18.8 and it bears upon this Notion that I now hint It is said of Babylon That all her plagues shall come upon her in one day c. In one day why the intirest of Pride and Honour Idolatry and Persecution that so many ages were winding up to a height can this bee destroyed in so little time shall this bee done in one day Yes For strong in the Lord God who judgeth her A great God is never confined to any time Oh my Beloved bear up your hearts in the Lord Jesus Christ time can no way prescribe him hee can do what hee will and when hee will But there is one general point that I shall take up from the place and end this discourse And the general Point is this Doct. That faithful coming unto Jesus Christ doth sometimes prevail even in Corporal Cases This woman of Canaan came to Christ and shee came in Faith Here is a faithful commer to the Lord Jesus and shee prevails for her own soul I and shee prevails for her Daughters body shee prevails eminently for her own spiritual concernments I and shee prevails also for her Daughters corporal concernments That Faith prevails alwaies in spiritual concernments that wee have often opened and my Beloved it is a mercy that if it do not alwaies prevail for our body yet that it doth for our souls But God hath provided and doth so order it that sometimes it shall prevail for body and soul too Indeed going to Christ is good for every thing and they who truly go to the Lord Jesus shall one day have cause to sing the song of David Bless the Lord Oh my soul who forgiveth all thy sins and healeth all thy diseases You that go to Jesus Christ you shall have cause to say Blessed bee God I have soul-mercy and bodily-mercy too If you look thorow the whole story of the Life of Christ you shall see this truth The whole history of the Gospel gives us instances that faithful coming to Christ did sometimes prevail with him for corporal-mercies as well as for spiritual mercies A double instance I shall give First An Instance of prevailing for our selves Secondly An Instance of prevailing for others First An Instance of prevailing for our selves saith the Leper in Matth. 8.2 Lord if thou wilt thou canst make mee clean And that of the blinde man Barthomeus in Luk. 18.41 saith Christ What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee and hee said Lord That I may receive my sight and his sight was restored to him Many a time the Lord Christ was prevailed withall for corporal mercies But secondly As many did prevail for themselves so they did often prevail for others As in Matth. 15.30 It is there said Great multitudes came to him having with them those that were lame blinde dumb maimed and many others and cast them down at Jesus feet and hee healed them c. The Lord did many corporal kindnesses for others The like to this you have in Matth. 9.1 2. They brought to him one sick of the Palsie and Jesus seeing their Faith healed him But now here is one Objection against this Object But you will say This was true of the times wherein Christ lived Christ when hee was upon Earth healed Simon Peters wifes Mother of a feavour and such a ones Daughter and such a ones Son but now hee is in Heaven such things are not to beee expected so some do think Answ For Answer First If wee speak of his miraculous way of healing then it may bee said that miraculous way of healing diseases was a mercy more eminently put forth in those daies of Christs being in the flesh But if you speak of the thing it self healing diseases curing of bodies I doubt not but wee may expect the same mercy from Jesus Christ now that they did then And the Reason is Because there is the same ground for Christ to shew corporal kindnesses now which was then Where the ground of a thing is perpetual moral and eternally the same in all ages the same things may bee done upon the same ground But c. I finde in the Gospel a double ground why Christ did heal corporal diseases The first ground was his pitty and sympathy And secondly To fulfil Prophecie and Promise Upon these two grounds did Christ heal either upon the grounds of pitty and compassion as a man or else upon the ground of Prophecie or Promise For the first ground you have it in Matth. 14.14 It is said Jesus went forth and saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion toward them and hee healed their sick Compassion did move Christ and therefore hee healed them Now observe Jesus Christ now in Heaven hath the same compassions that hee had here on Earth and that is founded upon his keeping or retaining of his humane nature still If Christ had not now in Heaven our humane nature hee would not have had this compassion for you shall finde that the compassion that was in Christ it was not built upon his God-head but upon his humane Nature And therefore in Heb. 2.16 17. It is said Christ took not on him the nature of Angels but hee took on him the seed of Abraham Why so that hee might bee a merciful and faithful High Priest c. Hee did therefore take Mans Nature that hee might have compassion Now this Jesus retains for ever and hee hath the same compassions now hee is in Heaven that hee had when hee was upon the Earth The second ground is that which I finde in Isa 53.4 compared with Matth. 8.17 I pray minde it for it is good to know what is the ground of Faith In Isa 53. Saith the Prophet there Surely hee hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows c. This was prophesied of Jesus Christ that hee should not onely have compassion on our spiritual infirmities our sins but our corporal and this was the ground why hee did heal diseases in the time of his flesh Matth. 8.17 It is said Hee healed all that were sick that it might bee fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the Prophet saying Himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses Here was the ground why Christ did heal then because it was prophesied hee should bear our sicknesses Now this Prophecie is an eternal truth And if in the time of his flesh hee did shew corporal kindnesses that that Prophecie might bee fulfilled hee will now do the same that the same Prophecie might bee fulfilled Even in these daies wee may expect that our Lord Jesus Christ upon our faithful coming to him should shew corporal kindness to us and ours as well as spiritual One Scripture I shall add for the Truth of it and that is in James 5.14 Is any man sick among you Let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray over him c. and the prayer of Faith shall save the sick c. Here observe that faithful prayer shall prevail for
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
Or if you will wee shall express the Observation to prevent mistakes thus That all those who truly come to Christ shall in the issue finde his carriage to bee very kinde howsoever at first it may seem very strange You see the Doctrine lies full in the words wee have opened in the story already how strangely Christ did carry it at first to this poor Woman but how sweetly doth hee carry it at last Sorrow and weeping may bee for a night saith David Psal 30.5 but joy comes in the morning Oh my Beloved it may thunder and lighten and bee tempestuous in the beginning of the day and yet it may prove a fair sun-shiny day after First coming to Christ may have clouds and darkness but the latter part shall have light and life This point is very comfortable certain and clear in this instance It is comfortable in all its branches and it is certain in its bottoming this example being a sure bottom to build the Doctrine upon And you will see it clear also if you will but minde the terms in which I express it Now there are two terms I keep in the Point that I would desire you to minde The first relates to the persons that are considered in this Point And the Second relates to the thing it self The first relates to the persons that are considered in this point And they are all those that truly come to the Lord Jesus My Beloved there are two sorts of persons who live under the sound of the Gospel that I cannot think upon but with a sad heart The one are those who never so much as pretend to go to Jesus Christ Notwithstanding all Christs tenders of himself notwithstanding all their own need of him upon no account one or other do they so much as pretend to go to Jesus Christ Some are enemies and opposire to very professing of coming to Jesus Christ Secondly There is another sort that pretend to go but go neither rightly nor truly They do not truly come to the Lord Jesus you have a type of both these and their miserie Matth. 