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
eat of the crumbs which fall from their Masters Table The Lord had in a manner called her Dogg and said it was not for doggs to have childrens bread shee doth not deny it but shee grapples with grace and saith Truth Lord yet doggs may have a crumb c. I shall put all that is spoken here of her carriage into one Lesson but before I do that I shall name two other observable points The first is this A right Faith coming and carrying of the soul to Christ is a resolute Faith That is one point I would name pray mark it The Lord Jesus seems to put her off hee gives her nothing that was a visible incouragement yet shee will go on and yet shee will not bee put off When the soul comes to Christ hee comes as one that needs a Christ and wants a Christ will have and as one that must have a Christ and what then hee will have a Christ before hee goes away Though hee have not evidence hee will have adherence though the soul can see nothing and though no hope yet hee will bee resolute although Christ will not smile though conscience is not quiet though the wound bee not healed though the Lord put off angrily yet the soul keeps resolute to him and will not bee sent away empty Faith if right is still resolute The second Point that I shall name is this That a right Faith knows how to confess and beleeve at once A true Beleever will not conceal his sin yet will close with Jesus Christ A right Faith will deny nothing and yet it will beleeve all things My Brethren mark it a little there are a company of vile people that are as they say all for Faith and nothing for confession and what say they beleevers it is not for them to come and confess sin Why a beleever will confess sin doth the Lord say dogg yes truth Lord I am a dogg will the soul say as this Woman did There are others that will confess and not beleeve Oh they cry out they must confess and bewail and lye low and humble themselves c. but they cannot beleeve they dare not beleeve confession is their work c. Why poor hearts you may do both you may say Lord I am a sinner yet I beleeve for mercy is for sinners I am ungodly yet I beleeve for Abraham beleeved in him who justifieth the ungodly I am a dogg as thou sayest Lord yet I beleeve a dogg may gather up a crumb Well remember it True Faith doth not hinder confession nor confession should not hinder Faith But the particular Lesson of the place is this Namely That it is the duty the wisdome the glory of poor souls to carry it holily and humbly unto Christ when Christ seems to carry it harshly unto them So doth this poor Woman or if you will take it shortly thus It becomes Christians to carry it really well when Christ carries it seemingly ill I know my Brethren this is a hard work but as hard as it is wee must learn it and I will assure you if ever God intend to do you good though flesh and blood murmure yet the Lord will whip you into this Lesson but hee will make you learn it Namely to carry it holily to him when hee carries it seemingly harsh to you I remember that passage in 1 Pet. 2.18 Servants bee obedient to your Masters not onely to the good and gentle but also to the froward It is the duty of a servant professing the Name of God though hee have a froward Master yet hee must carry it well Now mark it Is it the duty of a servant to carry it well to a bad Master and is it not the duty of Saints to carry it well to Christ wee are the servants hee is the Master So in Heb. 12.9 Mark the Apostles argumentation saith hee Wee have had Fathers of our flesh which corrected us and wee gave them reverence shall wee not much rather bee in subjection unto the Father of spirits and lâ—ve Mark there is life in this our life depends on our reverent carriage in this case Alass if Christ bee gone our life goes with him carry it well therefore if thou love thy life you must bee subject and submissive even when hee seems to bee sharp otherwise death is at the door Minde it then would you have a pardon and doth Christ seem to deny you where can you go for it but to him and when you come if you submit there it is soul in the point is your life Therefore mark the lesson well It is the duty wisdome and glory of Saints to carry it well to Christ when hee carries it seemingly ill to them There are four persons in the book of God recorded that God did seem to deal very hardly withall and of all of them this Woman of Canaan was most rare Good old Aaron holy Job the Virgin Mary the Mother of our Lord and this Woman in the Text. But truly as the Apostle said now remains Faith Hope and Charity the greatest thereof is Charity so of these that are upon record the greatest of these is this Woman shee seems to excel in good carriage under hard usage For Aarons carriage you have it recorded in Lev. 10.3 The Lord had dealt very severely with him Nadab and Abihu his two sons were consumed with fire from Heaven before the Lord. Ah Lord how harsh was this to flesh and blood what meer man having nothing more than man could bear it a good Priest hath two sons taken away suddenly But how doth Aaron carry it The Lord spake to Moses and Moses to Aaron saying This is that the Lord spake I will bee sanctified in them that come nigh mee and before all the people I will bee glorified and Aaron held his peace The Lord seemed very severe against the old man hee took away two of his children at once when they were about his work the Lord satisfies him by Moses and hee held his peace A blessed behaviour it was