God among them Gen 23. 6 and when the brethren of Ioseph enuied him for his dreame his father regarded him for it Gen. 37 11. the women in their foâ—g and dance gaue Dauid his due but the thing displeased Saul 1 Sam. 18.7 The like did Abimelch who speaking of Dauid to Saul said hee had not such another seruant 1 Sam. 22.14 Christ the Lord for example to vs doth elswhere call those that improued his spirituall talent as they were indeed his good seruants and faithfull Matth. 25.21.23 so Barnabas is called by S. Luke in his right name a good man Act. 11.24 and so we must not nip with the frost of 〈◊〉 but cherish the spring of good things where God hath put them and giue them a true report Reasons the reasons for else wee wrong the owner that is God from whom is euery good giuing and perfect gift Iam. 1.17 Secondly the contrary is forbidden as false witnesse against our neighbour for what other doe wee when wee take away a righteous mans righteousnesse from him and speake euill of his good Esa 5.20.23 but speake falsely of him Thirdly the deuill who is the accuser of the brethren and a slanderer doth belie the goodnesse of the Saints Iob 1.11 and shall Christians that should follow Christ bee like the deuill Fourthly we should incourage the good in their good way but to speake otherwaies than well of well-doing is not to set them forward but backward in goodnesse The first vse is for reproofe of those who are so blinded with anger against the good Vse 1. that they can see no good where much is and heere the old saying proues true that ill will neuer speake well If any little fault bee in such they blow with their strongest wind to send it as farre as their breath will carry so far from commending things commendable in them that they grime them rather with their blacke tongues calling all their holinesse hypocrisie Papists were wont to be alone in such wrong done to true Christians but company comes vnto them euen out of our owne profession and this leprosie of a foule tongue is gone from Naaman to Gehazi from them to some Protestants as great mockers of sinceritie in profession as Papists are 2. King 5.27 The next vse is for instruction Vse 2. teaching vs to loue good men for the good things in them for so we will loue such much better in whom they be We loue gold though in the filthy oare and will take vp a iewell though trodden in the mire so if we loued goodnesse for it selfe that is truly loued it we would not neglect it though in the foile of a bad man or trodden in the mire of a heart very sinfull much lesse would we dis-regard it placed in a worthy subiect Parents loue their children with a strong loue the reason is they haue that in them which they loue nature So Christians should follow true Christians with like force of true loue the reason is they haue that in them which they should loue grace This loue of parents to their children makes that they care not how much good they speake or heare spoken of them so if like loue or any were in vs towards these earthly Saints we would speake our selues and be glad to heare others speake much good of them for the grace of God in them Thirdly Vse 3 this is for admonition to Christians to beware of enuy in regard of graces which are in others more then in themselues For such will bitterly from that wormwood of enuie instead of praising oppose against them So did Iosephs brethren and therefore rose vp against their better brother Gen. 37.4.18 19. And Cain set his crueltie on worke against Abel a farre better man then himselfe and his owne naturall brother where nothing could ease the great paine of his enuie but a medicine made of his brothers bloud Gen. 4 8. So the Pharisees and Priests among the Iewes watched Christ in the graue that he should not rise Matth. 27.66 and so the enuious among vs louers of themselues 2. Tim. 3.2 put vertue in the graue with Christ and watch it that it rise not But further as Christians must not wrong others in their good parts by enuious detractions so neither hauing such good parts in them must they wrong themselues by false testimonie I say false testimonie for there is false witnesse against a mans selfe as well as against his neighbour Many well indewed of God in some fits of the spirituall feauer fare as if they had nothing no faith no hope no grace And some in the affliction say though before they had done exceeding well that they were neuer good before God nor sound in profession but hypocrites So the deuill would haue it But should Christians ioyne issue with Sathan against themselues Is not the deuill strong enough without our helpe and except we wrong our selues to gratifie him rather we should fight vnder God against him then with him against our owne soule For so did righteous Iob in the thickest mist of his troubles His friends had vrged him hard and would baue perswaded him that though he had done many good things yet it was in no soundnesse to God But Iob though hee had otherwayes lost all his children seruants substance and all yet he would not be so great a loser to them and the deuill as to part with his integritie in what hee had done Iob 27.5 for where he had failed he knew hee had made vp the reckoning by repentance and sorrow for sinne and therefore doubted not but that so much was left as