22. in the parable of the Wedding There were some that would not go to the Wedding-supper and there was another hee went but hee went without his Wedding-garment why now how did the Lord deal with them for the one it is said in versf 7. Hee sent and miserably destroyed them with his armies And for the other It is said hee found him out and cast him out into utter darkness Therefore minde it all you that have heard of Jesus Christ all you that talk of Jesus Christ if you do not go at all or if you do not go aright this point doth not concern you I do not say Christ will deal well with you alass you deal ill with him and hee will deal sadly with you It is onely those that truly go to Jesus Christ that this point deals withall The Woman of Canaan came to him truly and shee came to him rightly also shee came to him as appears here in this story as to the Messiah the Son of David and shee comes with great humility shee worships him with great resolution shee would not bee put off but above all shee came with a good Faith and this Woman so coming though the Lord dealt strangely with her at first yet hee concludes kindely with her at last The second thing I put in the point is That in the issue and at last Christ will deal kindly with them that rightly come to him I do not say at first hee will do it No at first hee may seem to bee strange but at last in the issue hee will bee kinde Christ will not presently it may bee grant our request but in the issue hee will I will open it thus There is a Threefold Issue or end in which all that come to Christ shall experience his kindness The first is the Issue of the Act of comming it self Secondly The Issue of our whole life And The third is The Issue and End of all things Now in one of these three Issues all that come to Christ shall finde him deal kindely with them First In the Issue of the Act of coming it self I pray mark this Coming to Christ is an action made up of many steps wee do not at once come to Jesus Christ There is the Agress Ingress and Prâ—â—ress in every going The Agress or Address to it The Ingress The first setting upon it And then the Progress The going on in it Possibly when thou dost first set up a resolution of going to Christ hee will not come in and give thee an answer possibly when thou hast set thy foot in the way and gone a good way hee will not come and speak kindly to you but by that time you are come up to Christ fully then you shall finde Christ will deal kindly with you The soul doth not at first fully come up to Christ it is a great while ere the soul doth fully come off from fin ere the soul doth fully come out of Satans power ere hee doth fully come up to the proposals of Jesus Christ Now do not wonder if Jesus Christ do not deal kindly with you till the Issue of the whole Act but in the Issue of the Act when it is compleated then you shall finde him deal kindly with you You are now it may bee poor soul treating with Jesus Christ and as it is in a treaty of peace between differing states there are some preliminary treatments all is not presently concluded as soon as it is presented There are demurs and debates and there are seeming breakings off and departures no compleatings but as it were for a while complementings It is seldome seen that at first all things are fully concluded upon But when the Treaty is perfected then you have the sound of Trumpets and the noise of Drums and all the expressions pressions of joy that may bee It hath been said of old that comming to Christ it is a Marriage Act and so indeed it is Now there are not compleat Acts of kinâ—ness till the whole Marriage bee consummate Therefore though Christ may carry it strangely at first yet in the Issue when the Marriage is consummate then you shall finde Christ complying and shewing himself kinde Secondly There is that which wee call the Issue of our life And my Beloved at Death the Lord Jesus Christ will smile upon many a soul who have gone softly in the bitterness of their spirits all their daies Mark the just man and behold the perfect man For the end of that man is peace Psal 37.37 Though you have clouds and darkness upon you all your daies and though Jesus Christ doth seem to carry it roughly to you through the whole course of your pilgrimage yet when you are actually going into the good Land then you shall see Joshuah going before you Many that have had fears and terrours all their life time yet at the end of their
all doth depend upon Jesus Christ Now my Beloved That the Lord may fulfil temporal Promises hee will upon the faithful coming of his servants sometimes give them temporal mercies Wee shall now come to the Use There are but two Uses that I would make of this Point First of all therefore Let this serve for a word of Conviction And Secondly For a word of Instruction First It serves for a word of Conviction To convince the folly and the mistake of many poor creatures who think and say that going to Jesus Christ may bee good for the soul but they cannot tell what it is for the body Repentance Faith real Conversion to the Lord Jesus may save our souls but they cannot see what it will do for their bodies This kinde of Dutch-divinity is every where to minde Mammon and body best and most and to think Religion is not for any profit or purpose in those particulars But see here this folly and know that Religion is good for all things Length of daies are in Christs right hand and in his left riches and honour Oh souls learn to see going to Jesus Christ is good not onely for our souls but for our bodies You shall go to the Lord Jesus Christ and have the mercies of Heaven and the mercies of Earth too Can the Son of Jesse give you Olive yards and Vine-yards c. Was the speech of Saul 1 Sam. 22.7 So say the men of the world Do you think to get any thing by being godly Yes if the Lord please you may get for body as well as for soul by going to Jesus Christ The world is mightily mistaken that think godliness is good for nothing but salvation it is good for this present world too But then Secondly Let it serve for an Use of Instruction To teach us all whither to go in all cases whether spiritual or corporal why to go to the Lord Jesus Whatever thy case bee away to Christ going to Christ is good for soul and for body What is your condition Say some I am a poor man and I have a little estate and a great charge I hope beleeving in Jesus Christ will save my soul but what shall become of my Family go to Jesus Christ hee can give corporal as well as spiritual mercies Saith another I am sick c. little do wee know what may bee expected from Christ even in corporal cases You have a fine speech in Proverbs 3.16 Length of daies are in her right hand and in her left hand riches and honour Shee is a tree of Life and shee is health to the Navel and the Flesh chap. 4.22 This is spoke of Wisdome what Wisdome why it is spoken of Essential Wisdome Jesus Christ why what of Christ it is said Length of daies are in his right hand Eternity of Life is a right-hand-mercy for Jesus Christ to give I but how shall I live here why In his left hand are riches and honour You go to Jesus Christ and say Lord I have a dead soul dead in trespasses and sins Lord Length of daies are with thee But thy body is sick why go to Christ hee can cure bodies too and is this