eat of the crumbs which fall from their Masters Table The Lord had in a manner called her Dogg and said it was not for doggs to have childrens bread shee doth not deny it but shee grapples with grace and saith Truth Lord yet doggs may have a crumb c. I shall put all that is spoken here of her carriage into one Lesson but before I do that I shall name two other observable points The first is this A right Faith coming and carrying of the soul to Christ is a resolute Faith That is one point I would name pray mark it The Lord Jesus seems to put her off hee gives her nothing that was a visible incouragement yet shee will go on and yet shee will not bee put off When the soul comes to Christ hee comes as one that needs a Christ and wants a Christ will have and as one that must have a Christ and what then hee will have a Christ before hee goes away Though hee have not evidence hee will have adherence though the soul can see nothing and though no hope yet hee will bee resolute although Christ will not smile though conscience is not quiet though the wound bee not healed though the Lord put off angrily yet the soul keeps resolute to him and will not bee sent away empty Faith if right is still resolute The second Point that I shall name is this That a right Faith knows how to confess and beleeve at once A true Beleever will not conceal his sin yet will close with Jesus Christ A right Faith will deny nothing and yet it will beleeve all things My Brethren mark it a little there are a company of vile people that are as they say all for Faith and nothing for confession and what say they beleevers it is not for them to come and confess sin Why a beleever will confess sin doth the Lord say dogg yes truth Lord I am a dogg will the soul say as this Woman did There are others that will confess and not beleeve Oh they cry out they must confess and bewail and lye low and humble themselves c. but they cannot beleeve they dare not beleeve confession is their work c. Why poor hearts you may do both you may say Lord I am a sinner yet I beleeve for mercy is for sinners I am ungodly yet I beleeve for Abraham beleeved in him who justifieth the ungodly I am a dogg as thou sayest Lord yet I beleeve a dogg may gather up a crumb Well remember it True Faith doth not hinder confession nor confession should not hinder Faith But the particular Lesson of the place is this Namely That it is the duty the wisdome the glory of poor souls to carry it holily and humbly unto Christ when Christ seems to carry it harshly unto them So doth this poor Woman or if you will take it shortly thus It becomes Christians to carry it really well when Christ carries it seemingly ill I know my Brethren this is a hard work but as hard as it is wee must learn it and I will assure you if ever God intend to do you good though flesh and blood murmure yet the Lord will whip you into this Lesson but hee will make you learn it Namely to carry it holily to him when hee carries it seemingly harsh to you I remember that passage in 1 Pet. 2.18 Servants bee obedient to your Masters not onely to the good and gentle but also to the froward It is the duty of a servant professing the Name of God though hee have a froward Master yet hee must carry it well Now mark it Is it the duty of a servant to carry it well to a bad Master and is it not the duty of Saints to carry it well to Christ wee are the servants hee is the Master So in Heb. 12.9 Mark the Apostles argumentation saith hee Wee have had Fathers of our flesh which corrected us and wee gave them reverence shall wee not much rather bee in subjection unto the Father of spirits and lâ—ve Mark there is life in this our life depends on our reverent carriage in this case Alass if Christ bee gone our life goes with him carry it well therefore if thou love thy life you must bee subject and submissive even when hee seems to bee sharp otherwise death is at the door Minde it then would you have a pardon and doth Christ seem to deny you where can you go for it but to him and when you come if you submit there it is soul in the point is your life Therefore mark the lesson well It is the duty wisdome and glory of Saints to carry it well to Christ when hee carries it seemingly ill to them There are four persons in the book of God recorded that God did seem to deal very hardly withall and of all of them this Woman of Canaan was most rare Good old Aaron holy Job the Virgin Mary the Mother of our Lord and this Woman in the Text. But truly as the Apostle said now remains Faith Hope and Charity the greatest thereof is Charity so of these that are upon record the greatest of these is this Woman shee seems to excel in good carriage under hard usage For Aarons carriage you have it recorded in Lev. 10.3 The Lord had dealt very severely with him Nadab and Abihu his two sons were consumed with fire from Heaven before the Lord. Ah Lord how harsh was this to flesh and blood what meer man having nothing more than man could bear it a good Priest hath two sons taken away suddenly But how doth Aaron carry it The Lord spake to Moses and Moses to Aaron saying This is that the Lord spake I will bee sanctified in them