whose soul was bitter coming to the Prophet and so soon as shee came to him shee fell down and caught him by the feet I pray behold and learn in all your addresses unto Jesus Christ put forth the highest affection put forth the most intenseness of your spirits that may bee cry and get hold of him Christ will not charge thee with unmannerliness Shee cried it notes the Agony of her spirit that shee was in Oh that our drousie careless souls would but learn of this Woman Many are so far from crying that they scarce lisp But remember it Sirs when you come to the Lord Jesus stir up all your souls let all your affection then go out Oh! when should wee ever let out all our souls to the utmost if not then when wee come to close with Jesus Christ There is a lawful and laudable passion to bee manifested in this matter Christ loves and likes to hear our cries O let not this poor womans crying cry any of us shame who are so far from a crying after Christ that wee do almost cry away Christ Well behold her praise-worthy passion and go thy way soul and imitate her therein Never approach Christ but with much passion with most earnest and ardent affection Secondly Shee cried Have mercy on mee Poor Woman shee speaks as one poor in spirit that is rich in Faith as Christ calls her afterwards shee had no Merit but shee knew the Lord had Mercy Behold it and know this as a lesson to bee learnt hence viz. That when you approach Christ let it bee by Mercy by meer Mercy That same poor Publican in the Gospel of Luke cries Lord bee merciful to mee a sinner My Brethren right closing with Christ right saving justifying Faith which carries the soul to Christ eyes nothing but Mercy This is the main incouragement that keeps up Faith yea and this is the great Motive that doth still prevail with the Lord therefore wee should take hold of it in Ephes 2.4 It is said But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith hee loved us c. Thou hast misery that pincheth thee but the Lord hath mercy that will pitty thee and thou that sayest thou hast no works know this the Lord hath much grace Behold the Woman of Canaan and see how shee doth and wee ought to eye and plead meer mercy and that onely and alwaies when wee come to Christ Thirdly Observe a little further what shee saith Lord thou Son of David Shee speaks in language beyond the learning of the Scribes and Pharisees though they were great Doctors of the Law yet they had not learned this mystery to look upon Christ as the Lord and as the Son of David It was indeed a miracle that a Woman of Canaan should have this knowledge and wee might say as it was said in another case of Christ whence hath this Woman knowledge why my Brethren what could any of us have said more to Christ to speak out our Faith what is it but that wee do beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ This phrase speaks Faith Learn hence In all your addresses to Christ to come in the language of Faith and speak to Christ as becomes Jesus Christ Still know hee is the Lord Davids Son the promised one indeed When you come to deal with Jesus Christ bee not hasty consider who hee is hee is the Lord and hee is the Son of David the true and the onely Messiah Remember this lesson in all your addresses to Jesus Christ remember this good example it is a Saints pattern There are two sorts of people I would desire to look upon this pattern The first are those who it may bee are but now beginning to close with Jesus Christ And secondly Those who it may bee have revolted and back slidden from Christ and are now returning again I pray Sirs make as much haste as you can but observe how you go Go to Jesus Christ with much affection with much humility renounce Merit and cry Mercy and still give the Lord his due So you see this Woman of Canaan doth and go thou O soul in any case and do likewise That is all I will speak to the second head To proceed to the third and last thing Behold once again the occasion of this Womans coming It was That her daughter was grievously vexed with a Devil The Evangelist Mark saies shee was vexed with an unclean spirit The one is a general the other is a particular expression of it I do not think it worth the while to dispute about this infirmity or this possession under which her Daughter lay what it was All that I shall note shall bee not of a Physical but rather of a Spiritual and Theological Nature from this Mothers coming to Christ upon this occasion In the general shee takes her childe to bee possessed with a Devil shee goes not to a figure-flinger not to any cunning man as simple ones use to say shee goes not to the Devil in a Doctor to cast out the Devil of her Daughter No but shee comes to Christ I pray in the general Learn in all cases distempers diseases c. to go first to Jesus Christ You may go to men to Physicians though not to Wizards but you must go to Christ and behold the Woman of Canaan to establish you in that good Christian custome of having recourse to Christ on all occasions in all necessities whether for yours and your selves But this is general There are two things in particular The first particular thing I would have you learn out of this Mothers coming upon this account Is Parentive pitty in compassion on children This Woman of Canaan pitties her childe and cries as if shee her self felt her Daughters