onely for your selves No but for others too you may go to the Lord Jesus not onely for a morsel of bread for thy poor soul but for some cure for thy childe Object But may I go to the Lord Jesus will the Lord Christ accept mee who come to him upon a carnal account Answ For answer That Jesus that hath the mercy of God to pitty souls hath the pitty of a man to pitty bodies and humane compassions will prevail with him for bodily pitty Object I but will the soul say Is there then any hope that I may prevail with the Lord for my sick childe Answ My Beloved I told you in the beginning That the Prayers and Faith of the Parent will much prevail with Christ for the good of the childe In Gen. 17. Abraham goes to the Lord and hee praies for Ishmael Oh that Ishmael might live in thy sight That is that hee might bee the childe of the Promise Hee was a Son of the Flesh but not an Heir of the Promise but yet mark what follows though Ishmael should not bee the childe of the Promise yet the Lord doth there assure Abraham of this that Ishmael shall bee blessed Isaac is the childe of the promised seed yet Ishmael shall bee blessed too Many a time doth the Lord hear the prayers of his servants even for an Ishmael i. e. for a childe yea a carnal childe and this is certain even bad children have many corporal mercies for their Parents sakes and wee may expect it Object But wee have known many a Parent that have gone in Faith to Jesus Christ for a poor childe that never have prevailed How then can you build us up in this Truth when wee see the contrary Answ I answer If thou goest to the Lord and prayest for a childe and dost not prevail God deals no worse with thee than hee dealt with thy betters David who was a man after Gods own heart went to God for a childe and hee prayed hard but yet the Lord did not hear him You have the story in 2 Sam. 12.16 David besought God for the childe and fasted c. And if it bee so with you yet are you as well in this respect as David was But more fully to answer the Objection I pray mark it that in that place there are two things might satisfie David and so any in the like case First It was not good for David that the childe should live I make that appear thus what was the childe that David did desire might live you know the story it was the base-begotten childe which hee got upon Bathsheba Certainly it was not good for David that the childe should live had the childe lived it would have been his Fathers shame c. When thou goest to God to begg the life of thy childe if thy childe do not live what is the reason hee may live to bee thy shame Some have begged of God the life of a childe what ever came of it God hath given it as a curse and the childes life hath been a monument of their shame and a perpetual heart-breaking to the Parents all their daies As a good Woman once sadly said So that is one thing it may bee for good to the Parent that God should not hear prayers for a childes life and then that may satisfie us if hee do not But then Secondly Though the Lord did not hear David for the life of the childe I perswade mee Hee did hear David for the soul of the childe I shall give you this account of it Saith David in v. 23. I shall go to him but hee shall not return to mee Whither is that not so much I shall go to him in my body to the grave but in my soul to God And my Beloved that this is intended
doth appear upon this consideration nothing but this could have so quieted the heart of David that the childe was happy Indeed some think that the phrase I shall go to him is no more but I shall bee dead as hee is and they say David did acquiesce in this that the will of God was fulfilled and therefore David comforts himself in this I shall go to him But if this had not been to Heaven it could have been no great comfort Alass what comfort is this bare thought to a mourning Parent my childe is dead and I shall dye too David might have had that comfort in Absolons death but here was his comfort I shall go to him i. e. to glory the bare grave is not comfort nor was it to David but the glory beyond the grave is And this is that comfort which doth stay the heart I shall go to him Though God did not hear him for his childes life yet I think for his childes soul So that is another thing to satisfie any Christian in this case I say when Christ doth not hear prayers to restore a childe to life and health yet in this case in particular go to the Lord Jesus you may go and you may prevail for corporal kindnesses for them and if not for their bodies who can tell but you may for their souls Then I beseech you all in the words of the Apostle Phil. 4.6 compared with verse 19. Bee careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request bee made known unto God My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus Whatever your condition bee bee not over careful go to the Lord Jesus and hee will supply all thy wants hee will give a pardon to thy soul and a plaister to thy body and to thy childes body too you may go to Jesus Christ for what you will in a way of beleeving and to bee sure you shall alwaies prevail in spirituals and sometimes in corporals But there are two questions that wee must answer First But in what cases may it bee lawful to put Prayer and Faith a working in going to Christ for corporal kindnesses Secondly When may wee hope that wee may prevail with Christ for corporal kindnesses First In what cases may wee go to the Lord Jesus and set Prayer and Faith on work for corporal kindnesses It is a Case of Conscience which is not oftentimes touched upon Three things I shall tell you to regulate you and then in any case you may go to Christ and act Faith for corporal mercies First When the thing is lawful that you ask There are many things that are not lawful for us to ask Like Neroes Mother ask and say I will have my Son King though I dye for it You may not begg of the Lord that your childe may bee thus great or thus honourable but you may begg of the Lord life and health creature accommodations so far as necessary these things you may begg and go to Christ for Secondly You must look that your spirits bee not inordinately set upon the things When ever thou findest thy heart inordinately set upon any thing then do not pray for it And then Thirdly When you can appeal to Jesus Christ that the end for which you begg a corporal kindness it is for his glory then you may begg it As David there in Psa 119.17 Deal bountifully with thy servant that I may live and keep thy Word You may go and say Lord Jesus Let my childe live for what end that hee may bee a great man a rich man c. No the Lord will abhor it But that my childe may live to serve the Lord if that bee your end you may pray for it And then Quest 2. But you will say When shall I know or may I guess that I shall prevail with Christ What are the signs of the time and season when I may hope I shall prevail with Christ for mercy c Answ I answer When the frame of your spirit is as the frame of the spirit of the Woman of Canaan I pray mark it a little what the frame of the spirit of this Woman was Take it in some particulars I will name onely two viz. First Shee had this frame of spirit That though shee mentioned her childes case yet shee seems to minde her own soul most And Secondly Shee had this as the frame of her spirit To beleeve for both Now to urge it in a few words to you The first frame of her spirit was That though shee did begg this mercy for her childe yet the frame of her spirit was principally set upon her soul This poor Woman did desire her Daughters life but however Lord bread for my poor soul Oh Sirs when you can go to God and say Lord I would have such a corpotal mercy but however Lord soul-mercy when you can desire a sick childe may bee made well but especially an evil heart mended when your soul is set mostly upon your soul and its concernments then are you in a good frame Secondly This Woman was