well-becoming him and very patternable unto us The second is that of Job In the first and second chapters you may read and see that God carries it strangely to him yet it is said in all this Job carries it very well so well that the Holy Ghost bears him witness Hee sinned not nor charged God foolishly And when his Wife put him on to curse God Oh saith hee Thou speakest like one of the foolish women what shall wee receive good at the hand of God and not evil There was a carriage indeed very good and right according to our Doctrine Thirdly Our Lords Mother carries it well to the Lord when hee seemed to carry it harsh to her In John 2.3 There you have our Lord and his Mother at a Wedding and there was wanting some Wine and the Mother said to Jesus they have no Wine saith Christ Woman what have I do with thee mine hour is not yet come What
life when they have been going out of the world they have had joy and comfort The story of Mris. Drake is known shee had many terrours much sadness no smiles from Christ all her daies till at last when shee came to dye a little before her death Christ dealt so kindly that shee went out of the world in an extacy and ravishment of spirit full of peace and full of joy triumphing in the Lord so that in the Issue of our time and life wee shall finde Christ kinde however hee is at first to us But then Thirdly Or else in the Issue of all things When all things shall bee wrapt up by a final End and Issue put to them then Christ will shew himself kinde however strange hee did seem to carry it to poor souls before You read of a day in Mal. 3.17 in which the Lord will make up his Jewels and then you shall return and discern between the righteous and the wicked c. And Matthew 25. there Christ speaks very sweetly when the Lord shall say to those on his right hand Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you c. Then hee shall say to this poor man and woman thou didst mourn after mee all thy daies thou didst wait upon mee all thy life and though I seemed to carry it strange thou wert sincere Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you c. I do observe that this carried up the heart of Job in Job 19. I know that my Redeemer liveth and hee shall stand at the latter day upon the Earth and then in my flesh I shall see him c. This Text in Job is worth its weight in Gold upon many accounts That that Jesus Christ that is now at the right hand of the Father Job many thousand years ago said hee should know upon the Earth and though hee set him up as a mark to shoot at then yet hee knew at last hee would deal kindly with him Well then I pray put all together Persons truly comming to Christ in the Issue either of the Act of coming or of their Lives or of all things shall finde this to bee a certain Truth that Christ will deal sweetly with them however now hee may seem to carry it strangely And my Beloved I shall not need to bring any other instance to prove it than this instance in the Text. Never was any so strangely dealt withall as the Woman of Canaan and yet what a blessed Issue doth hee make with heâ— Oh Woman great is thy Faith bee it unto thee even as thou wilt c. There are onely two things that I aim at in the explication of the point And The first is to shew you wherein the kinde close of the Carriage of Christ in the Issue shall appear to poor souls however at first hee may carry it strangely And Secondly The ground of this Wee shall begin with the first And I shall out of this instance of the Woman of Canaan shew you how kindly Christ will carry it at last in the Issue though hee carry it roughly at first Pray observe this speech Jesus answered and said unto her c. I remember in the book of Ruth when Boaz had espied Ruth and talked of her to his servants hee spake to her himself in vers 8. and what saith shee in verse 10. Shee fell upon her face and bowed her self to the ground and said unto him Why have I found grace in thine eyes that thou shouldest take knowledge of mee seeing I am a stranger It was a marvelous act of kindness that Boaz should take knowledge of her to speak to her Just so mee thinks it was here Christ at first talks to his servants of this Woman hee did not speak at first to her but to the Disciples of her But now although before the Lord did not seem to take knowledge of this Woman yet I say now the Lord is so kinde as hee turns to her and takes notice of her and hee speaks exceeding kinde to her Oh Woman great is thy Faith bee it unto thee even as thou wilt c. Let us open it a little Here are three Parts First Oh Woman great is thy Faith Secondly Bee it unto thee even as thou wilt Thirdly At the same hour her Daughter was made whole First Hee answered and said unto her O Woman great is thy Faith My Beloved wee must open this by degrees and it is very much which is here contained For First of all Hee answered and said unto her O blessed kindness that Jesus Christ that before answered her not a word hee now opens his lips and vouchsafes to speak to her David who knew what an act of kindness this is sets it forth both in the Negative and in the Affirmative Negatively speaking of his enemies in Psal 18.41 They cried but there was none to save them even unto the Lord but hee ANSWERED THEM NOT. And Affirmatively speaking of himself in Psal 118.5 I called upon the Lord in distress the Lord answered mee and set mee in a large place Oh my Beloved it is an act of kindness that Christ will speak Let not my Lord bee angry saith the soul do but speak