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A15722
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The patterne of an inuincible faith A sermon preached at Paules Crosse, the first Sunday after Trinity, being the 2d. of Iune. 1616. By VVilliam VVorship, Doctor of Diuinitie.
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Worship, William.
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1616
(1616)
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STC 25995; ESTC S120350
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24,803
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50
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thine owne words what sayst thou Lord answere me dost thou deny or distinguish Neither He did not answer the Argument nay with reuerence be it spoken he could not answere it for then he should haue denied mercy to the Penitent and so contradicted himselfe which had been an Impotencie This of the EPITASIS The Catastrophe is contained in the last words of the Text Then Iesus answered and said vnto her O woman great is thy faith bee it vnto thee euen as thou wilt Where our Sauiour first commends this Woman and that with an admiration O woman neuer in my life met I with such an HeatheÌ„ thou passest of all that euer I knew verily I haue not found such Faith in Israel Thou art able by thy knocking and importunitie to make one rise out of his bed from his children at midnight to lend thee three loaues Luke 11. 5. Luke 18. 5. Thou doest enough to compell an vnrighteous Iudge to doe thee iustice much more a righteous one to shew thee fauour O the bountifulnesse of GOD when we haue done all we can Luke 17. 10. we are but vnprofitable seruants yet he passeth by all our infirmities and rewardeth all our good rewardeth yea and applaudeth Thus the thriftie Seruant that had improou'd his Masters Talents Math. 25. 23. hath an Euge for his paines It is well done good seruant and faithfull What a singular incouragement is here to well-doing Ay Caitiues ah Slacke-graces how slothfull are we in our Masters businesse ah Runnagates like Onesimus Philem. nay would to GOD wee were like Onesimus But for what extols hee this Woman thus For her Faith What Faith That which Iustified her before GOD. But here 's onely a sute for a temporall benefit what though That nothing lets but that by the same Faith that laid hold on saluation shee beleeued also the recouery of her daughter Rom. 4. 19. euen as Abraham by a Iustifying faith was perswaded of a Sonne in his old age The whole tenor of the History imports thus much whether you consider the Obiect of her Faith or the Temper of it or the Strength or Effects among which the last is most plaine for this purpose for it shewes that by this Faith she might obtaine whatsoeuer shee would now who doubts but she would haue the forgiuenesse of her sinnes without the which shee were more then most miserable The next way then to be honoured of GOD is to honour GOD 1. Sam. 2. and the next way to honour GOD is Faith which assures me that Christ hath loued ME and giuen Himselfe for ME Gal. 2. 20. and with Himselfe all things and all this He doth alone Rom. 8. 32. Heb. 1. 3. Isaiah 63. 3. treading the Wine-presse ALONE without helpe of Angels of Men of Works for Angels are but seruants Men euer typing and Workes not workers but markes of our saluation This Doctrine as Staupitius well noteth must needs be sound and the Religion that maintaines it Pure and vndefiled for it exalts GODS glory aboue the Heauens and humbles man to the dust of death Therefore is Abel commended for his Faith Enoch for his Faith Noah for his Faith Abraham Isaac and Iacob for their Faith Moses the Law giuer for his Faith Rahab Gedeon Barac Sampson Iephta Dauid Samuel for their Faith Heb. 11. all for their Faith and all in one Chapter If here it be spitefully obiected that we prate so much of Faith that we haue pack't Good-Workes out of the Countrey be it answered that this is nothing but Wood sere or Cuckow-spit the froth of rage with a worme in the midst of it For wee doubt not to affirme with Luther Luther in Gal. that The fruit and profit of one onely worke which a Christian doth in faith and through faith is to bee esteemed more pretious then Heauen and Earth Onely we exclude Good workes from our Iustification for the satisfaction of the law because therein nothing doth nor can concurre with the Merit of Christ And this is the very Argument of that excellent Epistle to the Galatians Gal. 6. 