raised up to measure of Faith Indeed some great and considerate Divines do think that that Text of James 5. where it is said The prayer of Faith shall save the sick is to bee understood in reference to a particular Faith And my Beloved howsoever yet let mee tell you it is not alwaies necessary wee should have a particular perswasion yet when the Lord doth intend to answer in a corporal kindness hee doth secretly either out of the word or by providence hint some word that may bring the soul to a beleeving frame Something is presented to us which raiseth up a Faith in us so that when wee are in such a frame of heart as to minde spiritual things most and yet to beleeve that in a temporal thing God will gratifie us then may wee expect that wee shall not bee ashamed of our Faith and that wee shall have the particular corporal mercy granted to us But to end This is that I would press upon the whole As ever you would have mercy for body and soul go to Jesus Christ But now there is some general word that I would draw from the whole story Wee have now dispatched this whole discourse of the Woman of Canaan What is there that is upon my spirit to begg of the Lord for you and for my own soul but this That this story may bee alwaies a good story to us First of all therefore I say Look about you that the story of the Woman of Canaan may not bee a sad story to any Is there any such as may have cause to fear that you will say Yes man or woman whoever thou art who dost not faithfully go to Jesus Christ the story of the Woman of Canaan shall condemn you you have no excuse to keep you off from going to Jesus Christ but this Woman will condemn you
say they hunger who yet have not a spiritual stomach at all to Christ the Bread of Life They ask bread but it is onely an asking Now Christ will try us and by this strange carriage hee trieth us indeed And for us to continue begging crying bread after Christ hath spoke to us as to this woman After hee hath said I am not sent for you it is not meet to give unto you bee gone what should a Dogg have childrens bread after this I say to wait and worship to beg and reiterate cries for bread this will make Christ say this longing is sincere and strong beleeve it here is a hungry soul indeed Many wish for Christ who do not heartily hunger for him Secondly Christ will try Faith too and it is good for us to bee tried in our Faith Saith Christ Here comes a soul to mee hee looks as if hee would take hold of mee I will try whether hee bee one of Jacobs children that will wrestle a fall and keep his hold when I seek and seem to cast him off I will see if I call him Dogg Whether hee will trust and beleeve hee may bee a Childe It was a trial and demonstration that Jobs Faith was right when hee would trust in a killing God and it will try our Faith indeed to wait upon and cling to a seemingly rejecting Redeemer And this was the great matter in the case of this poor woman Oh Woman great is thy Faith Jesus Christ did all this to try the womans Faith God will see whether the soul will take hold of an angry Christ and run after a going-away Christ In 1 Pet. 1.7 saith the Apostle there That the trial of your Faith being much more precious than of gold that perisheth c. It is not spoken of Faith in it self that that is more precious than gold that perisheth though that is precious but of the trial of it The very trial of Faith is a precious thing Now that Christ may try our Faith as well as our Hunger therefore hee deals a little harshly with us Thirdly The Lord hath this design too By his harsh dealing with one hee will make many wise When two or three of the younger boles shall see the Father deal something harsh with the eldest it teaches them all something The Lord help us wee are a company of mad untoward children wee neglect many a precious opportunity Christ calls and wee will not answer c. Now when Christ shall deal harshly with some then wee shall bee made wise to hearken when Christ calls How many have preached this truth from that experience Children have some Parents said take a Christ while hee smiles take a Promise when it is tendered you do not know what it may cost you I neglected my seasons and I found it a hard matter for mee to close with Jesus Christ You have a great word in Heb. 3.7 8. Wherefore to day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts as in the provocation in the day of temptation in the wilderness c. What doth hee allude to hee alludes to the story of the children of Israel in the wilderness and of Gods harsh dealing with them and all because of their unbeleef The Lord Jesus Christ hee doth deal harshly with many leads them thorow wildernesses stings them with Scorpions to make others wise to accept of mercy when and while it may bee had Ah! how many think it an easie matter to come to Christ and have bread presently and therefore defer and delay put by at best lay by many a choice tender till another time as they think wherein they may at pleasure take it But now when they shall see such examples as this that a man or woman may come and call and crouch and worship and begg and yet bee put off yet have no mercy No nor no kinde word as was this womans case this will make them wise to take heed how they refuse that which afterwards they may request with tears and yet bee rejected But besides fourthly The Lord Christ doth deal thus that indeed hee may bring the soul to Gospel-self-denial I say unto Gospel-self-denial The Lord is resolved that whosoever will bee his Disciple must deny himself Now some have observed that nothing doth so much tame any as hunger The Lord Jesus Christ will take the soul upon the hip and make the soul fully deny it self and now saith God If thou wilt come to mee in my way well otherwise no bread Bread bread saith the hungry man if I may have it this way or that way any way I will take it well saith Christ I see the soul is come pretty well too as wee say I will keep off a little longer make him fast a few daies more Deny him till hee is ready to dye for hunger and then I shall make him deny himself in his honour in his inheritance in his very birth-right I shall make him say what profit will that or any thing do mee if I dye for hunger and I am at the point of death Therefore whatever the terms are I will deny all part with all for this Bread of Life So that real universal self-denial is by the Lords grace effected through this delaying and seemingly-denying carriage And to this end or for this reason doth Christ sometimes deal with us as with the woman of Canaan Hee will seemingly deny us that wee may really deny our selves Hee will tame us and then put his own terms upon us and for that end carries it so strangely to us Fifthly Christ doth intend to heighten himself in our hearts Before Christ give us himself hee will greaten himself And my Brethren it is our sore misery that wee are too apt to have sleight thoughts of Jesus Christ Now Christ will make us prize him very highly and therefore wee shall come by him very hardly It is a Rule and a general Observation That wee prize that highly which wee come by very hardly Oh Sirs the Lord Christ knows how to heighten himself in your hearts by deferring to grant your request Possibly thou art a poor ignorant creature in thy first coming unto Christ one who thinkest well but not well enough of Christ Thou valuest him a little but not as the chiefest Now Christ is resolved to heighten himself in thy heart and will therefore keep off so long that thou shalt come thereby to prize him at a higher rate than all the world and shalt have cause to say I value him much and love him dear for I came by him very hardly and was fain to wait long before I did enjoy him Lastly The Lord Christ may have this end Namely That the soul might catch at him more hastily and keep him more fastly therefore hee doth hold off thus and deal thus harshly wee are not eager enough in closing with Christ My Brethren the soul is apt to linger in the matter of taking Christ but when Christ