that come nigh mee and before all the people I will bee glorified and Aaron held his peace The Lord seemed very severe against the old man hee took away two of his children at once when they were about his work the Lord satisfies him by Moses and hee held his peace A blessed behaviour it was well-becoming him and very patternable unto us The second is that of Job In the first and second chapters you may read and see that God carries it strangely to him yet it is said in all this Job carries it very well so well that the Holy Ghost bears him witness Hee sinned not nor charged God foolishly And when his Wife put him on to curse God Oh saith hee Thou speakest like one of the foolish women what shall wee receive good at the hand of God and not evil There was a carriage indeed very good and right according to our Doctrine Thirdly Our Lords Mother carries it well to the Lord when hee seemed to carry it harsh to her In John 2.3 There you have our Lord and his Mother at a Wedding and there was wanting some Wine and the Mother said to Jesus they have no Wine saith Christ Woman what have I do with thee mine hour is not yet come What
upon you and yours for your unparallel'd care and kindness to Christs Ministers amongst you And for you my Reverend Brethren Let mee beseech you to improve so choice a mercy as you have under your Magistrates I know you desire not how much soever you deserve praise yet let mee say you are to bee praised for that you are of one heart though in all things not of one head you minde and speak the same things of faith and life Though yee disagree in some things of Church-rule and Order your publick worship is in the same place and with the same Spirit There is not heard in your Pulpits where you preach by turns the noise of Axes and Hammars Heats Debates Disputes are exiles at your Assemblies you fast and pray together your design is the same and your endeavours are joint to convert sinners and to establish Saints Those loose and vain opinions which have pestered and plagued many places by your zeal and unity for truth are through Christs blessing marvelously prevented in your Congregations and as for those unchristian Divisions and Animosities which are elsewhere the sinne and shame of dissenting Professours by the Spirit of Love and Peace which rules in your hearts and appears in your labours they are either not at all or not prevailing in your place But that I may not trouble you with more I will onely adde this further that I perceive yee have well studied that Text Psal 77. which speaks of this as Israels happiness that God led them by the hand of Moses and Aaron Surely the people of your Town seem to bee led but by one hand Indeed Moses goes before as it is but fit and Aaron comes after Your Magistrates in Civils and your selves in Spirituals are so one in hand and I hope in heart that though you have offices distinct yet your indeavours are joint and both make up one great mercy to the people under you As they incourage you so yee reverence them They are not such who assume power in Spitituals but leave your work to your selves and yee I hope none of yee are as those who despise Dominion nor intermeddle with the politick affairs Let that heart be filled with sorrow and that hand and head be cursed of the Lord that indeavours in the least the breach of that holy and righteous harmony that is betwixt you I presume yee will say Amen to my prayer for you in this particular To you then holy and beloved Brethren Who fear God and have faith in Jesus and are blessed by and a blessing to such a Magistracy and Ministry Let mee speak also a few words I bear you witness to others that there is amongst you the Spirit and conversation of the good old Puritans whom I mention with honour it is your credit that you are not in this day of reproach and blasphemy which is upon profession for Professors faults a shame to that worthy name wherewith yee are called The itch of novel opinions the botch of vain fashions the plague of neglect of duties and slighting Ordinances and Ministry these are not seen amongst you or on you I verily saw much of Christ in you your carriage was seeming exact and I hope your study is to bee what you seem for Wo be to Hypocrites and Sinners hollow-hearted Professours or ignorant and profane persons in New castle They that are bad under Magistrates and Ministers so good will bee damned without mercy under two of the greatest witnesses that can bee against a people But I hope better things of you though I thus speak I beseech you so live that by your good examples concurring with the power of your Magistrates and preaching of your Ministers yee may help to convince and convert evill doors at least to put to silence the ignorance of foolish men To you all Magistrates and Ministers and Saints jointly and severally let me return my hearty humble thanks for that singular respect which for many years yee have expressed to my ever dear and beloved Brother whose lot is cast among you It is to mee matter of joy and praise before the Lord that since it pleased God who disposes of all our persons and places to carry him so far from all relations