a Devil And the Argument she uses to move Christ besides her own necessity and the misery of her child it was his own free-grace and mercy Have mercy upon me O Lord thou son of David my daughter is grievously vexed with a Devil Have mercy upon me the affliction of her child was upon her she does not say have mercy upon my child but upon me and she pleads mercy and free-grace have mercy upon me not her own worthiness no but have mercy upon me Secondly We have the tryal of her faith her faith is tryed three several times and three several wayes the Lord Christ doth try her faith that so it may appear more shining First Christ doth try her faith by keeping silent giving her no answer she cries aloud Lord have mercy on me but Christ doth not so much as open his lips to give her any incouragement but he is silent and that was a mighty tryall that when she should cry so loud that Christ should say nothing to her it was a mighty tryall to this womans faith Secondly Christ tryes her faith by giving of her a seeming denial in the 24. verse He answered and said I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel as if he should say it is beside my arrant to have any thing to do with this woman of Canaan I am sent to the Jews in the first place it was a seeming denial of Christ And it was the greater tryall because Christ did not only seem to deny her request but to deny the request of the Disciples for in the 23. ver The Disciples of Christ came and besought him Oh this was a tryal of her faith she might have said I have cryed and there is no hope and the Disciples they have besought him for me but Christ doth not answer but deny her request and deny the Disciples request what hope was left then Thirdly The faith of this woman is tried in the 26. verse where Christ doth object to her her own unworthiness and vnfitness that he should have any thing to do with her he answered and said it is not meet that I should cast the childrens bread to dogs And oh what a tryall of faith was this Christ doth not only deny her but seems to upbraid her with her unworthiness she was of the Nation of the Canaanites and they were of the Jews accounted as Dogs they were cast out and were without the Covenant and without God in the world it is not meet said Christ I cannot do it to take the childrens bread and give it to dogs this was a mighty tryal Now in the third place let us consider the behaviour of this woman under these tryals how did her faith bear up under these tryals That is declared unto us First of all when Christ gives her no answer yet still she continues crying after him there is the behaviour of this womans faith under that tryal Though Christ give her no answer she gives not over her request though Christ was silent and would not open his mouth to give her one word yet she continues crying the Disciples say as much Lord send her away say they for she crieth Secondly And for her deportment under her second tryal she came and worshipped and said Lord help and so she continues still in duty and is found waiting upon the Lord in an humble posture she falls down and worships she worships Christ and continues in prayer Lord help Thirdly The behaviour of this woman under the third tryal she meets withall is in the 27. vers and she said Truth Lord yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their Masters table When Christ tells her that he must not take the childrens bread and cast it to dogs see how her faith now works and though this seem the greatest discouragement yet her faith doth make an excellent improvement of it and from this discouragement her faith takes â—ice and waxeth stronger and stronger Truth Lord yet the dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from their Masters table she grants all that Christ said she grants the proposition and application of it she grants that she was no better then a dog and yet her faith makes an improvement of that which seems to be the greatest discouragement she fetcheth an argument from thence if I be a dog let me have the crumbs if a dog thy dog and I will not away from thy feet but let me have crumbs that fall from the childrens table So you have the carriage of this woman under her several tryals Fourthly You have the victory of her faith in the 28. verse O woman great is thy faith be it unto thee as thou wilt and her daughter was made whole The heart of Christ seems to be taken mightily with the faith of this woman and therefore Christ stands and wonders that there should be such a faith in a Canaanitish woman O woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt I do not only grant the mercy thou askest but even what thou wilt thou hast overcome me with thy faith Be it unto thee as thou wilt and her daughter was made whole that hour So that you see the history of this woman of Canaan oâ—ened to you I shall not enter into it now but as I said before dwell upon the borders of it And at this time I shall consider what is written in the 21. verse Jesus went thence and departed into the coast of Tyre and Sidon 1. We shall consider from whence Christ went when he came into these parts 2. And what was the occasion of Christs going away 3. And then consider what this place was that Christ came to where Christ wrought this wonder this miracle 1. He went from thence from the parts of Judea which were near to Jerusalem for in the beginning of the Chapter you read that Christ was there in some place where many of the Scribes from Jerusalem came to him as in the first verse 2. What was the occasion of Christs departure from these parts of Judea that were near to Jerusalem Why did Christ leave these parts and leave that people The occasion is intimated because they opposed Christ they cavelled against him against the person of Christ against the truths of Christ against the disciples of Christ and against the way of Christ the Scribes and Pharisees were filled with enmity against Christ and the way of Christ and therefore Christ departs from them and goes into the coast of Tyre and Sidon But more particularly that which was the cause of Christs removing from this people it was because they set up their own traditions they set up their own inventions and made them equal with the Command of God nay they made their own inventions and traditions above the Commandement of God which was a mighty provocation to Jesus Christ if you read the beginning of the Chapter you shall see
him no if Christ had intended that Christ would never have come into those coasts and therefore his intent was not that she might not have found him he might have gone into the wilderness and gone where she might never have heard of him no that she might seek him and exercise faith and presse in upon him And oh that this might give incouragement to you poor souls who are looking after Christ who hath hid himself from you O consider that if Jesus Christ had intended so to hide himself as you should never find him Christ would never have come upon your coasts Christ would have gone some where else he would never have come so nigh to you as he hath done he would never have come so nigh to your souls and never have drawn nigh to you in such a word of grace and promise no he hides himself that you might seek him and not with an intent you might not find him Secondly consider what an ingagement this doth lay upon all our souls this example of the woman of Canaan in finding out Christ and pressing in upon Christ when she had no invitation Oh what an ingagement is this for our souls to believe in Christ What an ingagement to come to Christ to come in faith seeing Jesus Christ doth not hide himself in a private house as he did then no Christ he draws nigh to us and stands as it were upon the house top Wisdome stands in the open street and there she cries and makes proclamation O ye fools how long will you love folly ye simple ones how long will you love simplicity So then if she came to Christ when Christ hid himself what an ingagement have we to come to Christ when Christ stands upon the house top If she press'd in to Christ when she had no invitation O what an ingagement lies upon us in the day of grace to come to Christ We have many a word of incouragement He sayes Look to me and be you saved And he sayes Behold me to a nation that was not called by his name O the gracious invitations that we hear from Christ from day to day Christ sets the door of Grace wide open let him come and whoever will let him come and he doth ingage that whosoever comes shall not be shut out shall not find the door of Grace shut against him whoever comes to Christ by faith shall find that all their sins and iniquities shall not shut the door against them And therefore to conclude this if this woman came when she had no invitation to come O what an ingagement is it for us to come to Christ now Christ stands so as he may be seen afar off O that God would perswade the heart of some poor sinner to come to Christ by faith But to passe by this We shall now consider who this woman was A woman of Canaan came First Described first by a woman a woman is the weaker vessel more weak ordinarily then men stronger passions greater fears subject to doubts and yet here is a woman Behold a woman came Secondly She is described to be a Canaanite a woman of Canaan she was of the stock of the Canaanites a cursed Nation cast out of the Land for their abominations and their Land given to Israel for a possession and yet this woman though a Canaanite comes to Christ Thirdly She being a Canaanite it follows that before the Lord revealed himself to her she was a very sinful woman so the rest of the Canaanites were not only vile in respect of kindred but vile in respect of actual transgression and yet behold this woman of Canaan here coming to Christ So then the Doctrine is this That the Lord many times is pleased to make choice of the most weak and the most unworthy and the most sinfull and causeth them to come to Jesus Christ She was a woman there is her weaknesse a Canaanite there is her unworthiness sinful in respect of actual transgression even as the rest of the Canaanites We shall clear this Point to you from the Word of God and give you Instances that the Lord makes choise many times of the weakest and unworthiest and win upon their hearts and cause them to believe in Christ First of all for Gods chusing those that are weak and bringing home such to Christ it will appear that God many times chuseth the weakest Weak in respect of Estate Parts Age. Sex To clear these first Such as are weak in estate poor such as are mean in estate for the most part the Lord makes choice of such Go and tell John saith Christ Matth. 11. that which you have heard and seen unto the poor is the Gospel preached and the poor receive the Gospel And in James 2. Hearken my beloved brethren hath not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heires of the Kingdom Some rich some of great estates are chosen but for the most part the vein of Gods election runs thorough the loins of those that are poor Secondly Weak in parts If you consider such as are weak in parts and gifts that have no great natural parts and gifts God many times nay for the most part makes choice of such 1 Cor. 1. 26 27. For you see your calling brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the mighty Thirdly If we consider those that are weak in respect of age young men the Lord many times makes choice of young men bringing them in and revealing more of himself to them then he doth to old men youth is weak young men are weak though not in natural strength yet in morral strength for youth is accompanied with strong passions and lusts that weaken the mind and understanding young men for the most part are most rash and inconsiderate Arguments of weaknesse Young Rehoboam his young Counsel what rash judgement did they give to their King that cost him his life And young men are most apt to be lifted up with pride and therefore saith the Apostle A Bishop must not be a novice and yet many times notwithstanding young men are accompanied with so many weaknesses yet the Lord is pleased to make choice of them There are many Instances of it that the Lord hath made choice of young men and brought in young men He made choice of Samuel when he was very young he ministred before the Lord God spake to him and gave out visions to him concerning Elie's house when he was a child And so if you look upon all the Kings of Judah you shall find none more zealous for God then Josiah was Josiah was brought home to God when he was a young man 2 Chron. 34. In the eight year of his reign he made a great reformation
righteous Justifie God though thou art in the dark and perplexed and troubled in Spirit about thine own Election or the Election of friends yet do thou resolve and say I wil justifie God though God hath not chosen me and my children though God hath not chosen my friends yet no unrighteousness in him Truly this is the way to overcome the Temptation and till a soul be brought to this a soul that is troubled about his Election will never finde rest till he come to justifie God and lye at the feet of the Lord and say Lord though thou condemnest me and all my children and friends thou art righteous till we justifie God we shall have no peace in our selves What a restless condition was Job in when he stood quarrelling with God's Decree He never had peace till he came to Justifie God Job 42. 2. I know that thou canst do every thing I will contend no more When Job came thus to justifie God then Job's Temptation vanished and then the Lord turned unto Job and Turned again his Captivity and doubled the mercies he had taken away That 's the third Rule Fourthly For the Overcoming and Silencing of these Temptations about Election Remember this that when-ever we are tempted about Election that we presently fall to worship the Lord Jesus so it was with this woman in the Text when she met with this Temptation about Election Christ said I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the House of Israel What follows She came and worshipped him She spake not a word of Discontent but falls down and worshipped him This is the way to overcome the Temptation when you are doubting concerining the love of God perplexed about Election presently fall to worship the Lord worship him Worship him How Worship him First With the Inward Worship of the Spirit Fear before him that is part of his Worship Reverence the Lord greatly in your hearts notwithstanding all that 's part of his worship Love the Lord let your souls be breathing in love towards him cleave unto him pursue after him with your Spirit that is part of the Inward worship Commit your souls unto him trust in him cast your selves upon the Lord and the word of his grace that is the Inward Worship Acknowledge your dependance upon him resolve there to hang say Lord my whole dependance is upon thee my blessedness is in thy hand all that I expect for eternity doth depend upon thee Go and cleave and clasp about the feet of Christ and by faith depend upon Christ and say Lord here I will hold and stay and will not away unless I be pulled away by violence from the feet of Christ This is Internal Worship and this is that worship that gives so much glory to God Abraham believed above hope and against hope and gave glory to God When you are tempted about Election thus worship him And secondly Worship him with External Worship There are two principal parts of this Worship that will tend to the silencing of all temptations about Election The first is Prayer The second is Thanksgiving When you are tempted about Election or doubt of the love of God fall to prayer go and pour out a cry before the Lord go and lament after him and say though I do not know whether thou wilt accept of me O Lord yet I will cry after thee I will lament after thee cry after himself his presence his face his favour his loving kindness go and cry after him this is the way to be rid of the temptation And truly this will be a discovery that God hath Elected thee In Luke 18. you have Christ speaking there of the unrighteous Judge who neither feared God or man but at vers 7. you have him speaking of the righteous Judge and saith he Shall not God avenge his own Elect which cry day and night unto him This is a good discovery that God hath chosen that soul though the soul knows it not when as it is crying after the Lord and resolves to cry and not give over They are his Elect that cry day and night and he will certainly hear their cry God will come in and manifest himself to the soul and therefore when tempted about Election go to Prayer Another part of External Worship is Thanksgiving an excellent Remedy against this Temptation about Election O! desire that thy heart may be put into a thankful frame look up to God for it and plead with the Lord that thy heart may be put into a thankful posture Consider what thou hast to be thankful for Is there nothing O certainly if thou art not exceeding ungrateful thou mayst see somthing to be thankful for in the worst condition O! the years of patience and goodness of the Lord toward thee think upon the bounty of the Lord toward thee Hath not the Lord tendred his Christ to thee And hath he not held forth his promises to thee Hath he not been working upon thy heart to overcome thy heart Is not this worthy of Thankfulness Those supports that thou hast met withall under affliction have not everlasting Arms been under thee Surely thou must say it that everlasting Armes have been under me and why dost thou not bless the Lord that he hath put underneath everlasting Arms Yea hath there not been some secret intimations of love though thou hast not received so much as another Yet hath there not been some secret hints of grace and love O! that is worthy of thankfulness Yea look to all the outward salvations that thou hast met withall look to all the years of goodness and all the years of mercy Hath not God come to thee and to thy Family with many sweet refreshments What None of these worthy of Thankfulness O that thou wouldest learn to creep if thou canst not go and every night when thou lookest back O say here is another day of goodness the Lord might have cut me off here is another day of patience and in the morning when thou wakest think of it the Lord might have cut me off this night Here is another night of patience and see if this cannot draw forth thy soul in thankfulness I have heard of a young man very lately in the Town of Yarmouth that being very weak and nigh to the grave and under the apprehensions of the wrath of God and supposing that he was presently going down to the pit he cries out O that God would spare me but two dayes He would have accounted it a mercy to be kept out of hell but two dayes O! God hath given thee more then two dayes many moneths many years in which the Lord hath exercised his patience O! may not all this provoke thee to thankfulness Well if thou canst not see any thing to be thankful for of that which God hath done for thee why then bless God for what is in himself O! Think upon the gracious Nature of God think upon the glorious Majesty of
Christ accounted as children there and servants there and friends there that they should walk so as Christ should be dishonoured Professors look to it and ye especially that are Church members your scandals your open sins bring more dishonour to Christ then the sins of the whole world your sins are a shame to Christ they reflect to the dishonour of Christ and shame to Christ It is a sad thing that men should look upon Professors and say they are like the world they make a profession Ah! but they are as greedy after the world as wicked men and they are as proud as the Devil himself O that Professors might not give occasion for wicked men thus to speak for this will be a dishonour to Christ When you see a childe rude and deboist you will say who is his father Or who is his Master What Hath he no Father Or no Master O! What a shame is it to the Master of the House And so for Professors when men shall look upon those of corrupt conversation and they shall say Who is their Master What Christ their Master And they speak so and so And walk so and so O that the Lord would make them that have the profession of Christ upon them watchful in this Take heed that you give no occasion to the world to speak evilly of Christ who is the Lord and Master of his House Thirdly It lets us see what a Priviledge it is to be a Member of the Church of Christ and to have Right thereunto Take that along O! What a priviledge is it What a desireable mercy is it How will every one strive to get their children into great mens houses If they can but get their sons to be one of a Noble-man's house you think it to be a great priviledge O what a mercy and priviledge is it to be one of Christs Family How many are the priviledges that they enjoy that are in Christ's House You had a taste of them before and O that the taste might draw all Christians to the performance of their duty O! How did David long and thirst after it Psal 27. 4. One thing have I desired of the Lord and but one thing What is that That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his Temple O how desirous was David to dwel in the House of the Lord And he counts them blessed Psal 84. 4. Blessed are they that dwell in thy House Now if it be such a mercy and priviledge take heed that we do not contemn it and take heed that you do not slight it and say it is no great matter whether I be in the house of God or no so long as I am a Believer O! Take heed that you do not despise such a priviledge Fourthly and Lastly What an engagement doth lye upon all in Christ's house to be holy This is an engagement to duty First It engages the Saints in Church-fellowship unto the exercise of the grace of Love why they are all of one house and of one houshold and and they are engaged to love one another they are engaged to seek the good of one another you take it ill if a servant or childe should not regard what becomes of their fellow servants and fellow brethren every one must seek the good of th' other If one House we are engaged to a great deal of love and tenderness that we should express towards one another not to minde our own things but to minde the good of others but especially in the same house we are bound to do good to all the houshold of Faith but especially in the same house we have the strongest tye to love and to help one another if in Christ's house And if this be Christ's house O! What duty do we owe to Christ that are received into Christs house If in Christ's house we should keep Christ's Lawes the Rules of his house O! what Rules hath Christ given us to walk by Faith and Love the great Commandment of the Gospel O! if in Christ's house know that you are engaged to walk by Christ's Lawes And it engages you to do the work of Christ what is the work that is in Christ's house Surely there is some work for every one Christ will not have an idle person in his house some work Christ layes before every member O that we might be helpful there is somthing in which the meanest member may be serviceable to the house of Christ wait upon the Lord to know your work and wait for strength to do it And we should bless Christ for the provision of his house O! how engaged are we to wait upon the Lord for the blessing the provision of his house what a mercy it is for the Lord to take us into his house and send us the best things making us a feast of fat things wine on the Lees well refined a feast here and a feast in other Ordinance the Supper O! what an engagement to thrive and grow in grace It will be a shame to Christ if his people that enjoy so much if they shall be still lean and ill-thriving As the Lord hath taken us into his house so let us look up to the Lord for his blessing and for the fulfilling of his Promise he hath said That those that are in his house shall be fat and flourishing and well-liking and shall have strength to perform their duty O that they that are in the Lord's house would wait upon the Lord for his blessing Matth. 15. 25. Then came she and worshipped him saying Lord help me SERMON XVII I Come now in this 25the verse to consider the behaviour of this Womans spirit under her temptations she doth not stand to reason about her Election but she presently comes and worshippeth him She came and worshipped him saying Lord help This woman she was under great afflictions at this time such afflictions as made her come and cry to Christ Have mercy on me O Lord thou Son of David my daughter is grievously vexed with a Devil And this her affliction was accompanyed with Temptation and by a second Temptation Christ would make tryal of her faith And though she was under affliction and this affliction accompanied with temptation yet she falls down and worshipped him She came and worshipped him saying Lord Help So that I shall close with this Truth That it is the duty of Saints to worship Christ yea even then when they are in the midst of the greatest afflictions and temptations It is clear from the words and in the opening of the Point I shall First shew you What it is to worship the Lord what is that worship which the Lord doth expect from his people when in affliction and temptation Secondly I shall give you Scripture instances for the Proof of the Point And then Thirdly Consider the Grounds of the Point
unto thee into thy holy Temple When he was in this condition he prayed and he poured out his soul before the Lord. I shall only give you one instance more and that is of Christ himself when as he was in a sore affliction and his affliction accompanied with temptations then he prayed Luke 22. 39 40 41 42. And he came out and went as he was wont to the Mount of Olives and his Disciples also followed him And when he was at the place he said unto them Pray that ye enter not into temptation And he was withdrawn from them about a stones cast and kneeled down and prayed saying Father if thâ—â— be willing remove this cup from me Nevertheless not my Will but thine be done and at vers 44. it is said being in an Agony he prayed more earnestly His affliction doth increase and his temptations do increase and as they encrease so he cries the more earnestly to his Father Afflictions do not make Christ cease to worship no he worships the more and he cryeth the louder and prayeth the more earnestly Thirdly We shall consider the Grounds of the Point Why it is the duty of God's people to worship God in time of affliction and temptation First Because there is no affliction or temptation but it is from the Lord it is his Messenger it is of his sending we have to deal with God in it and it is fit that we should fall down and worship him when God sends affliction Isa 45. 7. I form the light and create darkness I make peace and create evil I the Lord do all these things It is not spoken of Natural darkness the darkness that is of the Ayre that was not created by God there is no creating cause withdrawing of light causeth darkness but God saith he creates darkness he creates Metaphorical darkness that darkness which he sends as an affliction to his own people I create it there is no darkness but that which is of the Lord 's forming and creating In the Creation of the world God said let there be light but God never said let there be darkness but now when God will afflict any of his people he creates darkness and there is no darkness till God say let there be darkness when God sayes let there be darkness in such a man's estate all his comforts shall wither when God says let there be darkness in such a man's family there shall be darkness for he can turn the Sun or Moon or Stars into darkness he can take away the head of the Family the children that are as the Stars of the Family if God speak the word though there be never so many in the family he can turn light into darkness and so when God sayes let there be darkness in such a man's spirit O then though it was comfortable before it will be as sad and as dark in the inward man even as it is with the Ayr at midnight darkness is of God's creating and therefore when-ever the Lord brings us into a state of darkness affliction and temptation either outward or inward it is time then to worship the Lord. Secondly We should then worship the Lord in time of affliction and temptation for it is the Lord only that can enable a man to bear temptation or affliction there is need I say that we should apply our selves to the Lord for he only can enable a poor creature to grapple with his affliction and temptation If the Lord help not the proudest helper in the world shall stoop and not be able to bear up a man under the least affliction especially when the affliction is accompanied with temptation and is wounding A wounded spirit who can bear It is only everlasting Armes that can support under such a condition surely therefore it is our duty in affliction and temptation to fall down and worship Thirdly The Lord only can give a sanctified 〈◊〉 of affliction he only can do us good by our manifold temptations affliction it self cannot profit sad experience shews it a man may have stroke after stroke and yet receive no profit no spiritual advantage I am the Lord thy God that teacheth thee to profit Isa 48. 17. God only can teach to profit Blessed is the man whom thou correctest and teachest Job 5. 17. When God's instruction and teaching go along with his correction that man is blessed that affliction shall be blessed Affliction it self cannot do it and therefore there is need that we should apply our selves to God Fourthly God only can remove the affliction and he only can rebuke the distemper and silence the temptation for certainly both affliction and temptation as I said before they are the Lord's messengers they are the Armies of the Lord of Hosts they go and they come at his command he gives out the word and he bids affliction to charge and it chargeth and if he bids it to retreat it shall retreat God only can deliver from affliction and from temptation therefore surely it is our duty to worship in affliction and temptation Fifthly It is the end of all afflictions and temptations to bring the soul nearer to God to drive the soul nigher God We are very prone to content our selves to live at a distance from God before I was afflicted I went astray saith David Psal 119. 67. Now the end of affliction and temptation is to fetch home the stragling sheep to bring God and the spirit nigher together therefore it is fit that we should fall down and worship for therein do we draw nigh to God when the soul falls down and worships God with Internal worship fear him love him trust him and submit to him and when it is pouring out its soul and lifting up the name of God speaking good words of the Almighty surely herein the soul draws nigh to God and so affliction attains its end Sixtly and lastly This is the way to ease and rest in our afflictions we cry out for ease and rest that is the thing we seek after the way to have ease and rest is to fall down and worship for by so doing the soul doth cast its burthen upon the Lord. When it doth thus fall down and worship with the worship of the Spirit fear and love and trust now the soul casteth its burden upon the Lord and his burden being left there it bringeth in unspeakable rest I say when the soul by inward worship hath gone to God and left his burden upon the Lord O! it bringeth in ease to the spirit whatever the affliction or temptation be Well then to Apply this in a word First What cause have we to be ashamed that we have come so far short of this Duty in the time of affliction or temptation We have been afflicted at one time or other who hath been free many of your souls have been exercised with temptations but O! What hath been the carriage of our spirits under them Have we fallen
take heed that we do not blot out those names that the Lord hath put into the Covenant But it may be you will say further by way of Objection If children belong to the Covenant of God and the Covenant that the children of believing Parents is under is a Covenant of grace of necessity they must be saved Shall they be under a Covenant of grace and not be saved I answer Some may be under a Covenant of grace and not saved I say visibly in respect of the outward dispensation they may be under the Covenant of grace and yet never attaine to life and salvation for when as we do Baptize those who do make a profession of their faith surely we look upon them as Believers and such as are in Covenant with God and therefore we Baptize them because believers and so in Covenant with God But now is it not possible nay is it not ordinary for many who make such a profession of Christ and are baptized upon that profession to fall off and to come short of life and salvation And yet I hope you will say the Ordinance was not disorderly administred though they that did make a profession do fall off so though all children of believing parents do not attain to eternal life yet the Ordinance is no more unduly administred to them then to others for both Professors and children may be under the outward administration of the Covenant which being may give right to an outward Ordinance and yet not be saved Object But you will say How shall we judge of any but by their profession that they make of Christ we cannot own any but such as make a profession and children cannot make a Profession I answer We must judge as God judgeth and own as God owns take heed that we do not disown what God owns and if God will own the children of believing parents visibly and put them under an outward administration of the Covenant surely there is no danger of owning where God owns God's owning is a surer ground for us to go upon then any man's profession Now God seems to own the seed of believers by his gracious promise Nay let it be considered those Prophesies that speak of the latter dayes and of the Kingdom of Christ and the glory that shall be in those dayes they speak of this that God will then more abundantly and visibly own the seed of his people God will own them and God will bless them Isa 65. 23. They shall not labour in vain nor bring forth for trouble for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord and their off-spring with them When the Jews shall come in they shall be called the blessed of the Lord and their off-spring with them their seed shall be blessed according to Abrahams Covenant when they shall come in again I know there are many gracious hearts that cannot believe this truth and will not till Christ comes to reveal it but if the Lord hath handed in any beam of light shut it not out This have I spoken because it is in my way to shew you who are children But in the second place Who are Dogs You see who are to be accounted children who are Dogs That must be opened too and let it not be offensive because it is in the Text. First Dogs in Scripture are taken somtimes for all the Nations of the Gentiles all the people of the world except the seed of Abraham were called Dogs they were without the Covenant strangers to the Commonwealth of Israel all we and our fathers all the Nations of the Gentiles time was that the Jewes only were the children and we and all Nations were called Dogs But secondly All wicked men in Scriptute phrase they are called Dogs The Scripture doth brand some sort of wicked men and some degrees of wicked persons by this name In especial manner the Lord looks upon some wicked men as dogs Who are they First Such as give up themselves to gross and notorious wickedness such as are openly scandalous vile and prophane Rev. 22. 15. For without are dogs sorcerers and whoremongers and murderers and Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lye Without are dogs and he sheweth who those dogs are that are without that shall be shut out of the City when the new Jerusalem shall come down from heaven these are they that shall not have a name in that City vile sinners they are called dogs But secondly such as do oppose the Gospel of Christ such as do reject the Gospel and oppose the Truths of the Gospel such as come to hear for that end that they may snarl against the word the Spirit of the Lord calls them dogs Phil. 3. 2. Beware of dogs beware of evil workers beware of the concision the Apostle bids the Christians beware of them beware of dogs they that bite and snarl and set themselves to oppose the Truths of the Gospel the Spirit of the Lord calls them dogs Thirdly They who do reject those wholsome reproofs and counsels and exhortations that the Lord sends them by any of his servants such as scorn reproof and hate reproof that are ready to fly in the face of him that shall reprove them when they do wickedly What have you to do with me meddle with your own matters and I will not be reproved by such a one as you are the word of the Lord calls such persons dogs they are vile creatures Matth. 7. 6. Give not that which is holy unto the dogs neither cast ye your pearls before swine lest they trample them under their feet and turn again and rent you See here what Christ speaks Exhortations and reproofs they are not to be cast before some men such as have often rejected reproofs and will not hear the Lord looketh upon them as dogs and they shall die in theiâ— wickedness Fourthly The Scripture calls those dogs thaâ— somtime have made a profession of Christ and have turned away from their profession such 〈◊〉 have seemed somtimes to be very forward anâ— very zealous hot it may be in their youth after â—ward they fall off and have lost their fruit and have lost their profession and it may be not 〈◊〉 much as Leaves upon them but are turned agaiâ— to their old wayes 2 Pet. 2. 22. But it is hapnâ— vnto them according to the true Proverb the dog â—turned to his own vomit again and the Sow that waâ— washed to her wallowing in the myre they have turn'd to their old course again they seemeâ— somtimes to cast out sin Ah! But they have returned to it again Such persons are vile and the holy Ghost calls them dogs Fiftly Persecuters of Christ of his Truth and people they are called dogs such as do not only bark against Christ but even bite and rend his people Why the Lord looks upon them as vile creatures they are dogs in God's account what-ever they are in the worlds and so Christ calls them by David
Tryall of Faith OR THE WOMAN OF CANAAN On Math. 15. 21 22 23 24. Together with the Souls Sure Anchor-hold On Heb. 6. 19. With the Wisdome of timely remembring our Creator On Eccles 12. 1. â—n Severall SERMONS By Timothy Armitage Late Minister of the Gospel in Norwitch â—ONDON Printed by M. S. for Henry Cripps at the first Shop in Popes-head-Alley next Lumbard-street 1661. To the Christian Reader ALthough we have not fully perused these Sermons yet being well acquainted with the worth of the Author we doe not without the desire of many present these Notes to thy view He was a man of a choice humble meek and moderate spirit of good natural endowments heightned with no smal measure of Divine grace of a sound judgement yet could bear with those that erred not in the main of a large affection yet without affectation of good Learning but his Art was in Preaching to conceal his Art His Teaching was after the manner of Gods drawing a soul to Himself viz. Fortiter suaviter strongly and sweetly His stile was even plain full and as Anianus spake of Chrysostome his speech was never elevated to the pomp of speaking but alwayes accommodated to the profit of hearing In brief He was a faithful experimental powerful and succesful Labourer in the Gospel for the Spirit of God breathed much on his heart and Ministry His life also held pace with his Doctrine for as his Doctrine was lively so his life was doctrinal He was beloved both of God and man Our only grief is we had such a Preacher whom now we have not But in the midst of our sorrows for the loss of him we have refreshment by enjoying the issues of his labour and this book being his Benjamin which he did not live to finish we humbly present unto you in its native innocency as it was midwived from his mouth by the finger of a ready Pen-man Neither could we be so injurious to our departed Brother or unjust unto you as to diminish or add any thing thereunto lest instead of his endeavours we should give forth our own conceptions His intention was not to print them in paper but to imprint them in the hearts of his Auditory This Writing is like Milk in a Bottle which though it wanteth the natural warmth of the Breast yet being well digested will afford wholsome nourishment and spiritual strength Those that did hear these Sermons delivered by a lively voice cannot but rejoyce in hearing them eccho'd over by the rebound of the Press in which if there be any faults you are desired by the sense of the neighbouring words to correct them Thus committing the success of these following pages wherein the Author being dead yet speaketh to the blessing of the Almighty We rest Your Servants in the Lord Christ W. B. T. A. J. R. Several Sermons preached by Mr. Timothy Armitage upon Matth. 15. 21 22 23 24 Verses c. Verse 21. Then Jesus went thence and departed into the Coasts of Tyre and Sidon 22. And behold a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts and cryed unto him saying have mercy on me O Lord thou son of David my daughter is greivously vexed with a Devil 23. But he answered her not a word And his Disciples came and besought him saying send her away for she cryeth after us 24. But he answered and said I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel c. SERMON I. YOu have a Relation of Christs departure from the parts of Judea near to Jerusalem and his coming to the coasts of Tyre and Sidon the uttermost part of the Land of Canaan And here is a Relation of two great Wonders wrought by Christ there One was a spiritual wonder a wonderful faith that Jesus Christ wrought in the heart of a poor woman the woman of Canaan it was a wonderful faith therefore it is brought in with admiration in the 22. verse and BEHOLD a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts and cried unto him saying have mercy on me O Lord thou son of David c. Yea it was such a wonder as made the Son of God to wonder at it in conclusion and to say O woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt The second Wonder which was the effect of this wonderful faith it was a miraculous cure that the Lord Jesus Christ wrought upon the daughter of this woman of Canaan who was possessed with a Devil which Devil Christ cast out by speaking one word Now concerning the faith of this woman of Canaan the wonder that was in it appears First In that it was a woman the weaker vessel and most subject to fears yet her heart was raised to believe Secondly Not only a woman but a Woman of Canaan a Canaanitish woman one that was of the seed and posterity of that cursed Nation the Canaanites that were a cursed Nation and cast out that room might be made for the Children of Israel cast out of the Land that room might be made for the Children of the Kingdome and yet Christ meets with mighty faith in the heart of a woman that was a Canaanite one that had not injoyed the means of Grace one that had not injoyed the priviledges of the Jews But we shall open the Scripture and give you a brief Anallysis of it and lay a foundation for future discourse for I shall but dwell upon the borders at this time And in the faith of this woman of Canaan First take notice of the Declaration of her faith ver 22. Her faith was declared first by the confession she made of Christ she made a full and excellent confession of Jesus Christ O Lord thou son of David there is the confession of her faith she doth acknowledge the Lordship of Christ she doth acknowledge him to be Lord of all infinite in power able to do what he pleases yea to command the Devil out of her daughter for she came to him for that end there is a confession of the Divinity of Christ and of his infinite power Secondly She doth acknowledge him as the Messias not only as the Lord of all but as the Messias Christ the Saviour him that was to come to redeem his people and to be a light to enlighten the Gentiles and therefore she calls him the son of David Oh Lord thou son of David have mercy on me c. where she doth acknowledge him to be the Messias that was promised to come out of the loins of David Thirdly There is a declaration of her faith by her prayer she poures out before the Lord her prayer was an effect of her faith she calls upon him with a great deal of earnestness and her petition was that Christ would cast out the unclean spirit that had taken possession of her daughter therefore she spread it before the Lord My daughter is grievously vexed with