to mee Oh it is mercy and kindness when the Lord breaks his silence and doth but speak to us Why now Christ you see speaks to the Woman And it is said Jesus answered and said unto her hee answers his Disciples before about her but did not speak to her now hee speaks to her Remember you not the expression in Cant. 8.13 Thou that dwellest in the Gardens the Companions hearken to thy voice cause mee to hear it Oh saith the poor soul sometimes Blessed Lord thy Companions hear thy voice Angels that wait upon thy Throne they hear it and the Saints in the Sanctuary they hear it and I am without knocking Lord let mee hear thy voice Here is the first step that hee vouchsafes to speak to her Secondly Hee saith unto her Woman c. how soft is this language Now hee doth not speak to her in a rough manner but Woman My Beloved you know what is said of Job Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind who is this that darkens words of wisdome without knowledge Job 38.1 2. But behold the Lord hee answers in a still voice hee speaks as a man to a woman By Beloved had the Lord spoken louder it may bee it would have broke her the Lord will speak to poor souls in a still voice I remember a prayer of Job Job 13. about verse 20. Onely do not two things unto mee then will I not hide my self from thee withdraw thine hand far from mee and let not thy dread make mee afraid c. And it is worth our considering because it will open what wee are upon hee doth as it were capitulate with God and hee makes but one Article Let not thy dread make mee afraid As if Job
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
little washing doth cure it another hath a wound in the thigh or the arm that must have a great deal of lancing and washing ere it bee whole Oh! sins are wounds the least vanities are knocks on the crowns but there are blasphemies and uncleannesses and unrighteousnesses with a witness and the Lord must deal a little harshly with thee how else should hee deal with thee Tremble at every little sin but tremble especially at great sins I say not that great sins shall hinder us from Christ but upon the account of them at our first beleeving wee may meet with harshness in Christ The deeper our wounds the sharper our cure alwaies Thirdly There are a third sort of people that cannot but expect Christ will deal harshly with them Those that do neglect many a sweet and gracious tender of mercy and salvation by Jesus Christ many a day Suppose two people in the same Congregation one is crouded here that never heard the Gospel all his daies another is here that hath heard the Gospel many years you that have neglected sweet calls and precious opportunities if Christ receive you at last it will bee rich mercy but it will bee harshly I have often thought of it young people do not know how much bitterness of spirit they avoid by closing with Christ betimes My thinks I see some souls under such a condition you have stayed out all day and come home at midnight I do not say you shall not bee received when you come but you may bee received with a whip and go to bed without a Supper as wee use to say to some children Now I am afraid of one snare of the Devil My thinks I hear the Devil whispering to some souls well bee it so as you say so long as Christ will receive you at last so long as I shall not go to Hell so long as I shall have mercy at last then I will go on c. I will speak three words to this First of all It is more than you know I say it is more than you know that you shall bee saved at last I say it is possible Christ may receive the soul but how do you know it who did tell thee that it thou didst sin so many years after all thou shouldest have Christ with a whip and a knock Secondly It is a thousand to one that it shall bee so The soul that puts off closing with Christ upon this presumption that hee shall have it at last and will presume to tarry because hee perswades himself of a sure reception though it may bee sore I say these of all persons in my judgement have ground to fear lest the Lord give them to a deluded heart to damning dreams and soul-cheating hopes I fear if any bee thus Christ will not receive them no not at first nor last neither sweetly nor severely therefore take heed of this delusion But let mee add Thirdly I will suppose this that thou shalt bee saved at last very harshly Consider the terms dost thou know how harsh they will bee Dost thou know what terrours of the Lord may bee upon thee what terrours of Hell may bee in thee c Oh Sirs who knows the power of Gods wrath who knows the terrour of a wounded conscience can you live seven years under the apprehension of Gods wrath fourteen years under terrour and every day to walk up and down under everlasting burnings Beware how you go on upon those tearms but let every soul bee wise now beware now bee watchful now that sith the Lord though hee bee sweet can bee bitter beware how you provoke him to bee so to you Last Use The third and last Use It is for Exhortation to exhort you all to receive this truth so as not to bee offended with it I say so to receive this truth c. I remember our Lord and Saviour in John 16. preaches the truth of persecution upon this account These things saith hee I speak that you may not bee offended c. My Brethren this Truth this great Truth this strange Truth that Christ may deal thus hardly with some souls that come to him I preach it and tell you of it that you may not bee offended not offended when it comes to pass as to your