11. 2. 11. which S. Paul writ with his owne hand and for which he withstood Peter to his face Luth. in Gal. For as Luther in an holy zeale casting out flames of fire saith What is Peter What is Paul What is an Angell from heauen What are all other creatures to the Article of Iustification A point so perspicuous and praevalent that euen Bellarmine himselfe the Milo that beares the Pope vpon his shoulder is forc'd to yeeld to it His words are these De Iusâ—if lib. 1. In regard of the vncertainty of a Man 's owne righteousnesse and for feare of vaine-glory it is the safest way to repose our whole confidence in the ONELY mercy and goodnesse of GOD. Now where we are charg'd that the beating vpon the poynt of Faith hath banished Good-workes we auouch it to be the speciall way both to breed and cherish them In this present Text is a Cluster of Good-workes farre more pleasant to behold Numb 13. 24. then that of Grapes which the two Spies brought on their shoulders on a barre from the Land of Canaan Here is finding of Christ following of Christ crying cleare-out after Christ here is Loue here is Zeale here is Patience here is Prayer here is Humilitie here is Modesty here is Sincerity here is Perseuerance and other sparkes of Grace that lie hidden vnder the ashes which if you stirre will flye aloft crackle about your eares What is the cause of all these Good deeds Faith For can the Fruit be good till the Tree be good Can the Tree bee good till the Sap bee good Is not Man a Tree with the root vpward Is it not Reason that makes a Man Faith that makes a Christian Is not this Paules method in all his Epistles Spends he not Eleuen Chapters in that to the Romans in laying the foundation of Faith before he build on it with exhortatioÌ„ to good life which he performs but in fiue chapters I le tel thee proud man thou that swellest now in the confidence of thy works when sorrow comes and the Law strikes vp a fearefull Alarum against thee thou shalt be ready to peake aside to spy out some bauke in an Out-house whereon to dispatch thy selfe Rom. 5. 1. For being iustified by Faith wee haue peace with God the Accent is vpon Faith vpon Christ without which without whom alone we shall neuer haue peace of conscience but when it is Morning we shal wish it were Euening Deut. 28. 67. and when it is Euening we shal wish it were Morning when we are in the Countrey we shall long to be in the Citie and when we are in the Citie we shall long to be in the Countrey changing the Place but not changing the Paine because the forked arrow of GODS Vengeance stickes fast in our side This Orient Pearle this Womans
Faith is further magnified by the Greatnesse The Dictator of Philosophers said well Arist Eth. 4. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fairenesse consists in Greatnesse For a little house though curious in the Frame may bee counted Pretty neuer Sumptuous Now this Greatnesse of Faith implies Degrees For some are strong and Inuincible as this Woman who aboue Hope beleeued vnder Hope Rom. 4. 18. Others weake as the Apostles before CHRISTS Resurrection Mark 9. 23. So then wee must imitate the good man in Saint Marke who cryed with teares Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeleefe This of the Commendation of the Womans Faith now followes the Cheerefull Grant of Her Desire Be it vnto thee euen as thou wilt Do but aske and haue The Deuill is gone out of thy Daughter want'st thou any thing else Competency Contentment Heauen Take it take Mee and all and all because thou hast wrastled with Mee Gen. 32. 28. like Iacob and ouercome Mee Beloued Brethren You that by vertue of this Faith may aske what you will and obtaine what you aske let me this once be Yee All Representatiuely and in your stead beg for You and Mee some precious thing that 's worth the crauing It shall not be Pleasure for that lasts but an inch of time and what are we the better to play and skip like fish in the Riuer Iordan and presently to fall into the Dead Sea It shall not be Honor for that is a thing without vs not in our owne possession It shall not bee mony for as Cyprian saith it makes one sigh at a Feast and at Night when he sinkes into his downe-bed Cypr. Vigilat in Pluma he lies broad waken These Three wish I not for You and Mee for they cannot last nor secure the conscience nor satisfie the vnlimited desire of the soule But One Thing haue I desisired of the Lord which I will still require and that is The fruition of the Comforts that are in CHRIST This was the Happinesse St. Paul aspir'd to in the third to the Philippians the 7 and 8 verses Philip. 