pain and though shee was not sick simply yet shee was Sympathetically thou that canst let the little one cry and it may bee perish while thou art fooling abroad Oh remember the Woman of Canaan have pitty on your poor children and for their sakes go to Jesus Christ And do I mean onely you should go to Christ for them when they are sick no but Oh pray for thy childes sick soul It was a notable speech of one of the Antients said hee Wilt thou mourn over a body from whom the soul is gone and not over a soul from whom God is gone Oh shew that you have spiritual sympathy many of you have a natural sympathy if you see the childe burn and snake c. of a Feavour thou canst pitty him but it may bee thou seest him shake and reel with drunkenness and not pitty them at all It is Motherly pitty to sympathize with sick bodies but Christian pitty to sympathize with sick souls Friends put on bowels as the Elect of God as the Woman of Canaan and have compassion on your children In all their afflictions bee yee afflicted with all their sorrows bee yee affected and go to Christ on their behalf but not onely for bodies
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
sometimes unlike himself as wee may so speak carry himself thus to poor souls The Prophecies speak contrary the Promises speak fairer whence is it the Lord whose Name and whose Nature is love should deal so harshly with any when they come to him I answer Though God will fulfil the Prophecies and make good the Promises yet hee will keep up the Prerogative both of his WILL and of his WISDOME that in the general I spake unto the last time But there are six particular Reasons that I shall give of the point Christ may have six ends or six Reasons why hee will deal it may bee with you as with the Woman of Canaan First Christ hath a design to further humiliation Secondly Christ hath a design to make a little trial upon the poor soul Thirdly Christ hath a design to caution many by dealing harshly with some Fourthly Christ hath a design fully to bring the soul to Gospel self-denial Fifthly Christ hath a design to heighten himself in the heart And sixthly and lastly That the soul may catch more hastily and keep more closely hold of Christ Now pray minde it possibly this afternoon I may give an account of Christs dealing with some of your souls it may bee some of you are like the Woman of Canaan that have gone to Christ and found hard entertainment and you are ready to say Lord why dost thou do so such a one went and found thee friendly and favourably while I come and cry and have no kindness Nay seemingly and to my sense much harshness Consider now what I shall say to satisfie you in the Reason of this strange carriage of Christ And first It may bee Christ intends to humble thee Jesus Christ doth indeed humble all but not all alike nor all in the same manner Now by thus dealing with the soul in this manner hee doth humble the soul in the best and sweerest manner viz. in an Evangelical way Legal humiliation it is just as a Father deals with a very untoward childe hee will not bee ruled and the Father sends him to the Magistrate that hee may go to Bridewel But Gospel-humiliation is just like a Father dealing with his childe by himself The Father looks strange and speaks hard and thereby humbles the childe so Christ will not turn us over to Satan to buffer us and fear us and as it were break us but himself by a little unusual strange and rough carriage will that way humble us And truly what will humble us if that will not There are but three heads unto which humiliation doth relate and you shall see this same harsh dealing of Christ with us at first will tend very much to the accomplishment of them all First Humiliation relates to sin that sin may bee exceeding bitter Secondly It relates to self that the soul may bee exceeding low Thirdly It relates to Christ that a soul under the sense of the bitterness of sin and the lowness of self-thoughts may think of Christ very highly Now observe when Christ shall deal roughly with a sinner coming to him all these three are effected Oh now First Sin is made bitter by this dealing of Jesus Christ The Law made sin bitter but the Gospel makes it more bitter Oh! saith the soul mine iniquities make Christ look frowning they separate between God and mee A tormenting Devil with a fiery face doth not make sin so bitter as a frowning Jesus Christ with a harsh countenance when Christ looks angry thus saith the soul Oh that ever my sins should make my Father frown that is all love I had once thoughts that sin was that which would make the Devil roar and speak terribly but now I see it makes Christ himself harsh and speak roughly Oh vile sin Oh great evil now thy sin appears Oh my soul to bee indeed exceeding sinful the sole and principal evil that is for it makes my Saviour carry it sadly towards mee Secondly By this harsh dealing of Christ the soul is humbled in it self If Christ frown self must down and kneel It may bee the soul comes conceited hee is not so bad as the Preacher would make him but when the soul shall come to Christ for mercy and Christ shall frown and call him Dogg Now saith the soul though I thought Preacher and Father and Mother made mee worse than I was yet now I see I am very bad Christ hee calls mee Dogg and hee saith it is not fit I should come