o man or woman ever went to God with a broken heart
without experiencing the forgiving love and grace of God, if they
believed His Word. It was so with this poor woman. Notice, the
Master did not extract any pledge or promise from her. He did not
ask her to join some synagogue; all He said was, "Thy sins are
forgiven thee." She found grace. So it was with the Syro-Phenician
woman. Christ did not ask any pledge from her; He met her in grace,
and blessed her according to her soul's desire.

You know what touched the heart of the father of the prodigal; it
was the broken and contrite spirit of his returning son. Would not
the same thing move the heart of any parent here? Suppose you had a
son who had gone astray: the boy comes home; and when you meet him
he begins to confess his sin. Would you not take him to your bosom
and forgive him? Nothing in the wide world would you more readily do
than forgive him. So if we come to God with this contrite spirit, He
will deal in grace with us and receive us freely, When Saul left
Jerusalem, there was nothing he wished for less than to receive the
grace of God. Yet the moment he said, "Lord, what wilt Thou have me
to do?" the forgiving grace of the Master flowed out towards him. We
are told by Matthew and Mark that the thief on the cross, who was
converted, railed on the Saviour at first like the other: but the
moment his heart was broken down and he said, "Lord, remember me!"
that very moment Christ heard and answered his prayer. God is
waiting to cover all your sins today; He has a long and a strong arm
that can reach down to the darkest, vilest, deepest depths of sin.
He will lift you up on a rock, and put a new song into your mouth.
Will you let him do it?

A man was telling me some time ago that he had prayed for over ten
years that God would have mercy upon him. "Has not God answered your
prayer?" "No." "Indeed! Let me ask you one question: suppose I
offered you that Bible as a gift, and you were afterwards to come
and ask me for it; what would I think of you?" "I do not know what
you would think." "Well, but what do you suppose I would think?"
"You would perhaps think I had gone a little wrong in my head."
"What is the use of your asking that God would deal in grace with
you, if you are not willing to receive it; or if you do not believe
that He gives it to you?"

When I was on the Pacific coast some years ago, I stayed with a
friend who had a large garden, with a great man