shall stand off that will make the soul come on more hastily Jesus Christ doth catch us by craft as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 12.16 Truly Christ doth catch some poor souls by craft as the fisher-man doth the fish you know or may have heard how that is The fisher-man laies the bait and draws it as it were away hee draw it before the fish and when the fish is ready to take it hee doth make as if hee snatched it away and why so truly that the fish may catch at it more eagerly and bee held by it more surely So doth Christ with us when hee shall offer and seem to draw back when hee shall come neer and suffer us as it were to touch him and then snatch away again this will make us come on more earnestly and close with him more eagerly The soulby this means takes the bait I and the soul will hold it too when it hath it beleeve it Sins the Lord Jesus Christ is kinde to catch by craft Well this is the account of the Reason wherefore it is that sometimes Christ is seemingly harsh to some souls There are but three Uses I aim at in this Doctrine Use 1. The first Use is To let us all see that Christ is not so easily come by as the generality of people do think All have Christ freely but not easily Minde it My Brethren I think and I will tell you my thoughts because it may awaken you and do you good I think many will go to Hell as upon other mistakes so upon this that they do think it easie to go to Heaven and easie to come by Jesus Christ But if it bee true that Christ stands a loof off from a poor soul then it will appear to bee a hard work to come by him Remember this you will finde three things will make it hard work ere Jesus Christ and you bee brought together 1 The backwardness of your own hearts 2 The many hinder ances and puts in of Satan 3 And the seeming backwardness of Jesus Christ First Your own hearts will bee backward Ah soul unless the Lord make it a day of his power they are not a willing people Psa 110. hee that talks of free-will I am afraid was never sensible of free-grace nor of the backwardness of his own heart Secondly The Devil makes it hard work too Verily when the soul would go to Christ the Devil will hinder and set one to hinder another to keep the soul off from going to Jesus Christ But thirdly and especially The seeming harsh dealing of Jesus Christ makes it very hard work Oh say some poor souls My thinks the Lord makes mee willing and hungring after a Christ but when I come to Christ Christ hangs off My thinks God the Father is willing I should have Christ hee hath sent him the Spirit is willing hee hath revealed Christ to mee and my heart is willing but I come to Christ and hee doth not hear mee verily here you will finde difficulty and it will much pazzle and try Faith to beleeve upon and close with a Christ who seems to stand at a distance His seeming harsh dealing will make it real hard beleeving Use 2. The second Use is of Caution I pray learn by this to take heed how you provoke the Lord Jesus Christ to deal thus harshly with any of you My Brethren the Lord Christ can frown and look bitterly and deal severely c. and beware how you provoke him so to do The truth is there bee some souls that rationally I mean religiously rationally cannot expect otherwise that if Christ do receive them hee should receive them very harshly Let mee in a word touch upon this and do you remember it Two words I would speak my minde in that I may not bee mistaken First this I do not say that there are any souls that have reason to think Jesus Christ will reject them Whatever you are Canaanite Perisite or Jebusite c. Whoever you are before the Lord I do not say there is reason for you to conclude that there is no coming to the Lord. But This I say secondly That though you have no reason to think hee will cast you off yet you have reason to think hee will deal harshly with you you may have reason to fear hee will not presently entertain you First I think there bee some souls that may verily expect God may make them stand at the door and wait till they cool their heels and though Christ will let them in at last yet hee may set them stand all night Some souls Christ may let them bee hoarse with crying and yet Jesus Christ may stand off Secondly There are some souls that may expect that though hee should let them in yet it may bee with them as with some childe the childe is let in and hee sits at the table but the Father looks so strangely and harshly on him that his meat doth him no good thou mayest never rellish mercy sweetly till thou comest to Heaven it may bee Thirdly There are some souls that may expect that though Christ will give them mercy yet hee will dispure it out with them that they shall wrestle a whole night as Jacob and go limping all their life time and bee called Dogg many a time and as it were threatned with a cudgel before ever hee give them childrens bread Therefore I beseech you for the Lords sake souls look about you Now there are three sorts of people that have thus reason to think that though Christ may receive them at last yet it may bee very harsh at first First Those that have dealt very harshly with Jesus Christ With the froward I will bee froward saith God Grace will receive froward ones at last yet hee will bee harsh Why what was the matter Joseph looks so roughly upon his Brethren their consciences could tell them Wee had not pitty upon our Brother Gen. 42.21 Sirs there are many poor souls deal harshly with Jesus Christ I say deal harshly with Christ is there any deals harshly with him you will say how can that bee why bee not mistaken as you deal with Christs members so you deal with him You scoff at poor Saints and Christ takes it as against himself O minde it you that have been or are the persecutors of the Lords people you can expect no other but that Christ should deal harshly with you since you have done so by him It may bee there is a poor man or woman by thee that hath precious Faith I say that hath precious Faith thou dealest hardly with them and so thou dealest hardly with Jesus Christ in them and hee may do so with thee Secondly Those souls that have lived in any more notable prophaneness than others may expect if Christ receive them it should bee as the woman of Canaan harshly Take a plain similitude Let two men go to a Physician the one hath a little knock on the crown a little dressing a
little longer Tarry thou the Lords leisure yet a while In Psal 40. saith the Psalmist there I waited for the Lord and at last the Lord heard mee hee brought mee up also out of an horrible pit and hee hath put a new song into my mouth Oh it is a blessed Scripture wait thou yet for the Lord thou art yet in a horrible pit of sin and filth fear and doubt thou cryest yet the Lord doth not hear I but yet hee may hear this is no strange thing indeed the soul is ready to say as the Church Oh all you that pass by is there any sorrow like to mine Lam. 1.12 So it may bee your soul is ready to say was there ever any sorrow like mine my conscience disturbs mee Satan disturbs mee I go to Christ and hee doth not hear mee hee will not answer Oh bee of good comfort and wait still hee that calls thee as the Woman of Canaan Dogg now will say to thee Go thy way great is thy Faith Indeed my Brethren when I was drawing up the conclusion of this by my self I thought I should meet with a Woman of Canaan and I was bid to incourage her thus First All this harshness it is but in shew As wee told you the last day Joseph had bowels though for a time hee dealt roughly Secondly All this will not last Joseph will speak peace and the Lord Jesus that seems rough now hee will speak to thee in soft language at last Therefore you that are as the Woman of Canaan waiting upon Christ and yet hearing nothing from him bee comforted and counselled First Bee comforted your condition is blessed Blessed are they that wait at the posts of Wisdomes gates Prov. 8.34 c. This may bee the condition of a beleever and it is blessed Object I saies the soul If I did but know that or think that Repl. Did Josephs Brethren know hee knew them did they think hee wept and his bowels yearned It was their happiness Joseph knew them though they knew it not And it is comfort Christ knows us when wee are and may bee as ignorant of him as they of Joseph That is the foundation of our life and comfort that the Lord may and doth know us first before wee know him and hee still knows us even while wee know not him Minde that in the second Epistle of Timothy chap. 2. vers 19. Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure having this seal the Lord knoweth them that are his Let that word bee for thy comfort But then Secondly Bee counselled to carry your selves very wisely Carry it well and it shall bee your wisdome I know indeed my Beloved wee need much wisdome to carry it wisely when Christ doth frown Oh! wee are apt to have impatient spirits murmuring spirits rising spirits nothing is so provoking as unkindness from Jesus Chrâ—st I look for no better from the Law or from the Devil but that Christ should speak death or Christ call Dogg or that hee that was sent to give the children bread should say hee was not sent to mee Oh this doth wound mee this doth kill mee saith the poor soul Well yet bee counselled to wait Do not think evil of nor speak hardly concerning Jesus Christ. Hee knows as wee say what hee doth there may bee many reasons of this carriage of his and therefore whatever bee his carriage to thee let thy carriage to him bee good if Christ deal with thee as with the Woman of Canaan do thou deal with him as shee did Now what that is wee shall come unto next Souls must still carry it well to Jesus Christ The Fourth 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 a fine Copy fairly written which doth attract the eyes of all to look upon it and stir up the spirits of ingenious Scribes to imitate it Such my Beloved is the Example of the Woman of Canaan the history whereof is here recorded and which we are now handling It is a fine Copy and fairly written Here are great things glorious Mysteries held forth and you and I should look upon them and indeavour to read and imitate them There are four heads unto which wee did reduce the whole matter of this discourse First The Coming of the Woman to Christ Secondly The Carriage of Christ to the Woman Wee were ending of that the last day The Woman shee came with much devotion in much affection The Lord contrary to what hee was wont turns away makes as if hee did not hear hee would not vouchsafe to speak a word and when hee was intreated by the Disciples hee puts them off and when shee renews her request again hee speaks harshly c. The Lesson wee then did go upon from the whole you know was this That sometimes Christ is seemingly harsh to some souls that come to him Wee opened it and gave the Reasons of it and applied it And that which wee did aim at truly it was principally two words The first was to exhort you all that sith Christ doth sometimes seemingly entertain some souls harshly That you would not provoke him so to do As the Lord lives and as your souls live if you stand out too long if you put off Christ too often though at the last hee may save you it will bee by fire Therefore I beseech you especially you that bee young take a Christ while you may have a Christ while Christ knocks softly and speaks sweetly and wooes lovingly entertain him lest hee go away and make you come after him crying and it may bee a great while ere hee come back again The second word was To you poor souls that may bee the children of this Woman of Canaan that have gone to Christ and have found him stand at a distance Do not despair no new thing is fallen upon you The Lord Christ doth sometimes use so to deal with souls And my Brethren as you shall see afterwards though hee stand at a distance now hee will in time embrace you sweetly The Woman of Canaan that was entertained harshly went away joyfully But how did shee carry it under this harsh dealing That is the third head wee are now to speak to Here the carriage of the Woman is set out in these two Verses the 25. and 27. verses And mark it in vers 25. It is said Shee came and worshipped him saying Lord help mee My Brethren As the Lord said to Peter in another case wee must say of the Woman in this Flesh and blood hath not revealed this to you Flesh and blood could not teach nor help the poor Woman to such a carriage What for the Lord to turn away for the Lord to put off and for her to re-inforce her devotion renew her suit afresh and to come and worship him c. The 27. verse Truth Lord yet the Doggs
it First Beware of ill Carriage Satan is at your elbow hee is tempting hee is busie to make you curse God and dye This was Satans main work to provoke Job to ill Carriage and that is his work upon thee now Satan seeth thee groaning under a sin that thou hast no ease now Satan is tempting thee to carry it ill but beware do not carry it ill Take heed of two things as the principal peeces of good Carriage First Beware of evil words and wishes Secondly Of unlawful works and indeavours First Beware of evil words and wishes My Brethren wee are apt in affliction to sin with our mouths But oh Sirs let mee tell you Mouth-sin is great sin Tongue-sin on Earth is tormenting-sin in Hell Do not speak ill nor wish ill Do not speak ill It was an ill speech yet that good man drops it in his trouble Psal 73.13 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed my hands in innocency And it was a very ill speech of the Church in Lam. 3.18 I said my hope is perished from the Lord. And a bad wish of Job Job 6.8 9. Oh that I might have my request and that God would grant mee the thing that I long for even that it would please God to destroy mee that hee would let loose his hand and cut mee off Beware of speaking unadvisedly with your lipâ— Saith the soul I cannot stand up under the frowns of Christ and I would to God I might dye now God notes what you say Jer. 45.3 Thou saidst woe is mee now Mark God noted what Baruâ—h saith But you will say may not the soul speak may not the bitter heart vent it self may not I speak of my condition as it is I pray mark but these two or three things First of all You may speak but it is our misery wee are apt to speak more than it is Many a time wee cry out of our misery more than it is But Secondly Mark this though wee may speak It it best to hold our peace Better is it for the soul to put his mouth in the dust then there will bee hope as wee opened Lam. 3.29 But then Thirdly In all your speaking you must distinguish between humble prayer and hasty speaking You may go before the Lord again and again and speak to him as the Woman of Canaan you may tell the Lord your wounds stink and fester your bones are broken c. but you must not do this unadvisedly or passionately Quest How shall the soul know even in prayer that hee doth not speak of his sad condition badly Answ I answer first When in all your prayers and expressions unto God you leave your complaint upon your selves This was Jobs practice Jeb 10.1 saith Hee My soul is weary of my life I will leave my complaint upon my self I will speak in the bitterness of my soul i. e. I will say Lord my wound is great but I made it c. you may expostulate with God but still leave your complaint upon your selves i. e. lay the fault of all upon your selves do not blame Christ Confess whatever thou feelest smart or sore that thou must onely thank thy self for it Lay not thy sorrow to thy Saviours charge whatever you say speak not as charging Christ but condemning self That is one thing And secondly As you must leave the complaint upon your selves so you must not absolutely and peremptorily condemn your selves The soul