do greatly provoke the Lord Christ and loose all they do though men could walk as exactly as the very Angels yet if that exactness should draw them to place any trust any confidence in their observations and humility they loose all their labour for Christ tells his Disciples in Matth. 5. 20. That except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees you shall in no wise enter into the kingdome of heaven Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees they went a great way in self righteousness they walked very strictly and very precisely ah but you must have another kind of righteousness a righteousness that must be beyond theirs they placed their righteousness in their doings in their observations and inventions but except your righteousness exceed theirs you shall in no wise enter into the Kingdome of Heaven The Devil he will allow men to go a great way in such paths of self-righteousness to do a great deal to suffer a great deal to carry it very humbly and very strictly and seem to be the most mortified men living if the Devil can but draw them off from Christs righteousness thereby and place their righteousness in this he care not how far they go for the Devil knows that this will never mortifie the deeds of the flesh whatsoever is of mans setting up will never mortifie the deeds of the flesh but as I said before men may live very strictly fast and pray and yet be far from mortifying the deeds of the flesh it may be so far from mortifying the deeds of the flesh that it may strengthen the flesh and corruption get strength while men seem to walk in such a way of seeming mortification yea the strength of the body may be spent in seeming mortification and the corruption unmortified But to reflect a little by way of Application Oh that this might be a warning piece to us to take heed that we do not exalt any thing of man in the room of Christ take heed we do not exalt our rule above Christs Rule that we do not form rules to our selves to walk by and to worship by and decline the Rule and Institutions and Ordinances of Christ There are two sorts of people that are and will be found guilty of this who shall not injoy the presence of the Lord for Christ will depart from such a people First Such as set up outward formes of their own in opposition to Christs Form there have been such a generation of men in this Land and still there are who hath such Idols in their hearts who set up their form above Christs Form Christ hath left a Rule and Christ hath given his Form and his Institutions which must be observed till his coming but now when men shall bring in their own inventions and traditions their own superstitious ceremonies into the worship of Christ which Christ hath not commanded this is a great provocation to the Lord and such a people cannot injoy the spiritual presence of Christ for â—aitâ— Christ Go teach and observe what I have commanded you and loe I am with you to the end of the world So long as a people cleave to Christs Institutions so long they are under the Promise of Christ but they that shall go from this are not under the Promise of Christ 2. And then again there are those that will be found setting up something of their own in the stead of Christs Rule while they pretend that they have another rule then the Word to walk by the other is more gross and carnal but this more spiritually wicked I say when men shall pretend to have another rule to walk by that they have the Spirit of the Lord to be their rule to teach them and they shall not look to the rule of the Scripture not look to any rule without them truly both these sorts of men will be found to set up their own rule above Christs Rule And oh how dangerous is it and as I said before so again and oh that it might be remembred It is a pulling Christ out of his Throne for men to decline his Rule the rule of his Word which he hath given them to walk by and decline his Ordinances and pretend to walk by a rule that is within them truly they exalt something of their own above Christ and let it be remembred what the Lord threatens to such as will not hear the great Prophet Deut. 18. 15. and 19. The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee of thy brethren like unto me unto him ye shall hearken V. 19. And it shall come to passe that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name I will require it of him He that will not take the rule from Christs mouth he that will not walk by that rule that Christ hath left in his Word to walk by but shall take another rule though the pretence be never so high and spiritual the Lord hath said that such a soul shall be cuâ— off the Lord will not afford his presence Christ will not continue his presence with such a people as shall exalt any invention above Christs Rule the rule of the Word But it may be that they will say They do not exalt any thing of their own we are mistaken of that no it iâ— only the Spirit of Christ that they exalt it is the Spirit of Christ that is their rule to walk by and they are not bound to attend to any rule whatsoever that is without them but to walk by the rule of the Spirit of God that is within them To whom I say it is a great mistake that the Spirit of the Lord in us should be a rule for us to walk by the Spirit is not the rule the Spirit is given to open the rule the Spirit is given to shine upon the rule to declare the rule but the Spirit of the Lord is not the rule It is true indeed we cannot know the rule at least in the spiritual nature of it till the Spirit of the Lord doth open it as a man cannot see what time of day it is by the Sun-dyall till the Sun shine upon it ah but the Dyall is the rule And so it is a great mistake while men think that the Spirit is the rule when as the Word of the Lord is the rule to the Law and to the testimony if any man walk not according to this rule And so Christ tells his Disciples that the Spirit is not given to manifest and discover any new thing but what Christ hath laid dowâ— in his Word look into John 16. 13. Howbeit when the Spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth for he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak and he will shew you things to come Mark how clear it is that the
Spirit is not given to discover any thing that is beside the rule that Christ hath left he shall guide you into truth ah but how he shall lead you to the rule and guide you into truth for he shall not speak of himself but what Christ hath spoken and what is written in the Word of the Lord and the Spirit is given to speak it with power and life and efficacy He shall take of mine and shew it to you no new thing but what is mine my Truth my Gospel he shall take of mine and shew it to you Object But you will say If the Spirit of the Lord be in me surely the Spirit need no rule to walk by but the Spirit of the Lord is in all the Saints what need have they of any other rule Answ I answer The Spirit needs no rule ah but the Lord saw that we needed a rule to walk by we were apt to be deceived to call darkness light and light darkness the Lord saw we had need of a rule and that rule is the Word of the Lord which is given us as our rule and no other rule but only the Word of the Lord And therefore be not deceived upon any pretence whatsoever take heed you be not drawn off from the Institutions of Christ from the Word of Christ the rule that Christ hath left all his people to walk by for if you be you will exalt something of your own something that you will place your Righteousness in and oh how provoking is that to Christ for a people that do so they cannot and shall not injoy the spiritual presence of Christ such as forsake Christs Rule and set up their own rule that Christ never made a rule they shall not injoy the presence of Christ no more then Christ afforded his presence with the Scribes and Pharisees And therefore doe but wait upon the Lord cleave to the Lord and hold fast his Rule and you shall see that the Lord will make it evident to all the world that he hath left them though they are never so seemingly high and spiritual yet it will appear that such as forsake him Christ will forsake them they are left of Christ in their judgements already and wait upon the Lord and you shall see that the Lord will leave them to corrupt themselves by a corrupt conversation for what way of Christ will not men only forsake but blaspheme and what sins so great will not such a man as leaves the rule be drawn to the commission of For if the Word be not the rule but a strong impulse of Spirit what impulses may not a man have he may have the strongest impulse to the greatest evil whatsoever if the Lord hath not yet left yet he will leave such a people to the commission of great evil As I remember the history of some of the low Countries they had such a pretence that the Word was not to be their rule but they were led by the impulse of the Spirit of God and I remember in that history it is recorded that many grievous wickednesses they did commit they came to marry many wives and one of the chief of them cuts off one of his wives heads And another upon a time he calls his kindred together and he in the presence of them all takes away the life of one of his brethren and said now the will of the Lord is done And what wickedness is it that men may not fall into by a strong impulse But so much for that I will give you but one hint more in that 21. v. â—esus went into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon You â—ee from whence Christ came which was from the â—arts of Judea and the occasion of Christs deâ—atture because they rejected his Word But wheâ—â—er came Christ He departed into the coast of Tyre and Sidon A word or two of that and so â—onclude The coasts of Tyre and Sidon First They were the uttermost parts of the â—and of Canaan Secondly It was a very dark place a place full 〈◊〉 darknesse and ignorance a people that were â—ixed with the heathen and had learned their sinâ—â—l customes and yet the Lord Christ when he goes â—â—om Jerusalem he goes into the parts of Tyre and â—â—don Briefly observe this The faithfulness of Christ 〈◊〉 his Fathers work and the love of Christ to the 〈◊〉 of men Tyre a hundred miles from Jerusaâ—â—m and yet Christ undertook this journey Oh 〈◊〉 faithfulness of Christ in his Fathers work he â—â—ares no labour no travel from place to place â—â—om City to City to the uttermost parts of the â—â—nd and all was to do his Fathers work Oh the â—â—ithfulness of Christ And take notice of the love of Christ to the â—â—uls of men it was in compassion to a poor woâ—â—n of Canaan that Christ took this journey she 〈◊〉 known to the Lord before and in compassion â—â—do her soul good and to release her daughter 〈◊〉 was possest with a Devil Christ takes this â—â—urney See the love of Christ to the souls of â—â—or creatures Christ knew the worth of a soul the preciousness of a soul what would it advanvantage a man to gain the whole world and loose his soul Why in compassion to this womans soul Christ takes this great journey And by way of Application Oh that we might learn of Christ to be faithful in that work which the Lord hath committed to us and to expresse more love to our own souls and the souls of others What a great way did Christ go to doe good to one soul if there be but one woman 〈◊〉 Canaan if but one woman of Samaria for Christ to preach to he takes that occasion Whatever work the Lord puts into our hand in the service 〈◊〉 our generation and for compassion to souls look 〈◊〉 Christ he thought no labour too much to do goâ—â— to the soul of one woman Secondly This was a very dark place the darknesse of ignorance and sin did abound in theâ—â— parts in the coasts of Tyre and Sidon and yet 〈◊〉 Christ goes from Jerusalem he departs into theâ—â— coasts You see the Lord hath some in every place no place so dark and sinful but there 〈◊〉 be some that may belong to the Lord and wheâ—â— there are any that do belong to the Lord in 〈◊〉 part of the world though never so dark yet 〈◊〉 Lord will send from heaven and visit them if 〈◊〉 one poor Canaanitish woman that belongs to thâ— Lord Christ will take care of that woman 〈◊〉 comes into these dark places that so he migâ—â— make known the light of the Gospel that this 〈◊〉 woman might believe where there are any 〈◊〉 belong to the Lord the Lord will find 〈◊〉 way to find them out he will visit theâ— with the discoveries of his Grace and Love by the declaration of the Gospel of Christ And oh that we might observe the wonderful dispensations of the grace of the
Gospel that he should carry it into the dark corners that Christ should leave Jerusalem and carry the Word of Grace into the dark places that the Lord should make choice of most unlikely places places most destitute of the Gospel oh the wonderful dispensation of the Lord nay that the Lord should there make some poor creatures eminent in grace this is another wonder that the Lord should bring in some out of the dark corners and make them most eminent in Grace make them patternes of â—aith as this woman of Canaan was here was faith in this woman that made the soul of Christ to wonder Now what a wonderful dispensation is â—his and discovery of the free Grace of God That all is of God nothing in man nothing in the â—eanes without his blessing that he should make â—ome to believe in the dark places yea not only to â—elieve but with such an admirable faith as this woman that he should make them that were at â—he greatest distance to be most nigh and the greatest sinners the excellentest Saints Oh the â—â—eeness of Gods Grace in his dispensations This should teach us to put on bowels of merâ—y towards sinners towards them that are in the â—ark places of the world All Christians that are 〈◊〉 the world that hath received the light of Christ â—hould be filled with compassion towards them â—hat sit in darkness if we dwell near Jerusalem 〈◊〉 should pitty them that dwell in the coasts of Tyre and Sidon and if we can do nothing pray that â—he Lord would send forth labourers into his harvest to send some into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon Oh pray that the Lord would send forth labourers into his harvest that there may be somâ— called out there that may be strong in faith an excellent in holiness nay they that may be broughâ— in out of such places they may go far beyond them that dwell nigh Jerusalem out-strip them 〈◊〉 faith and holiness seeing the Lord may have suâ—â— a people in dark places as he had here a preciouâ— soul the woman of Canaan let us pitty them thaâ— are in darkness and pray that the Lord would senâ— forth his light to them Matth. 15. 22. And behold a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts and cryed unto him saying have mercy on me O Lord thou son of David my daughter is grievously vexed with a Devil SERMON II. BEhold a woman came out of the same coasts The Evangelist Mark does take notice that when Christ came into these coasts of Tyre and Sidon he entred into a private house and would have hid himself there Mark 7. 24 25. And from thence he arose and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon and entred into an house and would have no man know it but he could not be hid For this woman of Canaan comes and finds him out and falls down and worships him So then we may observe this briefly That where there is a seed of faith in any soul where the work of faith is begun it will find out Christ whereever he is This woman had a seed of faith she heares of Christ and though Christ goes about to hide himself he could not be hid Whereever faith is begun in any soul it will find out Christ never rest till it find out Christ it will come to him where-ever he is Christ cannot alwayes be hid to the eye of faith Where the body is there will the Eagles be gathered together saith Christ The Eagles will find out the dead body though it be never so remote though it lay in a secret cave of the earth and so where there is faith the soul will find out Christ Christ cannot alwayes lie hid from the soul For the eye of faith it hath some resemblance like the eye of God There is nothing can be hid from the eye of God Psal 139. 7 8 9. Neither shall I go from thy presence if I go to heaven thou art there and if I make my bed in hell thou art there if I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea thou art there And so the eye of faith hath resemblance to the eye of God though indeed the eye of faith cannot alwayes see God yet where there is faith the soul will be pursuing after God and Christ My soul followeth hard after God sayes David Psal 63. 8. David had faith and his soul pressed after God made hard after God Faith will follow Christ whereever he is if in heaven faith will follow him there if he go down to hell even in dark dispensations faith will follow him there if he flie to the uttermost parts of the earth and seem to be at a great distance faith will follow him there Christ cannot be hid alwayes from the eye of Faith it will follow him when he hides himself as the Spouse in the Canticles when Christ hid himself from her yet she follows him and seeks him at home and abroad and leaves no place unsought and she never gives over till she finds him seeks till she finds and at last she found him whom her soul loveth Nay I may say faith will see something of Christ whereever he is not only follow after him but see some glimpse of him whereever he is though he go down into hell the soul will see something of Christ in such a dark dispensation in the hardest saying of Christ faith will find something of Christ as the Lord calls this woman a dog and yet she finds out something of Christ And therefore to apply this briefly First Brethren O that we might take this woman for our pattern to follow after Christ and find him out when he hides himself You that walk in darkness and see no light oh that you would look upon this woman and make her your pattern Christ hid himself from her ah but she finds him out and Christ could not be hid One would have thought it had been a bold part of this woman when Christ retired himself into a private house that she should find him out and press in upon him ah but the Lord did not reprove her for her boldness it pleased Christ well enough And oh that we might seek after Christ and presse in upon Christ even then when Jesus Christ seems to hide himself that he might not be found And for your incouragement does Christ seem to be hid from you as from this woman of Câ—naan never leave till you find him go where he is wait upon him in an Ordinance look to him in a promise and press in upon him and let me say for your incouragement Jesus Christ doth not hide himself from you that you might never find him no the end of Christs hiding himself is that you might seek him that you may seek him earnestly diligently as the Wise men did Christ did not hide himself from this woman with an intent she should not find
and then he was but sixteen years old and yet he exprest more zeal for God then all the Kings And so among Job's friends God speaks best of Elihu the young man and of all the Evangelisâ—s none like to Timothy he was trained up and had known the Scriptures from a child Nay you shall find that the very children did follow Christ when Christ came into the Temple Matth. 21. 15. and cryed Hosanna to the Son of David the Scribes â—â—d Pharisees they were offended when they heard â—â—e children cry Hosanna to the son of David he â—â—d perfect his praise out of the mouths of babes â—â—d sucklings the children cryed Hosanna to the â—on of God so that weak in respect of age the â—oâ—d many times makes choice of Fourthly Weak in respect of sex and that is a â—oman she is called the weaker vessel and yet he many times reveals himself to women and unto women sooner then men This woman of Canaanâ—â—sthe â—â—sthe first that comes to Christ in all these coasts we read of no man that came to Christ and so â—he woman of Samaria John 4. she was the first of all that City that was converted to Christ Christ first speaks to her and draws her heart to â—elieve on him and then she runs to the City and calls all her friends And so in Luke 8. 2. you â—ead of divers women that followed Christ there were divers weak women followed after Christ â—nd did minister to him And so in the Acts of the Apostles when the Apostles came to some Ciâ—ies the women came first and were more forward â—hen men to hear the Gospel Acts 16. 13 14. And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city by a rivers side where prayer was wont to be made and we sat down and spake unto the women which resorted thither And a certain woman named Lydia a seller of purple of the city of Thyatira which worshipped God heard us whose heart the Lord opened c. The women were the first that came to hear and here is mention made of Lydia whose heart the Lord opened and she received the Word of God and received Christ And thus you see this particular also cleared that the Lord maâ—â— times makes choice of the weakest and makâ— them to come to Christ But secondly to speak to the second part 〈◊〉 the doctrine that the Lord doth not only maâ—â— choice of the weakest but of the most unworthieâ—â— and I shall speak only of unworthiness in respeâ—â— of parentage or kindred this woman she caâ—â— of the stock of the Canaanites which were a wicâ—â—ed and cursed generation you read divers timeâ— in Scripture what they were and what great sinâ—ners how they were a people that were given oveâ— to all whoredome and witchcraft and cruelty 〈◊〉 such as did offer their sons and daughters to Dâ—â—vils those were the abominations of the Canaâ—â—nites yet behold here is one of the stock 〈◊〉 the Canaanites that lay under a curse cursed 〈◊〉 Cain they were strangers to God and the Coveâ—nant and counted dogs by the Israelites yet thâ— woman is pluckt out and the Lord works faith 〈◊〉 her heart But to give you some Instances in Scripture Thâ— Lord pulls out Abraham from an idolatrous peâ—â—ple idolatrous kindred and makes him to be excelâ—lent in faith and the Father of the faithful Anâ— so you read of Rahab that was of the Nation thâ—â— God destroyed and by faith she was saved and 〈◊〉 houshold And so you read of Ruth that was 〈◊〉 the stock of Moab yet the Lord makes choice 〈◊〉 her and brings her to be a Proselyte in Israel anâ— though she was one that came of Moab yet she was made a Mother in Israel So you see the second Particular Thirdly to speak to the third branch of the Doctrine That the Lord makes choice of thâ—se that were most sinful This woman was not only a Canaanite but was as sinful as the Canaanites before the Lord brought her in to himself The Lord makes choice of those that are most sinful Manasseh of all the Kings none like Manasseh none like him for vileness and wickedness he did worse then the Canaanites that were cast out of the Land before the children of Israel yet the Lord makes choice of him Manasseh's heart at last was turned to the Lord. And so among all the persecuters of Christ and his Church except those that sinned against the holy Ghost none a greater persecuter then Paul he did it with a great deal of violence and he sayes he made the poor Christians to blaspheme the name of Christ so violent was I and so mad was I that I persecuted them to strange cities and haled them to prison and when they were judged to death I gave my consent and my voice was among those that gave sentence of judgement for their death And yet the Lord had mercy upon Paul and he was brought at last to believe in Christ and of a persecuter he was made a Preacher of the Gospel and of the faith that once he destroyed And so divers Instances I might give you of those that were most sinful which the Lord brought home to Christ Yea such as lived in Christs time of all the people the Publicans and Harlots were the worst None like to Zacheus a great oppressor one that had done much wrong and one that did beaâ— himself up upon his riches he was a rich Robber â—ah but the Lord makes choice of Zacheus Christ calls him and he comes down and then he turnes his hand against his sin that was so dear to him and makes restitution of the wrong he had done And so among all the Harlots none worse then Mary Magdalen who had seven Devils cast out of her and yet the Lord makes choice of Mary Magdalen she was brought in to Christ and made most excellent among women Thus you see the Lord many times doth make choice both of the weakest and of the unworthiest in respect of kindred and stock and of the most sinfullest To shut up all briefly with a little Application First of all here is an invitation that this Doctrine doth give to divers sorts to come to Christ this Doctrine invites the weakest and the unworthiest and the sinfullest to come to Christ Let me speak to the weakest O you that are weak in estates weak in parts that you would perswade your hearts to come to Christ know thâ—â— this weakness shall be no block in your way Christ will as soon receive you as the strong And leâ— me speak to those that are weak in respect of age O that you would perswade your hearts to loâ—â— after Christ to seek after Christ betimes to see after faith in the name of the Son of God Loâ—â— upon the example of young men spoken of 〈◊〉 your imitation Samuel the Prophet and Josiah the King Timothy the Evangelist Oh that childreâ— young men would look to those patterns and examples for
their imitation think upon the children that sung Hosanna O that children and youâ—â— men would read that place the very children suâ— Hosanna to the son of David Oh what sweâ—â— musick was it What heavenly musick to heâ—â— young men and children to be praising the name of Christ Children in tender years they sung Hosanna and oh that this might be a pattern for children Children fear the Lord look after him in tender years that while other children are blaspheming and cursing you may be singing of praise to the Lord O what heavenly musick is it The Lord Christ will take it well at your hand if you that are young will begin in tender years to look after Christ and lift up the name of Christ Christ took the part of those children the Pharisees were offended that the Children should cry Hosanna but Christ he took it well and he pleaded for them this is that which is written saith Christ Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings wilt thou ordain praise Christ will take it well at your hands if you that are children will be singing Hosanna to the Son of David Christ will take it well at your hands if you will be praising and praying to the Lord though accompanied with a great deal of weakness as it is like they sung Hosanna with a great deal of weakness yet Christ takes it well at their hand and saith this is that which is written Out of the mouth of babes and suoklings thou wilt ordain praise And let me speak to women the weaker sex the Lord as you have heard doth make choice of the weakest and you have had the example of women set before you that the Lord hath done good to O remember the women that ministred to Christ remember the women that followed the Apostles to the rivers side remember Lydia whose heart the Lord opened and the woman of Samaria and this woman of Canaan and oh that this might be an incouragement to women be not discouraged because of your weakness and do not say I know not how to come to Christ Why the Lord makes choice of the weakest and they are brought home sooner then the strong And O that it might be an incouragement for you to come to Christ And let me say to all women that hear me this day The woman was first in the transgression O that that might provoke women to look after Christ the woman was the first that sinned and the woman was the first that was deceived and therefore oh that women would be the first in coming to Christ And let me tell you that if there be any women that hear me this day and hear the Word of the Lord and shall despise it and will not come to Christ but stay at home and dwell in themselves in their lusts take heed that the Lord doe not leave you for the refusal of the tender of Christ to be worse then the vilest of men Wicked women the Lord hath left them many times to be worse then the worst of men You know what Jezabel was a mother of witchcraft and whoredome Ahab was bad enough but she was 〈◊〉 times worse drew him on to shed all the bloud of the innocent And you know that Herodias heard John as well as Herod but she received not the Word and Herodias was worse then Herod whâ—â— would have thought that there had been so much cruelty in her heart towards John a good man And therefore women take heed how you deâ—spise the word of Grace least the Lord leaâ—â— you to greater abominations and you becomeâ— worse then the vilest of men And let me speak also unto those that are unworthy in respect of parentage If there be any here that with a sad heart look upon their kindred and fathers house as being such as know not God but are contrary to God O let not that be any block in your way you may be accepted of Christ though you come of the vilest kindred your kindred cannot be worse then the kindred of the woman of Canaan was they were cast out of the Land a cursed Generation and therefore all the sins of your parents shall not be any block in your way the child shall not bear the sin of the parents if the child be coming to Christ and taking hold of his Covenant all the sins of your parents shall not be any block in your way but you shall be welcome to Christ And so for those that are sensible of personal transgression O let not that be any block in your way to hinder you from coming to Christ though you have sinned greatly with a high hand yet do not go on to estrange your selves from the Lord by keeping at a distance from Christ and by adding unbelief to all your sin which will set home all your sin and bind them all upon your back O that those that have committed great offences might see what a door the Gospel to Christ opens to them to come in to Christ And let me say for your incouragement that the Grace of the Lord shall appear the more towards you the more sinful you are the more rich and glorious and excellent shall the Grace of the Lord appear to you and know that Grace is never more glorious then when it triumphs over great iniquities when Grace doth triumph over great transgressions O then the Grace of God is glorious grace towards you shal be exceeding glorious And it shall be for the Lords honour to receive you to passe by and to forgive seventy times seven It is the honour of a man a mans glory why it is the glory of the great God to forgive many and great transgressions and there shall be the more joy in heaven for your return the greater sinners you have been the more glad shall the heart of Christ be When the Prodigall son came home what joy was there at his return And let me say to you that all your transgressions shall not be mentioned though he or she hath been never so vile yet if the Lord doth give any sinner a heart to come to Christ the Word of the Lord shall be made good That all their sins shall not be mentioned Ezek. 18. 21 22. If the wicked forsake his way all his transgressions shall not be mentioned Oh that this might incourage unworthy ones to look to Christ And truly if unworthy ones shall not be perswaded by this to come to Christ know that this example of the woman of Canaan will rise up in judgement against you she was as unworthy and sinful as you and oh what a cutting thing will it be when sinners shall see Manasseh and Paul and Mary Magdalen and the woman of Samaria and this woman of Canaan to sit down with Christ and they themselves shut out O that God would help you to imbrace the Gospel and know that all unworthiness and sinfulness shall be no block in your way if the Lord now perswade your heart to
make a close with Christ And to draw to a conclusion let us labour to help forward Gods design Doth God make choice of such O then we should help forward Gods work especially where any stand related to us weakness shall not hinder they may come to Christ and therefore be in the use of the means pray for them and speak to them and improve every talent that God hath given you even for the weakest and unworthiest And again take heed that we do not murmur against any of the dispensations of the Lord take heed we do not envy this dispensation and that our hearts do not rise up against it that we do not murmur when we see such and such profess the name of Christ and they are very forward and such as were young children and such poor weak women Now what a high profession do they make The Pharisees they were offended when as the rude people as they called them that knew not the Law they followed after Christ Oh this made the Gospel and Christ a stumbling block to them And so when as the children did confess Christ and sung Hosanna to the son of David the Pharisees were offended it troubled them at the heart that the children should cry out so it was a trouble to them Take heed that we be not offended when the Lord makes choice of young ones and they are too forward as some think why this is no more then what the Lord hath promised to pour out his Spirit upon young men take heed we be not offended at it we should rather rejoyce in it when you see young ones weak ones and sinfull ones come in to Christ and are high in profession oh you should rejoyce in it And let your souls wonder at this dispensation do not envy it but do you wonder at it The Evangelist Matthew he placeth a note of wonder behold a woman of Canaan it was a wonder and we should stand and wonder at Gods secret dispensation O here is the mysterie of the Gospel that weak ones and sinful ones are brought in to Christ And rejoyce in it as Christ did and bless the Lord for it though they have more then we have yet do not envy it but know that this pleaseth the Lord and the Lord will so have it I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth for so it seemeth good in thy sight Christs soul was taken with it O here is a wonder indeed for which God is to be blessed and praised And so if God be your Father when you see this do not envy it but rejoyce in it as Christ did though I have little I thank thee that thou art pleased to give out so much of thy self to such and such that weak ones and unworthy ones are brought in to Christ And last of all You that are weak in respect of parts and gifts and poor and unworthy and weak in respect of sex or of vile parentage and yet the Lord hath pluckt you out and vile and great sinners and yet the Lord hath brought you home to himself O bless the Lord for this his dispensation toward you If the Evangelist look upon the woman and say Behold the woman of Canaan O look upon your selves with admiration Behold the Grace of God which is revealed to you though poor wretches O know that you are ingaged to the Lord for this mercy that God should chuse you the weakest the unworthiest and the sinfullest And do you labour to walk worthy of this mercy Oh if the Lord hath chosen you that vvere the sinfullest O labour to bring much honour unto God as you have brought much dishonour and to hold forth the contrary graces to those great transgressions And if the Lord hath brought you in that are vveak ones women is there ever a vveak vvoman that the Lord hath made choice of O admire vvith fear this dispensation of God and bless him for his Grace to you and labour to adorn the Doctrine of God and your Saviour vvith a gracious conversation and study the Graces the Apostle Peter commends to you that you should be much in the exercise of faith and adorn themselves vvith a meek and quiet spirit O this meek and quiet spirit this sober and this modest conversation and obedience to Husbands these Graces Christ by the Apostle doth commend to you and you are ingaged to do all this and more for Christ because he hath had respect to the vveakest Matth. 15. 22. And cryed unto him saying have mercy on me O Lord thou son of David SERMON III. YOu have seen the woman and now you shall hear her speak She cryed unto him saying Have mercy on me O Lord thou son of David Observe here is a declaration of her faith and that we shall first take notice of her faith is declared by a notable confession that she makes of Christ Her confession O Lord thou son of David it is short but a great deal is in it First of all she doth acknowledge him to be Lord Lord of all to be infinite in power the Lord of Heaven and Earth one that was able to do whatsoever he pleaseth one that was able to cast out the Devil by speaking one word for she comes in the behalf of her Daughter and closeth with Christ as Lord where she doth acknowledge his divinity that he was Lord over all God blessed for ever and had power in his hand and abillity to do whatsoever he pleased That is the first part of her confession she confessed that Christ was Lord. Secondly She confesses that he was the son of David O Lord thou son of David and therein she doth acknowledge his Humanity as she acknowledged that he was Lord so she acknowledged that he was true man 2. She doth acknowledge that he was the promised Messias that is comprehended in that title Thou son of David She doth acknowledge that he was that Messias that was promised should arise out of the House of David that should come of the seed of David the promised Messias that was promised to be the deliverer of his people so she doth acknowledge for she calls him the son of David he that was promised should come of the house of David whom God had promised to raise up to be a horn of salvation So you see her confession she confesses his Divinity comes to him as God confesses his Humanity comes to him as Man and she comes to him as the Messias one that was appointed of God to be a Saviour and one of the house of David Here is as full and as large a confession as any of the Disciples make of Christ Quest But it may be queried Why she calls him the son of David she might have exprest him to have been true man and called him the son of Adam why not the son of Adam or the son of Abraham why does she call him the son of David Answ I answer in general Christ
