham, with David, with Solomon and others. that you may find in the days of your youth that your creator is the most precious thing, the most valuable thing that you have, that he is yours and you are his. For indeed, may you be a true child of God, tender, meek, and mild before him. And may the Lord help you to be so in all these things. For the flesh is weak, and is prone to wandering to the things of this time state. Lord, help me. Give me a real religion, Lord. Help me to understand that which I do not, that which I cannot give to myself. Lord, help me. Lord, save me. May that be your real desire this Sabbath afternoon.

Then came she and worshipped him. saying, Lord, help me. We don't read that she was in the temple. We read that Jesus had departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, which as I understand is in the northern parts of Israel, a woman of Canaan. And you see, friends, we have there the liberty of the gospel set before us. In the Reformation days, there was much talk of how we do not need to go only to the house of God to worship, to the church to worship, he is everywhere, and friends, that is true. Indeed, he says, my house is called a house of prayer, but we may also pray to him when out and about, when going to school, to work, when driving in the car, when at home, we may freely approach the throne of grace, He is never limited. He is always available for his people. Let us not be found in any bondage. Indeed, may the house of God be made precious to us. May we be able to say with David at the end of Psalm 23, that goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

but may you continually know and realize the liberty of the gospel, the liberty of the spirit to freely approach the throne of grace, to freely come to him and to lay all your care before him. Psalm 62, eight, pour out trust in him at all times, pour out your heart before him. God is a refuge for us. Selah. The child of God prays these prayers. The wicked do not, unless they're wrought upon by the Spirit.

There are those, no doubt, who pray for prodigals, who pray for those who have departed from the ways in which they were shown. They may have said what they can to them. They may have endeavoured to be a faithful witness of the truth. But it seems nothing has gone home. It may seem that nothing works.

Lord, help me. Lord, save that sinner, for I cannot. Help me to have faith that thou art able to save unto the uttermost them that come unto God by thee. That is one of the real burdens a believer does have. Not all do, but many do. Weep and mourn after prodigals. And they have to plead, Lord, help me. Lord, help me to have faith. that they may one day pray the same prayer, Lord, help me.

The world mock and laugh these things to scorn. They care not for them. They ridicule them and tear them apart with their own human wisdom and understanding. For they are dogs. But may they be made dogs of the master's table, begging a crumb of mercy. A crumb of mercy, Lord, I crave, unworthy to be fed. with dainties as the children's living bread. Lord, help me.

A beautiful short prayer. And indeed, friends, prayers like this are the most answered short prayers that they are. But notice the prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ upon the cross. We spoke earlier of how God's people may feel that The Lord has forsaken them. Well, if he had, you'd soon know all about it, put it that way.

Think of the darkness that enveloped the earth from the sixth to the ninth hour as the Lord of glory hung dying on the cross. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? His Father in heaven had forsaken him. That was the worst, that is the worst punishment that any sinner can suffer. but he bore it all to the end. Drank that cup of wrath, wiped it clean as one Scots Presbyterian minister once said. He drank it down to the very dregs. And he of course went back to the Father in heaven, but he bore that forsaking.

You think of the darkness of it, you think of the wrath of God and the ferocity of the attack of the devil and his hellish hosts. Ten thousand horrors seized his soul and vengeful mountains on him roll. There was one who could not flee the cross. He cannot himself, he cannot save, insulting foe, tis true. Why? Because he had a love to sinners and does have a love to sinners. It were an easy part for him the cross to fly, but love to sinners fills his heart and makes him choose to die.

Lord, help me. Lord, save me. Lord, bring me to value these things more than I did before. Lord, help me.

He answered and said, it is not neat to take children's bread and to cast it to dogs. And she said, truth, Lord, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table. 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.

And of course, you look further on in the chapter, the subject of being made whole and needs being provided does not end there. Look at the types we have coming with the multitude. those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, that is, seriously wounded, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet, and he healed them.

Friends, the fruits of sin is this. We are spiritually blind and deaf to the truth. We are not whole. We are leprous with sin. We don't read of leprosy mentioned specifically here in this chapter, but we do elsewhere in the Word of God, in the accounts of the Gospels.

May it be that you by faith, as the Roman centurion in that blessed holy simplicity looked upon him and said, truly this man was the Son of God, may you in holy sweet simplicity, as the woman with the issue of blood in Mark 5, Touch but the hem of his garment, and be made whole, totally whole.

Indeed, extremity is his opportunity. It is an extremity, friends, to be lame, to be blind and dumb, to not be able to walk, to see, or to speak, to be seriously wounded, to be seriously afflicted. It's in such circumstances we see the power of God to hear and answer prayer. Indeed it is.

May it be your prayer this afternoon, Lord help me. And may the Lord continue to help you to go on in the way toward the heavenly city.

Look what happens here. We know of the feeding of the 5,000. We read of that in John's account, chapter six. We have here seven loaves and a few little fishes given to this multitude. What are they among so many? The Lord is able to do exceeding abundantly of all that we can ever ask or even think.

Lord, help me. He is faithful that promises and he will fulfill all his promises to you, being no doubt about it. And until those times come, May we be continually looking unto him, seeking for the heavenly city, which is our eternal rest, where we will prove the fullness of his goodness, of pleading, Lord, help me.

Peace, perfect peace, everlasting glory, total bliss, total perfection. As you read in Revelation 21, verse four, And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, for the former things are passed away.

Lord, help me. May the Lord bless all that has been of himself and pardon anything amiss. Amen.

our service by singing hymn number 721. The tune is Old Hundredth, number 382.

To him that loved us, ere we lay concealed within the passive clay. To him that loved us, though we fell, and saved us from the pains of hell. To Him that found us dead in sin and planted holy life within. To Him that taught our feet the way from endless night to endless day.

Hymn number 721, tune Old Huntworth number 382.

And may the love of God the Father, the grace of Christ the Son, the fellowship and the communion of the Holy Spirit rest and be with you each, both now and forevermore. Amen.