an inuersion of what hee had said as making rather for them against her Doctr. But first we haue the woman iustifying Christ the Lord in his sharpest answer to her which practice of hers teacheth vs the like and that is to confesse Gods iustice and truth in his roundest dealings with vs. So Dauid cleared the Lord in point of his iustice even when hee suffered vnder his sinne vnto the brimme of hell Nathan the Prophet had denounced the angry sentence of the Lords iustice against him for adultery and bloud hee had told him from God that euill should bee raised against him out of his owne house that the sword should lye vpon it that his wiues should be defiled and the childe of adultery should dye 2. Sam. 12.10.11 14. yet Dauid reasoneth not against Gods true and righteous iudgement in all this but iudgeth truly that God was true holy and righteous and that his sinne had deserued all that was then decreed against him Psal 51.4 his words are Against thee and with the double in token of earnestnesse thee haue I sinned therefore be thou iustified when thou speakest and cleare when thou iudgest It was a good signe of Elies saluation that he submitted to the Lord in that heauie iudgement that was pronounced against his house for he said It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good 1. Sam. 3.18 Good king Hezekiah subscribed accordingly and said The word of the Lord is good 2. King 20.19 as if hee had said to the mâ—â—â—enger There is no fault in thy message all is in my sinne When Shimei railed on Dauid calling him murderer and a man of bloud he saw the the Lord to bee iust in that wicked mouth and therefore saith to Abishai and to the other Suffer him to curse for the Lord hath bidden him 2. Sam. 16.11 as if he should haue said This is little enough and I haue deserued more After Dauid Daniel cleareth Gods seueritie in the heauiest plague that euer was brought vpon a nation Dan. 9.13 14. And Ieremy did the like in his booke of Lamentations for saying that Ierusalem was then as greatly despised as euer greatly honoured before hee saith that it was because shee had greatly sinned Lament 1.8 All these did confesse a righteous Father to the iudgements that were then in the world making sinne the proper efficient of them all The reasons Reasons They know that God could not but bee iust in word and deed as was said Psal 51.4 and therefore in both iustifiable For what can hee say or doe amisse that can neither say nor do otherwayes then well Secondly God is not onely true but the truth nor onely iust but iustice it selfe Ioh. 14.6 1. Cor. 1 30. Now truth can neuer bee a lie nor iustice vnrighteousnesse Thirdly Gods children must be contrary to the deuils children and doe contrarily The deuils children condemne the Lord 2. King 6.33 Gods children therefore must cleare him they iustifie themselues Ezek. 18.25.29 these must instifie him A good natur'd childe will rather take fault to himselfe then charge his father and what children are they that charge God with fault who cannot offend Rom. 3.5 An admonition to Christians to see their owne deseruings Vse 1. and faultinesse in all that is vpon them from God and to pray for such eyes for then they will not charge him with wrong who can doe nothing but what is equall and iust Ezek. 18.4.2 Chron. 19.7 The more we behold our selues in this glasse the more patient we will bee in the hardest things that come So was Iob who therefore answered the Lord and said Behold I am vile and what shall I answer thee I will lay my hand vpon my mouth Iob 40 3. Till God had opened his eyes by shewing vnto him his sinne and by making it apparent as the light at noon-day now impossible it was for a God so innocent to punish without cause he stood stiffely vpon his iustification and thought hee could set downe God with his arguments Iob 23.3.4.5 here his eyes were held and scales of self-sufficiency were vpon them but when his sight was clearer he said as we heard When Ieremy saw as he should he said O Lord if I dispute with thee thou art righteous Iere. 12.1 he knew he should bee at a non-plus if he went on and therefore yeelded without any more ado So if we would rightly consider our wayes and our selues in sinne instead of reasoning with God about our troubles wee would confesse his iust hand vpon vs and say to our selues as the euill doer to his fellow we are iustly here Luk. 23.41 but we measure the punishment and weigh not the sinnes that haue caused it and therefore that God strikes too hard for small matters Hence some complaine of too much strictnesse in God when for tasting of a little fruite hee would cast all mankinde into miserie But these neuer yet considered rightly the merit of that sinne and maiesty of the person against whom it was committed The wages of euery sin is death eternall Rom. 6 23. and