shews that afflictions are from the Lord and shews that all afflictions are for that end to carry the soul higher unto God and shews that all the help of the creature is vain and shews that there is an infinite supply of grace and mercy all-sufficiency of grace in God and Christ to relieve at all times and in all straits these discoveries that faith makes will carry the soul to Christ and make the soul apply it self to Christ and cry to him and spread his complaints before him in time of great distress A word or two by way of Application First of all If it be so that faith carry the soul to God and Christ alone in time of distres what shall we think then when men by their affliction and in their affliction are carried further off from God And yet so it is with many their afflictions set them at a greater distance from Christ many a man is hardened by his affliction and so set at a greater distance from God by that trouble and distresse he hath upon him afflictions drive many a man from God make him run away from God run any where then unto God there is many will run to the creature and their eye is not to the Lord the holy One of Israel they run to the creature to comfort them run to the world and run into the way of their lust but apply not themselves to the Lord in the day of their distress You know that Ahaziah ran to the Devil when he was in distress so far was he from running nigh to God in distress that he run to the Devil himself he sends to the gods of the Nations to know whether he should recover or not This is a discovery that there is no seed of faith in such a soul for where there is faith but in the seed of it the least seed of faith it will make a soul at least to be looking to Christ and crying after Christ in the day of distress it will at least cry unto Christ though there may be many workings of corruption and temptations and many distempers of spirit may be bubling up in time of affliction yet faith will carry the soul to look towards Christ and cry after him as Jonah did when he was in the belly of hell I said I am cast out of thy sight yet will I look toward thy holy temple He applies himself to Christ And so a gracious heart will be looking to Christ and the more faith the more it will look and the louder it will-cry But secondly Let it be a word of exhortation O that it might provoke us all to deal more with God and Christ in the time of our affliction and distress O that we might cry more to him and pour out our complaints more to him as this poor woman did she comes and cries O Lord thou son of David Poor souls are apt to look to the creature in the day of distress and think such and such creatures can comfort Surely my bed shall comfort me and my couch give me ease sayes Job but he found no such matter and so we are apt to say of this and that creature I will go and make my complaint to him he will give me some refreshment poor souls are very apt under their burdens to go up down and scatter their complaints Ah but they take not the right course of going to Christ and crying to him and pouring out the complaints of their souls before him and therefore it is that when they goe to men they meet with little satisfaction and little relief and comfort and their spirits are filled with discontent and dissatisfaction when as they meet with such men sometimes as have no compassion at all in them and sometimes meet with good words and no more and sometimes meet with such as pitty them but have no power and sometimes meet with some that will aggravate the affliction and just it is with God it should be so when we will not look to the Rock O that such disappointments might reach us to look to the Lord we have thought that this creature might ease but we have met with disappointments O that these disappointments might teach us to go to Christ as this woman And thus the poor man did for his son that he would cast out the unclean spirit I went said he to thy Disciples and they tryed to cast out the unclean spirit but could not and then he comes to Christ I have been with thy Disciples and they could not cast out the unclean spirit but thou canst do it and Christ did do it And O that these disappointments might teach us to goe more to Christ and make our complaints more to him in time of distress Quest But you will say What may we not go to our friends is it not lawful to go to men when we are under pressures and burdens either of the outward or inward man and to such and such as may relieve us may we not apply our selves to them Answ I answer yes We may apply our selves to men but take heed we do it in Gods way I say under burdens and distresses either outward or inward we may apply our selves to men but take heed we doe it in Gods way Quest But you will say How shall we know we do it in Gods way Answ I answer first of all when you do it as an Ordinance of God when we make use of the advice and help of others and go to others as to an Ordinance of God then we are not out of Gods way when we do it in obedience to the Will and Commandement of God and Christ when one that is wounded in spirit shall apply himself to those that are godly that hath the mind of Christ in obedience to the command of Christ Confess your sins one to another and pray one for another Now if out of obedience to Christ I go and confess my sins to one that is godly and desire him to pray for me when we apply our selves to men as an Ordinance of God then we are in Gods way Secondly When we shall keep the eye of our souls upon God alone for help when we apply our selves to men for any help and yet shall keep our eye upon God and look upon God as the great moving cause look upon God as the fountain of all relief and comfort and shall look upon the creature only as Gods Instrument this is but a pipe and an empty one too if God do not fill it when as the eye is thus upon God and eye God as principal in all that comfort and relief that we expect and look upon the creature as the means then we may apply our selves to the creature and not out of Gods way And a man may know whether he keeps his eye upon God when as he does apply himself to the creature thus Are your expectations from the creature or from God If a mans eye
he day of great afflictions First It carries the heart to God thorough Christ and makes its complaint unto him it doth not cry out against God but as it cries unto God so it runs unto the Lord thorough Christ and pours out his complaints before him So David Psal 142. 1 2. I cryed unto the Lord with my voice unto the Lord did I make my supplication I poured out my complaint before him The flesh cries out of his burden yea sinful flesh it complains many times not only of his burden but of God himself Ah but the spirit that cries unted God Job 35. 9. By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry They cry out by reason of the arme of the mighty v. 10. But none saith where is God nâ—â—â—maker he reproves the sons of men They are apâ—â—to cry but it is the cry of the flesh they cry out of the arme of the mighty but they do not go to God None say where is God that giveth songs in the night season The spirit in the saddest condition goes to God through Christ Secondly The cry of the spirit it doth make a man to cry out as well of sin as of affliction it will make a man to cry out more of sin then of affliction the flesh is not sensible of the burden of sin Ah but where the spirit of the Lord is it will make a man cry out most of all of the burden of sin if God should take away affliction and not take aâ— way corruption this would be little refreshment to him O miserable man that I am as you have the Apostle cry which was the cry of the spirit Rom. 7. the latter end O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord He was more sensible of the body of sin then of any affliction that lay upon him Thirdly The cry of the Spirit it will make the soul cry more after God himself then after any mercy or deliverance that it may injoy God that it may have the presence of God and communion with God that it may be made like to God a gracious heart it cries thus after God yea in the day of affliction when the burden is heavy a gracious heart desires more to injoy God then to be free from his affliction See how the Psalmist doth express himself in Psal 63. 1. O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is David was now in a state of banishment it is like he met with sore afflictions ah but the cry of his soul was after God my soul thirsteth for thee and longeth for thee Fourthly The cry of the spirit it is a cry of faith it cries in faith and cries in hope the flesh cries in despair many times but the spirit cries and believes when it cries it takes hold of God and follows after him follows God crying though God go away See what is said Psal 89. 26. the promise is made to Davids son Christ He shall cry unto me thou art my father my God and the rock of my salvation He shall cry unto me 〈◊〉 but he shall cry in faith when he cries he shall say Thou art my Father and my rock And so the Church Isaiah 26. she cries out with a great cry and it is in faith doubtless thou art our Father And so Psal 119. when as David cryed he trusted he took hold of God and hoped in his mercy 145 146 147. ver though he was in a great affliction and there was great cause to cry yet his cry was the cry of faith and he hoped in the Word of the Lord for the accomplishment of the Word of the Lord. Fifthly As the cry of the spirit is the cry of faith so it is a fervent cry that cry that the Lord doth raise up by his spirit in the day of affliction it is a fervent cry it is no cold nor lazy cry but a strong cry Jesus Christ in the dayes of his flesh put up strong cries and the Apostle James he speaks of the fervent prayer of Gods people I am 5. The fervent effectual prayer of the righteous prevaileth much When the Spirit of prayer doth set all the faculties of the soul a work to look after God and take hold of God â—hen it takes hold of God and will not let him go and cry out as the Church Awake thou arme of the Lord as in the dayes of old when it will take no rest it self and give God no rest till the Lord comes in a way of grace that is the prayer that is spoken of Isai 62. 6 7 8. that prayer that is accompanied with holy fervency is the cry of the spirit Sixthly and lastly The cry of the spirit is such a cry as will not easily be silent though it meet with no answer from the Lord though it meet with a denial as this woman of Canaan she meets with many discouragements he gave her no answer at first still she goes on to cry her cry was a cry that was raised by the spirit of the Lord the flesh may put a man upon it to cry to the Lord for a season but if the Lord does not come in the flesh grows weary now the cry of the spirit is a constant cry that will not give over but will wait upon the Lord till such time as he shall send from heaven to save Thus you see what the cry of the flesh is and what the cry of the spirit Secondly Now the Saints in all Ages in the dayes of their affliction have been stirred up to cry with their spirits unto the Lord and the greater their afflictions have been the more they have cried unto the Lord So it was with Moses he was in a great strait when as he was before the red Sea and then Moses cryed in spirit God made use of that strait to stir up the cry of the Spirit in Moses And so when Jacob was in a great strait he cryed more earnestly then ever he had done when as his brother came to meet him with an Army of men he saw nothing but death and destruction he applied himself to the Lord and cried mightily It is said in Hosea 12. 4. speaking of Jacob He wept and he made supplication And so you know David in Psal 14â— cryed and it was when his spirit was over whelmed and no man to pity him then he cryed unto the Lord. And you know our Lord Jesus to give you no more instances in the dayes of his affliction he cried louder then ever That place Heb. 7. 7. In the dayes of his flesh he offered up prayers and supplications with strong cries and teares unto him that was able to save him from death and was heard in that he feared And the Evangelist Luke doth take notice that as Christs
cry the more earnestly after him he sees that they begin to flag in their prayers and do not cry so loud as they have done the Lord he will withdraw that so he may stir up a spirit of prayer bring them into such an affliction that so they may cry the more earnestly the storm was raised when Christ was upon the sea with his Disciples to make them cry the more earnestly The Lord seems to sleep many times at the prayers of his people that so by the prayers of his people he may be awakened Quest But you will say What need we cry thus earnestly to the Lord for he is found of them that seek him not we cannot find God by our seekiâ—â— him he must seek us he is found of them that 〈◊〉 him not Answ I answer It is true God is found 〈◊〉 them that seek him not that is when God comes first into a poor soul he breaks in upon it he prevents it with grace and mercy and he seeks us and brings home grace and mercy to the soul before the soul sought the Lord. But now when the Lord hath found a soul and brought home a soul to the knowledge of himself through Christ O then he expects that that soul should continually wait upon him and be seeking of him in that way which is of the Lords own appointment It is true he is found many times of those that seek him not but the Lord is not found of those that seek him lazily he hears not cold prayers no it is the cry of the spirit the Lord heareth Quest Ah but some will say I cannot cry and pray I cannot continue in prayer my spirit is overwhelmed and I am so shut up that I know not how to utter a word in the presence of the Lord. Answ I answer Though thy spirit be overwhelmed thou mayest pray and cry aloud to the Lord David did so and why mayest not thou Psal 142. 3. I cryed sayes he and it was when my spirit is overwhelmed and although thou canst not utter a word to the Lord yet thou mayst pray and cry with the cries of the spirit the Spirit of the Lord stirs up sighings and groanings in the hearts of his people which cannot be uttered So when thou canst not speak a word to the Lord yet thou mayest cry Job could noâ— speak yet his soul cried to the Lord and his eye cried to the Lord Job 16. 20. My friends scorn me but mine eyes poure out teares unto God When he knew not how to speak a word his eye looked to the Lord if he cannot poure out his prayer his eye shall speak and his soul shall speak this may be an effectuall prayer Object Ah but I am filled with the sence of my unworthiness I dare not go before the Lord I dare not beg any mercy nor stand in his presence I am filled with the sence of my own unworthiness Answ I tell thee though thou beest filled with the sense of thy unworthinesse yet thou mayest and ought to cry to the Lord and poure out thy soul in supplication The Publican that went up to the Temple he durst not draw nigh he looked upon himself as an unworthy sinner and yet poured out his prayer to the Lord the sence of thy unworthinesse should not hinder thee in the pouring out of thy prayer to the Lord the more unvorthy the more need of going to the Lord and the more sensible of thy unworthinesse the sooner the Lord declares his acceptance Oh that the Lord would make us all mindful of this our duty we are apt to cry with the cry of the flesh but O that in the day of our distresse we did cry with the cry of the spirit Let the crie that springs from pride impatiencie and unbelief be silent laid low and let it not open its mouth but crie with the cry of faith with the crie of the spirit this will be a good evidence that affliction hath wrought the right way and that the Lord hath done us good by our affliction Till the flesh be silent and the spirit raised up to cry in faith we shall never have any evidence that we have received benefit by our affliction but when the soul shall be in affliction and the spirit up and cry it will be a good evidence that the soul hath received good by the affliction And to say no more the Lord will soon draw nigh to that soul that shall thus be found waiting for him when the flesh shall be silent and the spirit cry the Lord will soon hear that crie You know the Lord is a tender hearted Father and he will not suffer any of his children to be tempted above what they are able to beare he will not suffer them to sink under their burden but will come in with delivering mercie for the Lord doth sometimes hear the crie of the flesh so he hath heard the crie of the flesh though not the sinful crie yet the crie of nature the Lord hath heard that crie He heard the crie of Ishamel when as he was ready to perish for thirst The Lad cried and he heard the crie of the Lad and the Lord opened the eyes of Hagar and she saw a well of water He heard the crie of the flesh so gracious is the Lord yea he heares she crie of the young Ravens of the young Lions and the Lord he opens his hand and satisfies them O that this might be an incouragement to goe to God in all times of distresse let it be never so great the Lord is a God of compassion and if he does hear the crie of the unreasonable Creatures and the crie of the flesh O surely the Lord will much more hear the crie of the spirit when his people come and apply themselves to him through Christ such as hope in his mercie and are found waâ—ting for his salvation Surely the Lord he will find out the best time in which he will come in with deliverance to his Servants Matth. 15. 22. Thou son of David have mercy on me SERMON VI. WE observed the last day that great and strong afflictions will raile strong cries make Gods people crie loud It was a sore affliction that was upon this woman Ms daughter is grievously vexed with a devil and whâ—â— she comes to Christ she doth not only pray 〈◊〉 cry to him But to passe on and consider something thâ—â— still remains and that is to look upon the Argument that this woman useth in her crie to Christ her Argument is mercy she cries mercy 〈◊〉 free grace she doth not look to any worthiness 〈◊〉 her self neither doth her unworthiness discourage but looks beyond both and she closeth 〈◊〉 mercy and free grace Thou son of David 〈◊〉 mercy on me She comes to the son of David 〈◊〉 knew David was a merciful Prince and King 〈◊〉 shews mercie to his very enemies David spared the life of Saul when he had him at a great
him to his own Mother to be his Nurse and she pays his own Mother for him And so the Lord he will deal with you that are parents that act in faith and perform your duties in faith the Lord will reward you for your love to your own children for taking care of your own children all your labour is taken notice of by the Lord and you shall be rewarded Oh! what an encourageis here to all Parents to look after faith in Christ that so your service may be accepted of the Lord One thing more and so I conclude and that is a word to children is it so that there is so much love in the hearts of Parents to their children is there so much that Parents do from love to children oh that children would labour to know what is their duty that they owe to Parents it cannot be told it cannot be exprest how much it is that children owe unto parents Children it is impossible that ever you should requite the love of your parents oh the pains the travel and sorrow of bringing forth and bringing up oh that children might know that there is a great engagement lies upon them to love their parents to respect their parents to take heed that they do not grieve their parents to pass by all in firmities of parents to shew all respect to them and when grown up to take care of them And this is a duty that Christ lays upon you though a Moral duty see what is said in 1 Tim. where children may see what Christ injoyns them 1 Tim. 5. 4. But if any widow have children or Nephews let them learn first to shew piety at home and to requite their parents for that is good and acceptable before God God lays this duty upon children you should labour to requite your parents to remember their love their care their sorrow their pains and travel and you are bound by the Law of Christ to requite your parents this is good this is piety and this is acceptable to God And so that place Levit. 19. 3. Ye shall fear every man his Mother and his Father and keep my Sabbaths I am the Lord your God Here is a duty that God lays upon children to fear every man his Mother and Father Children are most apt to despise their Mothers therefore the Lord begins there and lays that duty first that children should fear every man his Mother And take notice of it that this is a duty that the Lord sets before the keeping of his Sabbath as if the Lord should say in vain shall they pretend to be Religious if they do not fear and reverence every man his Mother and his Father I will not accept of your service It was a brand that was set upon Esau to all generations that he did that which was a grief to his Father and Mother Now children see your duty and remember your duty which the Lord Jesus lays upon you And oh that children would labour for faith that they may perform their duties Parents cannot love their children aright till they have faith and truly children cannot reverence their parents nor perform the duties they owe unto parents unless they have faith Oh then that Parents and children would look up to Christ for faith and then shall both be able through faith in Christ to perform that mutual duty that God requires from parents and children And to shut up all let this that hath been spoken strengthen the faith of all Gods people in Gods love to them Oh that by this we might ascend to the love of God! O that they that think they have not been concerned in what hath been spoken hitherto would know they are concerned in this The Lord would have you to ascend by the consideration of the bowels that are in parents to their children to a consideration of those infinite bowels that are in him towards you that are his children As the Father pitieth his children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him what ever workings of love are in the hearts of parents towards their children oh know that there is larger workings of love in the heart of God towards his children there are infinite bowels in the everlasting Father and if there be so much pity in the hearts of parents that they are willing and ready to give out good things to their children and willing to pass by and to pardon the miscarriages of their children oh how much more willing is our God to pass by and to pardon the failings of you that are his children oh that this might encourage prodigal children to return to the Lord If the father receive his child that hath been a prodigal why the Lord is ready to receive you though a prodigal if the Lord give you an heart to return though you have spent all and abused all your mercies yet the Lord is ready to pardon and to receive you And let it strengthen your faith and hope in Christ you that cleave to Christ for righteousness you that are the children of that everlasting Father oh know that Christ will plead for you Christ will cry to his Father for you Was the woman of Candan so affected with the misery of her daughter that she cries Lord have mercy on me my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil 〈◊〉 I say this found in this woman towards her daughter and shall not this be found in Christ towards his children oh then let this comfort you when you scarce dare go to God and cry your selves such and such a corruption doth annoy you such and such an unclean spirit is in you Oh! the Lord Jesus pities you under every spiritual burden when as you are troubled with unclean spirits he hath bowels of compassion towards you and know that he will go to his Father and cry to his Father and if he cry he cannot deny the son of his love but an answer shall be given to all those requests that Christ puts up for you or for any of his people Matth. 15. 23. But he answered her not a word SERMON VIII I Come now to speak of the trial of this womans faith and here is the first tryal of her faith he answered her not a word A very great trial a sore trial that this poor woman should in her great strait and under such a burden and pressure of spirit come to Jesus Christ and cry so earnestly unto him and believe so stedfastly upon him and yet Jesus Christ give her not one word of answer to her prayer this was a sore trial for this carriage of Christ it seems to be contrary to what she had heard of Christ and to what she believed was in Jesus Christ for Christ seemed now either to be without compassion to her he seems to take no notice not to be affected she complained and cried out of her great burden and Christ speaks not a word the Lord Jesus Christ seems either not to be affected with her
misery or not to regard her misery not to take notice of such a poor creature as she was now both these were contrary to what she had heard of Christ and to that she had believed was in Jesus Christ without doubt she had heard out of the Prophet Isaiah that the Lord Jesus Christ when he came should bind up the broken-hearted and preach deliverance to the captives now when she applyes her self to Christ Christ seems not to be that compassionate Saviour certainly she had heard that Sions King was meek and lowly and that he would not break the bruised reed nor quench thâ— smoaking flax but Christ seems to disdain her and take no notice of her nor look after such avile worm as she was nay she had believed that Christ was low and meek as appeareth by that expression of hers in ver 22. Thou Son of David have mercy on me now David was a merciful Prince and was very pitiful and compassionate and very meek and lowly and humble therefore she believed that the Lord Jesus Christ was much more compassionate and she did believe that he would not disdain her though she was a poor Gentile but Christ seems to be quite contrary and answered her not a word this was a sore trial The Doctrine then is this That it is a very sore and great tryal unto the Lords people when the Lord is silent to their prayers and gives no answer to their cries In the opening of the point I shall shew you that God hath dealt thus with his own people and that it hath been a very sore tryal unto And then shall shew you wherefore the Lord is pleased thus to try his people which will make way for the Appplication First God hath dealt thus with his people I shall point you to some places of Scripture David often maketh this complaint Psalm 28. 1. Vnto thee will I cry O Lord my rock be not silent to me lest if thou be silent to me I become like them that go down into the pit How earnestly doth David beseech the Lord that he would not be silent to his prayer Lord Do not turn away thy ear from my prayer and do not shut thy mouth be not silent If thou dost not speak something to me in answer to my prayer I am not able to hold out but shall be like them that go down to the pit And Psalm 69. 3. he maketh a sore complaint I am weary of my crying my throat is dried mine eyes fail while I wait for my God The trial was so great to his spirit that it had an influence upon his Body when David cryed to the Lord he answered not a word his throat was dried and parcht up and his eyes began to fail And so the Prophet Jeremiah Lam. 3. 44. he expresseth it in the name of the Church Thou hast covered thy self with a cloud that our prayer should not pass thorow God seems to hide himself and cover himself with a cloud and did so hide himself as prayer could not find him he gave him not a word And the Prophet Habakkuk he complains of it chap. 1. ver 2. O Lord how long shall I cry and thou wilt not hear even cry unto thee of violence and thou wilt not save Nay that it was a sore trial you shall see it in those expressions of the Prophet David spoken of in the person of Christ Psalm 22. 2. O my God I cry in the day-time but thou hearest not and in the night-season and am not silent It was a sore affliction to Christ himself O my God I cry in the day-time and in the night-season that is I cry continually night and day never silent But thou art continually silent to me this was a sore affliction and burden to Christ himself Now that this is a sore affliction and trial for God to be silent to the prayers of his people it appears First if you consider that relation the Lord stands in to his people and they to him he stands in relation of a Father they his children he stands in relation of an Husband they his Spouse he stands in relation of a friend they his friend Abraham he was the friend of God and so is every believer God a friend to him and he a friend to God now it is a sore trial when one friend shall cry to another or a wife to an Husband or a child to a father and these relations not give one word of Answer if a poor child in great extremity should cry to his father father help me and the father not to give one word this is a sore tryal if a man cry to a stranger and meet not with one word it is no great disappointment but when a child cries to a father or a wife to an Husband or a friend to a friend and they not to speak a word it is a great trial Secondly it will appear to be a great trial because there is nothing in all the world that a gracious soul longs more after then this that the Lord would be giving a return of prayer that there may be a converse betwixt God and the soul to speak to God and to hear God speaking back again to it nothing that a gracious foul more longs after oh it longs to hear a word from God it knows that the return of prayer is the way to make a soul rich towards God and to make it rich in experience in faith in thankfulness in obedience Oh how doth a Merchant-venturer long for the return of his commodity from a far Country truly there is no merchant in the world can long more for the return of his commodity from a far Country then a gracious soul longs for the return of prayer oh saith the soul when wilt thou come unto me Now if it be that which a gracious soul doth more long after then any thing in the world it is a great trial when God doth not give a return of prayer Thirdly A gracious heart when it puts up a prayer to God it looketh for a return for an answer Psalm 85. 8. I will hear what God the Lord will speak And so the Prophet Habakkuk after he had prayed I will get me upon the watch-tower and I will watch to see what he will say unto me I will wait to see what God will speak by his spirit or by his providences one way or other God will speak Now to have this expectation disappointed to wait upon the Lord for an answer and the Lord not to speak one word this is a sore trial Fourthly it must needs be a great trial when God gives never a word of answer for a believing soul knows assuredly that if God do not answer none else can hear prayers and give a return to prayer it is Gods name oh thou that hearest prayers unto thee shall all flesh come God only can hear prayer and God only can give an answer it is God only
that can reach out mercy to the soul and speak a word of comfort and counsel God only can speak a word of strength a word of peace the creature cannot No it is God only I create the fruit of the lips peaâ—y peace Now when a soul looks up to the Lord and meets with nothing from him and knows that there is no answer to be expected from the creature this must needs be a great and a sore trial Fifthly it will appear to be a great trial if we consider that the flesh and Devil are exceeding ready to make a great advantage of this providence of God and dispensation towards his people for they will improve this to the dishonour of God and discomfort of the soul and therefore a great trial In two or three Particulars I shall shew you how ready the Flesh and Devil is to improve this to Gods dishonour and the souls discomfort First the Flesh and Devil will raise up many doubts and jealousies and mis-giving thoughtâ—â— both concerning God and concerning a man own condition and concerning the duties and services which are offered up to the Lord. They will make the soul to doubt of the goodness of God to doubt of the free-grace of God to doubt of the faithfulness of God of the truth of God Surely saith unbelief the Lord is not so gracious as thou hast taken him to be thou hast rested upon the Arm of his mercy and thou hast believed his grace to be sufficient for thee in every condition thou hast looked toward him as toward an infinite compassionate God but where are the compassions of the Lord now not to speak one word to relieve and comfort thee Thus will the Devil and the unbelieving heart object when the Lord doth not give out a present answer yea unbelief will be accusing the faithfulness of God Oh! where is his Word and his Promise He hath said that they that call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved He hath said Call upon me in the time of trouble and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me â—h where is the faithfulness of God God is unmindful of his promise Asaph was under this temptation Psalm 77. 7 8. Will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more Is his mercy clean gone for ever doth his promise fail for evermore And thus he goeth on making many Queries concerning the goodness and faithfulness of God Secondly as the Devil and the Flesh doth raise many doubts and jealousies concerning the faithfulness of God so there are many doubts cast into the soul concerning the eternal estate and condition of the soul and that upon this ground when as the soul hath sought the Lord and the Lord not answer presently the soul begins to doubt oh surely I am no child of God no sponse no friend God could not deal so with children not to give one word of comfort not one word of answer Oh surely I am an Hypocrite for the prayer of the upright is his delight and if there were any truth of heart in me the Lord would give out an answer and thus the Devil and the Flesh-raise many jealousies and fears about the souls eternal state Or Thirdly if the Devil and the Flesh prevail not so far as to cause the soul to question the goodness of God and the Truth of God or to question its own Sonship yet they will prevail so far as to make the soul question his services and his duties which it hath performed to God Oh! surely I have not spoken to the Lord as I ought surely I have not been fervent in Spirit serving the Lord my prayer hath been but words of my own not the teachings of his Spirit if it had been his own Spirit the Lord would have heard his own Spirit but my prayer hath been accompanied with so many infirmities as it hath not reached up to heaven And thus you see how many a poor soul is led into temptation upon this ground the Lords being silent to the prayers of his people But you will say wherefore doth the Lord thus try his people I answer sometimes indeed the fault is in our selves that we have no answer to our prayers for it is possible that a man or woman that hath faith in Jesus Christ may be remiss in their walkings they may neglect some known duty or they may connive and wink at some evil way and if so no wonder though the Lord be silent at their prayers If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my prayer If David regard iniquity if there be any way of sin that his heart closeth with the Lord will be silent to his prayers if any iniquity be regarded no wonder though the Lord do not hear Yea sometimes Gods own people are found remiss in their duty and though they pray they pray remisly and coldly their prayer is accompanied with so much deadness and distraction there is so little life and so little spirit the Spirit speaks so low that the Lord cannot hear and he will not hear and when it is so that we pray coldly and lazily we make but a light matter of it and are not found crying to the Lord with our hearts no wonder though the Lord be silent to our prayers Yea sometimes Gods own people may miss of an answer because they do not look after an answer and then the fault is their own when as we shall put up our petition and shall not be looking after our prayer shall not be found looking up as David speaketh Psalm 5. 3. In the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up I will wait for an answer and hear what God the Lord will speak Psalm 85. 8. But when we do not regard our prayer then no wonder there is no answer I say therefore the Lord is sometimes silent to the prayers of his own people and the fault is in themselves But the Lord is not alwayes silent upon these grounds A gracious heart may walk close with God and may regard no iniquity and desire not to connive at any sin and it may wait upon the Lord for an answer and yet the Lord may be silent and give no present answer to the prayers of his people Why so why will the Lord deal so with any of his people I answer for gracious ends as First that they may exercise the spirit of prayer which is given out the Lord he loves to hear the cry of his people he loves to hear the voice of the children when they speak in prayer there is nothing on eath that God delights more in 〈◊〉 let me see thy face and let me hear thy voice saith Christ to his Spouse for thy voice is sweet Noâ— because the voice of faith in prayer 〈◊〉 sweet to the Lord the Lord he seemeth 〈◊〉 to hear or not to take notice for the present thâ—â— so they may pray the
more As a man that delights in musick if the Musicians play he 〈◊〉 take no notice but lets them play on because he delighteth in it and so the Lord he takes delight in the prayers of his servants The prayerâ— the upright is his delight and he will give no present answer that so they may go on praying 〈◊〉 crying Secondly the Lord may seem to be silent 〈◊〉 the prayers of his people that so he may exerâ—â— the faith and patience of his servants It is great trial of the faith and patience of the Saiâ—â— when as the Lord seems to take no notice 〈◊〉 give no answer to their prayers it was for 〈◊〉 end that our Lord Jesus Christ gave not a 〈◊〉 of answer to this woman of Canaan it was that might try her faith and her patience and that might exercise it and that by the exerciâ—â— faith faith might be increased and her faith 〈◊〉 arise to a great faith by this exercise for at 〈◊〉 Christ commends her for her faith Oh 〈◊〉 great is thy faith be it unto thee even as 〈◊〉 wait Again the Lord is silent many times at the prayers of his people to try whether they will continue in prayer though the Lord doth give them no present answer oh here is the trial of perseverance God hath heard my prayer saith David therefore will I call upon him as long as I live Ah but that is no great matter for a man to say God hath heard my prayer and therefore I will call upon him still But for a soul to say I have been crying and calling and I will still wait upon him as long as I live I will wait upon God Oh here is perseverance in prayer in which Christ doth delight Fourthly the Lord is silent many times upon this ground he gives no present answer that so he may prepare an answer for them and that he may prepare them for an answer God gives no present answer that so he may prepare mercy and ripen mercy and make mercy fit for his people and that he may ripen them and fit them and their hearts for the mercy so that it is in abundance of grace and mercy and love that the Lord is pleased many times not to give out a present answer to his people for all the time the Lord is silent he is preparing of mercy and goodness for them he is making of the mercy fit for his people the mercy shall be ripe and the mercy shall be sweet and wholsome and do them good at the heart When the Lord hath thus prepared mercy for them and fitted them for the mercy they shall have the mercy see what is said in Isa 80. 18. And therefore will the Lord wait that he way be gracious unto you and therefore will he be exalted for the Lord is a God of judgement blessed are all they that wait for him He waits that he may be gracious he waits for the best season the fittest opportunity he will stay till the soul hath need of help in the fittest time the Lord will come in mercy when he may be most exalted for mercy when his people may see most of the hand of God when they most prize their mercies and glorifie God for mercy God waits for such a time And therefore you see it is for gracious ends that God many times seems to be silent for a season and gives not one word in answer to prayer as Christ here to this woman of Canaan For the Application of the Point First it speaks sadly of them that never regard whether the Lord give an answer or no to their prayer that pray and pray and look not after an answer How far are such men and women from the disposition of Gods children a gracious heart cannot but be affected when it speaks to the Father and the Father gives no answer And therefore surely when men and women make many prayers and look not up for an answer that regard not whether the Lord answer or not either they are none of his children or else under a sore temptation for let me say unto you that though it is not for your prayers that God doth regard prayer yet if you do not look up for an answer if you do not regard your prayers neither will God regard your prayers And let me say further that this is a great dishonour to God Oh what a 〈◊〉 is it it is a loss to God and it is a loss also to the soul for a man to lose all his prayers it is a loss indeed When as a soul doth not regard whether God answer or no God loseth he loses that glory which would redound to him in the answer of prayer Call upon me saith God in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Now if the soul call upon God and doth not observe whether God hears or no it cannot glorifie God for the return of prayer but God loses that honour that thankfulness and that love and obedience and that dependance which an answer of prayer might engage the soul to And as God loseth so the soul loseth oh they that look not after the return of prayer they lose that which would make their souls rich For a Merchant to lose all his return it will make him a poor Tradesman in conclusion that soul that doth not look after the return of prayer loseth a great deal of faith and dependance and experience for God by giving out an answer to the prayers of his people he doth encourage them and engage them to trust in him at all times so long as they live they that lose the return of prayer lose the strengthening of faith and the engaging of their heart to God But secondly let me speak to such poor souls as are in the same condition with this woman of Canaan that have prayed and have not met with one word of answer Poor souls is this the condition of any of you I know that it hath been and may still be the condition of the Lords dearest servants they may pray and the Lord may seem to give no answer Remember it was so with David Jeremiah and Habakkuk and with Christ himself And let me say this unto thee that if thou regardest any iniquity in thy heart any known sin that thou regardest or connivest at or if there be slightness in the performance of thy duty or contentest thy self with a slothful performance of thy duty or thou dost not regard thy prayer when thou hast put it up to the Lord for this we have cause to be humbled and no wonder the Lord do not answer our prayers But now if thy own spirit and the Spirit of the Lord can testifie that thou desirest to regard no iniquity in thy heart but to walk up to thy duty and desire to be conformable to Christ and desire to cry in faith and to wait upon the Lord for an answer be of good comfort