would comfort him and reproue them Our Sauiour purposing to commend this womans vnwearied petitioning to him in regard of her daughter and her selfe commends that which was the roote of that fruit her great faith Which faith is a grace of persuasion whereby we beleeue for our selues and particularly to eternall life And to this faith of hers the health of her daughter is ascribed as the branch to the root that beares it Where wee see Doct. 2 that by faith we haue acceptance with God the good workes we doe being as fruites of that tree Hence Dauid speaking of a iustified sinner saith that the booke is cleared by forgiuing the debt and not by any satisfaction made Psal 32.1.2 This faith beleeues and workes haue nothing to do in her office Therefore saith the Apostle Saint Paul To him that worketh not but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse Rom. 4.5 that is all the satisfaction that a iustified sinner can make is to beleeue that it is made without him or any thing that he can do And so faith obtaineth by imputation what it gets in the account it gets it by Christ that hath paied the whole debt of sinne and turneth ouer his obedience to those that cannot obey but imperfectly and vnprofitably Luk. 17.10 and so haue no
righteousnesse but what is his Rom 5.22 Hereupon the same Apostle Saint Paul speaking of himselfe a iustified sinner saith that the life he hath in the new life of the Gospell is not his but Christs who breathed it in him and liueth in him Galat. 2.20 all his minde ranne vpon the gaine he had by Christ hauing his righteousnesse all other things in the world were but losse and dunge to this Philip 3.8 9. Therefore in his Epistles to the Romanes to the Galathians and Ephesians hee strongly pleades the cause of faith in the power of iustification without workes plainly in the second Chapter of his Epistle to the Ephesians vers 8. and 9. he excludeth the best things left in nature and the best workes in new nature from the merit of saluation saying We are saued by grace not of our selues against Pelagius and not of workes against Papists and giues the reason which is to preuent all boasting in our selues as if wee did as Papists say we doe bring somewhat in hand to the purchase of our saluation And so we see that faith maketh our way to God and that works follow Reasons The reasons Our workes the best of them are imperfectly good and partly euill and what account can such haue before him whose eyes cannot behold euill Haba 1.13 that that pleaseth him is Christ absolutely holy Christs righteousnesse perfectly good onely 〈◊〉 that but neither hee nor this is ours further then by the grace of faith wee can make them so with application to our selues Secondly the best come out of an vncleane pit and their best works are but as foule ragges Isa 64.6 And who can bring a cleane thing out of filthinesse Iob 14.4 Now can any thing that is vncleane and filthy enter into so holy a place as heauen and stand before so holy a person as the Lord or if it cannot our persons not purged by Christs holinesse and our works not couered with his iustice whither shall they go in heauen there is no place for them and they must stand without with dogges sorcerers and other sinners Apocal. 21.27 22.15 It was sinne that brought vs out with God it must be that which we haue not perfect righteousnesse that must bring vs in againe And this is the Sonne in whom the Father is well pleased Matth 3.17 all other things as we heard are losse and dunge and what good sauour in workes of dunge This is against the Papists Vse 1 who like dogges barke against the truth of sole iustification by faith Their tenet is that the righteousnesse whereby we are iustified is inherent in vs. But the righteousnesse that doth iustifie is called a robe and why a robe but because wee haue it as wee haue our clothes from another out of our selues Flesh and skin we haue from our mothers but our apparell is made vs. So nature we haue by birth but grace by gift in the hand of faith Therefore Saint Paul desired to be found in Christ Philip 3.9 clad with him Obiect True say the Papists all wee haue in our first iustification or change to righteousnesse wee haue from God onely and all is due to him for it But say they there is a second iustification or change and that as a stocke giuen vs to set vp for themselues as it increaseth vnder our hand maketh some part of pay to our saluation Answer But if the Apostle as we heard had knowne any iustification but one and that one onely and altogether by gift hee would not haue giuen away his owne part as hee did and haue acknowledged no other iustification but that of beeing in Christ And further the Apostle giues the reason why hee did so though in another place For speaking of God that iustifieth and saueth onely hee saith For and that for must stand For saith he of him and through him are all things Rom. 11.36 by all things wee must vnderstand all good things specially the good things of life eternall and these all are of and from God And now where wee speake of faith we vnderstand not such a faith as Saint Iames reproueth which is a faith without workes and so dead as the bodie is dead that breatheth not Iam. 2.26 but a saith accompanied with or breathing in manifest symptomes of new