The Lord's reply to the Syrophenician woman would have disheartened most, and offended many; but she was too much in earnest to be repulsed easily: she was quite willing to own that the Gentiles were not _worthy_ to be looked upon, as in any way equal to the children of Israel, God's peculiar people: she knew she had no _claim_ to the mercy of the Lord; but still, hoping to share it, she reminded Jesus, that even the dogs were allowed to pick up the crumbs which their masters did not need: she believed that in Jesus there were help and mercy for every living creature, and that He could heal the Gentiles, without taking any blessing from the Jews; therefore, she at once answered, "Truth, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs." Jesus was no longer silent: pleased with her faith, He said aloud, "O woman, great is thy faith: for this saying, be it unto thee even as thou wilt: go thy way: the devil is gone out of thy daughter." Even as He spake the words, the unclean spirit was cast out: "And her daughter was made whole from that very hour;" so that when the mother, who at once went home, "was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed." This poor Gentile woman is an example to us, to go on praying earnestly to God, although He may see fit not at once to grant our petitions. When we know that we are asking right and proper things, we must pray on in faith, and wait patiently. We should pray that the Devil, and all the bad feelings and thoughts he puts into our hearts, may be cast out of us, and of those we love. For this we must go on praying earnestly: Jesus granted the prayer of the Syrophenician woman because of her faith; and if we have faith like hers, He will most certainly answer our prayers: but we must watch and fight, as well as pray: for, if we encourage the Devil to abide in our hearts, we cannot expect that the Lord will cast him out. After this miracle, Jesus, "departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, came unto the Sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis." Here we are told, that He cured one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and that "great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus's feet; and he healed them: insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel." They glorified and praised God with their words, because of the wonderful things they had seen; but few of them, it is to be feared, glorified Him in their hearts, by becoming His disciples.