is apt to cry out my case is bad and it will never bee better I conclude I must perish there is no hope c. Ah! these condemning concluding absolute concluding speeches thus against our selves proceed from passion and are of that kinde of words which wee must avoid But it is not enough to watch words take heed especially to your works Therefore Secondly As you must beware of sinful words and wishes so beware of sinful works and indeavours When the Rod of God is upon thy back take heed of putting forth thy hand to evil Sauls way was a wicked way Indeed the Lord dealt sadly severely with him neither to answer him by vision nor dream by Urim nor Thummim was very sore and grievous And my Brethren to bee able to forbear at such a time any thing that may seem a way to help I confess it is very hard But although it bee difficult yet it is duty Wee must beware of going to Witches and Wizards for counsel in any case It was Sauls sin and I wish it had died with him but it remains too great a practice in these times Oh take heed of it Take heed I say you do not by any evil practice seek to ease your selves Though Christ should not answer thee no more at present than God did Saul though hee do neither speak to thee himself nor suffer his servants to speak on thy behalf as here in this Womans case yet beware of doing any unwarrantable thing to ease thy minde Bee not as Saul at Endor No neither bee as Saul in Mount Gilboa as the story is 1 Sam. 30. At Endor hee consults with a Witch At Gilboa hee took a sword and slew himself O take heed of that temptation viz. Self-Murther I have heard it often as observed heretofore and I know that to this day it is an evil practiue many take they will lay violent hands upon themselves this is to go back to hell for a plaister And surely such a plaister hath so much venome in it that it is madness to expect Virtue from it I beseech you therefore beware This is the first part of my advice Learn your duty at least thus far Not to carry it ill in word or work however in any thing the Lord deal with you But my Point saith more therefore I must press it Wee must carry it well to Christ however hee may seem to carry it to us And therefore to come to that in the next place Secondly Recompence not evil with evil but rather recompence evil with good It is true as I have often said Christ cannot carry it really ill but however do thou recompence evil with good Now to that end I pray minde this Woman of Canaan and imitate her write after her Copy do as shee did let your Carriage to Christ answer her Pattern in all the particulars which I opened and instanced in And to this end give mee leave to commend to you the exercise of three Graces in the exercise of which shee was and in them you should bee and so shall carry it well to God Namely Humility Prayer Resolute Faith First Observe her Humility and go thy way and do likewise However the Lord carries himself to thee humble thy self under his hand Christ could not speak a word never so bad but shee would hee viler If the Lord would say Dogg shee would â—ay so too Especially labour to carry it humbly in this one thing to accept of any measure in any manner of comfort that Christ gives you
Thou art perplexed comfort thou wouldest have Now observe Christ it may bee offers thee a crumb and thy proud heart will not accept of comfort unless thou mayest have much This is just like a little childe the Mother gives it a small peece of bread and it cries and throws it away if hee may not have his Brothers peece of bread Ah! Beloved look to your hearts Take heed of this proud peece of childishness If your hearts were humble you would accept of and thank Christ for a little As it is with the hungry soul so it is with every humble soul Hee admires mercy in a morsel and is willing to stoop under the Table to take up a crumb Put on therefore and bee cloathed with humility and put it forth shew it in your Carriage to Christ as this Woman of Canaan did It was the humility of her soul by which shee carried it so well and this is the first Grace in her Carriage unto Christ wee should indeavour to conform our selves I come to the next Secondly Observe in her the Grace of Prayer I do not say the Gift of Prayer But I observe it as the Grace of Prayer for here was no great gift Oh Sirs however the Lord doth keep up Prayer your case cannot bee so bad but pray you may and pray you must Do but observe an instance or two in the Book of the Psalms of very sad cases and yet they did not give over Prayer Psal 61. there you have the Psalmist crying after God in the first verse But when would hee cry Why when my heart is overwhelmed vers 2. Thou sayest thy heart is overwhelmed and thou canst not it is in vain to pray Mark the Psalmist prayed then Again Psal 88. observe how sad the case of Heman is set forth there My soul is full of trouble my life draweth nigh unto the grave vers 3. And so on But what saith hee in vers 13. But unto thee have I cried O Lord and in the morning shall my Prayer prevent thee Though the case was very sad yet it was not past praying Here is the Devils temptation What wilt thou pray it is in vain thou hast prayed and Christ doth not answer Nay hee hath returned thee a rough answer So indeed the Serpent subtilly suggests to take us off from Prayer But resist the Devil in that temptation do thou yet pray and give not over yet say I will pray unto him say with Jonah Yet I will look again towards his holy Temple Jonah 2.4 Quest But if the soul say But I cannot tell how to pray I have not a Gift of Prayer Answ If thou bee a Saint Thou hast a Grace of Prayer And observe this thou canst pray as much as the Woman of Canaan Lord help mee and Truth Lord c. Here are but three words Lord help mee And let mee in allusion tell you but three words that you should pray to the Lord let your case bee what it will First Lord thou onely canst help mee all the men in the world cannot help mee Secondly Lord thou didst help many as bad as I. Thirdly And Lord If thou didst never help any as bad then now thou wilt have the more glory by helping mee Object Possibly the soul will be ready to say But alass Jesus Christ puts mee off I would pray but hee turns away and will not hear and I would catch hold of him but hee runs away Repl. You know what Jacob did Gen. 32.26 27. Hee would catch hold of God though hee would bee gone and you must wrestle with him and cry after him You must not let him go You see the Disciples tell Christ that this Woman cried after them vers 23. Shee was as one that ran after another who went away Shee crieth after us say they do thou so if Christ seem to go run after cry after Bee not put off renew and re-inforce thy Prayer again and again Indeed in this the Grace of Prayer differs from the Gift the Grace lives and lasts the Gift dies and goes out Well then stir up thy self to take hold of God and keep thy hold having taken it Pray if thou canst but a little and go again and pray the same words again and again Christ himself did so Three times hee prayed in the same words Mat. 26.44 Bee not ashamed if thou want variety of expression A few words prevail with God and Jesus Christ Therefore I say Pray alwaies however Christ carry it cast not away thy Prayers but continue in it so this Woman did and wee must do likewise But Thirdly Bee resolute in your Faith And pray let mee mark this by the way Though shee doth not say Lord I beleeve yet shee did beleeve The Woman was acting the Grace of Faith all this while and shee acts it very resolutely shee speaks as one beleeving him to bee the Messiah as one whose onely hope and help was in him and as one that did cleave and adhere to him Our Lord Jesus witnesseth to the Womans Faith vers 28. It was strong and resolute shee did beleeve and was acted and upheld as I shall shew hereafter by Faith in all this address A Faith shee had and a Faith shee expressed really though it is not