particulars There are two offences one is therefore to say I will never go to Christ The other offence is I finde it so that Christ is harsh and therefore I will go no further I pray bee not thus offended First Do not stumble upon this as a rock of offence and say I will not go to Christ this is but to some I do not say the Lord will deal thus with all say not were I in the Woman of Canaans condition I could never hold up and therefore I will stand off Do not say so who are you that walk uprightly and avoid sin and snatch at a tender of mercy and are willing to come at a call go to Christ and you will finde that hee will entertain you friendly or suppose it bee seemingly harsh yet remember better bee entertained by Christ seemingly harsh than not to go at all and bee shut out for ever bee not offended therefore do not stumble at going to Christ Secondly Let no soul bee so offended at this dealing as to say I will bee gone I will bee gone I will wait no longer By Brethren it may bee there may bee some poor soul here before the Lord that may say I am a second Woman of Canaan a woman of a bitter spirit of a grieved soul because I have gone to Christ and am not entertained I have got Father Mother Minister childe to pray for mee I am not yet answered My beloved for all this thou art but a Woman of Canaan and the Lord may deal with you as such what though hee speak not at all or but harshly this is not new neither do thou so wonder at it or bee offended by it as to think of drawing back or going away from Jesus Christ Therefore let mee speak two words to thee 1 One is Bee advised 2 The other is Bee encouraged The first word is of Advice I pray take advice O poor heart Thou sayest thou hast gone to Christ and hee frowns thou sayest thou hast looked up to the brazen Serpent and yet the sting of the fiery Serpent abides thou sayest thou hast called for a crum of bread and no answer comes bee advised to look about you to see why God deals thus with you you may bee bold with the Lord Jesus hee never checked the Woman with boldness ask Christ Lord is thy design to humble mee then do so or Lord what is thy design is it to try mee then do so but support mee Is it to heighten thy self in my heart Lord what is thy design look about you and consider for which of all the Reasons it is that the Lord deals thus with you Secondly Bee encouraged to wait upon the Lord yet a
Creatures and certainly our poverty doth speak for our humility Indeed wee are beggars and you know the speech of Solomon in Prov. 28.23 The poor useth intreaties It is but meet that those that come a begging and are poor that they should use intreaties And my Brethren let mee tell you it is an argument that wee have not the blessing of spiritual poverty if wee do not carry it well to Jesus Christ however hee carries it to us Indeed it is observed as the very natural disposition of the Spanish Nation that though they bee beggars yet they bee proud I wish in a spiritual sense that were not true of the most of us wee carry it too proudly and that because wee forget what wee are I remember Solomon when hee would strike fire out of the flint as it were that is reverence out of the hearts of irreverend ones falls upon this consideration Hee is in Heaven and thou art on Earth Eccles 5.2 Ah! it is folly as Solomon there intimates for us who are upon Earth wee dust and ashes to carry our selves hastily irreverently before the God of Heaven Our poor condition prompts us on were wee wise to minde it to a good Carriage This I finde to bee the proper reason of that good Carriage which wee opened from Psal 22. You finde there the Psalmist crying out Oh my God why hast thou forsaken mee and I cry and thou hearest not c but thou art holy O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel Here is excellent good Carriage but what is the ground of it See in the sixth verse But I am a Worm and no Man As if hee should say I am a worm a poor silly creature and therefore if I cry and thou hear not yet thou art a holy and honourable God But Secondly Wee are not onely poor but wee are polluted creatures And now my Brethren our pollution when wee come to Jesus Christ should have a power upon us to make us carry it so holily and humbly as wee opened The Leper under the Law had a liberty to cry out yet hee was to cover his face and to cover his lips My Brethren you and I are but Lepers when wee come to Jesus Christ and upon this account it is that wee should carry it holily and humbly This had an influence in Jobs good Carriage in the 40. and 42. chapters Behold saith Job I am vile what shall I answer thee I have spoken once but I will speak no more Surely it argues wee are not sensible of our own stench and pollution if wee dare stand upon terms and mis-behave our selves towards our holy Physician If thy poverty will not binde thee to the good behaviour let thy pollution do it Thirdly Yet add a third string to this cord that it may keep thee in Wee are not onely poor and polluted but wee are very enemies And my Brethren an enemy especially a conquered enemy coming to plead for his life for mercy had need come humbly When the servants of Benhadad came to the King of Israel as enemies and as conquered enemies they come with ropes about their necks and lye at his feet and snatch at a word 1 King 20.33 Oh sinner that is thy condition thou art an enemy thou hast been in rebellion and thou art suing for reconciliation and shouldest not thou carry it well Is thy heart so unsensible