though thou dost not meet with one word of answer from the Lord though thou hast cryed nights and dayes weekes months and years and hast not met with with one word of answer yet be comforted this may be the condition of Gods own people And let me say further by way of encouragement that the Lord he extends much good to thee in this deferring and delaying to give out an answer it is for gracious and merciful ends to thy soul that the Lord do not give thee the present mercy thou prayest for he will exercise the spirit of prayer he will exercise thy faith and patience and he will fit thee for mercy and mercy for thee and thou shalt have it so at last as thou shalt bless God for it Yea let me say further though an answer be not given out thy prayer is heard and thy person 〈◊〉 accepted Thy prayer is heard with the Lord oh that that might be a stay to poor souls that are in this condition as the woman of Canaan was that cry and have cryed long I say thy prayer is heard Oh sayes the soul that I knew my prayer were heard if I did but know that the Lord hath heard my prayer I would be content to wait all my dayes for an answer I have been crying for the light of his countenance and for the assurance of his love I have been crying night and day and if the Lord hath heard my prayer I should be content to wait for an answer But how shall I know that the Lord hath heard my prayer I answer thus First of all by that secret support by those secret hints which the Lord is pleased at one time or other to bring to thy spirit some hint of life some hint of comfort Surely if thou hast observed while thou hast waited upon the Lord there hath been some secrets hints of comfort that after thou hast been before the Lord thou hast been at ease and thy trouble is not so great as it was Hannah when she poured out her soul before the Lord she was in great distress but before she went away the Lord heard her prayer and this was the sign there was some ease in her spirit her burden was taken off a great deal refreshed in her spirit and so though the Lord hath given thee but the least hint of comfort the Lord hath heard thy prayer and in due time he will give a full answer Secondly thou mayst know that the Lord hath heard thy prayer by that strength he hath given thee to go thorow Thou art under sore afflictions and temptations such as are ready to break thy very spirit to make thy soul fade and faint and yet thou art supported thou hast cryed to the Lord and thou saist thou hast no answer why doth nor the Lord support thee if the Lord doth support thee and bear thee up under thy burden he doth in some measure answer thee or else how comes it to pass thou hast not sunk under thy burden when Paul besought the Lord under his temptation he prayed thrice that is often that God would take off the Messenger of Satan the temptation was not taken off ah but Paul was heard in his prayer in that the Lord did bear him up under his temptation My grace is sufficient for thee though I do not think good to remove the temptation I have heard thy prayer my grace is sufficient for thee So then remember poor soul that if the Lord hath supported thee the Lord hath heard thy prayer Thirdly doth the Lord carry on thy soul to continue in thy prayer that although thou hast prayed and met with no answer yet thou art resolved still to go on and sayst though the Lord hath not spoken one word to me I will not give over speaking to him but my soul shall still cry after God That was the resolution David took up Psal 27. 4. One thing have I desired of the Lord that I will seek after I have desired it and though I have not attained it I will seek after it as long as I live Is it so that the Lord doth carry up thy spirit still to wait upon him and still thou art crying and breathing after the Lord in prayer that very thing is a certain sign that the Lord hath heard thy prayer Fourthly doth the Lord enable thee and make thee willing to wait upon him thou hast not a present answer yet thou wilt wait as David when he had been at prayer he waited for the mercy Psalm 27. 14. Wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart Wait I say on the Lord. Oh my heart wait I say wait on the Lord Hast thou through grace so spoken to thine own heart I have no answer but I desire to wait and I check mine own heart that I can wait no more quietly I speak to mine own heart to wait I say wait on the Lord if it be so the Lord hath heard thy prayer Fifthly observe how thy spirit and how thy carriage is towards God in that time of Gods delay Is thy heart kept up towards God and thy conversation in a way of obedience that thou art desirous still to walk with God and thou durst not go out from God though God give thee no answer but thy heart is made more humble and thou art more meek and more obedient and more watchful and observant of thy heart and watchful over thy wayes is it so the Lord hath heard thy prayer though he gives thee no answer And therefore I say take no care for an answer I speak to such poor souls as have prayed and cryed and have not met with one word of answer from the Lord take no care for an answer only mind that which is thy duty and let the Lord alone he is preparing an answer he is waiting to be gracious he waits for a fit season for such a season as his grace and mercy may be most exalted be not thou so solicitous about an answer but mind what is thy work and thy duty And do thou hold on thy duty in praying to pray in crying to cry yea do thou cry louder then even and the more Christ seems to stop his ears and shut his mouth and give no answer the louder do thou cry as this poor woman did ver 25. Lord help me Secondly this is thy duty while the Lord thus deals with thee to justifie God and condemn thy self clear the Lord lay the blame upon thy self say the Lord is righteous and the Lord is holy and though he make wait me longer and longer yea many years for this mercy yet the Lord is righteous and there is no iniquity in him the Lord cried and I did not hear and the Lord is righteous though he makes me wait long the Lord is gracious that he speaks at all to such a poor creature that there is any promise that he will give out an
answer Oh justifie God and say the Lord is holy thus did the Psalmist Psalm 22. 3. But thou art holy O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel though thou dealest thus with me thou art holy thou art just and thou art righteous and thou art good and faithful though silent for the present to my prayer And so let us say if the Lord be silent to any of our prayers yet Lord thou art holy thou art righteous Thirdly this is thy duty labour to maintain good thoughts of God it is not enough to justifie not to charge God but to maintain good thoughts of God at that time that God is silent to our prayers and do thou believe that God is contriving good at that time now is the Lord waiting to be gracious and preparing an answer Oh this is a blessed frame of heart and how pleasing would it be to God to believe that he is good and that he is gracious and this very thing it is for good for the good of my soul that he may exercise faith and patience and try my perseverance and that he may fit me for mercy and mercy for me Oh that we could entertain good thoughts of a gracious God when he defers an answer Fourthly be looking to God through the Mediator close more with him through the Son look to the great God through the son of David look to him through that merciful and compassionate High-Priest look more to God through Christ and there rest Fifthly and lastly wait patiently for him oh take up a resolution to wait upon the Lord charge thy own heart to do it as David did and though he speaks not to day nor to morrow though he speaks not this month this year not in this opportunity yet say I will wait for the Lord I will wait in every season and get upon the watch-tower and wait patiently and see which way Christ will come to thy soul know it is thy duty to wait take hold of his promise he is a God of judgement and waiteth to be gracious he waiteth for an opportunity and therefore it is good thou shouldst wait it is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. Matth. 15. 23. And his Disciples came and besought him saying send her away for she crieth after us SERMON IX CHrist as you have heard is silent to the prayer of the woman he answered her not a word whereupon the Disciples they step in and perform an office and duty of love for this poor woman they step in and they plead with Christ for her Lord send her away for she crieth after us It is a great question with some whether the Disciples did pray for this woman here or no some think that they did not make any request for her there is no mention of any they only say Lord send her away for she crieth after us Lord stop her mouth send her away give her an answer dispatch her for she crieth after us and this was done say they that so the trial of this womans faith might be the greater But I rather conceive that the Disciples in these words did pray for her they did perform an office and duty of love in interceding with Christ for her For First of all it seems they were very earnest in it they came and besought him saying send her away Surely if it had been only to stop her mouth to dispatch her the Disciples would not have been so earnest with Christ to beseech him good nature would have taught them more compassion and therefore grace teacheth them much more And then they seem to be affected with the cry of the woman she crieth after us send her away it breaks our hearts the cries that she makes Thou Son of David have mercy on me And thirdly it is clear and evident in the following verse from the answer that Christ gives upon their seeking of him I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel Therefore it is evident that the Disciples did not plead with Christ to send her away to stop her mouth but they did plead with Christ though not mentioned that he would grant her request The truth then which the words hold forth to us is this That it is the duty of Christs Disciples to present the conditions of others unto the Lord in prayer as well as their own We find that Moses the servant of the Lord was much in this work much in praying for others and interceding for Israel upon every occasion he steps in and pleadeth with God for the people And so David in many of the Psalms he presents the conditions of others unto the Lord. And our Lord Jesus Christ himself who is our great pattern was much in the performance of this duty John 17. you shall â—nd there that the most part of the time that Christ spent in prayer it was spent in praying for others there is but one petition that he put for himself in ver 1. and repeated again in ver 5. and all the rest of his time it was spent in praying for others for the Disciples for those that were converted and for those that did belong to God that were not converted Many requests the Lord Jesus makes in the behalf of others and but one for himself And so the Apostle Paul who was a follower of Christ he was much in this work of praying for others Rom. 1. 9. he did appeal to God that he did not neglect this duty For God is my witness whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel of his son that without ceasing I make mention of you alwayes in my prayers And so 2 Tim. 1. 3. I thank God whom I serve from my fore-fathers with pure conscience that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers Paul did remember others before the Lord. But in the opening of the point I shall shew you First who they are that we are bound to pray for whose conditions Gods people are bound to remember before the Lord. Secondly what are the special time we are called unto this duty to remember others before the Lord. If you ask who they are that we are bound to pray for First we are bound to pray for them that have done us wrong a hard lesson but a lesson that Christs Disciples must learn we must pray for those that have done us wrong that have done evil and spoken evil of us See what our Saviour Christ saith Mat. 5. 44. But I say unto you love your enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you See here out of Christs own mouth this is our duty if we be Christs Disciples we must pray for them that persecute us and despitefully use us we should go to the Lord and beseech the Lord to forgive them thus did Christ Father forgive
them they know not what they do We should pray that the Lord would open their eyes that the Lord would turn their hearts to himself first and then to us Brethren such a prayer is very welcome to the Lord as welcome as most prayers that his people can make when you shall from the heart pray to the Lord for those that injured you and done you wrong such a prayer seldom goes unrequited Sometimes the Lord gives in the soul of an enemy at the request of his people and oh what a choice mercy will that be if thou mayst gain the soul of an enemy if a soul may be delivered from going down to the pit why the Lord many times gives in the soul of an enemy but if the Lord should not give in the soul of an enemy that prayer shall not go unrewarded it may be sometimes the Lord will give in the soul of a friend thou goest to God and thou prayest for such an enemy Lord forgive such an enemy Lord open his eyes and turn his heart and forgive his transgression if the Lord does not grant that request it may be the Lord will give in the soul of a child or some of thy relations because thou hast found in thy heart to pray for an enemy or else the Lord will reward that prayer by giving out more of himself thou beggest for an enemy if the Lord do not that the Lord will give thee more grace more of his Spirit the Lord it may be will cause his face to slaine more upon thee while thou at his commandment and for his sake canst find in thy heart to pray for them that are thy enemies and have done thee wrong thou hast prayed for an enemy and I will be a friend to thee saith the Lord I will shew thee more friendship more of my face this is the first thing Oh that the Lord would teach us to practise it it is our duty to pray for those that have done us wrong Secondly if it be our duty to pray for those that have done us wrong then it is our duty to pray for such as the Lord hath made instruments to do us good Creatures they are but instruments and all the glory is due to God alone ah but God is to be sought to for the instrument hath the Lord done us good by such an instrument in respect of our souls in a word of counsel and direction we are to pray for them When God made use of Abigail in giving a word of counsel to David how did he bless the Lord and pray to God for her 1 Sam. 25. 32 33. And David sad to Abigail blessed be the Lord God of which sent thee this day to meet me and blessed be thy advice and blessed be thou c. And so hath the Lord made any instrumental any way to do us good in the outward man to give any refreshment we are bound to remember them before the Lord thus did Paul 2 Tim. 1. 16. The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus for he oft refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains Onesiphorus was a means of refreshing Paul in his bonds and Paul looked upon it as his duty to remember him before the Lord he begs a blessing for him and his houshold The Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus it is our duty to remember those before the Lord that have been used as instruments to do us good Thirdly it is our duty to remember before the Lord even those that are strangers to us those that we have not known if we know their conditions If the Lord hath brought the condition of strangers to us if the condition of strangers be a sad condition we are bound to remember them and to present their condition before the Lord and thus did the Disciples here in the Text this woman she was a stranger to them they never saw her face before she was of a strange Nation one of the Cananites and yet when the sad condition of this woman was brought before them and they heard her cry their hearts were moved with compassion and they besought Christ for her Lord send her away Lord grant her requestâ— And the Lord layd a great charge upon his people Israel that they should remember strangers and not oppress strangers but shew kindness to them and this is one part of the duty we owe to them to remember them and if in any sad condition we are bound to present them and their condition before the Lord. Fourthly If it be a duty to remember Strangers then much more to remember our own Relations and to present them before the Lord. All our Relations what ever they be as we stand related to others in Political Societies there is an engagement to remember them before the Lord a mutual tye betwixt the Magistrate and the people and they are bound to pray one for another godly Magistrateâ— and godly people are bound to remember one another You know King Solomon he was one that feared the Lord and he was very much in praying for the people 1 Kings 8. 22. he spent much time in prayer And so back again it is the peoples duty to remember their Governours The Apostle lays it upon Christians as their duty 1 Tim. 2. 1. I exhort therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men ver 2. for Kings and for all that are in Authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty In this relation there is a mutual tie to remember one another before the Lord. And if we come to Family-societies there we shall see relations are bound to remember one another before the Lord the relation of Husband and Wife Parents and Children Masters and Servants the Scripture holds it forth as a duty incumbent upon all Christians to remember their relations mutually before the Lord. Husbands are bound to remember their wives to present their condition before the Lord Isaac prayed for Rebeckah Gen. 25. 21. and at his request the Lord was entreated and so back again the wife is bound to remember the husband And so in the relation of parents parents are bound often to present their children before the Lord the example of Job is given for our imitation Job 1. 5. And it was so when the dayes of their feasting were gone about that Job sent and sanctified them and rose up early in the morning and offered burnt-offerings according to the number of them all for Job said it may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts thus did Job continually See Job presented them all one by one before the Lord and begged mercy for them and that the Lord would take away the guilt of sin which they might contract while they were feasting in one anothers house And so good old Jacob performed this duty for his children even then when he lay a dying
to who they are that we are bound to pray for Secondly what are the special times in which we are bound to remember others and to present their conditions before the Lord. I answer first of all when they have sinned a sin against the Lord When we see any that have sinned greatly against the Lord that have provoked the Lord especially such as have the name of God and Christ upon them oh then it is time for us to step in and plead hard with God for them So did Moses when Israel had sinned a great sin in making the Molten calf then he steps in and cries hard to the Lord nay this is commended as a duty 1 John 5. 16. If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death he shall ask and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death If it be not a sinning wilfully a wilfull persecution of the Truth that he hath professed why then if a man see his brother sin he shall ask and give his brother life It is a gracious promise and a great encouragement to go to the Lord one for another Secondly in time of great affliction when the Lord lays his hand heavy upon others either on the outward or inward man it is our duty then to remember them and to present their conditions before the Lord in time of great calamity publick calamity upon a nation it is a duty of Gods people to present the condition of their people before the Lord. Nehemiah did present the condition of the people before the Lord when the hand of the Lord was sore upon them And so when God doth lay any great affliction upon others then it is our duty to remember them and present their condition before the Lord. David did so for his enemies when they were sick saith he I put on sack cloth and I fasted Thirdly in time of persecution that is a special time to present the conditions of others before the Lord when we see any that are persecuted for righteousness sake When the Church was persecuted in the Acts and the Disciples cast into prison then the Church prayed then Gods people did look upon it as their duty to pray to pray more earnestly then ever they had done And so when the Apostle was in bonds he sent to them that they would earnestly seek God for him that he might hold close to the truth that he might not deny the truth nor Christ Fourthly when as the Lord threatens to go away from a people when a God threatens to withdraw his presence from a people or from a soul oh then it is the duty of others to remember them before the Lord. When God threatens to depart from Israel oh then Moses he steps in and he is pleading with the Lord. And so when God threatned and was about to cast off the Jews after they had rejected Christ oh how doth the Apostle Paul step in and cry earnestly to God Rom. 10. 1. Brethren my hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might he saved When God threatens to go away from a soul or people oh then it is time for the people of God to step in and to plead hard with God Fifthly and lastly another time in which we are bound to remember others is when we see God coming towards any in a way of mercy When the Lord was coming towards the Jews in a way mercy he stirred up Daniel to pray for them to cry earnestly to the Lord for them when he came to understand that the time of deliverance was not far off but mercy a coming salvation a coming then he cried and cried more earnestly then ever he had done he set himself to seek the Lord by fasting and prayer When we see God a coming towards any people in a way of mercy when God comes towards a friend and relation in a way of mercy when we see God is beginning to work and to move upon their spirits oh it is a duty for those relations that know the Lord to step in and to cry earnestly to God yea then to go forth and meet the Lord and to intreat the Lord that that work may not go back but that he would help it on I shall not have time for the Application onely this one use I shall leave with you That if it be the duty of Gods people to pray for others a duty to remember one another then it will follow from hence that it is our duty to acquaint others with our conditions If it be a duty for others to pray for us then it is our duty for us to to acquaint them with our conditions or else how can they seek God in our behalf if it be their duty to pray it is our duty to beg their prayers and there are some times in which it doth lye more especially upon us to beg prayers of others that they would step in and plead with God I shall in a few words shew you what those times are that we are bound more especially to call others into our help to seek the Lord for us First when the Lord doth lay the guilt of sin heavy upon the spirit when the guilt of sin lieth so heavy upon a mans conscience that it cannot be removed he hath tryed all private means and still his spirit is so oppressed as he knows not how to stand under it then it is a duty to call in the help of others Confess your sins one to another and pray one for another James 5. and he maketh a gracious promise that in such a case he will hear Secondly we are especially bound to ask the prayers of those whom we have offended Sometimes the Lord will not be appeased till we have begged the prayers of those whom we have wronged this was the case of Abimeleck when he had wronged Abraham in taking away his wife Sarah The Lord smote Abimeleck and God doth advise Abimeleck to go to Abraham to pray for him Gen. 20. 6 7. And Abraham did pray for Abimeleck and God did hear the prayer of Abraham for Abimeleck Gen. 20. 17. And so the children of Israel they come to Moses when as they had sinned against the Lord and murmured against Moses yet they desired that Moses would pray for them and Moses did pray for them Numbers 21. 7. and the Lord was entreated for them And so it was the case of Jobs friends God directs them to go to Job and he shall pray for you and saith God I will hear him Job 42. 8. you have sinned against me and have had hard thoughts of Job and have been sad comforters to Job but go to Job and Job shall pray for you and I will hear Job Oh! when we have wronged others in such a case it is our duty to acknowledge our offences and to entreat that they would seek the Lord for us Thirdly when as the Lord lays any heavy
to the lost sheep of the house of Israel Christ tells this woman that he cannot do it for her because it did not lie in his Commission to which he must be faithful he could not go beyond his Commission What may we learn from hence We may take notice of this Historical Proposition That our Lord Jesus Christ in all he did he acted by commission and kept his eye upon his commission which he was faithful unto The Scripture holds forth that he was sent of his Father the Father sent him and gave him a commandment what he should do and what he should speak And Jesus Christ he was very faithful in observing his commission he kept his eye upon the work that his Father had given him to do and in that work he was faithful In every thing that Jesus Christ acted he looked to his Fathers rule the commission that his Father had given him See John 5. 30. I can of my own self do nothing as I hear I judge and my Judgement in just because I seek not mine own will but the will of the Father which hath sent me And as in the matter of judging so in all other dispensations Christ was pleased to look to the will of his Father that sent him I came not to do my own will in that thing but the will of my Father And so in John 6. 38 39. For I came down from heaven not to do mine own will but the will of him that sent me and this is the Fathers will which hath sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day As in his works of judging so in his works of mercy Christ kept his eye upon his Fathers will he looked to his commission this is the Fathers will that I should lose none of them but that I should give life to them all and raise them up at the last day Yea in his very words in all Christ spake he kept his eye upon the rule and spake according to his Fathers will and commandment I speak not of my self but what I have heard of my Father John 8. 26. I spake to the world those things which I have heard of him John 12. 50. Even as the Father said unto me so I speak In all that Christ spake he kept his eye upon his Commission And as in all that Christ spake he kept his eye upon his commission so in all Christ did As the Father gave me commandment even so I do John 14. 31. still his eye was upon the commandment of his Father upon his commission And in obedience to that commission he lays down his life John 10. 15. And I lay down my life for the sheep Ver. 18. No man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again this commandment have I received of my Father Yea in Christs motions this way and that way his going to one place and not to another his preaching in one place and not in another still he kept his eye upon the commission of his Father See Luke 4. 43. I must preach the Kingdom of God to other Cities also for therefore am I sent They would have kept Christ with them no saith he I must preach the Kingdom of God in other Cities in all that Christ did he kept his eye upon his Fathers commission he looked to his Fathers will and that was his rule to walk by And the ground of it is this because Christ was found in the form of a servant though he thought it no robbery to be equal with God yet he took upon him the form of a servant though the Son of God yet he was content to be a servant that he might bring about the great work of Redemption Therefore God calls him the righteous servant By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many Isaiah 53. 11. And as Christ was a righteous servant a faithful servant so he kept his eye upon his commission Now if Christ had not done so if he had not acted all things according to the will of his Father he had not been a righteous servant but he was his Fathers righteous servant and therefore he evermore looked upon his commission what was his Fathers will and so he applyed himself to it And as in all other things so in this particular in the Text of preaching the Gospel and shewing mercy first to the Jews and not to the Gentiles I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel I am sent to shew mercy to the house of Israel still he eyed that work that was committed to him because the promise was made to them the promise of the Messias it was first made to Abraham and his seed to that Nation that came out of the loins of Abraham And Christ came to confirm the promise that was made to Abraham and his Seed therefore in this thing he observed his Fathers order and his Fathers time though his Father had a design of mercy to the Gentiles yet he will shew mercy first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles So that the Jews first of all must have the offer and then the Gentiles shall have their time Christ eyed his Fathers will and time therefore he applies himself to that work But by way of Application First what cause have we who are of the stock of the Gentiles who live in this time and in this Generation to bless the Lord that we do live in that time when the partition-wall is taken down there was a time when the Jews only were the people of God and when Gods design was to shew mercy to them and there was a time when mercy seemed to be restrained from the Gentiles there was a time when Christ must not preach to the Gentiles so it was his commission then not to shew mercy to the Gentiles at that time Go not into any of the wayes of the Gentiles and into any of the Cities of Samaria enter not There was a time when the Gentiles were shut out from mercy when the word of life and salvation was restrained from them when the Lord gave this commission go not into the way of the Gentiles oh how are we beholden to free-grace that hath broken down this wall of partition that now since the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ there is no difference but now mercy is freely offered to the Gentiles as well as to the Jewes for the wall of partition is now broken down and of how should we admire the grace of God in it we that were out-casts of the Gentiles sinners of the Gentiles that the Lord should ever send to perswade us to dwell in the Tents of Shem we we might have dwelt in the barren wilderness every day and never have been called and that God should invite us to dwell in
the Tents of Shem oh the free grace of God to poor sinners that we live in such a time that there is not a restraint upon the word of the Lord nor upon his servants in bringing his word to us Gentiles oh we are engaged to the Lord that it is our lot to stand here And this may teach us to admire the unspeakable and wonderful love of God that is let out to the Gentiles I say we should with holy fear admire it the Jews were the Lords first born Christ was sent first to them cheifly to them they must have the first tender and the first offer of mercy the kingdom of God came first to them and yet behold now that word of Christ is verified the first shall be last and the last first they were the first and the Gentiles were the last We were shut out and a restraint laid upon the Apostles go not into their Cities ah but now the first is last and now God saith go not into the Cities of the Jews go not to the house of Israel but to the Cities of the Gentiles Oh the wonderful love of God that the last should be first and the first last And oh how should this teach us to fear before the Lord and to take heed that we do not provok◠the Lord to deal with us as he dealt with the Jews I say take heed of provoking the Lord take heed that we do not reject Christ take heed we do not reject the tender of mercy that we do not neglect the great salvation held forth to us that we do not trample under our feet the blood of the Covenant take heed that we do not refuse to hear and to receive the things of our peace Oh this was that which provoked the Lord to cast off the Jews when they cast off Christ and would none of him when they cast out the Lord of the Vineyard when they would not accept of the glad tydings held forth to them then the Lord takes away the Word of Life from them and sent it to us that the first is last and the last first And let us take heed that we do not rest upon our priviledges We have the Word and the Ordinances God deals not so with every people ah but let us take heed that we do not rest upon our priviledges as they did because they were the seed of Abraham they had the Law they had the Covenant the Oracles of God and therefore they rested upon them did not walk worthy of them and therefor◠〈◊〉 Lord took it from them Now take heed that we do not rest upon our priviledges we have the Gospel and fellowship with Saints take heed we do not rest in them but 〈◊〉 let us labour to walk up to them receive Christ in the Gospel and walk up to our enjoyments or else we may provoke the Lord to take away the kingdom of God from us lest the Lord should and that is dangerous every man that is lost he is lost in a dark way the way of sin it is a way of darkness The Wiseman saith of the sinner he knows not whither he goes his way is the way of darkness he is lost in a way of darkness and 〈◊〉 he knows not whither he goes And as it is a dark way so it is a filthy way it is a miry way that a poor sinner is lost in a way where there is nothing but dirt that when a poor creature falls he defiles himself is wofully defiled with sin which is the greatest defilement And it is a slippery way and that maketh it more dangerous the way that we are lost in it is a slippery way and so slippery that it is not possible for a poor creature to keep his feet he faleth every day yea he falls and falls and bruiseth himself by his falls And as the way it self is dangerous so there are many dangers in the way there is a Lion in the way and there are fiery Serpents in the way The way of Israel in the wilderness was a dangerous way truly this is the way that all Adams sons and daughters are lost in where the Serpent lyeth the Lion also the old Serpent that watcheth to fright and destroy and devour And oh the pits that are in the way and the snares that are in the way and the enemies that are in the way And further the way is sad in respect of the end of it The way that we are lost in it is a way that doth lead to destruction the end of the way is death and it is not possible for a man to miss the pit and to miss destruction and death if the Lord doth not help him out of the way Every sinner that is lost he will go further and further in this way till he comes to the end which is death unless the Lord help him out of the way unless the Lord order it so that he cannot find his way he ceases not till he comes to the end of his way which is death And it is the more sad and dangerous because that a poor creature hath none to help him none to stand by him so long as a man is out of Christ till Christ comes and finds a soul none comes to take care of him and help him out of this dark way none to protect him none to guide him none to go before him none to discover the pit and snare to him none to uphold him and keep him from falling none to stand by him in this sad and dangerous way You see the Point opened a little by way of Application and so conclude First of all it lets us see that there are many that may be Christs sheep though for the present they be lost yet many that we look upon as lost may be Christs sheep For although it is true we cannot own them till they have the mark of Christs sheep upon them Saints cannot own them for God himself doth not own them visibly before the world till they hear the voice of Christ ah but yet they may belong to Christ and may be his sheep though for the present they may be lost I have other sheep saith Christ I have other sheep that I will bring in they are my sheep now though poor wandring sheep though lost in a wilderness yet they are my sheep and they shall hear my voice and I will bring them into my fold Therefore this should teach us not to mourn as men without hope as the Apostle speaketh in another case not mourn as men without hope for the dead so when we look upon Friends and Relations and cannot but judge them for the present in a lost condition we may mourn and we ought to mourn but not mourn as men without hope for they may belong to Christ and Christ may bring them in though they be not yet brought in therefore we should not give them up for desperate
a ground of comfort there was a love in the Father towards you before I made a request for you though the Father now love you more and better yet the Father himself loved you before I made any request for you Thirdly This is another ground of great refreshment from this Doctrine That the love of God towards his people it is an ancient Love a love that did not begin yesterday a love that is not of a few years standing but an ancient love it is as ancient as eternity it is as ancient as the Ancient of dayes as ancient as God himself no beginning but from eternity O! That commends love exceedingly when as love is an ancient love when as one hath born love to such a Family through many generations and hath provided love for such a family for many generations to come that exceedingly commends the love of a friend when a friend shall take care that there shall be an Estate entailed to such a family for many generations to come that he should provide a portion for them before they had a being O! that is ancient love and that doth commend the love of a friend and truly it commends the love of the Creator and it is full of sweetness and Refreshment that God hath loved his people from eternity love hath run down that long Tract of eternity and he hath provided a portion from eternity an inheritance from eternity oh that the Lord should make such provision for poor creatures before they had any being not only thousands of years but even from eternity before they had any being when there was no world no creature no being but only in the mind of God that God then should chuse them and provide an inheritance for them truly this commends the love of God and makes it very sweet Fourthly There is this ground of refreshment that the Doctrine holds forth that this love of God to his people it is a distinguishing love oh that commends love exceedingly when it is distinguishing when it puts a difference where there was no difference that love that makes a difference and so vast a difference when no difference that love is very precious See what is said in Hos 1. 6 7. For I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel but I will utterly take them away But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah and will save them by the Lord their God c. See here at the very time that God said he would not have mercy upon Israel he would have mercy upon Judah and would save them oh how sweet was the discovery of that love And truly this is the love of God that this Doctrine holds forth a distinguishing love that when there was no difference in the creature and one not better then another and yet that God should take those and chuse those that were as bad as those that were left oh this distinguishing love it is very sweet and hath a great deale of refreshment Fifthly This Doctrine holds forth a ground of joy there is a great deale of true grounded joy lasting joy that may arise and doth arise unto the people of God from the knowledge of this that God hath chosen them and loved them from eternity with an everlasting love it doth administer the best ground of comfort that can be found in all the World See that place Luke 10. 20. But rather rejoyce because your names are written in Heaven The knowledge of this speciall love that God hath written the names of poor creatures in Heaven it is a ground of unspeakable joy rejoyce not that the uncleane spirits are subject to you why they might rejoyce more in that then in any outward mercy whatsoever that the unclean spirits were subject to them for it is more then if all the men of the world were subject to them ah but yet in this rejoyce not rejoyce not so much in this for here is a more lasting ground for your joy that your names are written in Heaven it will afford such joy and will kindle such a flame of joy as all the waters of affliction cannot quench When a soul comes to know this and can make out this that his name is written in heaven a soul may then rejoyce in every condition rejoyce in Tribulation rejoyce in Persecution rejoyce in Poverty and distresse yea though they may loose all the comforts of life yet when God reveals to them that their names are written in Heaven they may rejoyce for they have a portion that can never be lost an inheritance that can never be taken away from them though they meet with never so much scorn and reproach from the World though men should cast out their names as vile yet if their names are written in Heaven they may rejoyce for their names are precious before God when vise before men and it is written there where it can never be blotted out so that it doth administer matter of sound and sollid joy such joy as will hold out and cannot be quencht with many waters Sixtly Another ground of comfort that doth arise from the knowledge of our election is this that we have and shall enjoy that great priviledge and benefit of the ministry and service of the holy Angels When God comes to make out his love to the soul why it may conclude that the Lord hath given his Angels charge over them that the Angels shall defend and the Angels shall protect and the Angels shall deliver from many dangers See what the Apostle saith in Heb. 1. 14. speaking of the Angels Are they not all ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation They that are chosen by God to an inheritance reserved in Heaven they have the ministry of all the holy Angels while on earth though we see it not with this bodily eye though we see not the Angels how they ascend and descend how they goe to Heaven and come from Heaven yet it is matter of faith the word of the Lord hath said they are all ministring spirits for the good of the Saints many a kindness the Angels doth us and we are kept from many a danger by the Angels He shall give his Angels charge and they shall bear thee up that thou dash not thy foot against a stone That is another ground of sweet comfort Seventhly It doth administer this ground of comfort that all that Gods people doe meet withall â—here in the world shall work for their good God will make an advantage of whatsoever his people doth meet withall See what the Apostle saith in Rom. 8. 28. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are the called according to his purpose All things shall work together for good to those who are called according to his purpose according to that ancient love in the bosome of God all afflictions all crosses