expressed literally as to the terms yet it is evident as to the Truth of it that shee did beleeve so do you Beleevers are ready to think that in time of trouble it is a time to pray and to hear but not to beleeve c. Thou thinkest thou mayest cry after Christ and wait upon Christ I but thou shouldest beleeve in him Isa 50.10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord that walketh in darkness and hath no light let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon his God So Job I wil trust in him though hee kill mee That act of Faith I am now pressing is Trusting and I pray minde it what kinde of Faith I press in this particular It is a Trusting Faith Job did trust and hee that feareth God must trust in him at all times yea in the dark And truly this word or term Trust doth very fitly set forth the thing I intend to press you in this particular unto Now that you may a little understand it consider that there are four words in the Scripture that set forth the great Mystery of Beleeving There is first The general word Faith I beleeve Lord help my unbeleef Secondly There is the particular word of Hope Hee hopeth Thirdly There is a particular word of Knowledge which is as much as Assurance I know whom I have beleeved And Fourthly There is this word Trusting And now what is the nature of Trust A man that beleeves hath a pretty deal of light of God but hee that hopes hath a little more hee hath more that knows but what hath hee that trusts I shall give it you in this similitude One comes to another Sir I know you can help mee
saith God I have commanded it it shall bee so Bee it unto thee My Beloved Jesus Christ at last will say I command every Ordinance every Creature every word thou readest that it bee to thee as thou wilt Time was at first that Christ carried it so as nothing did subserve you or yeeld unto you any respect but when the Lord is reconciled at last hee will command all to bee yours Time was when no Man Means Creature Ordinance had any commission to smile on you or speak well to you and then it was sad But at length Christ will give a word send a Commission to all and command them saying Bee it so and so to such a poor soul as it will as it wisheth Secondly As there is a Commanding so there is a Creating Power in the Word and that is much Beleever Beleever though the Lord carry it at first like a man astonished hee will create mercy at last As in the Creation of the world God said Let there bee light and there was light c. So in Isa 57.7 saith God I create the fruit of the lips peace The Lord that creates light out of darkness peace out of trouble sweet out of bitter Hee will create for thee bee it light unto such a soul such a soul wants light and there is light created for him strength bee thou created for him c. I remember the Apostle Peter doth exhort Beleevers as their last refuge to eye the creating power of Christ and act Faith upon him not onely as a Redeemer but as a Creatour In 1 Pet. 4.19 Saith hee Commit the keeping of your souls to him in well doing as unto a faithful Creatour Soul if Creating Mercy can help you bee confident Christ will put it forth at length there shall bee another fiat another let there bee this or that for such a soul and that with creating influence in it And oh how kindly doth Christ carry it now at last that hee commands all and will create rather than fail comfort for this poor Woman Bee it unto thee even as thou wilt Thus have wee in Christs speech to this Woman seen as in a glimpse what his last dealings will bee with those that come to him And is not this enough to confirm your hearts that at last Christ will bee kinde however hee is at first But I proceed to the other thing here in Christs Carriage to this Woman Thirdly Her Daughter is made whole the same hour Poor Creatures you are full of unbeleef and I must say to you as John said These things are written thâ—t you might beleeve Christ will deal so well with poor souls that at last hee will give them their desires to the full And that which may bee their request in an eminent manner more particularly will the Lord Christ give them that I pray mark it a little thus The soul wants many mercies wishes all but it hath some particular pinch for the present c. Now that shall bee given in to the soul You have a fine expression to import the condescention of God to particular mercies in Psal 21.2 4. Thou hast given him his hearts desire and hast not with-holden the request of his lips Hee asked life of thee and thou gavest it him even length of daies for ever and ever Why my Beloved you that wait upon the Lord and truly come to him know and remember however hee carries it as if at first hee will grant nothing yet at last hee will grant every thing and in particular that Mercy that particular special Mercy which thy heart is drawn forth to mention before the Lord. Oh saith the soul I would have all sin dead but let this sin dye Now the soul shall have his this thing In this thing the good Lord bee merciful to mee why the Lord will in that thing bee kinde Let the soul single out its particular request Oh in this matter in that childe in this cause c. And hee shall finde Christ at last will come down to that very thing But I shall speak to this in the last Sermon by it self therefore I will not urge it here Onely now put all together and tell mee if the point bee not certain That Christ at last will deal very kindly with souls that truly come to him however at first hee may seem to deal harshly What could the poor soul wish more than shee had hee spake kindly now hee doth what shee will and as much as shee will now her Daughter shall bee whole in a moment c. This is all I shall say for the demonstration of the point There are some Objections to bee answered I shall at this time mention one Object I but will the soul say This is a particular example and particular examples they are not foundations for general conclusions Here is a Woman of Canaan and the Lord deals well with her what is this to mee For Answ Beloved in the Lord know this That every example of Gospel-grace is not so particular but that it is a general pattern All this was written that wee might beleeve And you know what the Apostle saith in that same Rom. 15. and the beginning These things are written for our learning c. Do not say This was a Woman of Canaan and I am a poor other kinde of creature Know this was written for thee In 1 Tim. 1.16 saith Paul there That in mee first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a pattern to them which should hereafter beleeve on him to life everlasting If the Woman of Canaan were alive shee would say I was a pattern for thee shee would say Christ dealt thus with mee first to shew how hee would deal with other poor creatures afterwards Let this bee an answer But then the Second Answer is this The account upon which shee had this grace it was not particular but common A particular thing with a particular account is too streight to bee made a general Rule but a particular example upon a general account may bee made a general Rule remember that Now this mercy was given to her not upon any personal particular account but upon a general account what is that account Woman great is thy Faith Shee hath this mercy not as a Woman nor as a Woman of Canaan nor as so and so speaking but as a Beleever Now upon this Reason Because the Lord dealth thus with her upon the account of Faith where-ever there is true Faith the Lord will deal thus It is the particular argument of Rom. 4. The Apostle proves that Abrahams Justification was a general type to others How doth hee prove it because it came to him by Faith The strength of the Argument lies thus Abraham was not justified as such a man upon any personal account but because hee was a beleever and therefore hee argues that all beleevers should bee justified as hee was Therefore do not say it was a particular example it