of thy former Carriage as to miscarry it self again Surely thou hast need and all the reason in the world to crouch and bend to yeeld and bow well to carry thy self who hast been an enemy with all reverence to the Lord Jesus otherwise you do much forget your selves But I shall not inlarge That is the second Reason why souls should carry it holily and humbly to Christ Namely if wee consider who wee are that come to Christ But then Thirdly and lastly Consider you the Errand for which you come to Christ at any time and you will see in that an Argument to make you carry it well This Woman came to Christ upon a great Errand Ah Lord My Daughter is grievously vexed with a Devil And Oh Lord I am troubled with him too might shee say A great business then shee came about and so do wee when wee come to Christ If wee were to speak with Christ for a trifle then if Christ spake roughly wee might go away but it is about what most concerns us For suppose it bee thy first coming to Jesus Christ thou art a poor creature under sin and now thou art made sensible of it what dost thou go to Christ for for ease of thy burden c. Suppose thou art coming to Christ after some backsliding under the guilt of some spiritual Adultery and now thou art coming to him that hee should receive thee again and is not this a serious thing Nay suppose thou goest to Christ but for the life of one of your children or your own life these are serious things and in serious things wee should carry it humbly when wee come to such a one as Jesus Christ is being such as wee are upon such a weighty Errand as all our occasions are I fear thou that mis-behavest thy self to Christ forgettest thy business with him Is the sentence past and art thou condemned already and art thou come to Christ with the chains about thy feet and the halter about thy neck and now carriest thou thy self ill to him Art thou suing for thy pardon and now proud art thou before the Lord for bread childrens bread at any time and is thy case such as death follows upon a denial of it and now mindest thou not thy Carriage Pray souls look about you as my phrase is what come you to Christ for is it for temporals or eternals come you for your selves or for yours are you seeking for things on Earth or in Heaven do you desire your childrens or your own or both deliverance from the Devil I pray minde your Errand what thing it is you come to Christ for and let it bee almost what it will that you are with Christ about the consideration of the one or other should and may prevail with us to carry it exceeding well though hee seem to carry it ill So much for the explication of the Point Why now then for the Application Indeed there is but one thing that I do aim at as the proper and principal intendment of this Point which is to direct and inable both my own heart and yours under God to carry it thus well to Jesus Christ though hee may carry it ill to us But before I speak to that I beseech you if it bee your duty to carry it well to Jesus Christ though hee should carry it ill to us then do you take heed as I was concluding the last time and would a little hint it again that you do not carry it ill to Jesus Christ when Christ carries it well to you Therefore all you that are before
pray help mee pray help mee saith hee I cannot do it or I will not do it The other replies but I beseech you Sir do it undertake it for mee I pray promise mee The other returns No I will undertake nothing I will promise you nothing The man returns again but yet I will commit it to you I pray consider it I will leave it with your goodness and though you will not say you will do it yet Sir I will trust in you So thou goest to Christ and hee will not hear thee hee turns away and saith nothing after all thy cries hee seems silent thou art left without assurance and without visible hope Now say Lord I leave my case my soul with thee I will yet relye upon thy grace and although thou wilt not give mee in a particular promise why yet Lord I will trust in thee Oh trust to his Omnipotent Arm that hee can do it and because of his Tender Compassion and Rich Free Grace trust in him that hee will do it and this is that which Christ takes very well at our hands Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose minde is stayed on thee because hee TRUSTETH in thee Isa 26.3 When all fails Hope and Heart fails and Christ seems to speak contrary Cry out Yet Lord I will trust in thee To draw up my self to a close of this Use I beseech you all often remember the Woman of Canaan consider her Carriage and this point which I have been pressing from her practice and in your condition strive to have her Carriage especially in the exercise of those three things viz. Humility Prayer and Faith Besides what in the former Sermon I opened which I shall not now repeat For onely this is that I would press viz. have such a good carriage in all things You know what is the particular occasion wherein Christ and you trade or have to do upon any account Bee thy case what it will or Christs carriage bee as hee pleaseth cross or kinde as wee speak still know you ought to study and strive to demean your self holily However the Lord carries it to you your duty and wisdome is to carry it well to him Quest I but you will say This is very hard how shall I do it Answ I told you indeed it is a hard Copy but wee must indeavour to write it And blessed bee God the Copy is written in great letters so that wee may with the more ease see it and imitate it Quest