God for God doth no wrong to the creature if he doth love one and not another And it is a strange thing that we in our carnall reason will abridge God of that which we will take to our selves and that is to love where he please if you love one more then another you are not bound to give any account of it and men take a liberty to bestow gifts upon one and not upon another And let not us bind the Lord from that which we will take to our selves to love one and not another And truly if we doe not rest in the good pleasure of God in this we shall but disquiet our spirits and meet with no satisfaction Againe Gods people may be tempted concerning their Relations their children Oh many Parents have many thoughts whether God loves their children or no and whether their children be chosen of God from eternity and especially at some times As when God comes to take away children by death then the temptation sets upon but especially when children goe on in the wayes of sin Parents they pray and wait and they see no fruit but still they goe on in the wayes of sin It may be the Parents dye and leave their children going on in sin and see not the fruit of Gods electing love nor the fruit of Covenant mercy then this proves a sore temptation to them Now to silence this temptation know that there is no beleeving Parent but he may have hope of his children even of all his children while they are young before growne up to renounce the Covenant If God take away any of your children young no Parent but may have hope concerning his children in the Covenant made to beleeving Parents I say they may have hope the Covenant of God will relieve in such a case Ah but when children doe grow up and Parents see that they walke in wayes that are evill and are contrary to God and are far from God yet believing parents may believe that notwithstanding that they may belong to God I say notwithstanding for the present they are far from God and walke contrary to the Lord yet they may be known to the Lord and in his due time he may bring them in And Parents should not give over the use of the meanes and though Parents should wait all their dayes and pray and plead the Covenant and desire to see the fruit of Gods Covenant and should not see it believers they may dye in hope the Lord he may bring in Prodigall children the Lord he may doe them good afterward when you are dead and gone he may bring some of your good counsells and exhortations to their remembrance he may afterward when you lye in the dust bring to remembrance some of your words and may make them work powerfully upon their hearts Believing Parents may still dye in hope though they see not the fruit of the Covenant though their children may be at a great distance from God the Lord may bring them in and you meet with them with comfort at the last day There is one Temptation more concerning others which I shall but touch and that is this Is not the Gospel Preached to all and are not all commanded to believe and is it not declared that whosoever doth believe shall be saved whatsoever man or woman in the World doth believe shall be saved yea doth not the Scripture say that God would have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth The soul may thus reason with it selfe how can this stand with Gods purpose and decree and election If there be an absolute immutable unchangeable election how can it be declared that whosoever believe in Christ shall be saved whereas if men be not elected they cannot be saved and if elected they shall be saved though they doe not believe Thus the temptation may work I Answer notwithstanding Gods secret purpose the Gospel may and must so be preached and yet there is no deceivablenesse in God nothing but truth and sincerity in God for you must know that we are to walke by the revealed Will of God And all men shall be judged by the revealed Will of God Now what is the revealed Will of God why that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ declaring that whosoever believeth shall be saved And God will certainly make good that word whosoever doth believe shall be saved Never any in the World that came into Christ and believed on his name but was saved Notwithstanding the secret decree and purpose of God and there is no man but may claime life and salvation upon those tearmes on which the Scripture doth hold forth life and salvation and that is beleeving in Jesus Christ Objection But God would have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth why then sure there is no election I Answer That Scripture doth but hold forth what the thing is which is well pleasing to God that men return to the Lord and that they believe in the name of Christ which is the way to salvation this is a thing that is pleasing to the Lord not that God wills it with an effectuall operative will for then it must needs be But it only holds forth what is pleasing to God not that God will bring all men to repentance not that God will worke faith in all men therein God will be left free to his good pleasure he wills it not with an absolute will for then it must needs be Question But you will say what are the Wills of God contrary one to another hath God a will and a will hath God a revealed will that he will have all men to be saved and is his secret will contrary to his revealed will I Answer no Gods wills are not contrary to one another To say God doth delight and it is a thing pleasing to him that men doe believe and return to the Lord and take hold of Christ and to say that God is not pleased to work this in the heart is no contradiction The Gospel declares that this is well pleasing to God that men doe returne to him and believe in Christ and the Gospel doth declare that whosoever doth beleeve shall be saved Now if God should condemne any man that doth beleeve in Christ then God should walk contrary to his will But to say God doth approve of these things they are excellent and so he wills them that is he delights in them and yet to say God is not pleased to work this in every mans heart there is no contradiction And thus we should labour to silence those temptations which our carnall reason may make concerning this great mystery of Gods election you see what temptations Gods people may meet withall concerning the election of others Matth. 15. 24. I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel SERMON XIIII THere are more sore temptations that Gods people may
doe give it some extraordinary signe oh this is a tempting of God and the Lord may leave such a soul for ever in its unbeliefe when it shall take up such a resolution that it will not believe though it hath the promise unless it hath a signe the Lord I say may leave such a soul in its unbeliefe And further in answer It is true this was Gods way formerly to satisfie his people by a signe by some extraordinary signe and vision but now since the coming of Christ God hath chosen to speak to us by his son see Heb. 1. 2. God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the Prophets hath in these last dayes spoken unto us by his Son God formerly did reveale himself in an extraordinary way he did appeare sometimes and spake mouth to mouth to Abraham and Moses that was Gods way then but now God hath chose to speak to us by his Son God speaks by Christ and Christ speaketh by the Scripture heare him faith the Father Now Christ hath laid down a rule for our faith and for our obedience and know this that Jesus Christ by his Spirit can so make use of the word that it shall give as cleare and evident satisfaction to a soul concerning the love of God as if God should give a signe as if God should speak immediately from Heaven When the Spirit of the Lord will make use of the word of grace it shall satisfie the soul as fully of his love as if the Lord did appear from Heaven and speak to the soul mouth to mouth Further One thing more I shall speak to this Temptation you that desire a sign and would have an extraordinary sign that God loveth you why know that God hath given you a signe we have signs as well as our fore-fathers had what is the water in Baptisme but a signe to us and the bread and wine in the Sacrament but a signe to us that Ordinance of the Supper which we are partakers of this day the Lord hath condescended to us to give us a signe the bread is a signe and the wine is a signe and the sitting at the Lord Table a signe it is a signe unto faith to every beleeving soul these are signs that God hath loved it from everlasting and set it apart for communion with himself that he hath loved us and given his Son for us that Christ hath loved us and given his blood for us that he is reconciled and hath set us at his Table and we shall sit with him in his Kingdome here is a signe though not unto sence yet here is a signe unto faith We think that Abraham and the Prophets they were happy in that God did appear to them from Heaven and spake to them immediately When God appeared to Abraham and he called to him out of Heaven Now I know that thou lovest me and I have sworne by my self in blessing I will bless thee You think that Abraham and the Prophets were happy that he should tell them that he knew they loved him and that he would love them and would bless them But know it of a certaine that he hath dealt more graciously with us under the Gospel then with them in this very perticular in which we desire a signe in giving us these gracious signes for it was but seldome that God gave them a signe very seldome and it was but to some of them Abraham and the Prophets and Patriarks but now it is Gods ordinary way to give us a signe that which was very rare to them God hath made to us a standing ordinance so that we have a signe continually before us as often as we brake the bread and drink the wine the Lord gives a signe to faith and speaks to faith his everlasting love And therefore take heed that we doe not tempt God to seek another signe What saith Christ Math. 12. 39. The Scribes and Pharisees desired to see a signe from Christ vers 38. An evill and adulterous generation seeketh after a signe and there shall be no signe given to it but the signe of the Prophet Jonas They would not accept of the signe that Christ gave them no they would have other signs They are an adulterous Generation saith Christ and they shall have no other signe but the signe of the Prophet Jonas So when we are seeking for other signes and oh that God would worke extraordinary signes why saith God they shall have no other signes then the signe of the bread and wine and water these shall be sealing signes And know whereas we think some extraordinary sign should convince us and overcome our hearts such is the unbeleefe of our hearts that if we doe not believe when God gives us his word and these signes neither would we believe if God should speake in some extraordinary way from Heaven They have Moses and the Prophets saith Christ if they will not heare them neither will they hear if one rose from the dead Dives he was desirous that one should goe from the dead to his Brethren oh no they have Moses and the Prophets if they will not believe them neither will they believe though one rose from the dead Fourthly Another temptation may be this 〈◊〉 desire to be out of the World that so a man may know what that state is which God hath ordained him unto there may be such a temptation as this a hasting to dye and to goe out of the world that so men might know what their state in another world is what it is that God hath decreed and purposed concerning them I answer There is abudance of folly in this for let me say to such a soul under such a temptation 1. Either thou hast assurance of Gods eternall love or else thou hast it not 2. Thou knowest not but that thou mayest have it or 3. Thou despairest of ever having it Now to the first If the Lord hath given thee any evidence of his love and any hopes of blessednesse in the World to come thou dost very ill thus to make hast to be possessed of that which the Lord hath given thee thou shouldst rather waite the Lords time Remember what the Scripture saith He that believeth maketh not hast If thou hast faith if thou hast any hope of a blessed state in the world to come take heed that thou dost not make hast thou shouldst rather covet and desire to do that which is thy work before thou goest hence thou shouldst desire an opportunity of lifting up the name of the Lord before the Sons of men now there is no such opportunity of making the name of the Lord glorious in the grave and therefore thou shouldst rather desire to know thy work and to doe thy work before thou goest hence Secondly If it be so that thou hast no evidence of Gods love not any knowledge of it for the present yet thou art not without all hope
of him that willeth nor runneth but God that sheweth mercy and therefore why should I strive for life and salvation I deny that that God will save thee without thy striving It is true it is not for thy faith and repentance that God will save but without these God will not save this is the way by which God saves You would think he were an unreasonable man that should argue thus God hath decreed how long I shall live whether twenty thirty forty or sixty yeares the period is appointed by God and therefore it matters not that I eate Now if God hath appointed a man should live so long he hath also appointed that you should use the meanes Hezekiah he knew how long he should live I will add unto thy dayes fifteen yeares 2 Kings 20. 6. It had been strange reasoning for Hezekiah to say I will neither eate nor drink for Gods purpose must stand as God hath purposed the end so he purposed the means so that the means and the end are joyned together But thou reasonest further that if God doth decree that I shall be saved why then I shall be saved though I goe on in a way of sin First of all here is a grosse mistake of Gods decree God doth not decree to save any man whatever he doth though he all his dayes goe on to destroy himselfe God never made such a decree no Gods decree is to save men from sin as well as from wrath If God decrees to save any man from wrath he decrees to save that man from sin As it is impossible that that man should goe to hell that God decrees to save so it is impossible that that man should wallow in sin And oh what great ingratitude to say though I goe on in sin I shall be saved if God hath decreed it Oh great ingratitude As if a child should say my father hath entailed a great estate upon me and I cannot goe without it though I doe all that I can against him oh is this the part of a child sure of a bastard and not a child oh horrible ingratitude Nay let me say there is madnesse in it there is this madnesse as if a man should say God hath purposed how long I shall live and it matters not though I stab my selfe and though I run into the Sea I shall live so long as God hath purposed oh such desperate madnesse is in many men when they reason about Gods decree The seventh and last temptation is a temptation of despaire which some of Gods people may be exercised withall and thus they may reason if the Lord hath not purposed my salvation if he hath not decreed my salvation them I cannot be saved whatever I doe though I take never so much paines and strive never so much though I seek faith and repentance yea though I doe believe and though I doe repent yet if God hath not decreed my salvation I cannot be saved To this I answer that Gods decree and purpose shall never infringe the truth of any promises that he hath made now he hath made a promise that whosoever believe in Christ shall be saved Now Gods decree shall not infringe the truth of this promise and there is no man upon earth that shall believe in the name of Jesus Christ but he may claime life and salvation upon Gods promise and it shall be made out to him And let me say further that thou dost not take the right course to begin at Gods decree Oh! this is a discouragement this will keep thee off from the use of the meanes if I be not elected I cannot be saved thou takest the wrong course to begin at they election who taught thee this way God never taught thee so it is from Sathan who endeavours to pussell thee in thy way Though there be such an election and the Saints have much comfort when they doe know their election yet you must not begin with election but know that you must walk by Gods revealed will and look to Gods revealed will if thou art called to faith and to believe thou art not amongst the lost ones and art called to life and salvation and therefore look to the revealed will of God so long as a man is in the state of unbeleefe it is not possible that he should know what God hath decreed concerning him Therefore doe not begin at election this is for a man to covet to set his foot upon the highest step of the Ladder before he sets it upon lowest When a man is in his youth he doth not know whether God hath purposed old age for him and because he does not know it he is not discouraged from the use of the meanes and so I say in a state of unbeleefe thou canst not know that God hath loved thee but this should not discourage thee to waite upon God in the use of the meanes giving up thy selfe to his revealed will which commands thee and all the Sons of men to beleeve in Christ And as I said so I say againe that there is no man that ever beleeved in Jesus Christ but he was saved and therefore it is madnesse and folly for a man to say though I beleeve in Christ I shall not be saved if God hath not purposed it I tell you there is none that ever did beleeve in Christ but was saved and any that doe beleeve to the end of the world may goe to God and challenge him upon his word Nay I may say if Judas had beleeved and repented and turned to the Lord Judas had been saved Question But you will say If I be not elected I cannot believe it is in vaine for me to take pains if the Lord hath not purposed to give me faith I shall never be able to work it in my own heart and therefore in vaine for me to temper with my own heart I Answer That thou dost not know that God hath not purposed to give thee faith and therefore thou art bound to wait upon the Lord in the use of the means And that thou hast not faith do not lay it upon God though it be true Faith is his gift yet God doth hinder no man from believing God layes no Blocks in any man's way Nay there is a great deal that God doth to bring men unto Faith what means doth God use What workings are there What strivings of the Spirit What Invitations What Exhortations the Word of the Lord is full of them And let me say further that if the Lord hath given thee a heart in good earnest to desire the gift of faith the Lord will certainly give it out to thee I say if the Lord hath set a man's Heart and Will to the Lord that a man doth from the heart desire Christ that great gift of God the Lord will certainly give the gift of Faith If thou knewest the gift of God and did ask of him he would have given thee living water John 4. 10.
it sure by getting faith in Christ believing in Christ fetch grace and strength from Christ more grace from Christ adding grace to grace and that is the way to make your Election sure that is the first general Rule that I shall lay down for the silencing of this Temptation Take heed that you do not so much as desire that your carnal reason should be satisfied in this great mysterie no you must rest in the Will in the good pleasure of God or else you will never have rest Secondly a second Rule for the silencing of Temptations concerning Election is this When ever you are troubled in Spirit about your own Election then flee to the Covenant of Grace flee to the Promises the free gracious absolute promises of the new Covenant and do not say well here I will stand and go no further till I make out my Election truly that is the way to perish to stand there and to go no further no when you are in the dark concerning Election and doubt of the love of God then immediately flee to the Promises run to Christ run to the free grace of the Father run to the righteousness of the Son run to the gracious Promises held forth in the word of Reconciliation look to that which is nigh thee to the Word to the tender of grace and reconciliation look to those things in which you may agree with God if unbelief do not give him the lye and if unbelief do not make you to lye against the Truth you may agree with God in those tenders of Grace and Mercy which are before you and therefore flee to them look to the Scripture the Word of God holds forth gracious tenders and invitations for the relief of poor souls Isa 45. 22. Look to me all ye ends of the earth and be saved for I am God and there is none besides me There is a gracious word to flee unto when you are doubting concerning Election and so Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Isa 55. 7. and so The Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost Matth. 18. 11. Another gracious word and Come unto me ye that are weary and heavie laden and I will give you rest Matth. 11. 18. and God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life John 3. 16. and so in John 6. 37. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Here is another gracious word for poor souls to flee unto And so again in 1 Tim. 1. 15. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation That Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief O! How many gracious tenders and invitations are there in the Word of God for poor souls to flee unto And O that God would teach his people who are tempted about their Election and cannot make out their Election presently to flee to some free promise of the Lord held forth that is before you and in that you and God may agree if unbelief hinder not There have been some Parliaments in England in which many good things have been propounded for the welfare of the people but all the Members have not been satisfied in some things propounded Now had they laid aside those things in which all were not satisfied and fallen upon those things in which all might have agreed a good work might have been carried on by them and in due time all might have been satisfied but standing upon those things concerning which all were not satisfied it broke all to pieces and so I may say of this business of Election it may be the Lord he is satisfied concerning thy Election it is clear to him The foundation of the Lord standeth sure having this seal the Lord knoweth them that are his 2 Tim. 2. 19. But thou art not satisfied thou resolvest to meddle with nothing till God satisfie thee concerning thy Election why that 's the way to break all to pieces Look to that in which thou mayest agree with God the word of grace that is before thee those Promises in which God and thy soul may meet O fall upon them and close with God in them and afterwards in God's due time he will clear up thy Election and satisfie thee that thou art one that he hath loved and chosen Only remember that is the second Rule when we are stumbled about Election Run presently to the free Grace of God in Christ and to the gracious promises held forth in the Gospel A third Rule for the silencing of these Temptations when-ever thou art in the dark concerning Election pusled either about the Doctrine of Election or thine own Election in particular Resolve to justifie God to clear the Lord however it be and say he is righteous Lay that down for a certain conclusion Lord thou art righteous and thou hast no iniquity in thee and canst do no wrong whether I understand thy way or not the Apostle in Rom. 9. 13. speaketh of God's taking one and leaving another As it is written Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated and at vers 14. What shall we say then Is there unrighteousness with God God forbid Is there unrighteousness with God It seems so that God should deal thus unequally with persons that are equal that are in the same condition Is this righteous That God should take one and leave another when both in the same condition is not this unrighteousness It seems so but it is not so God forbid saith he that we should have the least thought that God should be unrighteous no that cannot be for God to take one and leave another it is no injustice and it is no act of God's Justice to take and leave but an act of his Soveraignty For a Prince to pardon one Malefactor and leave another to the righteous censure of the Law there is no injustice in it for a man when two persons stand before him and both in the same condition to make one his bosome friend and nor another it 's no injustice this is the case with God God will chuse bosome friends chuse one and not another it is the act of his Soveraignty and no injustice Indeed if God should condemn the innocent there would be some colour to charge God with unrighteousness if God should condemn a man or woman meerly because they are not elected although that man or woman should believe and repent there were unfaithfulness in God but God never did so God never condemned the believer he never condemned the soul that returned to him by Christ therefore God cannot be charged with unfaithfulness Therefore let us resolve upon it God is
God think upon all the Attributes of God are they not worthy of praise His name it is glorious and worthy to be exalted bless God for what is in himself Or Bless God for what he hath done for others if not for what God hath done for thee see if thou canst not get up thy heart to bless God for what God hath done for others and look upon the grace that God hath bestowed upon others and say though I can see little in my self for which I should bless God yet blessed be God that God hath given out of his Spirit to others and manifested his love to others and hath made others fruitful and serviceable and that there are so many to lift up the name of Christ in the world and if by any means the Lord will put thy heart into a thankful frame the temptation will soon vanish Endeavour it all thou canst wait upon God and look upon that which is matter of Thankfulness that thy heart may be put into a thankful posture to bless God for somthing bestowed on thee or somthing in himself or others and the Temptation will soon vanish Fiftly When thou art tempted about Election Resolve still to hold on in God's way though thou art in the dark and perplexed in thy spirit for want of the knowledge of God's love yet resolve in the strength of the Lord to hold on the Lord's way to keep in his way and to depart from iniquity take heed of turning out into crooked wayes desire to keep the way of the Lord which is a streight way Say well though I do not know my Election I do not know whether I shall come into heaven yet by the Lord's strength I will be found looking toward Christ I will be found looking to him who is able to save to the uttermost This is to keep the Lord's way And so also Resolve to be found walking in wayes of Holiness though I do not know that I shall be saved saved or not saved I will resolve to walk in wayes of holiness and to depart from iniquity take heed of every sinful way every crooked way The Apostle in 2 Tim. 2. 19. speaking about Election The foundation of the Lord standeth sure having this Seal the Lord knoweth them that are his Why then saith he Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity And so I say though Election be not sure to thee be sure to depart from iniquity resolve to walk with God in his way All this is come upon us yet have not we forgotten thee Psal 44. 17. and so do thou say though all this darkness be upon my spirit I resolve in the strength of the Lord not to forsake him though I do not know that the Lord will be for me I resolve to be for none else my soul shall be for no other Saviour and I will not be for any other way but the way of holiness I desire to depart from every way of iniquity And as I said before so I say again if God shall bring up the heart to this Surely the Lord will not alwayes suffer that soul to go on doubting but he will come and manifest his eternal love if the soul shall resolve thus in the strength of the Lord to be found in the Lord's way saved or not saved I will be looking to the Father through the Son and walk in every way of the Lord and depart from iniquity the Lord will not alwayes suffer that soul to go on doubting John 14. 21. He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him My Father shall love him that is my Father shall manifest love to him not that God begins then to love but my Father will come to that soul though that soul may walk in darkness though that soul may for the present be in a sad condition and not see the face of God and not know that God hath loved him from everlasting yet my Father will manifest love to him my Father will manifest that he doth love that soul and saith Christ I will love him and manifest my self to him Christ will come to that soul and say to it I see that thou lovest me and I know thou lovest me thou hast walked in the dark night yet thou hast not turned out from me thou hast resolved to cleave to me as to thy Saviour and hast resolved to keep my way and to depart from iniquity and now I see that thou lovest me and I will let thee know that I love thee that is that I love thee first that I have loved thee from everlasting And thus you have the five general Rules to silence all Temptations which may arise concerning Election Matth. 15. 24. But he answered and said I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel SERMON XVI FOr the Vse of the point and I shall speak but two words by way of Application because what I have spoken already hath been practical if the Lord make it to be so First To those that have not attained to the knowledge of God's love Secondly To those that through grace have attained to the discoveries of God's love First To those that have not attained to the knowledge of God's eternal love towards them and I shall speak the words of the Apostle 2 Pet. 1. 10. Wherefore the rather Brethren give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure for if ye do these things ye shall never fall That 's the word of the Lord to you give all diligence to make your Election sure rest not till your hearts be established through grace in the knowledge of God's love For Let me tell you first That it is a matter of great concernment That which this Apostle doth exhort us to to give all diligence to make our Election sure it is that which doth concern your whole state you had need give diligence to make it sure it doth not concern your temporal estate but it concerns your estate in another world all that you have to live upon in another world doth depend upon it you had need give diligence to make that sure What pains do men take to make that sure that concerns their outward Estates Men will make their Bonds and Bills sure their Evidences sure their Titles to Lands and Houses sure if there be any thing amiss in them what pains will men take to make them sure O that God would help us to give diligence in this great business that doth concern another manner of estate then that which you possess here even all that you have to live upon in the world to come Secondly Let me say to you to stir you up to be diligent in making your Calling and Election sure why You have an Adversary that taketh a great deal of pains
useth diligence to hinder you in this work the Divels great designe is to keep you in the dark to keep you in a puzled and perplexed condition to finde some flaw or other in your evidences to cast some blot upon them that you shall not be able to read them doubtless you will put God to it to leave you to be tryed in this at one time or other God for the most part leaves his people to be tempted concerning their Election and therefore you had need give diligence Thirdly Let me say That your comfort doth depend upon making your Election sure All your comfort in this world doth depend upon it the comfort of every condition doth depend upon it the sweetness of every mercy depends upon it Alas if a man had a thousand times more then he hath what is all he hath without the love of God Your comfort depends upon it Although your names be written in heaven yet you cannot have the comfort of it till it be made sure to you though it be sure before God yet you cannot be comforted but you are as if there were no thoughts of love in the heart of God toward you Your comfort depends upon it Fourthly Your Holiness doth depend upon it your usefulness your fruitfulness your serviceableness in your generations doth depend upon your knowledge of the love of God it is that which wil make a Christian useful serviceable when as his Election is made sure when he comes to be established in the knowledge of God's Election Put on therefore as the Elect of God holy and beloved bowels of mercies kindness humbleness of minde meekness long suffering Col. 3. 12. Your holiness doth depend upon it and your usefulness in your generation And truly till that be put out of question to a soul til the Lord gives some degrees of satisfaction to a soul concerning his love the soul is wholly taken up alwayes taken up about that which concerns it self O Lord Dost thou love me That 's the great question And when it goes to God in prayer Lord Dost thou love me And O that thou wouldest make out thy love to me The soul is wholly taken up about that and well it may but when God comes to give some satisfaction O then the soul hath a great deal of freedome to minde the things of Christ to put up many a Petition for others and many a request for Christ and his Kingdom and the Interest of Christ then his thoughts they run that way so that if you desire to be useful and serviceable in your generation it doth engage you to look after this to give all diligence to make your Election sure Quest But you will say How shall we do that O there is nothing in the world that I would sooner do then that but I know not how to make my Election sure I Answer It is the work of God it is the work of grace to make it out to you it is the work of free grace to give a soul assurance of that free and everlasting love But be found waiting upon God in this way First Look up to the Lord to clear up unto you the mysterie of the Gospel if you desire to make your Election look up to the Lord to clear up to your souls the great mysterie of Christ that thou mayest know the Lord Jesus as he was the gift of the Father the gift of love the gift of free grace O that the Lord would clear up to thee the great end of his giving that gift of Christ Wherefore was it that God sent his Son out of his bosome Wherefore was it that he gave Christ And wherefore was it that Christ gave himself to die What was the end of the Father's sending Christ and the end of the laying down his life It was to save lost sinners God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life John 3. 16. O! Look up to God to clear up this great Gospel mysterie to you the designe of God the Father in sending Christ and the great designe of the Son in laying down his life It is through ignorance of this Mysterie that many a poor soul is kept from establishment and from assurance of God's electing love But secondly Wait upon the Lord to draw thy soul to accept of Christ it is not enough to have a discovery of the mysterie this will not save thee though a man know the designe of God and know the end of it that will not save thee no but wait upon the Lord to draw thy heart to rest upon Jesus Christ as he is held forth in the Gospel see that there is a necessity that God the Father should draw thee No man comes to me saith Christ except the Father which hath sent me draw him John 6. 44. till he be drawn by the Father he cannot come to Christ therefore that man is mistaken that thinks it is an easie matter for him to come to Christ O! Many a man doth mistake faith of their own working for that faith which is of the operation of God When God hath beaten many a soul out of his Brest-works and the soul sees he can no longer defend himself there good works will not do it then he taketh up a resolution in his own strength well I willgo to Christ I will believe in Christ if I cannot have it by obedience I will have it by believing Ah! But he never saw that there was an impossibility for him to believe but he goes to Christ in his own strength and the faith is of his own working and it is such a faith as Christ will not own no when God deals with a soul in a saving way he discovers to it that it is no more able to believe in Christ then it can obey the whole Law and that there is a necessity that he should be drawn of God and in his spirit he breaths after God and saith Lord draw me for if thou dost not draw me I shall never come to Christ see a necessity of being drawn to Christ And when thou art drawn give up thy self to those breathings and workings of the Spirit of God after thou hast seen thy self in a lost condition and no possibility to help thy self either by thy works or by believing why then if the Lord open the word of Reconciliation to thee and is breathing sweetly upon thy heart and moving upon thy spirit while thou hearest the word of grace opened and the tender of Christ urged O then give up thy self to those drawings of the Spirit of Christ and do not hinder those drawings by thy unbelief but give up thy self to the Lord and say Lord I see thy hand onely is able and powerful to draw souls to thy self and I will stand out no longer That 's the second Thirdly Be diligent to make the best improvement of Jesus
his Stewards 1 Cor. 4. 1. Let a man so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God Christ hath appointed Officers as his Stewards to dispense his good things to his Servants Fourthly In a House you have the Lawes and Customes of the House In Christ's House there are Lawes and Customes he hath left it on Record the Lawes of his House are written how he will have his House governed all the Lawes of his House are written in his Word it is not left to men to make Lawes for Christ's House No but Christ himself as Head and Lord of his Church he hath made Lawes for the Government of his House Fiftly In a house or houshold there is employment for them in the house so Christ in his house hath employment for all the members of his House some work that he hath appointed for every childe and servant in his House for every one that is a Member of any visible Church or Congregation which is the House of Christ there is work that is common to all that are in the House Psal 134. Bless ye the Lord all ye servants of the Lord which by night stand in the House of the Lord And again in Psal 135. 1 2. Praise ye the Lord praise ye the Name of the Lord praise him O ye servants of the Lord ye that stand in the House of the Lord in the Courts of the House of our God The duty lay upon all in the House of God to bless the Name of Christ and there are some particular works that Christ cuts out for every member Christ would have none in his house idle there is some work that every one may do that may be for the good of the whole house And as this House hath his Work so this house hath its Priviledges O! there are special Priviledges the Lord he is engaged to teach all in his house it lies upon the Master of the house to teach those that are in his Family why the Lord Jesus the Head of the Family hath engaged to teach all that are in the Family Isa 54. 13. And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord Sions children they that are of the houshold of God God doth engage for it that they shall all be taught And this is another Priviledge That as the Lord will teach them so he will defend and protect them He hath promised special protection to his children in his House Isa 4. 5. And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of Mount Zion and upon her Assemblies a Cloud and smoak by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all the glory shall be a defence The particular Churches of Christ under the Gospel upon all their glory shall be a defence And this is another Priviledge That the Master of the House will do the servants work You know what the Church saith Isa 26. 12. Lord thou wilt ordain peace for us for thou also hast wrought all our works in us What-ever he calls for from any of his people in his house he wil do it himself he will strengthen them to do it his own Arm shall be at work This is a choice priviledge that belongs to the house of God Another priviledge is That they shall eat of the best and drink of the best they shall have a feast of fat things and Wine on thee Lees well refined He will make such a Feast in the day of the Gospel upon every dwelling place of Mount Zion upon every house of the Lord the Lord engageth to make them a Feast of Fat things his own flesh shall be set before them which is meat indeed and his blood which is drink indeed Another priviledge is this The servants shall sit down with the Lord and Master at Table Servants have seldome such a priviledge in any house to sit down with their master but in Christ's house all the servants shall sit down at Table with their Lord. O! What a choice priviledge is this to sit at their Lord's Table Nay while they sit at Table their Lord will serve them Such a priviledge the Lord promiseth to his people Luke 12. 37. He shall gird himself and make them sit down to meat and will come forth and serve them He will cut out their portion for them he will see to it that they want nothing that he seeth good for them And he will bless their provision to them that is another priviledge Psal 132. 13 14 15. For the Lord hath chosen Zion he hath desired it for his habitation this is my rest for ever here will I dwell I will abundantly bless her provision I will satisfie her poor with bread See the Lord will bless Zions provision and make his people fat and flourishing for so is the Promise Psal 92. 13 14. Those that be planted in the House of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God they shall still bring forth fruit in old age they shall be fat and flourishing These are the priviledges of the Lord's house To shut up all with a word or two of Application If every true Church of Christ be the Lord's house Why then Let not men take it ill if any Church of Christ in obedience to the Rule of Christ and to the Commandment of Christ shall be watchful and cautelous who they receive into the House of Christ Let it be no offence it is a Churches duty and it should not be any Offence they must walk by the Rule that Christ hath left Christ's house hath a rule given them and they must not for a house full of gold and silver go from the rule of the Lord Christ hath left a rule how he will have those qualified that shall be admitted into his house Psal 15. and Psal 24. 3 4. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord And who shall stand in his holy place He that hath clean hands and a pure heart who hath not lift up his soul unto vanity nor sworn deceitfully These places speak of Gospel times men and women must be visibly holy And therefore let it be no offence to any that the Church walketh by the Rule of the Master of the Family they must receive none but such as they can judge to be those that are qualified according to the rule that Christ hath left such as Christ hath received and no more you your selves will be choice whom you receive into your houses and I pray let Christ have that liberty you challenge to your selves Secondly From hence it lets us see that the sins of Professors especially the sins and scandals of Church-members must needs be a great dishonour to Christ O that we could think upon it seriously there is much sadness in it that they that have a profession of Christ upon them the Livery of Christ upon them that they that are admitted into the house of