life such a faith this woman had which in her was so commended And yet faith only iustifieth our persons before God good workes serue but to iustifie our faith before men Iam. 2.18.21 Also though wee acknowledge good works to be the quicke pulses of a louing faith yet withall wee say that they come not to God in way of iustification For true it is that wee must do good works if we will bee saued and yet it is as true that wee shall not bee saued for them An admonition to Christians to labour to get and hope faith Vse 2 so greatly commended in this woman of great faith and to do so wee must vse the meanes as first the Word faith is by it Rom. 10.17 If then wee will wrestle with God by faith when he proues our faith by temptation we must know what promises God hath made in his word and vpon what tearmes Psal 9.10 so wee shall hold him by the words of his owne mouth and with Iacobs hand till he blesse vs who will surely doe it for bee cannot deny himselfe But how shall wee know what promises God hath made in his word and to whom and vpon what conditions when we know neither East nor West in it and when wee turne from it in the day of hearing When Sathan shall sift vs in the maine point how shall we hope in more then the chaffe if we be not sound graine by the knowledge of saluation Faith is by hearing and hearing by the Word Rom. 10.17 Therefore no hearing no faith and without what possibilitie to please God Hebr. 11.6 and not pleasing him what hope to bee saued A fearfull darknes therefore must needes bee vpon all that want this Sunne of their holy faith And let them thinke of it who as one saith well haue passed an estate of their soules to ignorance for tearme of life neither haue they heard nor will they For how can such obey when they know not God and not knowing him how can they escape the vengeance that is threatened in the flame of fire 2. Thessal 1.8 Secondly if we would haue and get faith wee must pray for it to the authour and finisher of our faith Hebr. 12.2 Mark 9 24. Luk. 17.5 They deserue not good things that will not open their mouthes for them and we haue a saying Spare to speake spare to speed Faith then being of good things the best how vnworthy shall wee shew our selues of so faire a Iewell if wee will not aske it Thirdly as we get faith by the Word and prayer so being had we must keep it in a good conscience For faith and good conscience are relata
that is written concerning him not one sillable not one letter or small pricke Matth. 5.18 Of this woman Vse 3 the mirrour of a worthy hearer all hearers should learne patience and application in the sharpest reproofe of the word When it rebuketh a sinne they that bee guiltie should turne the edge to themselues confesse a truth and not kicke against the prickes of it Acts 9.5 The Apostle Saint Paul where hee found sinne made an owle of it and follows it with crying out Who shall deliuer mee from this bodie of death Rom. 7.24 He was a persecuter a blasphemer a great sinner and he tells the world with his owne penne that he was so 1. Tim. 1.13.15 But how many will doe so now and giue God the right of his iustice by keeping their sinnes alwayes in sight and by branding hell in their foreheads as the Apostle did rather when they should say truth Sir to the Preacher they rise in his face for speaking but truly and iustly of their sinne The inuersion of Christs Answer followeth Yet euen the dogges eate of the crummes c. HEere the woman as wee heard makes vse of Christs argument and turnes the point of it vpon her selfe For she saith Yet euen the dogges c. as if shee should haue said Though in thy meaning Lord I bee but a dogge or whelpe vnder the table of the children and I presume no higher yet I may gather vp the chippings that fall from the table where the children haue so much What therefore is not denyed to a dogge giue Lord to thy prostrate hand-maid Or thus The table of the children was neuer so sparingly set but that somewhat wold fall ouer to those that waited below I am one that humbly waite below Lord say to thy seruants soule I am thy saluation Psalm 35.3 This may bee the womans answer in more words And here was great faith indeed and with it great humilitie This woman was faithfull and yet humble and so wee see that certaintie of faith may stand with humilitie Indeed Doctr. 1. foolish presumption will be answered with nothing though it haue nothing to say and be brought to a stand where true faith goes forward though limpingly as vpon stilts For it belâ—ues beyond reason of letter and aboue hope vnder hope Rom 4.18 Abraham the patterne of faith was humble enough when hee drew neare to God Genes 18.27 And Daniels three companions in the captiuitie were not conceited of themselues when yet they could say to the king The God whom we serue will deliuer vs. Dan. 3.17 And blessed Mary might be the seruant of the Lord and the mother of Christ too who bore him in her faith as surely as in her bellie Luk. 1.38 Also hee greatly trusted in God who yet could say Lord my heart is not hautie nor my eyes loftie Psal 131.1 And Iehosaphat that strongly reposed on God said that hee could not tell what to do or that he had neuer an eye vpon himselfe but his eyes were toward the Lord 2. Chro. 20.12 Thus true faith hath roome enough for humilitie