But how shall wee do it Answ Take but these Three things First If ever you would imitate this Copy Bee sure that you take heed of those persons that will shake your hands while you are a writing Oh Sirs when you are to copy out the great Copy of the Woman of Canaan 1 Away from the Devil 2 Away from Carnal Reason And 3 Away from flesh and blood These will shake your hand The Devil will put on Job to curse God Satan will suggest a thousand things to a soul in the Woman of Canaans condition Mark saith hee hee doth not hear thee thou dost not belong to him Mark hee gives thee a terrible answer hee is rather a Judge than a Father So for carnal reason and flesh and blood I will put them both together they will rise what must I bee called Dogg must I bee put off as I must not have a crumb But if ever you would carry it well take heed of those that will hinder you if you hearken to those they will but shake thy hand and make thee rather blot thy Copy-book as wee say and onely make a few scrawls as boies when some jogg their hand instead of writing by thy Copy Bid the Devil stand further off If you resist James tells you Hee will flee Shake off carnal reason minde not what that judgeth or sayeth of Christs carriage to thee Eye thou thy lesson and regard not any that would hinder thy learning of it that is one thing But then Secondly If ever you would write well by this Copy I pray often look upon your Copy Wee see that children do mistake because they do not often look upon their Copy It is no shame to learn of a good Woman it may bee you begin at first to think of the Woman of Canaan but you do not read thorow you should again and again look over look thorow and thorow this Example content not thy self with once reading or hearing repeat the story again Remember the Doctrine a second and a third time Hee takes a Copy best who eyes it most and that soul will best imitate this Woman of Canaan who reflects upon and considers her Example often Thirdly and Lastly Strengthen your hands as much as may bee My Beloved a cold hand shall I say or a cold heart will write but very poorly if you do not warm your hearts with some other good considerations you will not write well I will give you one general warming heating word to consider that you may write after this Copy that you may carry your selves thus well As long as you have a heart to carry Nay but to indeavour to carry it well to Christ Christ cannot carry it ill to you In this sense I tell thee if thy indeavours bee humbly and heartily to carry it well to Christ Christ cannot carry it ill to you I read once it is said of Christ viz. John 4.4 That hee must needs do such a thing hee must needs go thorow Samaria There was a poor Woman of Samaria hee must bring home And it is said in 2 Tim. 2.13 If wee beleeve not yet hee abideth faithful and cannot deny himself Truly there is a must in some things upon Christ and there is a cannot which may safely bee spoke of the Lord Jesus Hee must bee kinde and hee cannot deny himself in that After our humble holy waiting hee must speak and hee cannot conceal his grace from those that as this Woman address themselves to him And therefore it is certain and warm thy fingers hand and heart that thou mayest write the better with this consideration that while you carry it thus as I opened unto him Hee cannot continue strange to you but must and will appear as you expect and desire Remember it and rejoyce in it I say unto you from my Master that albeit the Lord Christ may delay and demur yet at last hee will speak to us and do for us I need not send you to any man but onely to women to assure you of this who are upon record in Scripture as presidents for this purpose I intreat you to remember that there are three Women in the New Testament to whom Christ shewed much mercy though at first hee seemed not to minde them The one is in Luk. 7.37 One that is called a sinner shee came and sate down at his feet and wept but hee did not seem to minde her The other is the Woman that had the bloody Issue in
bread and give it to Doggs But how well is the world mended with this poor creature Now the Lord doth not hint that hee was not sent to her but hee calls her beleever Now hee doth not tell her shee should not have childrens bread but now hee bids her take what shee would Once it may bee poor soul Jesus Christ said this to thy conscience Thou art a Rebel deserving no mercy at another time it may bee hee said this Thou art a filthy person and not yet prepared for mercy I but at last Christ will no more mention guilt or filth but hee will say to thee Rebel There is a pardon And to thee polluted sinnet There is purging and cleansing yea hee will say to thee poor soul There is Mercy All Mercy Any Mercy what thou wantest what thou wilt there it is c. As it is in this expression here to this Woman of Canaan I will open this too in two or three steps Bee it unto thee even as thou wilt First How fully doth the Lord spenk to this Woman Psal 81.10 Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it Woman take to the full as much as thou wilt As if our Lord Christ should say Woman Thou art a poor Woman of Canaan and art in want and I have a rich Treasure it is unsearchable go to the Mine take what thou wilt Woman I see thou art a poor hungry soul and I am Manna and bread from Heaven come to mee and take as much as thou wilt Woman thou hast made but one Petition but I see more in thy heart take what thou wilt My Beloved the Lord Jesus Christ hee gives