in house with the children and makes mee to see that for all my daintiness and high thoughts I am no 〈◊〉 than a Dogg Oh self how poor and mean and exceeding vile art thou Thirdly Christ is mightily exalted this carriage makes thee more to prize Christ Poor creatures onely thought Christ a common person one that might bee easily come and spoke unto yea and prevailed with But now when Christ carries it a little high and speaks something harsh bidding us as it were keep off Now hee comes to bee heightned in our heart and by casting us down hee doth lift up himself that now wee come with more reverence and fear with more self-abhorring and Christ-admiring thoughts than possibly wee did at first So that Christ by this carriage rendring sin more vile and self more base and himself more precious doth hereby sweetly and surely humble us and this may bee one reason of this strange carriage to us Secondly The Lord intends to make a trial upon the soul by this harsh dealing I pray minde it Beloved That Jesus Christ that will never burn the soul to ashes doth yet intend to make a trial of the soul in fire And my Brethren the harsh dealing of Jesus Christ it is a shrewd trial to us Two things I shall intimate in this the Lord by harsh dealing makes a trial of two things First Christ will make a trial of the reality of our humiliation and hunger by which wee pretend to hunger after Christ and to pant for him as those who do heartily prize him And Secondly Of the reality of our Faith too First Christ by this makes a trial of the reality of our spiritual hunger by which wee pretend to long after Christ All is not hunger and thirst for Christ which seems so to bee The soul comes to Christ as a man that is a hungry comes to bread and Oh saith the soul I am hungry and now â—â—â—ist will try him Hee comes and saies hee thirsts for Righteousness and Bread of Life now saith Christ I will try him a little will hee lye by the cupboard-door and if I say bread will hee say a crumb If I call him Dogg and bid him bee gone will hee yet lye at my feet A hungry man indeed will do so and I will try if this soul bee as hee saies really hungry So Christ hereby tries our spiritual longing Many pretend to long who do not so much as love for longing is the strength and height of love Many
it with suggestions of Sense or Reason But then A second Direction is Let Faith have its perfect work Therefore as the Apostle faith about Patience so let Faith have its perfect work Faith goes at first to half a Promise but let it alone it knows where to fetch a whole Promise Let Faith alone it will go to a Promise for what for refuge for help for all Faith will go to and look upon Abraham as Isa 51.2 and finde incouragement from him Nay it can run back to Adam and help it self with the thoughts of his experience let Faith have its course and it will carry you to every Promise and Example to incourage you If it have its perfect work it will gather strength from all the Word of God to help you in your work of closing with Christ I beseech you in these Directions strengthen and labour to incourage Faith O soul minde it storms and trials may come and then you will need afresh to run to Christ Look to your leggs your Faith it is that must carry you If death come death and doubting will come together now remember what must carry you thorow nothing but Faith Trust to no parts duties c. onely trust to the Lord in the way of Faith I shall conclude with two things First Woe to thee poor soul whoever thou art that wantest Faith I do not say woe to thee that art a poor man nor woe to thee if thou beest mean in the world nor say I thou art a sick or weak man and therefore woe No No But art thou an unbeleever a soul without Faith then woe indeed to thee Ah woe bee to that man that wants Faith for without Faith it is not possible to please God or to go to Christ and how sad is the state of that soul that can do neither Woe to all unbeleevers Secondly Blessed are you that have Faith I say not that have so great a Faith but Faith true Faith I say Blessed are you that beleeve you that do beleeve though but a little yet your little Faith will do this great work it will keep you from drowning it will carry you to Christ That little Faith Peter had for all his fears kept him up from sinking I remember what our Lord said to Nathaniel who beleeved as I may say a little Beleevest thou thou shalt see greater things than these John 1.50 Do but go on beleeving and thou shalt see greater things than yet thou hast seen Two things your Faith will do First It will bee your Leggs to carry you to Christ and that thorow all difficulties so you see it did this Woman And Secondly It will if I may say so Compel as it were Christ to entertain you after all denials Ah souls what a glorious entertainment did Christ give this poor Woman at last Well therefore strengthen Faith and that will help you to do as this Woman did and then you shall in the Issue speed even as shee did But of that in the next Christ will bee certainly kinde at last The Seventh SERMON Matthew 15. vers 28. Then Jesus answered and said unto her O Woman great is thy Faith bee it unto thee even as thou wilt c. YOu have sometimes seen or at least heard of a poor beggar who hath long lain and loudly cried at the gate of some great person and yet never