be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Cor. 15, 57. Because the victory is ours, let us arise, let us grasp this Jesus Christ with the hand of faith, and holding Him up to the enemy, let us say: The field is mine; behold here my Substitute; for when Christ is held up to him Satan must flee.

II.

But a vanquished general, though the decisive battle be lost, will not immediately surrender everything; he will strive to hold what territory he can and will seek to regain lost ground. Such are Satan's tactics after Christ has taken from him his right and power over the human race. He strives to hold what territory he can, and indeed he holds the great majority of men. in his service; not because he has power to do so-that power Christ has taken from him-; but because men love darkness rather than light. Those, too, who through faith in Christ have escaped his kingdom, the devil seeks to win back again, and he has many ways and means to fascinate and to ensnare the souls of men. The Lord tells us that when the evil spirit is cast out of a house, he soon returns to see, if he might not gain entrance again; and Peter admonishes: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." 1 Pet. 5, 8. We who believe in Jesus Christ must remember that the devil is our adversary and is continually on the watch for an opportunity to regain us for his kingdom. Therefore we should study to know his practices, how he is accustomed to assail the heart, and we should hold ourselves equipped with the right weapons to ward him off.

And where could we have a better pattern for our instruction than in Christ Himself? He indeed suffered the temptations. of Satan for our redemption, and this we are to believe that His struggle with and His victory over Satan is our salvation; yet at the same time His temptations are an ensample for us. From Him we may learn how to resist the devil and to triumph over him. Hebrews, in the fourth chapter, it is said of our High Priest: "He was in all points tempted like as we are." If He was tempted like as we, then we are tempted like as He; and

being tempted like as He, we must meet the temptations and overcome the tempter in like manner as He did.

But there is one point here in which we are not to imitate Christ, because He has commanded us the contrary. Jesus went to the wilderness "to be tempted of the devil." He was come into the world to overcome the enemy and He courted temptation, but we are taught to pray: "Lead us not into temptation," and if we so pray we must certainly not expose ourselves to temptation, but must avoid it as much as possible. The sly old Serpent is like an angler. An expert angler knows what kind of bait is enticing to certain kinds of fish. With that bait the angler throws out his hook, calculating that the fish's lust after that bait will cause him to take the hook. Now the fish keeping at a distance from the bait are safe, but the one that eyes it and keeps encircling it is enticed closer and closer and is finally caught. Satan knows the propensities of the human heart and he lays out his bait counting on that lust of which St. James 1, 14, writes: "Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed." Places and occasions where the tempter lays out his bait we should avoid as much as we can, remembering that those who expose themselves to temptation are apt to fall in it. Stand not at the show windows in front of theatres, lest the carnal lust awake in your heart and overcome you. Keep not eyeing the attractions of the saloon, lest you be fascinated, but remember there is a hook in the glass which, when it has once fastened itself upon you, will draw you into deep waters and will drown you. "Be sober, be vigilant: because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."

Rise, my soul, to watch, and pray,

From thy slumber wake thee,

Lest at last the evil day

Suddenly o'ertake thee;

For the Foe, Well we know,

Oft his harvest reapeth,

While the Christian sleepeth.

Learn here with what weapon to resist the devil. It is written," that is the only effectual weapon, and with it we

should be ready to meet the tempter at every point. If the devil would make it appear to you as though God was not your gracious father, insist: "It is written." "God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3, 16. If the devil would persuade you to accept that for divine truth which is not the Word of God, remember: "It is written." "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed." John 8, 31. If the devil would make this world, its honors, treasures and pleasures very attractive to you, answer: "It is written." "The world passeth away, and the lust thereof; but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever." 1 John 2, 17. Whatever the temptation may be, ward it off with the sword of the Word. The Word is the weapon which the Lord used, and it is the only one infallible weapon which we have. If we let go the Word our protection is gone, but whosoever holds and uses the Word, will always find it the power of God.

One thing more, and something very comforting, do we learn from our text. The devil can proceed no further with his temptings than the Lord suffers him to go. When the devil had fulfilled the measure of his temptations the Lord said unto him: "Get thee hence, Satan." The devil is like a chained watchdog, which can go to the length of his chain, and no further. Concerning Job Satan complained before the Lord saying: "Hast not thou made a hedge about him on every side?" God had made a hedge around Job that Satan could not do one thing against him; and when God moved that hedge, drawing the circle narrower, yet the devil could not do one thing more to Job than God permitted him. That same Lord who in hot battle affray took our souls from Satan is still our defense against the enemy, and under the shadow of His protection let us trust; for we have His Word and promise by the holy apostle, saying: "God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation, also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." 1 Cor. 10, 13. Amen.

II. SUNDAY IN LENT.

TEXT: 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 a 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 worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread and 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. Matt. 15, 21-28.

In the Gospel of the preceding Sunday our hearts were delighted to see our Lord Jesus Christ, the Captain of our salvation, battle with the Prince of darkness in the wilderness and triumph over that mighty foe. This text tells us of another contest of the Lord, but a contest of a very different nature, a contest in which the Lord Himself is overcome. Comparing these two debates we cannot but find a strong contrast in them. In the contest with Satan, that cunning and mighty prince, the Lord overcomes; in the contest with this poor Gentile woman the Lord is overcome. The solution of this seemingly strange thing is not hard to find, and it is highly instructive and wonderfully comforting. With Satan the Lord battled to destroy his works and to deliver us from his power, and He was victorious and has redeemed us from the power of the devil; but against this woman the Lord did not contend as against an enemy whom He wanted to destroy, He debated with her from love and mercy toward her, for her own benefit, to promote her in the saving knowledge and in faith. The Lord was not against this woman, He only behaved so in order to try her faith, and

when sne stood the test He gave in and so acknowledged Himself overcome.

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By what did this woman overcome the Lord? Not by greater wisdom or more skillful argumentation; for the Lord is wiser than men. The Lord Himself names the weapon with which she prevailed, when He says: "O woman, great is thy faith." The Lord was trying her faith; through faith she wrestled with Him, and by faith she overcame Him and wrung from Him the answer: Be it unto thee even as thou wilt." Through faith the Christian contends with God and overcomes. This was represented by the patriarch Jacob's bodily wrestling with the Angel of the Covenant. Although Jacob's hip was disjointed he did not let the Lord go, and when the Lord said: "Let me go "Jacob answered: "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me." Gen. 32, 26. Then the Lord acknowledged Himself overcome, and He blessed him, saying: "Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel; for as a prince hast. thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed." As Jacob did not let the Lord go until he had obtained what he asked, so faith holds fast the Lord and will not let Him go until He give ear and answer its petition. Faith has the promise: "All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." Matt. 21, 22. By faith the Lord is overcome. Faith is the victory which prevails with God, triumphs over all enemies, overcomes afflictions and death, and saves the soul.

What is that faith which does such great things? This is pictured to us by a plain example in our text, presenting

THE FAITH OF THE CANAANITE WOMAN A SAMPLE
OF THE TRUE CHRISTIAN FAITH.

I. What her faith was;

II. How it was approved.

I.

If we examine, what the faith of this woman was, we may define it in these few words: She received the Word which she heard of Him in a believing heart, and she claimed for herself