And then Fourthly Make some Improvement First To consider What is that Worship which the Lord requires of his people when afflicted and tempted 1. This Worship it is either the Worship of the Spirit Internal Or 2. It is the waiting upon God in those Institutions of his own which he hath appointed for his people to wait upon him in which is External Worship This Worship first is that of the Spirit You will say wherein doth it consist Why it consists First of all In that holy fear and Reverence which we owe unto the Lord and should be acting towards God when God brings into such a condition Fear and Reverence it is a part of Internal Worship Fathers of our flesh corrected us and we gave them reverence shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of Spirits Heb. 12. 9. When as the soul is filled with a holy fear fearful to sin against God and to dishonour him in affliction and temptation when the spirit is fearful to grieve the Spirit of God in affliction when it is fearful to take the name of God in vain in the time of affliction by unprofitable and unfruitful bearing of affliction when the spirit is thus composed to a reverend childe-like fear before the Lord in the time of affliction this is part of that Internal Worship the soul owes to God Secondly This Worship consists in Love as well as in fear when the soul is acting in love toward God in time of affliction or temptation as that it dares not conclude that God loves him the less though he be afflicted though he be in temptation so also he desires not to love God one jot the less notwithstanding all afflictions and temptations when the desire of the heart is towards God in time of affliction or temptation O! when wilt thou come unto me saith David Psal 101. 2. And saith the gracious heart let me have God's presence in affliction rather then deliverance from affliction when as the soul is carried out to delight in God in the time of affliction to rejoyce in God and to glory in God and to comfort it self in God as David did when he was sâ—rely distressed at Ziklag yet he encouraged himself in the Lord his God 1 Sam. 30. 6. Though God taketh away many comforts yet if he give himself the soul is looking towards his portion as a blessed portion one God is better then all the comforts that I have lost I have lost friends and relations but one God and Christ is more excellent then all the creatures in the world when the heart is thus breathing in love towards God in time of affliction or temptation this is a part of that Internal worship it owes to God Thirdly This Internal Worship is that Trust and Affiance the soul hath which it placeth in God alone when the soul is acting of faith in the Lord The Lord is my portion my soul hath said it and therefore I will hope in him I will look toward him I will rest upon his Arm doubtless thou art our Father though all this hath befallen us doubtless God's intentions are gracious it is for my good that he doth thus afflict me doubtless the Lord can and will make a good end of these afflictions for that is his promise Now when the soul is thus roling upon God and resting upon his promise cleaving to the faithfulness of God for the fulfilling of his Promise in time of affliction or temptation this is a great part of that inward worship which God doth require of the soul when it shall thus believe in hope above hope and against hope as Abraham the Father of the faithful did this is Inward Worship Fourthly It consists in the submission of the soul to God That Inward Worship that God doth require of his people in time of affliction or temptation I say it consists in the submission of the spirit unto God when a man desires to make a resignation of his Will unto God If this cup may not pass from me thy will be done when a soul is content to be at the dispose of God for the kinde of affliction and measure of affliction and the time of affliction well if God encrease my burthen let him encrease my strength and my soul shall glory in him if the Lord will continue my affliction longer and I must drink of this cup again and again yea the third time if the Lord will afford his presence in affliction my soul desires to submit to the Lord when thus the heart is affected toward God submitting falling down before the Lord and making a resignation of his Will to the Lord's Will This is that special Worship of the Spirit that Internal Worship that the Father of Spirits calleth for from his children in time of affliction But secondly This Worship must be External as well as Internal and it consists in the giving honour to God in those wayes that are of his own appointment especially in these two First In the pouring out of the soul in supplication before the Lord. Secondly In speaking good words of God These are two great parts of that external worship that God calls his children to in time of affliction to speak gracious words unto God and to speak good words of God to his praise and honour First It is the pouring out the Supplication of the Soul before the Lord in prayer it is a special exercise that God calleth his people to in time of affliction and temptation to be much in supplication pouring out their souls before the Lord. Now this Supplication this Prayer which the Lord doth require and doth delight in it is accompanied First With Humility As you shall finde in the example of this woman her prayer in the day of her distress it was a humble prayer a humble supplication one of the Evangelists observes the Evangelist Mark chap. 7. ve s 25. that she came and fell at his feet this woman came and fell at the feet of Christ and cryed to him Lord help me It is a humble prayer that the Lord doth delight in when the spirit lyeth low before the Lord when the creature is sensible of his own vileness and shall acknowledge with Jacob That he is less then the least of all those mercies which he doth desire and expect at the hand of God that if ever the Lord be gracious it must be free grace somthing in himself that must move him when the soul is enabled by the Spirit of the Lord to put up such a prayer this is a part of that external worship that the Lord requires Secondly You shall finde that this womans prayer was accompanied with Fervency her very expression doth hold forth and declare the ardency of her spirit she cryed before O Lord thou Son of David have mercy on me and now again she breaks forth into this expression Lord Help Why it is such a prayer that God taketh delight
in such a supplication as is sent up with a holy fervency unto God and indeed the Lord brings his people into the furnace of affliction and temptation that so he may kindle this holy fire of zeal and fervency in their bosomes the Lord doth raise the storms that so he may make the Disciples to cry the louder Now therefore when the spirit is thus carried out to God this is such worship as he requires and expects Again thirdly We shall finde that this woman supplication it was accompanied with Faith Fervency without faith could not avail but there is an expression of her faith that Title which she gave to Christ Lord Lord help she looked upon him as the Lord of heaven and earth so she applies her self to him in her distress infinite 〈◊〉 power he was the Lord and had infinite power he was able to help so she resteth upon his all sufficiency sure he that is the Lord the Lord of all he hath power enough in his hand and grace enough in his heart he can do what he please why such a prayer the Lord accepts of as is accompanied with faith the promise is made to faith What-ever you ask in my Name believing you shall receive and the prayer of Faith shall save the sick the prayer of faith can do great things Fourthly This womans prayer was accompanyed with Constancy she held on notwithstanding the discouragements she met withal they were very many and great the Lord as you heard before was silent to her a long time when he speaks he speaks a sad word that he was not sent to such as she was yet she holds on this discouragement might have beaten her off and made her to have said well I see that there is no hope I shall lose my labour but notwithstanding all discouragements she doth continue in supplication she worships and she cryes Lord help It is constancy in Prayer that the heart of God is taken with Christ you know spake a parable to this end Luke 18. 1. That men should pray alwayes The soul should continue with God and abide with God Resolve not to go away from his feet but there to sit and there to wait and there to cry till the Lord be gracious this part of that external worship the Lord requires of his people in time of affliction and temptation Secondly The other part of external worship is in speaking well of God in affliction and temptation So doth this woman she spake well of Christ when she worshipped him she calleth him Lord by which word she doth First of all Exalt and honour Christ Secondly She Justifieth him Both these are good words which God takes well from his people in the time of affliction or temptation First She doth Exalt him she spake to his honour thou art the Lord what-ever I be though I be a poor vile creature as she acknowledged afterward when Christ converted her yet thou art the Lord nay though Christ should debase her yet she would exalt him O this is an excellent frame of spirit an excellent part of that worship we owe to God And as she doth honour God So Secondly She Justifieth him O Lord that very word doth justifie Christ in all his dealings towards her Thou art the Lord thou art Jehovah infinite free and absolute and may do what thou pleasest and in all this thou hast done me no wrong neither canst thou do wrong for thou art the Lord I am thy poor creature thy vassal but thou art the Lord thus she justifieth Christ Now when the soul is thus carried out in time of affliction and temptation to speak such words as may be to the honour of Christ and so to speak as to justifie Christ in all that hath befallen it Lord thou hast done me no wrong thou art righteous though my affliction be very great though my temptation be very prevalent yet the Lord is righteous in all that hath befallen me if he should afflict me seven times more and heat the Furnace seven times hotter I could not say thou wert unrighteous When the soul is thus carried out I say to speak well of God to speak honourably of God and to speak to the justifying of God in his dealings this is a great part of that worship which we owe to God in time of affliction And so you have seen the first particular What it is to worship the Lord or what is that worship which the Lord doth expect from his people in time of affliction and temptation Secondly I shall give you two or three Instances for the proof of the Point That it is the duty of the Saints thus to worship what-ever the affliction or the temptation be and that both with Internal worship of the spirit and with External worship speaking good words unto God and of God Thus it was with Job look into Job 1. 20 21. Then Job arose and rent his Mantle and shaved his head and fell down upon the ground and worshipped and said Naked came I out of my mothers wombe and naked shall I return thither the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord. Job he was under great afflictions at this time all his substance was taken away a sad and unparallel'd affliction and no doubt but it was a day of great temptation to Job for that was the Devil's designe to make Job blaspheme God to his face and therefore without doubt Sathan did suggest horrible temptations or else he had not well prosecuted his designe and yet notwithstanding it was a day of affliction and a day of temptation Job worshipped the Lord expressed holy fear and reverence expressed love and expressed his trust his confidence and his submission and he prays and he praiseth he spake to God and he spake well of God all parts of worship he fell down and worshipped and said The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken blessed be the Name of the Lord And so David often met with afflictions and temptations and yet you shall finde him worshipping in divers of his Psalmes Yea look upon Jonah and take Jonah for an instance and O that God would make these his Saints patterns to us Jonah 2. 2 3 4. He was in a sad affliction and his affliction was accompanied with temptation he was as low in his own imagination as if he had been in the belly of hell and yet even then when in the Whales belly in the depth of affliction and compassed round about with sore temptations Then Jonah worshipped the Lord vers 4. Then I said I am cast out of thy sight yet I will look again toward thy holy Temple I said I was cast out of thy sight there is a temptation of distrust when in that sad condition in the bottome of the Sea yet will I look towards thy holy Temple and at vers 7. When my soul fainted within me I remembred the Lord and my prayer came in
down and worshipped with the worship of the Spirit Have we been putting forth acts of holy fear and reverence Have we been putting forth acts of love towards God Have we been exercising trust and affiance in the name of the Lord which is a strong Tower the righteous flee into it and are safe Have we made it our work to be submitting to the Lord to have our wills cast into the will of God to submit to God for kinde and for measure and for time O! How far do we come short of this our duty Have we been pouring forth our souls to God in afflicted conditions and tempted conditions Have we made it our work to cry the more earnestly being in an Agony as Christ did Have we spoken well of God at that time Have we not charged God foolishly and spoken unadvisedly with our lips Truly we have cause to be humbled every one either we have not known our duty or not minded our duty in the time of affliction and temptation Nay Instead of worshipping Have not we been dishonouring God in the time of affliction and temptation Have not we been distrusting murmuring repining entertaining hard thoughts of God speaking hard words against God Have we not neglected our duty and said what profit is there if I pray unto the Almighty Have we not thought that we have had to excuse from worship when the afflicting hand of God hath been upon us We have thought that affliction had been our excuse from our duty truly we may take up a sad complaint against our selves we are all guilty before the Lord and O that he would help us to see the evil of our hearts that hath past in the time of affliction and temptation But you will say when some afflictions are upon us alas we cannot pour out supplications to the Lord surely in time of affliction he doth not require it he will have mercy and not sacrifice But can our afflictions be worse then Jobs were Can it be greater then Jonahs he was in the belly of hell Can our afflictions and agonies be greater then Christ's were yet he prayed and prayed the more earnestly the more his afflictions and temptations encreased the more he prayed I know the Lord doth somtimes exercise his people with such conditions such weaknesses as they cannot be much in the performance of this external part of Worship they cannot be much in speaking unto God nor speaking well of God because of that weakness that is upon the outward man and if that be the only hinderance if the spirit be not in fault the Lord Jesus will make an excuse Christ doth tender his poor servants and children in such a condition when he sees the spirit is willing and the flesh weak they shall not need to excuse themselves Christ will But even then we are called upon to be much in giving to the Lord that inward worship of the spirit which may be given when we are in the weakest condition and the more we are hindred from the external part of worship the more should we be in the internal part of worship the more should the spirit be reverencing and loving and exercising acts of Faith and Affiance and the more submitting to the Lord and lying low this the Lord calls for from his people in the worst condition and we have cause to be humbled that we are not found in the performance of this duty in time of affliction or temptation Secondly If it be a duty to worship in time of affliction it is much more our duty to worship when the Lord is pleased to free us from affliction and from temptation if God looks for Worship from his people when under affliction and temptation then much more he looks for worship from his people when free from affliction and temptation This is a duty that lyes upon all Saints to be worshipping the Lord not only with Internal but External worship to take all opportunities of worshipping the Lord in publique and in our families in private to be pouring out supplications and to be speaking well of God is our duty if in sickness then much more in health and if in adversity much more in prosperity and if under temptation much more in the day of freedome when the hand of the Lord is not upon us it is our duty to take all opportunities and the best opportunities and the fittest opportunities both in our families and in publique Take heed that our incumbrances of the world doth not shut out our worship of God Pour out thine indignation upon the Heathen and the Families that call not upon thy name O that that Scripture were remembred Truly we are apt to complain when God lays his hand upon us and exercises us with affliction and temptation our complaint is that we cannot worship that is the grief and the burden that we cannot worship the Lord we are taken off from our duty if so we had more need to take those fairer advantages and opportunities of worshipping while the Lord is pleased to continue his course of mercy and goodness towards us Seek the Lord while he is near and call upon him while he may be found when afflictions come we cry out God is far from us and at a great distance and we know not how to apply our selves to him but examine and see whether this may not be the cause because we have not taken our opportunity while he was near we have neglected to worship him while we had strength and ability of body of pouring out our souls to God and speaking to God and no wonder the Lord doth take those opportunities from us and truly that proves a great burthen to many of Gods own people in the day of adversity when God brings them into affliction and exerciseth them with temptation and they see they cannot worship him in that external way O! that is their grief that they have not laid forth themselves in the worship of the Lord both publique and private while the Lord gave them space and opportunity and therefore as we desire not to lie under that pressure which will be exceeding heavie to God's own people take heed how we neglect worship either in our families or in publique or in both for if it be our duty to worship under affliction much more in health peace and strength To draw to a conclusion one word of Exhortation and so I end Brethren Let us look up to the Lord to teach us this lesson to make Impression of this Divine Truth upon our hearts there is a time a coming that every one of us may be put to the exercise of it and therefore look up to the Lord now to teach you that when affliction and remptation come we may through the Lord's strength be made able to fall down and worship both with Internal and External worship O! that God would make those examples of the Saints that were set before us prevalent with us to draw
up by the roots whose end is to be burnt This is matter of sore temptation and therefore hereupon there is many a poor soul that desires to be out of the world O Lord I can do no good it is best for me to be put into the place of silence I hinder some goodly Tree that would grow in my place and would bring forth more fruit upon this many a poor soul hastens to the grave This is matter of temptation and it is grounded upon this a mans own unworthiness and unusefulness and unserviceableness to Christ in his generation Quest But you will say Wherefore doth the Lord suffer his people to be tempted thus about their unworthiness Answ Why the Lord he hath gracious ends Sathan who helps on this temptation many times he hath destructive ends but God in suffering of it he hath gracious ends What are Gods ends First God would teach us to learn this lesson That the love of God goes not by the worthiness of the creature therefore God he suffers us many times to be bowed down by looking upon our unworthiness even to temptation because we would not learn this lesson that the love of God goeth not by the creatures worthiness but that it is altogether free and not for any thing in the creature it is only in the Breast of God there is the ground of his love no reason for it in the creature Go and take a woman of Whoredome one that hath played the Adulteress and yet beloved that was to shew forth and hold forth his love to the children of Israel What was there in such a woman that was lovely or desireable The woman of whoredoms no more worthiness in the children of Israel Neither is there in any soul and God would have us learn this and if we will not learn it he will suffer us to be carried into the School of Temptation to learn us this lesson That God loves not for any worthiness in the creature Secondly God would teach us to learn this lesson That the worthiness of the creature is out of it self therefore he suffers the soul to be brought into this School of Temptation and to be bowed down with the apprehensions of our unworthiness that we may know that the worthiness of man is out of himself a lesson hard to learn for a man is apt to seek his worthiness in himself and is loth to be beholden unto any no not unto God and not to Christ for his worthiness We have all learned this of Adam it was the first sin he would have his worthiness in himself he would not have depended upon God for it but he would stand by himself and have no dependance upon his Creator and so by seeking to stand on his own legs he fell down below the condition of a creature And truly ever since the sons of Adam have imitated their Father in this Man desires and seeks to have his worthiness at home in himself and he is loth to go out for it and therefore it is one of the hardest matters in the world to bring men to submit to the righteousness of Christ Corrupt Nature and Carnal Reason as it is corrupted teacheth men to look to their own righteousness Philosophers taught men That men needed not to go out of themselves to make themselves happy for a man had all blessings in himself and he needed not to go out of himself But Christ teacheth another lesson if ever man will be happy he must go out of himself and he must seek his worthiness elsewhere he must have it in the Son of God Now that we may learn this lesson God suffers us to be brought into the School of Temptation Thirdly God hath this gracious end Thereby he doth make his people more humble and lowly in Spirit which is a gracious and Christ-like disposition though the Devil he hath no such end when he presents our unworthiness to make us humble yet God will make that advantage of it You may see how humble and how meek this woman was when she was under this Temptation in the next words Truth Lord saith she yet the dogs eat of the crumbs all that thou hast said is true thou hast said I am a dog truth Lord so I am Thus she doth lye very low at the feet of Christ he calls her dog and she lies the lower she lies at the feet of Christ This is a gracious effect that God works by this Temptation Fourthly By this God doth make his people really to prize and to live upon and to exalt the Fathers free grace and the Sons worthiness and righteousness I say in this school of temptation God teacheth his people to exalt really and to prize really and to live upon the free grace of God the Father and the infinite worthiness and righteousness of Jesus Christ O saith a poor soul if I be so vile so unworthy O! what need is there of fleeing to the free grace of God What need is there of looking after the infinite righteousness of Jesus Christ O! This will make the soul desirous to live upon God and to live upon Christ to build upon free grace and to build upon the worthiness and righteousness of Christ and this will make the soul to exalt and to lift up this glorious name of God and of his Son O! What had become of me if it had not been for free grace If free grace had not over-looked all my vileness all my sinfulness all my distance from God all my coldness of affection all my unusefulness what had become of me if it had not been for the righteousness of Christ If Christ had not brought in everlasting righteousness to cover all this unrighteousness O I had been miserable and undone You see wherefore God suffers these temptations Briefly a word or two by way of Application First It may teach us to take heed that we do not help forward this temptation upon the spirit of those that are weak Christians I say Take heed that we do not help forward this temptation there is no greater temptation then when the soul is kept and bowed down to look upon the vileness and unworthiness of the creature many a poor soul cries out as David did concerning his sin O my sin is ever before me so many a poor soul sayes my unworthiness an vileness is ever before me my deadness is ever before me my distance from God my sin of Nature my sin of Heart my relapses Now take heed that we do not help forward the temptation by despising and undervaluing those that are weak by despising Christians for their weakness O! it may be as I said before their eye is upon it they look upon it themselves and therefore we should not so look upon it as to discourage them and not to cast off such as have any seed of God in them because they are weak but to cherish that which is of God though
a weak condition to be continually poring upon unworthiness to look upon your selves continually and not to look back again to God to look upon your sinfulness and not look upon free grace to look upon your unworthiness and not to look upon the worthiness and righteousness of Christ This will keep your souls from establishment and keep you alwayes in a weak condition But now when God doth present unworthiness we may look upon it only let us remember what are God's ends when as God doth present unworthiness Gods ends are gracious and O that we might have Gods ends in our eye when we look upon our unworthiness It is to teach us to know that God loveth us not for our worthiness to teach us to know that we must have worthiness out of our selves to make us more low more humble meek in spirit to make us to prize the Father's free grace and the Son's worthiness and his righteousness These are God's ends O that when ever we look upon our unworthiness we might have God's ends before us Quest But what shall I do when tempted about my unworthiness Briefly thus Answ If it be the portion of any soul to be under these temptations under these discouragements before-mentioned if it be a temptation grounded upon the discovery of the sinfulness of our Nature heart and life O flee to the fountain know that God hath declared that there is a fountain opened Zach. 13. 1. In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the House of David and to the Inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness Therefore when you are bowed down with the sense of your own unworthiness by reason of sin look to the fountain there is a fountain opened and there is vertue in that fountain to cleanse and take away all your sin and unworthiness And if your temptation be grounded upon the discovery of your weakness and frailty your distance from God and this is helped on by your low and afflicted condition besides the common frailty of man O know That though the distance be infinite yet God hath overlooked it free grace hath over-looked it and free grace can overlook and free grace will over-look that infinite distance that is between God any you and know that God doth not judge of any man by his outward low estate by his outward afflicted condition you are apt to draw sad conclusions from thence that God loveth you not and Sathan he tempts to conclude so if God loved you he would not deal so with you Ah but know that God doth not judge so neither can you judge of the love of God by affliction And if the temptation be grounded upon the deadness of your heart and coldness of your spirit look to Christ to warm you look to the Son of God to enflame your affections but know that you are not able to judge of God's love by your love you must not measure God's love by your love not to conclude that God hath no love because you have little love you cannot measure God by your selves you should rather accept of his love entertain his love and look to that love of God to beget more love in your hearts and to draw forth more love in your hearts we have cause to be humbled exceedingly that our love to God is so little but yet we must not measure the love of God by our love And if your temptation be grounded upon your unusefulness O you say I am an unuseful creature more fitter for the dunghil then for any thing else know that God hath some use of you there is never a Christian living but God hath some use of it though it may be you see it not thou lookest upon thy self as a poor unuseful creature but God hath some use of you if God had not some use of you he would not continue you here no not a moment God hath appointed several members in the body and all are useful not the least member but it is useful in the body I say surely the Lord sees that you are of use to him although you are apt to say you are altogether unuseful In a word when tempted about unworthiness do as this woman did in the Text. First of all she doth acknoledge all that Christ spake It is not meet to take the childrens bread and cast it to dogs saith Christ in v. 27. Truth Lord saith she Let us learn to do so when bowed down with the thoughts of unworthiness and vileness let us subscribe to it that it is a truth all that can be said and all that can be presented by Sathan himself concerning our vileness we may grant that it is truth I am unworthy vile and wretched Secondly Take heed that this do not hinder the acting of faith acknowledge that it is so and that we are as vile as it is objected but let not the sight of this hinder the acting of faith this woman she acted faith gloriously notwithstanding Truth Lord yet the dogs do eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table she makes this to be a ground of faith even this very discouragement this very temptation the sight of her unworthiness this doth not discourage her It is Truth Lord but yet the dogs eat of the crumbs and so be you still in the acting of faith and let not the fight of unworthiness be any hinderance Thirdly It is our duty still to wait upon the Lord in the midst of the discovery of our unworthiness Wait upon the Lord and keep his way and let no discovery of unworthiness beat us off from waiting upon the Lord and keeping his way this woman held on her way held on to wait notwithstanding all her unworthiness she believes and waits prays and waits and her expectations they are from the Lord. And so in the midst of the sense of our unworthiness let us do as she did acknowledge God notwithstanding be acting faith in Christ in the Lord 's free grace in those gracious promises which he holds forth and which he hath given us in Christ and be waiting upon God in the way of our duty keeping his way and the Lord he will certainly make that soul more then a conquerour of these temptations Matth. 15. 26. But he answered and said It is not meet to take the childrens bread and to cast it to Dogs SERMON XIX I Shall now consider this temptation in particular In general it was her unworthiness that was presented more particularly that she was one of those Nations that did not belong to the Covenant of God She was a Canaanite she was one that was a stranger to the visible Covenant of the Commonwealth of Israel she was none of the children of the visible Kingdom she was a dog one without and therefore Christ tells her that she had nothing to do with the childrens bread This was the temptation We shall consider the Proposition as it is laid down by Christ which is an
excellent truth and worth the consideration That childrens bread must not be given to dogs That is the proposition laid down by Christ Or The holy things of God they must not be profaned by giving them unto those that have no right unto them First In the opening of this Proposition I shall shew you Who they are that are here called children Secondly And then Who are called Dogs Thirdly What is that childrens bread that must not be given to dogs First then Let us enquire who they are that are called children who are the children that have right to the bread I answer first All they that are true Believers in Christ they are called children I say such as are really and truly believers such as are the seed of Christ the travel of his soul such as are begotten again unto God by the immortal seed of the word and born again of the Spirit new creatures these are children indeed they are called the children of the Promise the children of the Covenant the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus Gal. 3. 26. To as many as believed gave he this dignity to be called the children the sons of God To as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on his name John 1. 12. primarily and chiefly they are called children of God and these have right to the childrens bread But secondly There are others that are called children that is Such as are under visible and outward dispensations of the Covenant I say such as do outwardly belong to the Covenant of God such as are under the visible dispensations of the Covenant of God though possibly many of them may not be under the efficacy life and power of that Covenant yet if they be under the visible dispensations the outward dispensations God owns them and they must be owned for children Rom. 9. 6. For they are not all Israel which are of Israel though they may be of Israel the seed of Abraham that the Apostle speaketh of there and such as were under the outward dispensations of the Covenant the Covenant of their father did belong to them yet saith he all are not Israel that are of Israel they are not Israel indeed children of the Promise as Isaac was they are not all the elect of God though they may be and must be owned for children because under the outward dispensation of the Covenant And in Mat. 8. 12. But the children of the Kingdom shall be cast out into utter darkness called children of the Kingdom because under an outward administration of the Covenant of grace and yet possibly they may fall off and apostatize and such children of the Kingdom may be cast out Now persons are under an outward administration of the Covenant two wayes or by two rights as I conceive First of all by a visible profession of Christ by a profession of faith in Christ that may give men right to a visible being in the Covenant of God and so upon that visible profession that is held forth they may have right to the Ordinances of God and yet not belong to the invisible Covenant of God For Brethren if a visible profession cannot give right to an Ordinance there is no man can have any ground for the administration of an Ordinance to others if not upon a visible profession for there is no man can be certainly assured who are the true Israel of God and who belongs to the Election of God no man can have certain assurance of another man's condition but as he judgeth in charity upon his profession so that an outward profession gives right to a visible being in Covenant and so to a partaking of the Ordinances of Christ Secondly There is another way of right as I conceive held forth in the Scripture by which some persons have right to this visible Covenant of God and so to some Ordinances of Christ such as they are capable of and that is God's gracious owning of them I say God's gracious Declaration in the Word that he will own such and such and will account them for his people set apart for himself and so I conceive that the Lord owns and esteems of Believers and the children of believing parents And as some by profession have right unto the visible Covenant so others upon Gods declaration of owning in a visible way the seed of Believers for so the Lord declared when he made that everlasting Covenant with Abraham that he would take in him and his seed and they should be visibly under the dispensation of the Covenant which promise seems again to be renewed even in the new Testament Acts 2 39. For the Promise is unto yoâ— and to your children and saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 7. 14. Else were your children unclean but now are they holy God's visible owning of them gives them a right to the visible Covenant and so to some Ordinances such as they are capable of But you will say it seemeth strange that any should be the subjects of an Ordinance who are not capable of understanding what is done Alas children have not the use of reason and are not capable of understanding what is done and therefore sure ineffectual and of no use it is but setting the seal to a blank I answer That God alwaies hath instituted some Ordinances both in the Old and New Testament the subjects whereof have been meerly passive God to declare his grace will prevent poor creatures before they are able to know him hath instituted some Ordinances the subjects whereof have been meerly passive What did the children of old understand of Circumcision They were meerly passive and yet that Ordinance I hope was not in vain and seemeth to be more suitable to God's grace now under the Gospel to have an Ordinance the subjects whereof should be meerly passive it declareth the grace of God that he speaketh so to them before they have any knowledge And whereas it is said It is the setting of a Seal to a Blank I answer If God hath put in the names of the children of Believers into the same Covenant with their parents if their names shall be found written in the Covenant why then to set to the Seal will be no setting a Seal to a Blank but their names were written and put into the Covenant when made with Abraham I will be thy God and the God of thy seed and we no where read that their names were blotted out nay we rather finde them renewed Acts 2. 39. For the promise is to you and to your seed and therefore let none say that it is setting a Seal to a Blank if God hath written the names of children in the Covenant Indeed I know it is very dangerous to misapply an Ordinance of Christ to wrong subjects it is a giving holy things to dogs but take heed that we do not call dogs where the Lord doth not call so and