that he did vouchsafe to fix him amongst your selves who abundantly make up all relations in your care and kindness to and for him Now the blessed God for ever reward your love to him and his Let your goodness accept of mee who am obliged in and for him this short but sincere acknowledgement for the same I shall not trouble you with the remembrance of that kindness which when by the good hand of God I visited my brother and saw yee you were pleased to express It is your goodness you had rather shew kindness than hear praise Therefore I judge it would trouble you if I should blaze that which yet was such and so great as I have and must speak of to others and before the Lord with thanksgiving your receiving mee and love to mee was in the Spirit of the Gospel yee did receive mee in the name of a Prophet and in the name of a Disciple howbeit I am unworthy that honour Oh that hee who rewards a cup of cold water given upon such an account would abundantly reward your large and loving respects to me even poor me in that way and upon that score My gratitude would overflow did not the consideration of your Modesty which loves not to hear its own applause set mee bounds I will therefore conclude thus May your Persons your Government your Labours your whole Town and your Universal All be alwaies under the special favour of the blessed God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ in whom I remain Right worthy Reverend and Beloved Sirs Your most obliged and most affectionately humble servant JOHN DURANT To the Reader TO serve the counsell of God in a mans particular Generation is a duty incumbent on all that profess themselves the servants of Christ and to bee sincere and diligent therein is to bee in the exercise and partake of the sure mercies of David But to bee willing to do any thing which may bee service to Christ in another Generation and to bee indeed successefull therein is a blessing which few attain unto And yet though such a blessing be obtained but by a few I perswade my self it may at least bee desired and pursued by all For as wee are to covet earnestly the best gifts so are we to aim at and endeavour the best service and such is that which lasts and lives when wee are gone and fallen asleep in our Graves I hope I shall be freed from the crime and censure of pride if I say that my aim in these small pieces which I have been pressed formerly to print was to serve not onely my present but the next Generation And I must acknowledge to the praise of the glory of Christs grace that my experience of
soul Christ is thy soveraign Physician thy onely Doctor upon that account let him do or say what hee will as hee will bee it never so seemingly cross for really ill hee cannot carry it it becomes thee to have a good behaviour Thirdly Hee is Wisdome infinite Wisdome one that knows what hee does Alass my Beloved if the Lord Christ were capable of folly wee might charge God foolishly but Job knew Gods wisdome was infinite and therefore hee would not charge God foolishly When hee rips up thy sins bee still hee knows what hee doth When the Lord Jesus shall launce the wound and cut conscience and tell thee of sin and rip up unworthiness lye still carry it well hee is very wise How oft doth the Chirurgion binde the Patient and cut and launce it How oft doth hee search the wound and gash the flesh yet still is the Patient quiet hee silently submits why hee knows the Chirurgion is wise and one that understands both what and wherefore hee doth so Truly Beloved Christ is infinite in wisdome doth nothing but what wee need and hee can yea and in time will give a good reason why hee carries it thus or thus unto us as I formerly told you in the second Doctrine therefore wee ought to bee silent and carry our selves reverently and well unto him Fourthly and lastly Consider further who the Lord is why truly the Lord Jesus is so generous so gracious that hee cannot bee angry if wee stoop Hee cannot carry it ill if wee carry it well The Lord Jesus is of so sweet a disposition of so tender bowels that when hee sees us weep his bowels turn within him Christ though hee roar and make thee tremble yet if thou bow and fall and art silent hee will as they say of the Lion in such a case Lick and love thee It was the glory of the King of Israel that when Benhadads servants came to him with ropes about their necks hee was overcome with it 1 King 20.32 33. Oh you know I have once yea twice told you of Joseph I must tell you once more of him Joseph speaks rugged very roughly yet at last hee bowed what was the cause of it Look upon the story In Gen. 45. you have that which doth usher in his speaking kindly In the first vers Then Joseph could not refrain himself c. when was that Look into chap. 44. from verse 18. downward Then when Reverend Judah his Elder Brother and the rest with bended knees and doubtless with weeping eyes lay at his feet humbly under all and yet earnestly supplicating Oh how doth his bowels yearn towards them So then when thou shalt lye at his feet humbly supplicating laying out thy misery and what thou dost expect hee cannot hold out witness this Woman of Canaan unto whom