Gods maiestie makes euery sinne great though small in our eyes And here though the matter in which the sinne was done were small yet was it no small sinne to bee ambitious of Gods place to beleeue the deuill before God to be so vnthankfull for so large a liberty in all the other trees not to be contented with ones estate to breake a knowne and easie Commandement and to cast away the whole world of mankinde in one sinne Againe some thinke it too great scueritie in God to drowne a whole world of men in one Floud so as none were saued but eight persons But they that thus put finger in the eye repining at Gods iust doings besides the blasphemie of such a wicked taxation of the righteous God they neither know his greatnesse nor how great a sinne it is to offend it A reproofe of their impatiencie Vse 2 who murmure against God for euery little crosse hee sends them in their children in their cattell or corne-fields For thus to murmure is to say plainly that they deserue no such vniust strokes of his hand But if God should take away all as he did from Iob we should take the losse as Iob did blessing his name Iob 1.21 Nay if he should raze vs out of his booke of life wee should bee dumbe and say nothing because hee hath done it Psalm 39.2 how much more should we hold in when he doth but softly touch vs and not send his iron into our soules Some yeeld to the Lord with a forced submission saying What remedie as if hee carried all by the elder hand and plagued them because they could not resist him Where yet it is their own wickednesse that hath corrected them Ier. 2.19 onely the Lord then vsed his great power to make good his iustice vpon them for wilfull transgression For iust is the Lord and nothing shall faile of all
that need a rowsing vp The Prophet Dauid in his one and fiftie penitentiall Psalme did often change words it was not to shew his eloquence but to testifie as his great fault so his great faith which he shewed by tossing this way and that or as a sicke man in bed from one side to another Psal 51.1.2.7.9.10 11 12. so Gods children in distresse as they haue faith to beleeue so they change phrase in their complainings otherwaies with Baals Priests though wee put neuer so much wood about the Altar of our prayers no fire from heauen falling vpon them wee may crie loud enough and long enough and haue no answere more then they had 1 King 18.23.26.29 But if we haue faith we will pray with Elijahs Spirit and not coldly by putting wood where no fire will take v. 36 38. For the Spirit if we haue it will by our faith put fire vnto our words make them to smoke into heauen and this is to pray as Elijah did whose sacrifice God kindled from aboue Hence appeareth that they want faith who onely out of custom salute God in their formall prayers where they poure out great Hypocrisie but no prayer in Spirit truth and thus they giue God the time of the day in some cold good morrow who bid him be gone all day after and at night when they should make him the keeper of the house they doe not once speake vnto him in prayer to be neare by driuing away all euils that may hurt in case of his absence from their help and protection Somuch for the manner the matter of the Woman petition followeth out of Matt. 15.22 in the combat it self or the issue v. 28. Saying haue mercie on Mee ô Lord thou Sonne of Dauid THIS is the matter of this Womans petition and now the Combat beginnes betweene Christ and her at the weapon of her Faith In this fight she makes diuers requests and receiues sundrie repulses the repulses were three and in those three she warded off three very sore venies offered against her Faith the shield of proofe against them The requests were either her owne v. 22.25.27 or of the disciples for her v. 23. The first of the requests which was her owne is in the words now read Wherein wee haue the grace she begged and the persons the one for whom and the other from whom The grace she begged was the grace of mercie desiring Christ in mercie to pitie her that could deserue nothing And so she beginnes well and at the right end waighing anchore in a safe road Papists cast it on the sand of their deseruings but she sends all away saue Gods goodnes to his humble hand-maid In all Canaan there was not such an other and how many in Israel yet the whole of her request was mercie and that Christ would shew his mercy to a miserable sinner Doct. from hence the doctrine is that whatsoeuer wee haue or can ask of God is out of mercie So Iacob praying to God to be deliuered from the hand of Esau his bloodie brother prayeth out of his mercie for such a deliuerance confessing in true humilitie that hee deserued no such thing Gen. 32.10 Also the thousands of the Louers of God he is said to respect by shewing his mercie to them and no otherwayes Exod 20 6. Dauid further craueth of