liftened to never let in but anon it may bee the Master of the house himself hath opened the door and spake to the man kindly and dealt with him very comfortably how was the face of this beggar lightened how was his heart refreshed just so Nay greater than so was the heart of the Woman of Canaan cheared when our Lord answered and spake unto her the words that I have read Shee had as it were lain long and cried loud and begged hard and no answer but now at last the Lord answers and the Lord answers sweetly Oh Woman great is thy Faith bee it unto thee even us thou wilt The last day wee came to this verse in it I told you wee had the last particular of the story of the Woman of Canaan which holds forth the blessed conclusion which our Lord doth make with this poor Woman After I had hinted and resolved three questions I told you there were three particulars which in an eminent manner are remarkable in this place The First wee did dispatch then and that was this The Grace which did carry on and carry out this poor Woman in all this address it was her Faith And thence wee noted this Doctrine Doct. That it is onely Faith which can carry the soul thorow all difficulties and discouragements in the way to Christ Onely Faith Remember it Sirs some of you have a little knowledge and others of you have a great deal of Profession some of you talk much and the poorest thinks it may bee as well of himself as hee that saith most but remember whatever you know talk or think nothing will carry you to Jesus Christ but Faith you may have fine words and good wishes but alass wording and wishing is not coming to Jesus Christ Why this Woman had other gifts and other graces shee had much humility and shee had much patience and shee had a fine gift of prayer c. yet it is not said Woman much is thy patience or great is thy love strong are thy prayers but oh Woman great is thy Faith c. Wee did open the point at large and pressed it upon you in the Application in divers particulars which I shall not add unto or repeat Onely I beseech you my Beloved let this abide upon your hearts streng then Faith When you come to dye you will then see a need of Christ if you do not now and if you have not a living Faith you cannot have a living Christ and then is your soul dead before death Faith is another kinde of thing than the world is aware of wee hardly know the notion now but wee shall never bee able to know the preciousness of it as indeed it is precious but by the experience of it Now the greatest experience of Faith is seen in that blessed business of going to Christ In that wee have this experience of the use power and price of Faith that whatever wee have and pretend unto nothing but sincere single Faith will carry us unto Jesus Christ But I proceed The second thing which indeed is the principal thing is this The kindness of Christ now to this Woman You see his commendation of her Faith well now mark his condescension to her how much doth Christ condescend to this poor Woman hee condescends to talk with her commends her Faith and complies with her wishes to heal her Daughter c. Oh blessed condescension The Observation from the whole will bee this Doct. That however the Lord Jesus may deal at first with poor souls that come to him in the issue hee will deal very kindly
should say Lord if thou wilt but take away thy dread if thou wilt not speak in thy Majesty as a great God then speak Lord. That this is the meaning appears by Elihu his interpretation of it in Job 33. about 6 7. verses Behold I am according to thy wish in Gods stead I also am formed out of the clay Behold my terrour shall not make thâ—e afraid neither shall my hand bee heavy upon thee Job was afraid to hear God speaking as wee say in high language and therefore desired God to forbear it Why you see Christ doth here forbear high words hee now speaks to this woman in a low and loving manner even as a man to a man or a woman to a woman Hee answered and said unto her Woman Without doubt this familiar word and way of speaking to this Woman did much chear her heart and shee might hereupon say as Ruth did to Boaz when hee spake familiarly to her saith Ruth in the story Ruth 2.13 My Lord hath comforted mee and hath spoke friendly unto mee It is much mercy that Christ will give us an answer But it is much more mercy that hee will give us a soft answer You know the story of Eliah God saith hee would speak to him but hee came in a whirlwind before hee came in a soft answer but Eliah was a strong man and could bear what wee cannot If Christ should not speak to a poor heart in a still voice but in a whirlwind alass it would over-power the soul Therefore it is that Christ speaks as a man to his friend yea as a Father to a childe so you know hee did use to speak Daughter bee of good chear Son bee of good chear And thus wee finde it in other places the Lord speaks friendly Zach. 1.13 And the Lord answered the Angel that talked with mee with good words and comfortable words If Jesus Christ do not speak at all or if hee do speak yet if it bee not comfortable words wee count it strange and harsh and so it is and may bee as wee have shewed at first But still know now for all this whatever hee saith at first yet at last hee will speak comfortable words Thirdly Christ condescends yet and speaks more kindly for hee owns