at last Jesus Christ sweetly condescended though at first hee carried it towards her strangely as you have heard Truly as shee found wee may expect even the same condescension if wee have the same carriage Christ hath that innate sweetness that infinite grace those soft affections that however hee begins roughly hee will conclude comfortably as I shall shew when I come to it Remember Christs Name is Love and Lovingness is with him The consideration of his Nature calls upon thee O soul for such a carriage as I have opened therefore study it If thou well knowest Christ who hee is thou canst not well forget what carriage is suitable to such a person so that if you consider who Christ is to whom you come and withall if you do not forget your selves and the Arrand you come to him about you cannot but carry it well to him though hee should carry it seemingly harsh to you I should proceed to open these two other things viz. The consideration of our selves and our business to and with Christ are grounds for this good behaviour but I see at present I must end here Therefore now I shall onely name two words of Use First I will ask you a Question And secondly I will give you a word of Advice First I will ask you this one Question If it bee our duty to deal well with Christ when hee deals ill with us What shall become of those that deal ill with Christ when hee deals well with them If when Christ frowns wee should worship him if when Christ puts us off wee should then draw near to him if when Christ calls us Dogg wee should worship him as our Lord What shall wee think of those who when Christ smiles invites doth them good they do ill to Jesus Christ Oh my Brethren Monsters they are and not Men and yet I must tell you wee need not go to Africa to finde these Monsters people professing the Lord are apt to deal ill with Christ when hee deals well with them In Jeremiah 2. saith the Lord there Testifie against mee what iniquity have your Fathers found in mee c. Is there any such before the Lord Oh let mee testifie for the Lord against you what evil did Christ do to you why then dost thou blaspheme the Name of God thou hast often heaâ—d by his servants I lay down my life for sinners and yet thou wilt swear by the Life of Jesus Christ If the Lord had spoke angerly thou shoâ—ldest have blessed him and wilt thou now curse him when hee speaks kindly In Malachy 3.13 14. saith the Lord there Your words have been stout against mee wherein have they been stout In that you have said it is in vain to serve God and what profit is it that wee have kept his Ordinances c. Mark it a â—iâ—tle I gather out of this Scripture this truth that whoever speaks sleightly of the Ordinances of Jesus Christ his words are stout against Jesus Christ Have you not spoke sleightly of prayer praying breaking bread of Church-fellowship as if these were vain your words are stout against Jesus Christ Sirs If the Lord Jesus should make every hearing of a Sermon twenty pound yet you were bound to honour him by hearing a Sermon And if hee should make breaking of bread fire and fagot you were obliged notwithstanding to ingage in that duty But now you have all sweetly why are your words stout against the Lord you may have Ordinances free and worship with peace and yet your words are stout against Jesus Christ Christ will say one day to such There was a Woman of Canaan that carried it well when I dealt crosly with her but you carried it cross to mee even when and while I was all kindness to you Oh Sirs think not that Christ can take it well nay hee must needs take it ill If this Question I hint fasten on thy heart O soul and finde thee in this fault O humble thy soul for this thy sin Thy carriage is quite contrary to this point and example which I have opened to you The second word I would speak is a word of Advice and that is but
this one word Who are you before the Lord that are of this house that this good Woman was That are under the frowns of Christ at present that have heard Jesus Christ call you Dogg that have prayed often and been put off alwaies I pray take a word of Advice carry it well even now unto Jesus Christ You know what the wise man tells us in Eccles 7.14 In the day of prosperity bee joyful but in the day of adversity consider I would but a little allude to it It may bee there sits a soul but it is a day of prosperity with him hee praies and the Lord hears hee looks and the Lord smiles But there is a Man or Woman with whom it is the day of adversity thou callest and Christ doth not answer it is thy day of adversity Now consider consider what consider how thou carriest thy self Look to thy lips do not sin do not murmure though thy wounds stink though thy conscience burn though thy soul tremble it is thy day of adversity and therefore consider Oh consider how the Lord eyes thee to see how thou wilt carry it Take heed the Lord do not see a cursed Canaanitish carriage in thee here is a good Canaanitish carriage in the Text. I remember what a godly man said within these seven years lying under a great pain of a great grief of which hee died as hee groaned exceedingly saith one you groan much I replied hee