himself That 's the third piece of childrens bread Sealing Ordinances I should have added a fourth but shall pass it by because of the time it should have been this Holy counsels and reproofs they are childrens bread and I should have shewn you in what cases we ought not to cast them before dogs When we have no call to speak or when we have spoken often again and again and they turn again and tread it under foot when it appears that they sin obstinately do not sin for want of light but sin against light when you have born a sufficient testimony unto the Truth or unto the wayes of God in such cases and the like that part of childrens bread must not be cast to dogs To shut up all with a word or two of Application First of all It lets us see Brethren that way of the Churches of Christ is justifiable by Christ that way of making distinction and separation betwixt person and person betwixt the precious and the vile it is justifiable by the word of the Lord it is one of the hard things for the world to digest this separation this putting a difference between man and man but I pray know that if any Church do act according to the rule to the word of Christ which they may not transgress no not for a house full of gold and silver they must not give that which is holy to dogs cast not pearls before swine saith Christ Matth. 7. 6. And it is to take the childrens bread and cast it to dogs The Church do but walk according to rule let not men condemn it I know what is objected Ah! They are a censorious people they would be Judges they would judge all the world but themselves they only are children and all the world are dogs No we say not so God forbid We say there are seven thousand souls besides those we know that have not bowed their knee to Baal Yeâ— surely there are many thousands I am perswaded of the people of God that are children who are not for the present in any visible House of God But this I say that so long as they are so they are not in the right place they are where the dogs should be till they be in some visible House of Christ they are not in the children place they set themselves among the dogs the Lord would have them among children and there is a time a coming when all that are children shall come in and without shall be none buâ— dogs And let me say to such as are the children of the Lord and not in some visible House of God they cannot have their portion they cannot enjoy childrens bread while out of Christ's house they deprive themselves of that bread which is their right Christ will not have bread given but in his House some Ordinances of Christ cannot be dispenced but in a Communion of Saints and if children will not come into a communion of Saints they must not they cannot enjoy those Ordinances and let it be no offence if the Church according to their duty do labour to keep the Ordinances of God from pollution Quest But you will say What can it hurt me Or What can it hurt another though there be many wicked men in a Communion of Saints that come and partake of the Lord's Supper What is that to me if I be prepared to wait upon the Lord What detriment shall I receive Answ It is to thee A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump If a wicked person be in the Church it is to thee and to the whole company and if thou dost not that which is thy duty thou art defiled by that wicked man It is true if thou hast done thy duty brought it to the Church then thou art not defiled but if thou hast not done thy duty thou art defiled and it is to thee I know what is urged Did not Judas receive the Supper And were there not many wicked men in the Church of Corinth And doth not Christ say the Tares and the wheat must grow together But these may easily be answered As for Judas it is hardly made out that he received the Supper of the Lord but if he did he was a close hypocrite not known to the Church Hypocrites there may be but that is no plea for the admitting of those that are openly scandalous As for those wicked persons in the Church of Corinth it was defective but of right it should not have been so Possibly the best Church may be corrupt and may tollerate wicked persons but by rule it ought not to be so When ye are met together and there be a wicked person amongst you deliver such a one unto Sathan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump 1 Cor. 5. 4 5 6. But to pass by that Secondly In a word What matter of comfort is here to you that are the Lord's people The Lord looks upon you as children all you that fear the Lord and believe in the name of his Son you are the Lord's children cared for and provided for by the Lord. Provision is made by God himself he will take care that you shall have bread Christ takes care for his children O! This is childrens bread and I must not give the childrens bread unto dogs O! That this might refresh your souls that Christ looketh upon you as children and that he takes care to provide bread for you He will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish Prov. 10. 3. Children you shall have bread you shall have Ordinances Promises they belong to you they are your bread the Lord will in due time give out that which your souls wait for for the children shall have their bread O that the Lord would raise up our hearts to expect this when we come before him in the Lords Supper Let children look for their bread wait for bread from heaven to be given out there is never an hired servant in Christ's House but shall have bread enough so the Prodigal did acknowledge and if the hired servants shall have bread the children shall not famish O! Wait upon the Lord who will give his children bread and give it in due season Again thirdly What cause have you to admire at the goodness of the Lord thus to you that are his children Children so provided for O! The free grace of God to us poor out-casts of the Gentiles Time was when we were dogs and that the Lord should make them to be children that were dogs set them at his Table that were cast out and give them childrens bread that had not right no not to the crumbs O the free grace of God let us admire it and let us debase our selves and lie low before the Lord and say O! What am I poor dead dog that I should sit at Table with the King and that
the King should own me No cause of being lifted up but cause of lying low for who are we poor dead dogs that the Lord should make us children and bestow the portion of children upon us giving unto us childrens bread And to shut up all Let us look upon the Ordinances of the Lord as our Bread look upon the Word and look upon the Promises you that are children take hold of them improve them they are childrens bread they are provided on purpose for you And so that other Ordinance of the Supper look upon it as bread and make use of it as bread O that we might fetch out the sweetness of it for there is no piece of childrens bread but hath a great deal of sweetness in it sweetness in the Word and sweetness in the Supper and O that we might chew it and fetch out the sweetness What sweetness might we finde in the Supper of the Lord if we did set faith on work O! what abundance of the love of God is held forth and of the great mysterie of godliness God manifested in the flesh How much held forth of the sufferings of Christ and the benefits of the suffering of Christ O that we might chew the Ordinance and as bread make use of it for our refreshment and strength Matth. 15. 27. And she said Truth Lord yet the Dogs eat of the Crumbs which fall from their Masters Table SERMON XX. IN these words that I have read we have the carriage and the behaviour of this woman under those Tryals or Temptations which she met withal her carriage is very gracious it is such as doth discover First A depth of Humility Secondly A height of Faith She discovers first of all A depth of Humility Jesus Christ he had called her dog he had preferr'd others before her he had told her it was not meet to take the childrens bread and give it to such as she was Now she doth acknowledge all this nay she doth not only acknowledge it but she submitted unto it nay she confirms it Truth Lord Christ had said It was not meet to take the childrens bread and cast it to dogs Truth Lord What-ever thou hast spoken Lord is true Thou hast said that I am a dog Truth Lord Thou hast said the Jews are children Truth Lord Thou hast said it is not meet to bestow childrens bread upon dogs Truth Lord yet the dogs eat of the crumbs And as we have a discovery of her Humility so of her Faith her condition was low but her faith was high strong and glorious First of all By Faith she doth answer the temptation she findes out the strength of the temptation the scope of it where it lay and the Spirit of the Lord doth unfold and resolve the difficulty Christ had said the Jews were the children and 't was not meet to give the childrens bread to dogs there is the temptation She answers Truth Lord yet the dogs cat of the crumbs It discovers thus much Although the Jews are the children and they must be served first it is fit that they should have the first offer of mercy it is fit that they should have whole loaves set upon the Table and full dishes yet the Jews are not so the children that all others are excluded the Gentiles are not altogether excluded from mercy the Gentiles may have the crums especially when the children grow wanton and cast away their bread the Gentiles though dogs may have that which fall from their Table Thus by faith she doth finde out the force of the temptation and is enabled to make an answer to it Secondly The strength of her faith doth appear in this that she doth not only answer the temptation but she gains advantage by it her faith is strengthened and riseth higher and waxeth stronger and that which was matter of discouragement in it self it is matter of encouragement and strength unto her Christ had said she was a dog this is an encouragement to her Lord thou hast said that I am a dog and if I be a dog I am thy dog thou art my master and therefore surely the crumbs that fall from my masters table do belong to me in all Nations among all people the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters table Lord thou hast said that I am a dog but I will lie at thy feet and wait upon thee for crums of mercy that fall from thee Thus her faith is strengthened by that temptation which in it self did tend to drive her from Christ that temptation that would have driven her from Christ makes her run to Christ she is called dog and she waits under the Master's table for crumbs of mercy Thus you see the carriage of this woman under the temptation she carries it very humbly and with a great deal of faith and holy confidence in the midst of these discouragements There are divers useful truths in these words I shall now close with one Truth Lord saith she From whence Observe That the soul that is graciously and truly humbled before the Lord will justifie the Lord in all that he speaks and doth against it What-ever the Lord shall say whether it be in a way of discovery of sin vileness and corruption Or secondly whether it be a word of threatning In both these that heart that is truly humbled it will justifie the Lord. When God speaks himself and gives rebukes from himself or when God makes use of men to be instruments in his hand still a gracious heart that is truly humbled in all it meeteth withal it will justifie the Lord and say Truth Lord the Lord is true and the Lord is righteous in what he speaks and doth First When God comes and speaks in a way of discovery of sin when the Lord by his Spirit in his Word doth come and rip open a mans heart as it were discovers its vileness to him shews him what a wretched sinful polluted creture he is or when the Lord shall come and charge any particular sin upon a man that he hath committed set his actual sin in order before him when God shall binde with the cords of affliction as Job speaks and then discover a mans transgression if the soul be truly humbled it will say truth Lord I am indeed as vile and as wretched and as sinful nay worse then I can be charged with When God came to make a discovery to Job of his own heart in the 38 39 and 40 chapters God took much pains to discover Job to himself Job had stood too much upon his integrity upon his righteousness he had not all along justified the Lord in his proceedings but when God came to make a discovery to him and shew him what a poor vile frail worm he was and ript open his heart and shewed him his corruption Job then falls down and cries truth Lord Job 40. 3 4. Then Job answered the Lord and said Behold I am vile what shall I answer thee
I will lay may hand upon my mouth vers 5. Once have I spoken but I will not answer yea twice but I will proceed no further Behold I am vile as vile as thou hast discovered to me Lord I see it and therefore I will stand no more upon my own justification but I will justifie thee and truly so it is with every soul that is truly humbled when God comes and makes a discovery of its corrupt nature and life and chargeth sin upon him it is so and so aggravated thou hast sinned against light against knowledge against mercy and goodness truth Lord all is true saith the gracious heart yea not only when God speaks in the way of discovery of sin the soul that is humble will cry truth Lord and justifie the Lord. But secondly Even then when the Lord speaks very sharply in a way of threatening the soul that is truly humble it will justifie the Lord Psal 51. 4. Against thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest and be clear when thou judgest Here David he will justifie the Lord in all that he spake against him as much as if David should say I have made this publique confession and have penned this Psalm that I might clear thee before all the world that I might justifie God what ever God should do against David or speak against David I will say Lord thou art righteous He would justifie God in all that God had spoken against him and yet God spake terrible things against David by Nathan the Prophet 2 Sam. 12. 10 11 12. Verse 10. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house because thou hast despised me and hast taken the wife of sriah the Hittite to be thy wife Verse 11. Thus saith the Lord Behold I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house and I will take thy wives before thine eyes and give them unto thy Neighbour and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this Sun Verse 12. For thou didst it secretly but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the Sun See here what terrible things God threatens he threatens that the sword should never depart from his house That he would raise up evil against him out of his own house a terrible threatning Nay God threatens that he would give his wives to his Neighbours that should defile them before his face a terrible threatening Nay God tells him that this should be done before all Israel and in the face of the Sun And yet Lord I will clear thee when thou judgest and justifie thee when thou speakest Take another instance in old Eli and you shall see how he justified the Lord when the Lord spake against him 1 Sam. 3. 18. at verse 11. Behold I will do a thing in Israel at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle and at verse 14. I have sworn unto the house of Eli that the iniquity of Elies house shall not be purged with Sacrifice nor Offering for ever Now all this was told Eli at verse 18. And Samuel told him every whit and hid nothing from him And he said It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good And so Hezekiah take that instance and see how he justified the Lord when the Lord spake terribly against him 2 Kings 20. 19. at vers 17 18. God threatens Hezekiah because he boasted of his treasure and shews it to the Ambassadors of the King of Babylon verse 17. Behold the dayes come that all that is in thine house and that which thy fathers have laid up in store to this day shall be carried unto Babylon nothing shall be left saith the Lord. Verse 18. And of thy sons that shall issue from thee which thou shalt beget shall they take away and they shall be Eunuchs in the Palace of the King of Babylon A hard lesson and yet he justifies the Lord Verse 19. Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken So that you see that a gracious heart that is truly humbled before the Lord it will justifie the Lord in all that he speaks against it when he discovers sin or threatens punishment still he will justifie the Lord and not only justifie the Lord in what he hath spoken but he will justifie the Lord in what he shall speak if God should speak seven times worse still a gracious heart that is truly humble resolves to justifie the Lord 2 Sam. 15. 26. saith David But if he thus say I have no delight in thee Behold here am I let him do to me as seemeth good unto him He did not only justifie the Lord in what he had spoken but in what the Lord should say if the Lord should say I will use David no more nor bring David back no more to his Throne David in that justifieth God and submits to the Lord. But secondly A gracious heart that is truly humbled desires to justifie God in his Actings when God shall act against him as well as speak against him it will justifie the Lord if the Lord shall prefer others before him in this he will justifie the Lord. Instance in this woman of Canaan the Jewes the children they must have whole loaves and full dishes and they must be preferr'd before her yet she justifies the Lord and says Truth Lord. But I shall make it out to you in divers particulars that you may see how a gracious heart that is truly humbled will justifie the Lord in his actings First of all If the Lord shall manifest more love more grace more favour unto others then to it self though there be nothing in all the world that it longeth more after then after the enjoyment of the presence of God yet if the Lord shall be pleased to discover more of himself and give out more clear full intimations of his love and grace to others then to it self it desires to justifie the Lord. Christ as I said he will deal with the Jews as with children give them whole loaves and full dishes this woman she justifies the Lord and if the Lord will give more tokens of acceptance to others then to it self still it desires to justifie the Lord The heart that is unsound cannot do this nothing is more hard to bear that the Lord should shew more favour to others then to them so it was with Cain the Lord shewed more favour to Abel his brother then to him God gave him a token of his acceptance Cain could not bear it and so the Prâ—digal's eldest brother the father shews a great deal of love to the returning Prodigal and the eldest brother could not bear it I have served thee all my dayes and thou hast not dealt so with me thou hast not killed the fatted calf for me But the soul that is truly humble it will justifie the Lord in this if the Lord gives
our clearer manifestations of his love to others then to him it will say the Lord is righteous and doth me no wrong the Lord is a free Agent free grace it is his commodity and he may bestow it where he pleaseth and I have received more from the Lord then I have improved I have had more then I have been thankful for more then I have used for the Lord's honour I have sinned so and so after mercy and it is a wonder that I have not sinned away all my comforts Thus a soul that is truly humbled will justifie the Lord. Secondly If the Lord gives out a greater measure of spiritual gifts to others the soul that is truly humbled it will justifie the Lord in this dispensation it desires to say as John Baptist John 3. 30. He must increase but I must decrease herein is my joy fulfilled it desires to rejoyce in this that the Lord may have any honour by others though it look upon himself and see it is a barren wilderness others green trees see others flourishing like the Palm tree and bring forth much fruit although a gracious heart sees cause to be humbled and judge it self for not following on to know the Lord for it s not following on to wait upon the Lord for such enjoyments yet it also desires to justifie the Lord not to complain if the Lord shall give out more to others then to him it knows in this also the Lord is a free Agent and he may dispose of his gifts where and to whom he please Thirdly If the Lord should give out a greater share of temporal mercies to others then to him a greater estate more riches more honour more friends and relations still a soul that is truly humbled it will justifie the Lord in this dispensation it will say I have received more then I am worthy of I am less then the least of all thy mercies I have more then I have used for Gods honour this is the portion that the Lord sees good for me the Lord sees what a naughty heart I have I am ensnared with that little that I have it is a snare to me therefore surely the Lord in mercy hath denied much to me lest my heart should be ensnared and therefore in this dispensation it will also justifie the Lord. Fourthly If the Lord should lay greater afflictions upon him then upon others in this dispensation the soul that is truly humbled will justifie the Lord. So it was with Job Job he was greatly afflicted not any man living met with so much as Job did yet in Job 1. 20 21. He falls down and justifies the Lord Then Job arose and rent his mantle and shaved his head and fell down on the ground and worshipped and said Naked came I out of my mothers womb and naked shall I return thither the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord See here what arguments he findes to clear the Lord in this dispensation though his affliction was very great he falls down and blesseth the Lord and at v. 22. it is said In all this Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly And so Aaron the High Priest when the Lord smote his two sons that they died it is said Aaron held his peace Lev. 10. 1 2 3. And Nadaâ— and Abiâ—u the sons of Aaron took eit of them his Censor and put fire therein and put Incense thereon and offered strange fire before the Lord which he commanded them not Verse 2. And there went out fire from the Lord and devoured them that they died before the Lord. Verse 3. Then Moses said unto Aaron This is that the Lord spake saying I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me and before all the people I will be glorified And Aaron held his peace He spake not one word against the Lord but was silent and justified the Lord. And so David in Psal 39. when there was some sore hand of God upon him so that he cryed out I am consumed by thy rebukes some affliction that did even eat him up and consume him yet he justified the Lord verse 9. I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou didst it And so in Micah 7. 9. I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him A soul truly humbled will justifie the Lord even then when he layes greater strokes of affliction upon him then upon others Fiftly The soul that is truly humbled it will justifie the Lord when the Lord seems to shut out his prayer it calls and cries and waits and yet the Lord gives out no answer O! how hard a matter is it for an unhumbled heart to bear this Wherefore have we fasted say they and thou seest not Wherefore have we afflicted our soul and thou takest no knowledge Isa 58. 3. An hypocrite cannot bear this if God give not a present answer it will wait no longer But now a gracious heart that is truly humbled it will wait upon the Lord though the Lord gives not out a present answer yea it will study answers to clear the Lord the Lord is righteous and it is for gracious ends that the Lord defers to hear or the mercy is not ripe or I am not fit for the mercy it is mercy that I may wait upon God mercy that I have such a God to wait upon the Lord might have cut off my life and my hopes and my waiting and therefore still the Lord is gracious in that I have opportunity to wait upon him Thus a soul truly humbled will justifie the Lord when the Lord seems to shut out his prayer Sixtly and lasly The soul that is truly humbled will justifie the Lord when the Lord shall lay him aside as one that is useless when the Lord shall make no more use of him in his work and service but shall take him off from the work of the Lord. God somtimes deals so with his own people yet if the soul be truly humbled it will justifie the Lord in this also it is a hard matter to submit unto it but when the heart is put into a right humble frame it will submit and justifie the Lord And so did Moses and Aaron the servants of the Lord God told them that he would lay them aside God calls to Moses and Aaron and tells Aaron that he must be high Priest no longer commanded Moses to strip Aaron of his Garments and to put them upon another before his face and bids him go to such a place and die and Aaron was obedient to the word of the Lord Numb 20. 23 25 26 27 28. And so Moses when his work was at an end God tells him that he must not carry the children of Israel into the land of Canaan but he must go up to the Mountain and die He submits to the Lord Deut. 32. 49 50. and Deut. 34. 5. And thus you see a heart that is truly humbled it will justifie
the Lord both in his sayings and doings when God shall speak against him and discover his vileness and sin it will say Truth Lord or when God shall threaten most severely nay when God shall walk in those ways that are hard to bear yet a soul that is truly humbled desires to submit to the Lord and to justifie the Lord. And secondly When God shall not only speak himself but when God shall make use of men yea wicked men and shall set them to speak against it when God shall set them to revile and set them to act against it to persecute it the soul that is truly humbled it will justifie the Lord in that dispensation so did David 2 Sam. 16. 7 8. And thus said Shimei wheu he cursed Come out come out thou bloody man and thou man of Belial the Lord hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul in whose stead thou hast reigned and the Lord hath delivered the Kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son and behold thou art taken to thy mischief because thou art a bloody man Shimei he came and railed against David it was a great indignity that was done against David by that railing wretch and he took up stones and cast at the King at verse 6. and it was when David was in distress he was driven out by Absalom from Jerusalem he takes that advantage he comes and rails and calls him the bloody man and saith he the Lord hath now avenged the blood of thy masters house upon thee yet David at this time justifies the Lord verse 10. So let him curse because the Lord hath said unto him Curse David who shall then say Wherefore hast thou done so See here how David justifies the Lord though that which this raising man did object against David was false he calls him a bloody man in respect of Saul's house David was clear in that and innocent yet David he layes it to heart and concludes that God had some designe in it though in respect of Saul's house I am not a bloody man yet I shed the blood of Vriah David he is silent the Lord hath bid him curse David and therefore David useth many arguments for to justifie the Lord and to quiet his own spirit and the spirit of others as you may see vers 11 12. And David said to Abishai and to all his servants Behold my Son which came forth of my bowels seeketh my life how much more now may this Btnj amite do it Let him alone and let him curse for the Lord hath bidden him Verse 12. It may be the Lord will look on mine affliction and that the Lord will requite good for his cursing this day And so David in patience doth possess his soul and justifie the Lord in that dispensation A word or two of Application and so I shall conclude First of all This calls upon us to be more in the practise of this duty O that the Lord would help all his people to learn this lesson It is a hard lesson we had need look up to the Lord that he would teach us to justifie the Lord when he speaks and acts against us when he speaks himself or when he suffers men to speak against us It is our duty as you have heard to justifie the Lord as this woman of Canaan did and as those in Micah 7. did I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him O that we could make those holy men our pattern that we heard spoken of before Look upon Moses upon Aaron upon David upon Hezekiah upon Job upon good old Eli upon this Woman of Canaan O! How did they justifie the Lord when the Lord spake hard things and stretched out his hand in a way of sore affliction Still we finde them justifying the Lord and O that we could look upon them as our pattern To perswade us to this Duty First of all Consider That it is the Lord It is the Lord that speaks it is the Lord that acts when-ever there is any affliction upon us it is of the Lord and if it be of the Lord and from the Lord why should we not justifie him That was a prevailing argument with good old Eli when as those terrible threatnings came to his ear That God would do that against his House at which both the Eares of every one that heard it should tingle and that the iniquity of Eli's House should not be purged away with sacrifice nor offering for ever It is the Lord saith he let him do what seemeth him good He hath power over all creatures as the Potter hath power over the clay and saith David I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou didst it Secondly Consider That all that God speaks and doth is God and if so Why should we not justifie the Lord You know what Hezekiah said 2 Kings 20. 19. Good is the Word of the Lord A hard word it was that all his Treasure should be carried unto Babylon and his Sons also and made servants there and yet he sath good is the Word of the Lord. What-ever God doth is good though it may seem to be never so hard yet there is some good in all that he speaks and doth and the Lord doth it for good Doth not thy Word do good Every word of the Lord is good and doth good to them that are his children though it be a hard word yet all God's words and all God's wayes shall work together for good he will bring good out of them if the heart be submitting to God and justifying the Lord in that dispensation Thirdly Consider That there is mercy in every dispensation and that God doth afflict less then the sin deserveth Though the affliction may seem to be hard truly if we look into our own hearts and wayes we might see that there is that which might provoke the Lord to afflict seven times more The Church in the Lamentations when she came to consider how she had provoked the Lord though before she had cryed out bitterly of her Wormwood and Gall yet in Lam. 3. 22. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not We have provoked the Lord greatly and it is mercy that we are not consumed mercy that we are out of hell and therefore good cause that we should justifie the Lord. Yea and let us justifie the Lord when he suffers men to speak against us O! This is a hard lesson to flesh and blood but know it is a duty that God calls for when men do revile and speak evil and do accuse us so and so still it is our work to justifie the Lord Look back to that pattern of David in the case of Shimei and let us make it our pattern when-ever we meet with revilings and hard sayings from men he justified the Lord though it was false that which Shimei did accuse him of That he was a bloody
man in respect of Saul's House yet he justified the Lord the Lord sees that I am a bloody man though not in that particular and therefore saith he The Lord hath bidden him Either thou art guilty or not guilty when God suffers men to revile and speak evil and to fasten such accusations upon thee if thou art guilty it is thy duty to make use of it by whomsoever God shall discover it make use of that which comes out of the enemies mouth to finde out the evil that is in our own hearts But if thou art clear and not guilty of that which thou art accused of yet in respect of the Lord there is cause of justifying the Lord So David though he was not guilty in that respect that Shimei said he was guilty yet saith he it is just with the Lord and it is a righteous thing that I should be thus accused by Shimei And for the quieting of thy spirit use those Arguments that David did Behold the Son out of my Bowels riseth up against me and therefore shall I think it a great matter for a stranger to do it So let us say behold here is that which riseth up in mine own heart the corruptions in mine own bosome that doth me many an ill turn shall I think much that strangers do accuse me And consider also that which David said The Lord doth hear the curses of Shimei and will do me good by it And so if thou canst approve thy heart to God and art not guilty of what men do accuse thee of and that thou canst say it is false in respect of man but in respect of God thou sayest Truth Lord Know that the Lord he can do thee good by it and that he will turn those very curses of men to thy good Again One word of Use more and so I shall conclude Look up to the Lord for this grace of Humility O! What cause have we to give up our hearts into God's hand that he may make us truly humble Surely we shall never be able to justifie the Lord if the heart be not laid low and made truly humble The Lord Jesus he had humbled this woman he had laid her very low he had sanctified her affliction to humble her she had met with great afflictions her daughter was vexed with a dvvil the Lord sanctified that affliction to humble her And she also met with great temptations three sore Temptations we read of and the Lord also sanctified those temptations to humble her And she had also met with discoveries of grace and love the Lord revealed himself very gloriously to her faith or else she could never have held out the Lord also sanctified those discoveries to humble her and lay her low Truly if this woman had not had a humble heart she could never have carried it so in the time of affliction and in the time of this temptation but she would have flown in the face of Christ Christ calls her dog and tells her That it is not meet to take the childrens bread and give it to dogs if her heart had not been humble she would have discovered her self to have been a dog she would have barked against him but she carried it very graciously and in all that Christ spake justified him Truth Lord. O that we might go to the Lord and beg of God that he would give out more of this grace of humility to us A proud heart will never justifie God when he speaks himself or when he suffers men to speak a proud heart will never take a repulse from God nor reproofs from men O! There is need of the grace of humility that will enable a soul to justifie the Lord in what-ever he shall speak and in what-ever he shall do The Apostle saith God resisteth the proud but he giveth grace to the humble He gives this grace to the humble that they shall carry it graciously when the Lord speaks against them when the Lord shall make a discovery of their hearts to them of their Corruptions to them of the deserving of their Transgressions to them they shall justifie the Lord and say Truth Lord all is true And when God shall suffer men to speak against them the Lord gives grace to the humble they shall have this grace made able to justifie the Lord. And truly When the soul is brought into this posture when the soul is thus truly humbled before the Lord and can justifie the Lord when the Lord speaks it is not far from deliverance Salvation is nigh Deliverance is at hand the time of God's Controversie is at an end When God hath thus humbled the soul under his mighty hand and made it willing to lye low and to justifie the Lord in all that he speakes and doth surely the time of refreshment from the presence of the Lord is not far off The Prophet Ezekiel he lay low before the Lord there were discoveries of the glorious Majesty of the Lord made to him at the latter end of the first Chapter As the appearance of the Bowe that is in the Cloud in the day of Raine so was the appearance of the brightness round about this was the appearance of the likenesse of the Glory of the Lord and when I saw it I fell upon my face See here he lay low before the Lord and in Chap. 2. and Verse 2. What is said And the Spirit entred into me when he spake unto me and set me upon my feet And truly Brethren When the Lord giveth out such a frame of spirit that the heart is made so humble as to lie low before the Lord and to justifie the Lord in what he speakes and doth the Spirit of the Lord is not far Salvation is not far off As the Spirit did enter into Ezekiel and set him upon his feet so the Spirit of the Lord will come into that soul and fill it with joy and refreshment from the Lord's presence Eccles 12. 1. Remember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth while the evil dayes come not nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them SOlomon having spent a great part of his life in following after vanity and being brought by the Spirit of God to a serious consideration of his wayes he doth write this Book of Ecclesiastes as the Book of his Repentance and like a true penitent he takes care of the souls of others and gives warning to all men that they should take heed that they do not split against those Rocks against which he cast himself He is exceeding careful of the souls of men and in a special manner he takes care of the souls of young men he speaks once and again to them that they might be warned by him and not spend their youth in vanity that they might not lose the comfort that they might enjoy by enjoying God and that they might not lose their opportunities of doing God service in their youth Now
remembred and of all things God only shut out O my friends Take heed of this great sin this Mother sin Forgetting God But secondly I beseech you to Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth Young man do not put off your remembrance of God it may be you will say to me you will remember God hereafter that is folly The Wise man teacheth you better giveth you better counsel Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth As much as if he should say Remember now thy Creator in what part of your youth soever you be Remember Now thy Creator Now seek after the knowledge of Christ if ten yeers old Now Remember God if fifteen years old if twenty yeers old Now Remember thy Creator yea if thirty years old and so to every Age to which the word of the Lord comes Even Now Now remember thy Creator And O that young men and young women would think upon the advantages that many have by remembring God in youth they were spoken of before And let me further tell you for your encouragement young men that to remember God betimes it is a great prerogative and a great dignity to be the first in Christ the Apostle speaks of some that were first in Christ and he speaks honourably of them Eph. 1. 12. That we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ And it was the honour of that people that were first in bringing back David great honour was put upon them that went out first to meet David their King And so to be the firstâ— that go out to meet with Christ the first that honour him the first that close with him and believe in him this is a prerogative and it is kindness that God will never forget Jer. 2. 2. Thus saith the Lord I remember thee the kindness of thy youth the love of thy espousals when thou wentest after me in the Wilderness in a Land that was not sown the kindness of thy youth I will not forget saith God And the Lord will say so to young men and young women that are looking after Christ and remember him betimes thou remembredst me in thy youth and I will remember the kindness of thy youth when thou leftest all to follow me thy vanity thy comforts thy contentments that other young men closed with and followed after though they lead to destruction this kindness of thy youth Christ will remember to the very last day And let none that hear me this day think that they are too young and 't is not for them to trouble themselves with such matters to remember God and to look after God as young as you have remembred God Jeroboams childe remembred God Josiah at sixteen years of age set himself to seek after the Lord And I pray consider youth go the grave as well as others nay more die in their youth then in their old age O that young men would remember God betimes And there is none so young but must be accountable to God there is sin enough to condemn the youngest if not actual sin thou hast a sinful Nature and that is enough to condemn the youngest that hears me this day And therefore O that the Lord would perswade young men to remember betimes their Creator and know that it will be your comfort in the latter end As the neglect of God in youth will be a great deal of sorrow when God smites and comes to lay you upon the bed of sickness and ready to give out your breath then it may be you will cry out Lord Remember me but how sad will it be to reflect upon your selves and to think that you have not remembred God When as it hath been the comfort of many a poor soul that their work hath been done and when they have lain upon their sick bed they have given up themselves willingly to God having gotten the knowledge of God and gotten faith in Christ they are blessing God that their work is done for them by Christ O how sweet and comfortable will it be to you young men when you come to die to see that your great work is done and that you have believed and have nothing to do but to die Solomon was very pittiful to your souls young men and therefore he calls upon you to Remember your Creator in the dayes of your youth And in the bowels of Christ I speak to you this day to study this lesson of lessons To Remember Now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth And let me say to old men if young men had need to remember God Oh what cause have old men to remember God They that have lived many years and not remembred God O it is high time that thou shouldest make haste thou art going to the grave the land of forgetfulness where there is nothing can be done for eternity when once in the grave O that God would perswade the Ancient Such as have neglected to remember God that they would now remember their Creator and do not say I have mispent my youth and I fear my time is over and there is no hope for me I had as good go on in my wayes of sin O say not so The thoughts of the Lord are not as your thoughts nor his wayes as your wayes but as the Heavens are higher then the earth so are his thoughts above yours and his wayes above yours You have spent many years in sin and vanity and forgotten God and your thoughts have been upon vanity it may be many years but the thoughts of the Lord to do good to his people are from eternity O that Now you would at last in your old age remember God! Old men I beseech you to remember your Creator there is hope wherefore hath God spared you so long Reason so with with your selves to encourage you to look to Christ when through Unbelief you say there is no hope you have walked in sin and God might have cut you off and it is infinite mercy that God hath not cut you off but seeing the Lord hath spared me surely I may hope though I have forgotten God in the dayes of my youth yet say I will now remember my Creator and seek after faith in him And know for thy comfort and encouragement that there is infinite thoughts of mercy in the Lord Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and turn to our God for he will abundantly pardon Isa 55. 7. O stay no longer venture no longer for there is one evil day upon you the evil day of old age is upon you and there is another a coming O Remember God and make haste to do it quickly before the Sun and Moon and Stars be darkned before the body return to the earth and the spirit to stand before God that made it But I shall now come to press this duty upon