acknowledgeth and commends this poor Womans Faith Mark it Oh Woman great is thy Faith Why here is our third step The Lord Jesus eyes and owns her Faith and that is a great act of kindness Poor soul Thou lyest at the feet of Christ thou sayest I have desire but no hope I have fear but no faith thou that art full of fears yet the Lord will call thee for all that Releever hee will spy out and acknowledge thy Faith and call thee a Daughter of Abraham as here Woman great is thy Faith It is the kindness of Christ hee will espy our gold under much dross our little coal of fire under many embers Christ will do for us as for the Church of Philadelphia Rev. 3.8 saith Christ Thou hast a little strength and hast kept my word Or as hee said in that same chapter to Sardis A few Names are among you O how doth Christ speak to this Woman now at last Mark it and see is not the language altered Christ at first spake to her as a Woman of Canaan calls her upon that account as some call Turks and Infidels Dogg but now hee speaks to her as a Daughter of Abraham for so are beleevers called in Gal. 3.7 saith the Apostle Know yee therefore that they which are of Faith the same are the children of Abraham In this speech Christ tells her in effect Shee is an Israelite Once it was poor soul a stranger an enemy a Canaanite a Hittite such were the words in which Christ at first did as it were speak to thee Well but yet stay a little and thou shalt hear Christ speaking in kinder language hee will yet call thee Son Daughter Saint Friend in a word no more a Canaanite but at last Christ will speak to thee as an Israelite and say of thee as of Nathaniel Behold an Israelite in whom there is no guile I Pray minde it it is an admirable discovery this how kinde Christ will carry it at last Whatever sin hee charges in a spirit of conviction at first yet alwaies at last hee will acknowledge our Faith I say our faith and love and whatever is good in us I appeal to you O experienced souls are not you afraid to own your own faith One while your unbeleeving fears another while the humble working of your hearts will not let you see your own Grace I but you have a kinde Christ that will take notice of it and own it though thou bee a Canaanite in thy first address and in thine own account and Christ may seem therefore to deal harshly with thee yet still I say in this hee will at length bee kinde and shew it in eyeing and acknowledging any good every Grace that is in thee But I proceed unto the next thing here in Christs speech The fourth which is Great is thy Faith Hee doth not onely own but honour her Faith Oh my Beloved what an act of kindness is this commendation of Christ Praise is a fruit of love a sign of love why my beloved Jesus Christ will deal so kindly that hee will praise you at last Hee doth now praise this poor Woman whom hee seemed to sleight before And though Christ may at first seem to sleight and despise us yet at last hee will not only own but honour us And this is certainly his kindness How kindly did hee deal with the poor Woman in Luk. 7 hee was entertained by a Pharisee and had large entertainment yet how doth hee turn himself to the Woman and how kindly did hee deal with her Hee commends not the Masters Feast but the Womans Faith Nay hee seems to reproach the Pharisee that invited him and to exalt and honour the poor sinner that came unto him Her Love and Faith are very much praised by Christ there vers 46 47 50. Oh Sirs that Jesus Christ that you go unto truly however at first hee may seem not to own you much less to honour you at last hee will both own and honour you Look as Jesus Christ will deal severely with painted Sepulchres Hypocrites so hee will deal sweetly with sincere Beleevers That is one part of this kinde speech wherein our Lord deals very kindly though at first hee spake to her harshly The second part is Bee it unto thee even as thou wilt Wee may say of these words as one of the Antients said of some others They are wonders and not words Oh how doth the Lord condescend in kindness now to this poor Woman of Canaan when hee saith Bee it unto thee even as thou wilt Once hee said I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel Once hee said It is not meet to take the childrens
nothing c. Why know the Lord doth do it but sometimes and know that that God that speaks harshly to thee now will speak sweetly afterwards Note that place Judges 10. The people of Israel there cry to God deliver us this once what saith the Lord in vers 13. You have forsaken mee go to your Gods I will deliver you no more get you gone saith God and yet mark they follow on their cry save us but this once and it is said in vers 16. his soul was grieved for them Oh my Brethren though the Lord do seemingly entertain you harshly at first yet bee of good comfort hee may yet speak well to you yea hee will at last Onely let mee conclude with a little peece of the story of Joseph It may bee there are some of the women of Canaan that have cried long pray remember Joseph and Josephs Brethren came down to him My Lord say they wee are the children of one Man and wee come to buy corn and Joseph answered them roughly by and by hee laies one by the heels hee lets them go and keeps but one Oh the poor Brethren of Joseph might think what shall wee do wee are come into a strange Country and