like himself very largely to poor creatures Hee satisfies their souls even to the full David at last could sing such a song as this is Psal 103.3 Bless the Lord Oh my soul who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases c. You that lye hungring at the gate of Christ and cry bread Lord a Morsel Lord yea a Câ—umb Lord Christ will say There is a whole Loaf bee it to thee as thou wilt It was the speech of a dying Saint that lived long full of sorrow I am now as full of joy as my heart can hold See Zach. 9.12 Turn yee to the strong hold yee prisoners of hope even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee Good now minde it poor soul it may bee Jesus Christ may shut thee up in prison yet there thou wilt bee a prisoner of hope I but what shall you have at last Hee will render double unto thee All the Lords children at last they shall have double So it was with Joseph hee had hard usage at first cast into prison c. but at last hee is out and Governour of all the Land At last Christ will deal with you all as hee dealt with Joseph The Lord Jesus will deal with a bountiful hand full heaped up running over That is the first thing But then Secondly Bee it unto thee EVEN AS thou wilt It relates to the Manner eminently as well as to the Matter As thou wilt that is in such a manner as thou wilt When David came up to Araunah to have the threshing-floor and cattel for a sacrifice hee would have them so and so And Araunah said to him Do what seemeth good unto thee 2 Sam. 24.22 And there is very much in that The Lords people have their hearts many times set upon the manner of their mercy Deal bountifully with thy servant as thou usest to do unto those that love thy Name saith David in Psal 119.132 The poor soul that lies at the feet of Christ would have mercy and have such mercy as his Lambs have that lye in his bosome Thomas hee would have a sign from the Lord and hee would have such a sign John 20.25 and in vers 27. Christ condescends to him but a little to open this One while the soul will have Love I and it must bee immediate Love Let him kiss mee with the kisses of his mouth Cant. 1.2 It was a very elegant and holy allusion of Bernard and therefore I shall mention it There is the kiss of the foot of Christ and of the hand and of the mouth of Christ i. e. There are several sorts of kinde expressions now the Spouse specifieth what kinde of Love-expression shee would have as sometimes the soul doth and may do shee would have not the kiss of the feet but of the mouth and Christ gave it her as shee intimates vers 4. Minde it then One while thy soul will have immediate Love-Tokens and the Lord will give you as you will Another while the soul cries out as David in Psal 35.3 Say thou unto my soul thou art my salvation c. The childe will have bread and it will have it upon the Mothers lap Another while the soul is ready to say Shew mee a token for good that those that hate mee may see it and bee ashamed Psal 86.17 18. Oh my Beloved what infinite love is it in Jesus Christ that hee should condescend so low as to give us not onely what wee will but as wee will That expression is very full in Psal 145.19 Hee will fulfil the desire of them that fear him The soul hath what hee will and just as hee will have it his whole desire And so Jesus Christ will do and therefore bear up your hearts you that come to Christ hee may deal harshly with you at first but hee will let it bee as you will at last Thirdly and lastly Bee it unto thee Christ is very positive very peremptory hee speaks as one resolved to do The Lord Jesus doth not say I will think of it or I will take it into consideration and it may bee it shall bee so but hee is positive Bee it unto thee even as thou wilt Two things there are that I eye in this expression Bee it unto thee First It is a Commanding word Secondly It is a Creating word First It is a Commanding word Bee it unto thee The Lord doth as it were command and say Woman I have commanded that it shall bee so In Psal 42.8 Saith the Psalmist there The Lord will command his loving-kindness in the day time and in the night his song shall bee with mee The poor soul while it is in the world it must deal with means as well as with grace and the soul is ready to say will the means give out Just as the poor petitioner that deals with a Lord but hee deals likewise with some of the Officers though the Lord grant his request yet hee doubts whether hee shall get it our of the Officers hand why saith hee I have commanded it Remember and rejoyce in this hint O poor heart who hopest Christ is free but doubtest what means may do Possibly thou hast said this I have good hope the Lord will speak kindly to mee but will the Ordinances give it out too why