Gods own people for there are many things that may evidence that this Duty is neglected by God's own people What is the Cause of all the dark and sad apprehensions of God to many of God's own people Why Because they have not remembred God What is the cause of all those distrustful thoughts that do arise in the hearts of God's own people That our hearts are ready to sainct within us That God is no more trusted for the things of this life and for the things of Eternity Why all these distrustful thoughts they spring from this root not remembring God when the Disciples did distrust Christ Matth. 16. 8 9 10. Why saith Christ O ye of little faith Why reason ye among your selves because ye have brought no broad Verse 9. Do ye not yet understand neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets ye took up Verse 10. Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many baskets ye took up As if Christ had said to them if ye had remembred me and my power my works of providence my former goodness it were not possible that ye should have distrusted but in that ye have so little faith it is evident that ye do not remember me and what I have done Truly if at any time we distrust God for the fulfilling of any promise it is because we do not remember God we do not remember the faithfulness of God in fulfilling Promises we do not remember the former experiences we have had of the goodness of God and of the power of God O how much distrust is to be found in Gods own people And because there is so much distrust it is evident that there is little remembrance of God Nay further it appears that Gods own people are guilty of this sin of Forgetting God Because there is so much coldness and deadness in our hearts to God O how much deadness in heart and affection in the things of God What little Love What poor weak Breathings after God What little delight in the Lord Whence comes all this coldness of heart this forsaking of our first love It comes from this root because we do not Remember God we do not remember that he is altogether lovely and desireable we do not remember that his wayes are beautiful there is much deadness and coldness even in God's own people and therefore there is little remembrance of God Nay further It appears that God's own people are guilty of this sin because there is so little done for God by them and so much done against God so many failings so many breaches of Covenant so much scantness so many haltings and swervings in our walkings with God Whence is all this but because we do not remember God we do not remember what a God he is we do not remember the Rule that he hath given us to walk by we do not remember that he will be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth little is done for God and that discovers that God is little remembred Nay further How many vain thoughts lodge in the hearts of God's own people O! How do the current of their thoughts run out to vanity How many crooked thoughts How many fruitless unprofitable sinful thoughts How few of the precious thoughts of the heart are spent upon God And whence is this But because God is not remembred Nay further How little is God pursued after How little do we prize Communion with God How little delight in the presence of God How little do we seek after the Image of God and conformity to Christ Whence is all this but because we do not remember that the enjoying of God is the souls happiness and that the enjoying of Christ is the souls perfection so that by all this it appears that there is little remembrance of God even among God's own people And O what cause have we to take up a sad complaint against our selves and every one to smite upon his own breast that we should be so negligent of this Duty of remembring God O what hath God done for many of his people How many how dear how precious are the thoughts of God to his people Psal 40. 5. Many O Lord my God are thy wonderful works which thou hast done and thy thoughts which are to us-ward they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee If I would declare and speak of them they are more then can be numbred Now that God should spend his precious thoughts upon us and we spend so few of our choice thoughts upon God O what an ill requital is this O what hath God done that he might remember us He hath graven the names of his people upon the palms of his hands Isa 49. 16. Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands For a man to be so careful to remember his friend as to cut his name upon his own flesh that is love indeed why God hath graven the names of his people upon the palms of his hands that so he might remember them Yea he hath taken upon him the relation of a Father and hath the bowels of a Mother Can a woman forget her sucking childe that she should not have compassion on the son of her wombe Yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee Now Brethren and Christian friends the consideration of God's remembring us should make us to be ashamed that we should think no more of him But you will say to me what is there in God that we should remember him The Spouse in her description of Christ saith of him that he is altogether lovely so I may say of God he is altogether worthy to be remembred in his Nature in his Essence in his glorious Eternal Being He is worthy to be remembred in all his Attributes his Wisdome his Power his Goodness and Loving Kindness his Faithfulness and his Truth his Omnisciency and Omnipresence He is worthy to be remembred in all his Works for God he hath done them for that end that he might be remembred both the works of Creation and works of Providence He is worthy to be remembred in his Word every word of the Lord is precious as gold that is purified seven times He is worthy to be remembred especially in his Son and O that we might spend more of the thoughts of our heart upon God as he hath revealed himself in his Son His Name is Glorious and worthy to be remembred Jehovah our Righteousness He is worthy to be remembred in his Love and Free grace in his Promises in his everlasting Covenant made with poor creatures in Christ we need not ask what is in God that we should remember him look where you will and there is not any thing in God but is worthy of remembrance and therefore O that the Lord would stir us up to this duty to remember the Lord to spend the precious thoughts of our hearts more upon him David is a pattern to all
duty what-ever thoughts should be suggested into thy minde but know for thy comfort that those sinful thoughts and blasphemous thoughts which are cast in by Sathan they shall not be laid to thy charge if thy soul abhor them it is true if the heart did close with them and nourish them then they become the souls but when the soul abhors them and casts them out and cries to Christ against them it is not the souls sin therefore do not neglect thy duty because of these vain thoughts but set thy face to seek the Lord and remember and know that the Lord will make good his word he will meet thee and when God meets thee all these sinful and cursed thoughts shall be cast out And thus you have heard Brethren what encouragement there is to remember God But you will say It is a great Duty and much depends upon it how shall I be helped to remember God aright First Be often looking upon the Book of the Creature upon the works of Creation and look upon them for this very end that thou mayest Remember God for there is a Remembrance of God upon all creatures and if we be wise we may make a spiritual improvement and be led to the Remembrance of God by looking into the Book of the Creature Secondly Look into the Scripture and consult with that for there hath God declared his Name his glorious Name is written in his Word there are Letters that God hath written with his owne hand God hath subscribed I Jesus testifie these things There is the hand of God and of Christ in the Book of the Scripture and therefore if thou wouldest Remember God converse with the Word of God Thirdly Wait upon God in every Ordinance for all Ordinances are given for this end to Remember God the Word the Supper every Ordinance of God is given that so the soul might see God and Remember him and therefore when thou waitest upon God in any Ordinance let this be the end that thou propoundest to thy soul to Remember God Fourthly Lay up all the Love-tokens of God What-ever Experience thou hast met with from God in making supply to thy wants comforting of thee supporting of thee these are tokens that come from God and the mercy that he sheweth thee it is for this end that thou mayest Remember him and therefore lay up all the experiences that thou hast met withal for they will help thee to Remember God Fiftly Labour to get your hearts established and assured in the Knowledge of Gods love to thee that thou mayest come to the knowledge of this that God is thy Friend thy Father thy nearest and dearest relation for the â—ore the soul knows this the more it will Remember God It is not possible that a childe should forget a loving Father that a Wife should forget a loving and tender Husband O when a soul comes to know this that God is my Father my Husband this will help the soul to a sweet Remembrance of God Sixtly Look up to the Lord to increase thy love to him for the more love to God the more thou wilt Remember God but where there is little love to God there is little Remembrance of God and the reason that men Remember God no more is because there is so little love in their hearts towards God If a man loved his friend he would Remember him and not forget him O therefore be ashamed that no more love should be sparkling in thy heart to God when so much love is flaming in the heart of Christ towards thee And therefore Brethren beg it of the Lord that he would shed abroad more of his love in your hearts and blow up thy spark to a flame that thy soul may be fill'd with a constant Remembrance of him Seventhly Ure thy soul to holy meditation and thinking upon God last at night and first in the morning it will be a great help to keep up a constant Remembrance of God in the soul O let thy waking thoughts be toward the Lord Think of his Works of his Attributes of his Son there is enough for men to spend millions of thoughts upon and therefore let some be spent upon God assoon as man wakes in the morning there are a multitude of thoughts strive who shal get in first there stands God and Christ and the World and they which get in first have a great advantage to keep in the soul all the day long if the world gets in first the heart is made worldly but when God and Christ is let in first the heart is kept in a gracious frame all the day long and the more that your meditations are spent upon God the more Remembrance will you have of God And now Brethren you have seen your duty and your neglect of duty for which you have cause to be humbled and we have seen what cause we have to Remember God and what a great benefit comes in by Remembring God and we have seen what may be helpful to our souls in this duty Now let us look to the Spirit of the Lord to make them helps for we have need of all helps till we shall come where the soul shall Remember God perpetually and never forget him Heb. 6. 19. Which hope we have as an Anchor of the soul both sure and stedfast and which entereth into that within the Vail THe Apostle in the eighteenth verse speaking of the hope that is set before Believers and of their fleeing for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before them He takes occasion to speak of that hope that is begotten and raised in the hearts of all Believers by the hope of Christ In verse 18. He speaks of the Object of Hope Christ he is the hope set before believers but in this 19th verse he speaks of the grace of hope which hope we have as an Anchor to the soul both sure and stedfast this is spoken of the grace of Hope which is the sister of Faith And this Hope it differs from Faith thus Faith looks unto God and Christ in the Promises it looks unto the word of the Lord that is given for its security and it is the work of Faith to close with the Word and to hold fast the word of promise which the Lord Jesus doth hand out to poor souls But Hope that looks to the good things promised and it waits â—or the good things that are laid up in the promises Hope eyes them and waits for the full possession and fruition of that which is laid up in the promise and when the soul shall enjoy all those good things laid up in the promises then Hope shall cease Now that we may understand the nature of saving Hope and the use of it he sets it forth to us by a Metaphor of an Anchor which hope we have as an Anchor to the soul both sure and stedfast Hope it is of that use to the soul that an Anchor is to a Ship
to be kept and therefore acknowledge it to the praise of God it doth appear and the Lord doth make it evident that the sea is before the Throne If the sea were not before the Throne of God God's people should be swallowed up every moment the rage of men and of devils would swallow them up but the sea is before the Throne before the eye of God and therefore wonder that you are safe in this raging sea Fourthly It calls upon you that are the Lord's people to watch and pray for you are at sea he that will not pray in a storm he will never pray the worst of men will pray hard in a storm The heathen Mariners Jonah 1. 5. Then the Mariners were afraid and cryed every man unto his god therefore there is a Proverb That men go to Sea to learn to pray Truly the Lord sends his people to sea for this end that he might learn you to pray and cry mightily to him the Saints shall not need to pray when they come in heaven there all their desires shall be satisfied and they shall want nothing and therefore no need to pray But the Lord he sends you into the sea of this world that he might learn you to pray and he raises many storms for this end that so you might cry mightily to the Lord The Disciples when in a storm they cryed Lord save us we perish Brethren you are at sea in the midst of storms and therefore you had need watch and pray and cry mightily that you may be delivered from temptations and saved in the midst of your fears and be delivered from the Rocks and the Sands and from Pyrats enemies many dangers you are in therefore remember what Christ saith unto his Disciples Watch and pray that you enter not into temptation Fiftly Engage the presence of Christ with you If Christ be in the ship all is safe you had need engage the presence of Christ with you every moment for it is a dangerous sea you are in and if Christ be not with you you will be split upon some sand or other and therefore O beg the presence of Christ do not set forward in any duty without the presence of Christ Do not sayl one League without the presence of Christ but urge it before the Lord that you are upon a troublesome sea where there are so many dangers and desire of God that the presence of Christ may be with you for if Christ be with you all will be safe Sixtly You that are the Lord's people do you open the sayls of your souls to the breathings of the Spirit of Christ If you would make a Voyage to heaven know that you can do nothing till the Spirit of Christ breaths in you indeed you may turn the sayls of your souls that way and be waiting for the Spirit of Christ but till the Spirit breathe in you you cannot sayl one League but O what a comfortable Voyage shall you make when the Spirit of Christ shall fill your hearts with holy motions and carry you God-ward and heaven-ward therefore wait for those breathings of the Spirit as the Spouse in Cant. 4. 16. Awake O North wind and come thou South blow upon my Garden that the Spices thereof may flow out And so do you beg of God that the Spirit of Christ may breathe upon you and fill the sayls of your souls that you may be carried heaven-ward Open your souls to the breathings of the Spirit of Christ and that is the way to make a comfortable Voyage Seventhly You that are the Lord's people if you be Christs ship at Sea look for good Loading be not content to go home empty Christians should labour to be filled with the Spirit to be loaden with the fruits of Righteousness this the Lord calls for truly it is a dangerous Voyage that you make and therefore you had need be loaden with rich Commodities you had need seek after much of that durable riches that abides for ever the Lord does not love that the ship should come home empty O that you that fear the Lord would remember that you have but once to pass over the sea of this world and then there is an end for ever and therefore do not return empty but O go and beg of the Lord that he would fill you with the fruits of righteousness that you may go home loaden with Faith and Righteousness so shall you be an honour to God and there will be much joy in heaven when you come home Eightly It is a word of much comfort to those that fear the Lord and have an Interest in Christ know though you be at sea and meet with many storms yet you need not fear you have an Anchor that will hold it being cast upon a sure ground your Anchor it is entred it is fastned upon the Father's free grace and the Son 's everlasting Righteousness which is sure and stedfast and if so do not fear though storms arise it shall go well with you for Christ is the owner of the ship and he will go Master in the ship and so long as the presence of Christ is with you you may be comforted what-ever you meet with If Christ be in the ship he will rebuke the wind and the waves yea he will tread upon the proud boisterous waves that his people meet with yea and he will make his people also to tread upon them too and therefore fear not for Christ is the Master of the ship he is with you the Loading also is Christ's and as I said before you need not fear splitting and losing your Loading for then Christ should lose more then you If thy soul should be lost at Sea then Christ should lose his honour and his honour is more to him then thy soul to thee and therefore let all Gods people be comforted in the midst of all storms and tryals persecutions afflictions and sufferings though this world be a Sea and an evil sea a troublesome sea yet be comforted for though the ship of the body may be split and all your outward Loading may be lost yet so long as Christ is the Owner of the ship so long as Christ is in the ship so long as the Anchor of the ship is cast in heaven there is not one passenger shall be lost for though the outward man be lost yet the soul shall be saved in the day of Christ I now come to consider what is the Use and the Excellency of this Grace of Hope It is an Anchor sure and stedfast though it is not alwayes sure to sense not alwayes sure in apprehension The hope of the Saints may have its shakings and it may seem sometimes to be cut off in their apprehensions but it is sure and stedfast in respect of the ground of it in respect of that sure hold it hath upon God and Christ it hath sure hold upon that which is within the Vail And it
together and they languish together when faith is sick hope is infirm and when faith is lively hope is active yea they will expire together when a believing soul shall come into the bosome of Christ no need of faith and hope Faith that looks to the truth of the promise and hope looks to the good of the promise that is the difference between faith and hope Faith closes with the Promise because it is true and Hope that cleaves to it and expects the fulfilling of it because it is a sutable good which God hath promised so that by the opening of this description of hope you may in part see what that hope is which will be as an Anchor to a man's soul That 's the first particular But secondly I shall make it out unto you that this hope is the Anchor of the soul and I shall shew you that it is of the same use to the soul that the Anchor is to the ship First of all The Anchor is useful in time of storms the Anchor doth keep the ship from being driven up and down with various winds if it were not for the Anchor the ship would somtimes be carried back again after it hath gone a great way in its Voyage of the same use is Hope to a believing soul it is exceeding useful in time of temptation when contrary winds blow even such winds as would drive the soul back again if it were not for the Anchor of Hope It is said of Christ That for the joy that was set before him he endured the Cross despised the shame and that we bear up against the strong winds of temptation and against all the discouragements that we meet with it is by this Anchor of Hope if it were not for the hope of joy and glory in heaven it were not possible that a soul should bear up against so many winds of temptation Secondly The Anchor keeps the ship from tossing When the waves roar the Anchor is then exceeding useful it keeps the ship from being removed for though it may be moved yet not removed because the Anchor is sure though the waves rise never so high and be never so boisterous yet if they cast Anchor the Mariners lay them down to sleep they are secure because they have cast Anchor And of that use is this Grace of hope to a believing soul the waves many times rise high afflictions persecutions David complains of it Psal 38. 12. They also that seek after my life lay snares for me and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things and imagine deceit all the day long Verse 13. But I as a deaf man heard not and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth Verse 15. For in thee O Lord do I hope Thou wilt hear O Lord my God I was not moved by this saith he I cast anchor in thee O Lord In thee O Lord do I hope thou wilt hear me O Lord my God He cast Anchor in God and then he lies down and rests And so in Psal 42. There were many waves that did rise very high in his own spirit and what doth he do Why he casts anchor in God as in verse 11. Why art thou cast down O my soul And why art thou disquieted within me Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God Hope still in God cast thy Anchor there and then rest for I shall yet see the time to praise him I shall overcome all storms and shall live to see a câ—lm and therefore O my soul cast anchor in God hope thou in God Thirdly The Anchor keeps the ship from splitting many times upon the sands and rocks when they are very neer danger almost running upon a rock the casting out of an Anchor somtimes doth deliver them Hope is of the same use to a believing soul it keeps the poor soul from splitting upon many discouraging rocks that are in the way to heaven Psal 27. 13. I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the Land of the living If it had not been for the Anchor of hope I had split I had fainted and my soul had been split but I believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living the anchor of hope it is that which keeps the soul from splitting upon the rocks Fourthly The anchor keeps the ship close to the place where the Anchor is cast that it shall not be removed far from that place so the grace of hope in this respect is also useful it keeps the heart close to God and Christ that is the benefit of this anchor of hope the men of the world that have not hope in Christ they live at a great distance from God and Christ they dwell at a great distance from heaven they are far from God God is not in all their thoughts because they have not this Anchor of hope if the anchor of their hope were cast in heaven it were not possible that their souls should be at a distance from God the more there is hope the more nigher God it is want of this lively hope that men are so far from God That 's the fourth Fiftly The Anchor is made sure by a Cable that is fastned to it and so the hope of a believing soul will do no good without a Cable now this Cable it is the word of Promise it is the sure word of the Lord that keeps the soul fast If a Ship have a hundred anchors at Sea if they be not fastned to a Cable they will do no good and truly so is hope if it hath not a Cable if men pretend to have hope and that hope not fastned upon the word of the Lord so fast as it is cast it will be lost But the hope of a believing soul is fastned upon the word of the Lord the promise of the Lord and therefore it will hold Sixtly The Sea-man casts his Anchor at a venture he doth not know whether his anchor will reach the bottome or no he doth not know whether his Cable be long enough or whether his anchor will take hold or no and he doth not know whether his anchor will hold when it hath taken hold yet notwithstanding all he makes a venture when he hath need to cast his anchor and so it is with a believing soul when a soul comes first to God he makes a desperate venture he sees his faith is weak and his hope weak and he doth not know whether it will take hold of the rock or no will not my expectation fail All this is objected but the believing soul makes a venture faith is given and it makes a venture he sees that there lies a necessity upon it if I do not cast anchor I perish the winds blow hard and I see a rock before me a gulf and if I do not cast anchor I perish and if I cast anchor it may
be my anchor will hold I have an invitation to it Who is among you that walketh in darkness and sees no light let him trust in the Lord and stay upon his God Isa 50. 10. though it be in a storm at midnight let him cast anchor upon me saith God let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon his God this the poor soul hears and being encouraged by the Word of the Lord it cast anchor and makes a desperate venture That 's the sixt Seventhly The anchor is useful not only in a storm but the anchor is useful in a calm when the ship at Sea is be calmed and cannot sayl they cast anchor and so this anchor of hope it is needful in a calm for if it were not for this anchor of hope a believing soul could not have any settlement in a calm though a man hath never so much for the present if he hath not hopes that his goods shall be increased his heart will be disquieted and so hope is useful in the greatest calm to hope that the present good that they have shall not be lost that that measure of grace and spirit that the Lord hath given them shall be carried on from one degree to another till he hath perfected it if it were not for this the heart could not have any peace in the greatest of his enjoyments And thus you have seen the second particular First I have shewn you what saving hope is Secondly That this saving hope is the Anchor of the soul The third and last particular is To shew you that this anchor of a believing soul is sure and stedfast And it will appear in these few particulars First It is made of good mettle it is that which will not bow nor break it is not as the hope of an hypocrite the hope of an hypocrite is compared to a spiders web that breaks presently the spiders web it is a poor thing to hold a ship fast in a storm but this saving Hope that the Spirit of Christ doth work in the heart of believers it is made of good mettle it was not digged out of their own bowels but fetcht from Christ it is Christ that is the store-house of all grace it is made of gold of tryed gold Their faith is more precious then gold saith the Apostle and so their hope is more precious then gold and more firm and solid then gold the matter of it is sure and stedfast Secondly It is well wrought and therefore it must needs be sure and stedfast for it is an anchor of Christ's own working The God of hope sill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope through the power of the holy Ghost Rom. 15. 13. and saith the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead The hope of the Saints it is a grace that is of God's own begetting it is an anchor of Christ's own making and that which comes out of the hand of Christ must needs be sure and stedfast Thirdly It is sure and stedfast for the Cable that holds it is sure and stedfast and that is the Word of the Lord now the Word of the Lord which is the Cable that a believers hope is fastned unto it is twisted of many precious promises all being twisted together must needs be strong the least of them is stronger then heaven and earth Heaven and earth shall pass but not one jot or tittle of the word of the Lord shall fail till all be fulfilled The promises they are the cable which a believing souls anchor is fastned unto and therefore it is sure and stedfast Fourthly It is cast upon a sure ground What is the ground that a believers hope is cast upon I answer First It is fastned upon Jesus Christ first upon Christ crucified upon the death of Christ upon the sufferings of Christ by which Christ hath made satisfaction for sin and brought in everlasting righteousness to cover the nakedness of poor creatures their love is fastned upon the wounds of Christ the sufferings of Christ That 's the first ground for a believers hope to fasten upon Secondly The Anchor of a believers hope it fastens upon the Resurrection of Christ 1 Pet. 1. 3. Blessed be God that hath begotten us again to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ that is a main ground for hope to fasten upon the resurrection of Jesus Christ the poor soul looks to Christ Christ dead and risen and in that Christ rose from the grave he hath given full satisfaction to his Father he hath paid the debt and is a common person for his people that come to him by faith so that the resurrection of Christ doth strengthen the faith of the soul exceedingly it gives the soul assurance that it shall be accepted with God the Father because Christ is risen again Thirdly It fastens also upon the Intercession of Jesus Christ He is able to save to the utmost all that come to God by him for he ever liveth to make Intercession for them Now this gives great encouragement to a poor soul that is made sensible of his own lost condition of being far off from God it would fain draw nigh and know not which way to come when this is discovered that Christ sits in heaven to plead for poor souls and to make Intercession for all that come to God by him this causes the soul to give a venture to fasten upon Christ Secondly As the soul fastens upon Christ so also it fastens upon God the Father by Christ it goes to the Fathers and takes hold of him First It fastens upon the free Grace of the Father that infinite everlasting love which did finde out the way of Redemption for poor creatures that love which gave Christ at first and which gives poor creatures to Christ and which tenders Christ in the everlasting Gospel there the anchor of hope takes hold Secondly Hope takes hold of the strength of God He is a God mighty in strength he can overcome all difficulties all enemies that are betwixt him and my soul he can overcome all my unworthiness all my provocations yea he can overcome himself his own wrath and displeasure that which no creature can do this being presented to a poor soul that is in a sad doubting condition this helps through grace to draw the soul to Christ and to fasten it upon God Thirdly It fastens also upon the unchangeableness of God and this gives a sure hold to the anchor of hope He is not as man that he should lye Who is it that hath spoken Who is it that tenders Christ to poor creatures It is not the word of him that is the true and faithful witness Is it not the strength of Israel that cannot lye nor
as the sons of men that he should repent Now when the Lord doth thus present his Son and Himself to a poor soul Christ in his death his resurrection ascention his intercession and his own free grace and love his strength his faithfulness this becomes a sure ground for hope to fasten upon and so you have seen the third thing handled A word of Application and I have done First of all It lets us see the sad condition of all men that are without Hope you will say they are in a sad condition that are at sea without an anchor and truly this is the condition of many men they are in a sad condition for they are without hope and O that men would now lay it to heart to see what a sad condition they are in without this anchor of saving Hope you that are without hope it is not possible you should stand in a storm however you may be quiet in a calm it is not possible that you should bear up in time of storm and therefore though men may seem to look towards God and seem to make a progress in God's wayes if there be not an anchor of Hope they will be driven back again cross winds will arise at sea and if you have not this anchor of hope in Christ and in the Father's free grace they will be driven back again without hope it is not possible you should be neer unto God and keep nigh unto God and what a miserable condition is it to be without God in the world Truly so long as you are without true saving hope you are without God in the world so long as 〈◊〉 are without hope they are in a heartless and listless condition where there is no hope there is no endeavour What is the reason that men are so slothful in looking after God It is because that their hearts are not established by hope in Christ and in the Fathers free grace where there is no hope there can be no right endeavour if hope fail all endeavours fail Nay further while men are without hope they must needs be in a sinful polluted condition for it is hope that purgeth the soul and purifieth the heart Having this hope let us cleanse our selves and he that hath this hope he is pure even as he is pure he looks after purity as God is pure that men go on to defile themselves and to work all manner of iniquity it is because that they have no true hope toward God Truly this doth discover that many men have no hope in God because they live at such a distance from God and are not kept close to God nay they are contented to live at a distance from God and will not endeavour seeking after Christ Wherefore I beseech you think upon it what a sad condition it is to be at Sea without an anchor your hearts would melt within you to see a ship driven with storms upon the rocks and no anchor to cast out yet this is the condition of many thousands in the world they are at sea and ready to split upon the rocks and no anchor of hope O that the Lord would make many a heart sensible of it Secondly As it is sad to be without hope so it is more sad to have a deceitful hope for the disappointment of hope is the greatest torment that can befal a poor creature better never to have hope then to have hope frustrated to be disappointed the disappointment of hope proves shame and confusion of face to men Job 6. 20. they were confounded because they had hoped they came thither and were ashamed they were deceived of their expectation and were confounded Better never to have hope then to be disappointed of your hope and in Job 11. 20. the hope of a wicked man shall be as the giving up of the Ghost it shall be gone in a moment as a man in one moment he breaths forth his spirit and gives up the ghost so the hope of a wicked man soon perisheth Now look to your hope that you may not have such hope as will be like the giving up of the ghost examine your hope see whether it be such hope as the Apostle speaketh of that will be as an anchor to the soul both sure and stedfast whence did your hope arise I pray examine that whether it was from your selves or from Christ if your hope be from any thing in your selves it is hope that will not hold it is not sure and stedfast examine what was the efficient cause of your hope how was this hope begotten in you Did you see that it was out of the hand of Christ and that it was begotten in you by the mighty power of God Did the Lord cause you to see that it was not possible that you should create hope in your selves til Christ come beget hope in you Know certainly if it were not a hope of Christ's begetting it is an anchor that will not hold Again examine what it was that fastned your hope Was it the word of the Lord that made you to hope the sure word of promise Was it the word of man or the word of the Lord if it were any thing but the word of the Lord that made you to hope your hope will not hold Examine also upon what ground your hope is cast Is it cast upon the arm of flesh or upon the arm of the Lord what-ever hope is cast upon the arm of flesh will not hold Examine also whether your hope be cast upon the free grace of God or upon the things of the world your prosperity in the world there are thousands in the world that cast the anchor of their hope upon the mammon of this world because God hath prospered them in the world and given them abundance of these outward good things therefore they hope that God loveth them and will give them another world but if your anchor of hope be cast upon your gold or your great estate and not-upon the free grace of God it will deceive you Upon whatsoever it be cast beside God and Christ it will not hold if it be cast upon your duties your desires and good meanings and endeavours your prayers and tears your charity if the anchor of your hope be cast upon these it will not hold yea if it be cast upon your graces your hope will not hold for whatsoever is made the ground of hope beside Christ is the arm of flesh even grace and the actings of grace in the soul they become flesh if made the ground of our hope Now I beseech you look to your hope for certainly the hope of most men is not of the right stamp what-ever they pretend How do many deceive themselves God is not in all their thoughts nor in any of their wayes and yet have hope toward God You say you have hope in God and yet your hope doth not purifie your hearts but as wicked as ever walking in the wayes
of your own heart and satisfying your own lusts what-ever these men pretend they have not hope of the right stamp their hope is but as the spiders web or as the giving up of the ghost Thirdly Let me exhort you all to look after this saving lively hope for it is that which will keep your hearts from breaking in the evil time at one time or other the heart will break if men have not this saving hope therefore seek after this saving hope for it will keep you up in the midst of storms in the midst of evils and establish you in the midst of good it will do you good in a storm and it will be useful to you in a calm you can never take comfort in the good things you enjoy and your hearts cannot be established in peace if not grounded in hope therefore look after this lively hope this anchor of the soul yea soul wouldst thou dwell with God and live neer God and live upon him continually O then cast the anchor of your hope in God true hope will hold your souls close to him that you shall not depart from him Yea would you have your hearts made more holy purified and sanctified and get victory over your corruptions O then seek after this saving hope for that man that hath his hope cast on God and Christ that man is most free from corruption and most active for God true hope it will make you able to suffer it will make you able to rejoyce in tribulation why now dost thou desire all this why then seek after this lively hope But it may be you will say unto me how shall we obtain this hope I see it is exceeding useful and of absolute necessity how shall we come by it where shall we have this anchor to stay our souls For answer First Look to the free grace of God in Christ for it 't is he that doth beget this grace of hope in his people look to those tenders that free grace makes God holds forth his self and Son and pardon and life to poor creatures Free grace makes a render of all this unto you and therefore look to this free grace that so you may have that hope which shall not be confounded and ashamed Secondly Look to Christ for it especially look to the resurrection of Christ that place 1 Pet. 1. 3. Blessed be God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead Christ is risen from the dead he hath paid the debt and brought in everlasting righteousness and therefore look to the resurrection of Christ for by eying that this lively hope may be begotten in you Thirdly Look to the promise to the word of the Lord the word of the Lord is written that you might have hope Rom. 15. 4. For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope The Scripture is written that we might believe and in believing might have eternal life and therefore consult with the word of the Lord. You that desire to have hope strengthned look to the word and promises and behold the freeness of them and the unchangeableness of God in them O study the Scripture much and beg that the Spirit of the Lord may shine in them and give you a sight in them and so this hope may be begotten in you Fourthly Look to those patterns and examples of free grace that the Lord set forth for you to look upon the Apostle Paul 1 Tim. 1. 16. saith He was a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting That the Lord should reconcile such an enemy and set his love upon him that was injurious to the Saints one that thought he had sinned so much as that he had out-sinned mercy yet saith he I obtained grace that might be a pattern of mercy and therefore look to those patterns of grace and mercy that the Lord hath set forth before you that so you may be encouraged to come and hope in his mercy And to conclude all do not go on desperately any longer and do not say as they said Jer. 2. 25. But thou saidst there is no hope No for I have loved strangers and after them will I go They resolved to go on in the imaginations of their own heart they said there was no hope and they would do evil as they had done O let not this be the resolution of any poor soul for though you have no hope for the present you are invited to come to Christ that you may have hope The word of the Lord is come to you that you might have hope and those patterns of free grace are set before you that you might have hope O that the Lord would make you more intent in your spirits in looking after this anchor of hope What will you do another day when storms arise and to have no anchor It will be a most sad condition for a poor soul to see it self ready to split and to have no hope no anchor to stay upon O! who would venture to Sea without an anchor If you have no anchor when storms arise you will be at your wits end O that God betimes before it be too late would make you as wise for your souls as you would be for your bodies FINIS Artis est â—â—lare artem Chrysostomus illud quasi peculiare custodit ac proprium quod cum semper sollicitus sit semper vigilans noxii stuporis inimicus nusquam tamen ejus oratio in pompam elevatur dicentis sed tota aptatur ad utilitatem audientis est enim stilus ipse Ecclesiae auribus accomodandus Sixt. Senens Biblio lib. 4. de Jo. Chrysost Vers 21. Two great Wonders wrought by Christ 1. Wonder 2. Wonder The wonder of this womans faith appears first The declaration of thâ— womanâ— faith The Argugument this woman useth to move Christ How Christ tryed the womans faith The behaviour of this woman of Canaan under her tryals The victory of this womans faith 21. Verse spoken to three things to be considered Proposition or Doctrine Application Two sorts of people that exalt their rule above Christs Rule Second sort of people that exalt their rule above Christs Rule Object Answ Third thing laid down which is the place Christ came unto Observation The love of Christ to the souls of men Application Observation that God hath some in every place Observation Application Incouragement to seek Christ Who this woman was that come to Christ Doctrine Weak in estate many times chosen Weak in parts many times chosen Weak in age many times chosen Weak in respect of sex many times chosen Application A declaration of this womans faith Why this woman cals Christ the son of David How David was a type of Christ and how Christ like