3. 7. 8. a Text worthy to bee written in Golden nay in Heauenly Letters I haue counted saith he All Things losse fpr Christ Quae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which All things That I was not an Infidell but Circumcised and that not when I was a Stripling a Man an old Man as were the Proselytes but the Eighth Day according to the prescript of the Law That I was not of an ordinary Tribe but of BENIAMIN whence sprang the first King and which claue to IVDAH when the Ten Tribes fell away That I was not lately descended from the Hebrewes but very anciently from the Loynes of Iacob That I was not of a meane Place but a Pharisee the most famous of Sects for the opinion of Sanctimony and Learning That I was not Cold or Luke-warme in my Profession but Walloping and Running ouer with heate of Zeale euen to the persecution of the Church That I was not of a spotted or indifferent Carriage but of a cleare and vnsuspected life All these these All and All things else except my Knowledge and Faith in CHRIST as the Priuiledge of mine Apostleship my inward Vertues and workes of Grace Haue I counted lost for CHRIST Yea Paul you Haue but DOE you Now Is not your mind altered Yea doubtlesse I know what I say I DOE count All things losse and more then that I Haue suffered the losse of All things and haue throwne them Ouer board as Wares into the Sea to lighten my selfe of Them Yea but do you not now repent as Marriners are wont in the like case when they come to Shore Not I not a whit Farewell they I am glad I am rid of Them For what are they but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but Drosse but Rubbish but Offall but Refuse but Garbage but DYNG in respect of CHRIST Then more and more do I find and perceiue that All things to CHRIST are but vaine and irksome and that without Him the most Iushious pleasures and clyming preferments are but weeping Ioyes and noble Miseries O how Honourable is Hee Isaiah 9. 6. For his Name is Wonderfull Counceller the Mightie GOD the Euerlasting Father the Prince of Peace O how Victorious is Hee and with what a grace doth Hee triumph Isaiah 63. 5. Who is this that comes from Edom with Red Garments from Bozrah O how Rich is Hee Gen. 17. 1. 2. Cor. 3. for Hee is Shaddai 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All-Sufficient though being Rich Hee became Poore for vs. O how comfortable is Hee Reu. 22. 16. Psal 45. 8. for Hee is not a Blasingstaree nor a Night-Starre but the Morning Starre and that not clouded but bright and resplendent Cant. 1. 2. O how sweet is Hee and how all his Garments smell of Mirrh Aloes and Cassia His name is as an Oyntment powred out therefore the Virgines loue Him Cant. 5. 10. O how Amiable is He for He is White and Ruddie the chiefest of ten thousand His Head is as fine Gold his Lockes are curled and blacke as a Rauen. O how louing is He Cant. 2. 6. for his left hand is vnder his Spouses head and his Right hand doth embrace her O he hath lou'd vs as Bernard noteth Bern. Sweetly Wisely Strongly Sweetly for Hee tooke vpon Him our Nature Wisely for Hee tooke not on Him the corruption of our Nature Strongly for Hee gaue vp His Life for our sakes Cant. 8. 1. 6. 2. 5. O CHRIST That thou wert as my Brother that suckt the breasts of my Mother that I might finde thee and kisse thee Set me as a Seale on thine heart and as a Sgnet vpon thine Arme. Stay mee with Flaggons and comfort me with Apples for I am sicke of loue Let me borrow the words of Ignatius Igna◠Come Fire come Gibber come tearing with wilde Beasts come crashing of my Bones in peeces come drawing my foure Quarters asunder come grinding my whole Body to powder nay come the torments of the Deuill so I may but Winne CHRIST Lord let mee see Thee that I may die or rather let mee die that I may see Thee yet with humble submission to thy holy Will lest otherwise I die and doe not see thee To this our deere and blessed Sauiour together with the Father and the Holy Ghost bee all Honour and Glory Now and Euer Amen FINIS