God that hee would wash his sin that which he was so sick of in many mercies as it were waters His sinne was great and he knew it and therefore speaks of a thorow washing for it Psal 51.2 Ieremie saith it is the Lords mercie that we are not consumed in our sins Lam. 3.22 still then the finger is vpon mercie Zacharie likewise speaking of that spring of day from heauen Christ the true Light that visited vs saith that the tender mercie of the Father sent him Luc. 1.78 Here vpon the Elect are called Vessels of mercy Rom. 9.23 The Redeemed of the Lord the redeemed by mercy Eph. 1.7 and Paul called to Christ called in mercie 1 Tim. 1.13 our begetting a new is through Gods abundant mercy 1 Pet. 1.3 our life after death the riches of his mercie through sesus Christ our Lord. Rom. 6.23 and so all is out of mercie Reasons The reasons by nature wee are the children of wrath Eph. 2.3 enemies to God Rom. 5.10 our imaginations only euill Gen. 6.5 our wisdom simply death Rom. 8.6 and we to euery good work reprobate Tit. 1.16 This is our naturall state and in this what plea can serue but of mercie also herein what could induce God to do vs good but a minde of mercie Secondly in many things we offend al Iam 3 2. nay in the best that the best do much may bee found amisse as comming from them and is not the pardon of offences a worke of mercie and what but mercie can amend what is amisse and for our good we may say of it all as Iacob of all his wealth God hath had mercie on Me therfor I haue all this Gen. 33.11 and if all bee of grace merit is shut out and mercie must enter which is the first part and all of all our true welfare Ps 32.1.2 145.9 One vse of this is to keep God vp in all wee receiue and haue thas is in all them to maintaine his glorie that wee liue it is his mercie and his mercie that the ground doth not swallow vs nor the heauens ouer vs fall downe vpon vs. We haue not a morsel of bread but by his gift Matth. 6.11 nor garment to put on but what we haue from the wardrobe of his sufficiencie That we are saued it is his mercie and his tender mercie that wee fall not presently into hell And surely whosoeuer vseth any of his good blessings and doth not thus reckon for theÌ„ is a theef of them and so is hee that enters otherwayes then by this dore into them Which would bee remembred of all chiefely of the richer sort of people who are aptest to forget God at their full tables and when their heaps rise And therefore to such I say are your barnes full Gods mercie hath filled them Or haue you much His blessing vpon your basket hath caused that increase it is his entire gift let it not pay tole by taking any praise thereof to your selues If he haue let out his vineyard vnto you giue him of his owne fruits freely Giue to his poore and willingly to charitable deeds If you lay them not out so or onely vpon your owne lusts not his mercie but his iustice hath giuen them if you further not his glorie by them you shall answere for them to the vttermost farthing But your accompt for his loue-tokens will bee farre greater as they be farre better If God haue giuen you his Gospel one of his best gifts and you despise the gift as inferiour to the peeble of weâ—â—th you discredit his wisdom and in one of his best loue-tokens his best good
teacheth Christians to make good vse of all Gods strokes further off or vpon others threatning the like or a heauier hand vpon themselues When God toucheth vs in a beast or some like commoditie for a warning wee must be sensible of it as of some prick giuen vs in our arme or leggo for shall hee strike our beast and wee worse then beasts neuer be moued at it or passe by it as by some idle hand as if not God but fortune had striken it what though wee may spare him and that there are mo in the stable shall God lose the opportunitie that he sets for vs and wee sinne still till a worse thing come vnto vs Ioh. 5.14 The poorer sort are much troubled at euery such crosse in their cattle orgrounds but little I may say for most of them neuer a whit better by the hand and for the richer sort no such accident shal humble them Few of one or other call any sin the more into question for Gods hand vpon them in such warnings further off If the poore man lost a beast the losse doth not worke vpon him to repentance and if a rich man lose one he cares no more for it then if he had lost nothing This Woman made another vse of Gods hand vpon her in her litle child so good Christians should The person from whom this Woman beggeth this mercy followeth O Lord thou sonne of Dauid THE person of whom this woman asked mercie is Christ described here by his two natures of God and Man of God where hee calleth him Lord of man in the next words thou sonne of Dauid and of Dauid in the naturall line as borne of Man and in the regall as eldest now from him in the throne and here we haue two hands of faith vp to heauen the one of faith in Gods power that he is able and the other of like faith in his readinesse that as he is able so hee will not be vnwilling to help her therefore shee calleth him both Lord and the Sonne of Dauid as much as if she had said I know thou art able being Lord of all and I beleeue that thou art willing being the promised seed full of humanitie and tender compassion therefore heare mee and haue mercy And these two concurring in prayer as the two Lyons vnder the throne of Salomon Doctr. 