is a pattern and it is upon a general account There are onely two words of Application I shall make at present First I will gather one terrible Consequence from all this consolatory discourse And Secondly I shall gather one Rational Caution from the whole First I shall gather a terrible Consequence from all this When mercy is preached and comfort is held out wee have many snatch for it that have nothing to do with it And while I would comfort a Son or Daughter of Abraham I would not strengthen the hands of any in sin Well then sinners hear and fear Look about you as I use to say for certainly As Jesus Christ will deal kindly with those that truly come to him at last So hee will deal exceeding terribly with those who notwithstanding all his good carriage carry it ill to him If Jesus Christ Man or Woman will deal well with that soul that did tarry long because it tarried out to the end then hee will deal ill with thee whoever thou art who notwithstanding all his good carriage to thee dealest perversly with him though hee wooes you and beseeches you now yet at last hee will deal terribly with you at last there shall bee two in one bed the one shall bee taken and the other left Verily my Beloved Look as mercy and kindness will oblige the heart of Christ to bee kinde to waiters and commers at last so the justice and wrath of Christ will as it were ingage Christ to bee dreadful to Rebels and impenitent ones at last Husband thy Wife came to Christ and waited on him long Christ will in the issue bee kinde to her But thou standest it out still art a Rebel to this day Oh tremble to think what Christ will do at last Hee will judge and condemn and destroy thee upon whom hee hath waited long and who yet at last wouldest not come in The Jews are a sad example of this terrible Consequence that I am upon The poor Canaanites that Christ dealt so severely withall all the Prophecies of the Messiah were sealed books to them c. at last in the fulness of time Christ comes and hee speaks mercy to the Gentiles but how doth hee deal with the Jews the Jews that hee had been kinde to because they came not in hee turns away from them to the Gentiles Now therefore I beseech you look about you Christ hath been dealing well with you many a day beleeve it the Lord will deal harshly with you that stand it out and deal ill with him As hee will bee merciful at last to the home-commers so will hee bee cruel and yet just to you that have and do stand it out to the last all your daies Consider this then you that forget Christ lest the Lamb prove a Lion to tear you in peeces that yet continue in your sins and impenitence A second word I beseech you let mee give you all one Rational Caution If the Lord will deal so well at last then pray now bee so wise as not absolutely to conclude against this Truth Is there a poor Woman of Canaan before the Lord that hath had many a frown and many a hard put off many a frighting without and fear within Beware how you conclude against everlasting mercy for Christ may bee kinde at last That which I would press is in allusion to the 77. Psalm about the 7. vers Will the Lord cast off for ever and will hee bee favourable no more c. I observe that good man did never positively say so but onely hee questions it and before hee comes to conclude in vers 10. hee saith It was his infirmity Thou sayest shall I cry and never bee heard shall I beg bread and not have a crumb know that the Lord that hath a deaf ear at first will have a hearing ear at last Therefore it is but a reasonable request you that are waiting upon the Lord it is but a reasonable thing I beg of you Do not say the Lord will never bee gracious I shall inlarge it more hereafter But my thinks a Question is put now and I will in a word answer it Quest But what shall I do in the mean time I think the Lord will bee good at last but I shall starve in the mean time Answ Pray look once more into the story of Joseph Joseph carried it very roughly at first but hee carried it well at last but what do they do in the mean time Why they shall have bread to carry them unto their home The Lord Jesus is every way Joseph before hee doth reveal himself and deal kindly with you you shall have bread to live upon Though the Lord seem to carry it strangely now hee will do as Joseph did Give you bread to support you in your journey Look into the Scripture there is bread enough for you Never did the Lord let any perish but hee gave them sufficient to carry them up and to support them even in the way beside the best and abundance which is kept till last Therefore lift up thy hanging down hands and stay thy soul even at present Jesus Christ will give in necessary secret supplies before hee reveal himself in the open ample manifestations of his grace You shall even while in the Journey and the wilderness have a Viaticum travelling necessaries and at the end you shall have the full possession and inheritance of the Milk and Hony in Emanuels Land This I have proved and shall next time give you grounds for it Sure Grounds that Christ will bee kinde at last The Eighth 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. THat all Persons Conditions Affairs are exposed to alteration and change is a truth no less sweet in some respects than bitter upon others Indeed my Beloved upon some accounts it is our misery that wee are mutable but withall upon other accounts it is our happiness that things shall not as wee say stand alwaies at one stand This present season though it bee sharp and cold an alteration will follow and a warmer season will come Our very bodies though sometimes weak yet a change doth come and wee are rendered strong And as it is thus with us in corporals so blessed bee God it is thus with us in spirituals Though for a time wee may lye under the wrath of man and the frowns of God yet a change will come for God hath said Hee will restrain the wrath of Man as it is Psal 76.10 and for his own anger hee will take it away so hee promiseth Hosea 14.4 Though for a time this Woman of Canaan was under the frowns of Christ though hee seemed to take no notice of her yet behold what a change is here hee that before would not answer her a word doth now answer her many words and many comfortable words Hee answered and said unto her Oh