wee meet with strange language wee came to buy bread and wee are made prisoners you all know the story how Joseph entertained his Brethren at last Three things are in Josephs story in the book of Genesis First Though hee speaks roughly yet his bowels were towards his dear Brethren Secondly Though hee spake roughly it was that hee might have Renjamin And thirdly Though hee spake roughly yet at last hee entertained them royally Jesus is our Joseph and wee go to him for corn the Lord may speak roughly to us as Joseph did to them But first Hee hath bowels when hee speaks roughly Oh Jesus his bowels did roll to this poor woman when hee spake roughly When I spake against him my bowels were turned within mee saith God of Ephraim Oh thou childe of Canaan thou sayest hee hath called thee Dogg beleeve it hee is grieved for it at his heart Oh the sounding of the bowels of Christ are often towards us when hee seems to carry it harsh And then secondly Why did hee speak so harshly at first it was all to get Benjamin let us allude to it and apply it to you You have a Benjamin the Lord loves your hearts your soul your spirit that is your Bejamin the Lord speaks roughly that hee may have Benjamin and when once that Benjamin comes a living heart is brought to him hee will quickly make friends Lastly Joseph made a large recompence for all and truly so will the Lord Jesus make a large amends for all Oh children of Canaan in the Promise and thou woman of Canaan in the letter though the Lord seem harsh at first yet at last hee will bee sweet they shall have corn and mony too they shall have enough to bring them where they shall have all the Land Thou shalt have soul and body-mercies mercy for the way and mercy for the Country The Lord Jesus will deal bountifully The Lord may deal roughly but hee will yet deal royally How did hee deal with this woman Oh Woman bee it unto thee even as thou wilt Jesus did never speak so to any body Christ may say at last Oh soul go to the pot of Manna and take and eat what thou wantest what thou wishest And poor soul bee it to thee even as thou wilt for soul body daughter and all Though the Lord Christ may speak roughly at first and entertain seemingly severe yet hee doth end really sweet Thus much at present Reasons why Christ at first seems to bee harsh The Third SERMON Matthew 15. from vers 23 and so on But hee answered her not a word And his Disciples came and besought him saying Send her away for shee crieth after us But hee answered and said I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel Then came shee and worshipped him saying Lord help mee But hee answered and said It is not meet to take the childrens bread and to cast it to doggs c. BEsides those things which are commonly experienced and which must bee certainly expected in the coming of every soul to Christ besides those there are some RARE extraordinary things that now and then fall out upon some souls in their coming to â—hrist And my Brethren it concerns us to bee acquainted with them that in case they should befall us as others wee may know what to think and how to carry our selves Now in this story of the Woman of Canaan wee have some of those rare and extraordinary things which may befall some souls when they come to Christ Indeed wee have not the like History in all the New Testament unto this you read of many that came to Christ and you read how Christ did entertain them but you never read that Christ did carry it so to any as hee did to the Woman of Canaan There were four heads of matter unto which I said we might reduce this story First The coming of the Woman to Christ that wee have dispatched The Woman came upon a low account at first shee had a childe-sick possessed with Satan and her sick childe did revive a dead soul and brings her to Christ But now the second head wee are come to It is Christs entertainment of this Woman How doth Christ entertain her shee comes with much affection shee speaks with great humility how doth Christ welcome her truly very strangely hee answers her not a word And when the Disciples spake on her behalf hee seems to reprove them when shee renews her request hee puts her off with a dreadful answer so strangely doth Christ sometimes carry it to poor souls The Doctrine wee are upon from the carriage of Christ to the Woman is Doct. That Iesus Christ is seemingly harsh sometimes to some souls when they come to him Wee expressed the Doctrine with more caution because it is rare and it must not bee mistaken Therefore wee told you the lâ—st day those three expressions are boundaries of the point 1 It is but seemingly There is harshness in the carriage when none in the heart 2 And that sometimes 3 And but to some persons wee do not read of any more but this one to whom Christ did carry it so There were two things I said I would open in the doctrinal part First Wherein Christ might shew some kinde of harshness sometimes to poor souls This wee opened by this instance of Christs carriage to this Woman 1 Hee doth not entertain her 2 Hee doth not speak to her 3 Puts off them that spake for her 4 When shee renews her request shee is not the better 5 Nay hee speaks that as might dash her hope 6 And at last hee doth for her but upon a great dispute and after denials and delaies Secondly But whence is it that the Lord should thus