1 1 King 10 19. beare it vp with good assurance which by so good a Precedent teacheth that Christians must vnto prayer bring faith both in the power and good will of the Lord to helpe them The Leper comming to Christ was lame of one of these legges when hee prayed for his clensing he confessed he was able but he could not tell that he would for hee said Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane Matth 8.2 This woman knew hee could and doubted-not but he would therfore in a reference to both Christ saith beleeue and it shall be done unto you Marke 11.24 so much was required of the two blinde men for being asked if they could beleeue they answered that they did Matth. 9.28 And so much is implied in the prayer which we call the Lords prayer where what wee haue prayed for we are enioyned to seale vp with the Amen of faith Matth. 6.9.13 Hence therefore preseruation from perishment and preferment to life is promised to none but that are beleeuers Iohn 3.16 the reasons Reasons Without faith in the power and good will of God when we aske any thing in prayer we denie him to be our father one readie to helpe vs and our Father in in heauen one able so to doe seeing his residence is in heauen and his Maiestie filleth the heauen 1 King 8.27 Psal 15.3 and denying either how can we thinke to be heard Secondly the commandement is that we pray in faith Iam. 1.6 but where is the obedience when wee beleeue not in Gods Power or when we mistrust his will it is necessarie therefore when we come to prayer that we haue faith in both praying for things warantably to be payed for Dan. 9.19 First Vse 1 this maketh against those hereticks who with Arrius denie Christ to bee God for what assurance can they haue in their prayers or boldnesse toward him also and against those who with Cerdon Marcion and Manicheus haue denihim to bee man for how can such or how could these premise to themselues any readinesse 〈◊〉 Christ to heare when they should call wee that beleeue both that is that he was the Sonne for euer and the sonne of Dauid in time that is Man in house with vs or Man in our nature may beare vp with great comfort so long as our life is not against saith and so long as we marre not our prayers with our sinnes Esa 1.15 But are wee bound in the chaine of faith to beleeue when we pray that Christ is both able and willing to deliuer vs in our troubles Vse 2 then if our prayers faile of this helpe when we haue sought it vnder our Christian interest in both termes the fault is our owne because wee haue tied our sinnes vpon the pravers that wee made for Christ would by his goodnesse but wee by our bad liues will not Matth. 23.37 the giuing hand is readie but so is not the hand that should receiue the gift A comfortable inuitation Vse 3 or call to true Christians to ease themselues vpon Christ in all the burdens they beare for his sake and a good conscience if they be laden with these and desirous of him these two in him his abilitie readines to help can not but worke strong affections of desire to come vnto him and being come what followeth but ease and refreshing Matth. 11.28 If then thou findest thy selfe fast laid vp by the Law at the suit of sinne Gal. 3.23 or sold vnder sinne needing a Redeemer Rom. 7.14 Behold him that was made vnder the Law or cast in the Law for the debt of men not onely able to discharge the whole summe but willing to bring thy soule out of prison and thou hast seene him that hath engaged himselfe for thy libertie being one of the few that thirsts for his saluation more than for all riches Gal. 4.4 5. and who is in sinne as a malefactor in prison that would gladly be deliuered Rom. 7.24 But this neuer a whit concerneth those whose sinnes are not a burden but an ease vnto them and not their affliction but their glorie Now further where this woman calleth Christ Lord she calls him so in regard of the great power hee hath equall to his Father Lord in Scripture is taken ciuilly for a name of reuerence also possessiuely for an owner and essentially for one with Iehoua in all these respects Christ may worthily bee called our Lord but here chiefâ—ly he is called Lord as I take it to signifie his absolute dominion in heauen and earth and so wee haue what this woman beleeued concerning his deity