But though I groan I dare not grumble Though Christ keep thee a little at staves end and carry it harshly yet bee of good courage and confidence wilt thou but wait a little wait the Lords leisure carry it well hee will deal well with thee Bee therefore advised how thou behave thy self surely a waspish spirit and a murmuring tongue argue one is not well advised as wee say in his carriage Therefore go home as an advised Christian let the Lord Jesus do or say what hee pleaseth hold thou thy peace suppress thou thy passion and in all things shew a humble reverend blessed behaviour to him But of this more in the next Reasons why wee ought still to carry it well to Christ The Fifth SERMON Matthew 15.25 and 27. verses Then came shee and worshipped him saying Lord help mee And shee said Truth Lord yet the doggs eat of the crumbs which fall from their-Masters table AS to bee entertained by Christ really and readily is a great mercy so to bee rejected by Christ though it bee but seemingly must needs bee a great misery Indeed there cannot befall a poor soul a sadder evil than to come to Christ needing and expecting relief and to receive either an absolute denial or unusual delaies at the hands of Christ And yet my Brethren this is a case that sometimes hath befallen many and may befall us Wee have a notable instance of it before us in this story of the Woman of Canaan There were four things I told you that wee would principally speak unto in the handling of this story The first was the Coming of this Woman The second is the Manner of the Entertainment that shee had by Christ which was very sad not an absolute denial but a strange and unusual delay Thirdly Now wee are considering the Carriage of this Woman under this strange and rough entertainment that shee received from Christ The point is of concernment for us to consider that whensoever it will befall any of us upon any account wee may know how to carry our selves as shee hath done In these two verses wee have her Carriage and after wee had opened that wee gathered up all into this one Observation viz. Doct. That it is the duty the wisdome the glory of a Christian to carry it unto Christ very holily when hee seems to carry it to the soul very harshly Or shortly thus Wee must carry it really well when Christ carries it seemingly ill There were but two Principal things which I said were necessary to bee handled in the explication of the Point The First is What this good Carriage is wherein this holy and blessed behaviour to Jesus Christ doth lye And secondly Upon what account it is our duty and glory to have this Carriage Now for the opening of both of these I did onely confine my self to the example in hand to see how the Woman carried it and to see from her what were the Reasons that did prevail with her to carry it thus to Christ Here are six things wherein this good thing viz. this good Carriage of this good Woman appears First Though the Lord dealt roughly with her shee kept up honourable thoughts of him Secondly Wee shewed shee did not suddenly nor sullenly go away but still shee cries after him And Thirdly Shee speaks to Christ as professing her onely hope in his help Fourthly Shee denied nothing that Christ speaks against her Christ seems to say to her First That shee was a Dogg And then Secondly That shee should have nothing Truth Lord saith shee Fifthly Shee doth gather upon Jesus Christ and by that very hand which hee thrust her off shee gathers hope Lastly Shee was content to have a little in the lowest manner when shee might not have her first and great request in the highest manner Wee did the last day open these more largely But now whence is it that wee must have and labour for this good Carriage or what is the reason wee should carry it thus holily to Christ though hee seem to carry it roughly to us I referred the reason of it to three heads I told you if wee do consider either Jesus Christ or our selves or the Errand upon which wee come to him at any time wee shall see great reason to carry it well to Christ howsoever hee may seem to carry it ill to us And all these three considerations wee have here in the Woman First Consider who Jesus Christ is when you go to him Why truly my Brethren hee is the Son of David and our Lord Because hee is our Lord therefore wee must worship him It is because Masters are Masters therefore servants must carry it well wee did open that and therefore shall not repeat it now But Secondly Consider wee our selves who wee are that go to Jesus Christ and my Brethren you will see that such as wee are coming to Christ should carry it very well to him though hee should seem to carry it ill to us Alass what was this Woman Certainly the Holy Ghost did help her to look within to see her self as shee was viz. a poor Woman A Woman of Canaan of Tyre and Sidon a Woman that was a Dogg by Nature such a Woman had need to carry it holily when shee comes to Christ And my Brethren if you look upon your hearts as shee was so are wee you will see all the reason in the world to carry it holily and humbly to Jesus Christ though hee should carry it seemingly harsh to you First My Brethren wee are poor