The reasons Reasons To doe what we are commanded to doe vpon a promise is not pride but obedience Now we are commanded vpon a promise to beleeue and therefore we may beleeue and be humble Ioh. 3 16.27 Beggers are humble enough and yet importunate such a beggar is faith which hath nothing but what it seekes and gets abroad Psalm 40.17 and therefore as a beggar it speaks with prayer and humbly by petition Vse is first for confutation of Papists Vse 1. who call true confidence in God proud presumption Their tenent is that none can without an arrogant spirit beleeue the certaintie of their owne saluation But we see the contrary in this humble and prostrate woman and verily whosoeuer trusteth most in God hath the least opinion of his own worth So this woman passing others in faith went before them in a low conceit of her selfe But they who say that it is pride and arrogancie to trust in God for saluation hold it no pride to trust in themselues for it Hence the vulgar which are of their teaching say that they hope to be saued by their good meanings and their good deeds The second vse is Vse 2. for the triall of our faith for the humbler in the opinion of â—ur selues the stronger in faith The more we trust God the lesse we trust our selues though neuer so full of good works Iob was a painfull workman in the Law yet saith that if God should contend with him or pose him hard hee could not answer him one of a thousand Iob 9.3.14 Dauid confesseth as much Psalm 148.2 which is that no flesh if the winde of iustice blow vpon it can stand in Gods sight for so in his sight shall none that liueth bee iustified Could there bee better men then these two and of better faith and yet how humble in all that they did So the returning Prodigall had great confidence in his father yet cast himselfe below a sonne and thought himselfe not worthy to sit with the Hindes except his father were so pleased I herefore hee faith I am no more worthy to bee called thy sonne make me as one of thy hired seruants for vnworthy to be so except thou make me so Luk. 15.19.21 To bee short how many more faithfull then this woman and how many more humble Therefore the denials of Christ were but as so many strong windes to cause the flame of her faith to rise vp higher But here further the woman speaking of some crummes or fallings from the table of the children intimates that it was a full table a table that ranne ouer and where was no want but exceedings rather And here learne that the Iewes diet in time of the Law was no spare diet Doctr. 2 but a table running ouer to the Gentiles Naaman the Syrian Luk. 4.27 the widow of Sarepta Luk. 4.26 the woman of Samaria Ioh. 4.28 the Centurion in Saint Matthew Matth. 8.5.6.7.8 Iob in Vz Iob 1.1 and this woman here were all fed though not with the whole loafe yet with crummes from the childrens table And crums were good fare in the hunger-bitten land of the ignorant Nations Though God then but dropped vpon them yet in the Gospell and when the Iewes would not come to the Kings wedding dinner Matth. 22.9 10. they had a plentifull raine of grace which was shed vpon them abundantly Tit. 3.6 and then the hall was set round with guests It is sure then that God euer kept a good table a table well appointed for all that would come The reasons Reasons It is for his greater glory for that house-keeping is much commended where is no want But God spares for no cost where his guests come willingly if they want not a stomacke they shall want for no meat for hee that is rich in abundance of all heaneuly treasures will serue them of all
that must perswade in such cases or else when will we beleeue the virginitie of the mother of Christ the three distinct persons in one entire God head the rising againe of the same bodies long ago consumed to dust and nothing and the like sacred mysteries of our most holy faith Some that professe to beleeue in Gods power and goodnesse will yet beleeue no further then they see They will trust God vpon a good pawne as if hee fill their barnes with corne and their purses with money otherwayes they will trust him no more then men will bankrupts Hee hath giuen his faithfull word that they who seeke him in faith Psal 34.10 and serue him in righteousnesse vers 15. shall want no good thing But doe they take him at his word who lie and cosen vse violence and draw bloud to bee rich And do they trust him for their prouision who being poore fall to practises against good conscience steale and take his name in vaine Prou. 30.9 these can skill of nothing but what they haue in hand Where the faithfull beleeue without meanes and against them Dan. 3.17 When they haue nothing they know God hath enough and they sufficient in his store-house of prouidence They will beleeue in his power for their safetie though they should haue all the world against them Psal 3.5 6. and though they be drunken with gall and wormwood they will not doubt to be made sober againe with the sweet mercies of the God of their saluation A direction for Gods mourners Vse 2. when with Isaac readie to be offered vp they see the fearfull knife and wood but not the Lambe for sacrifice Gen. 22.7 that is see their fearfull changes but not the issues of them In this case they are here taught with Abraham to say in their faith that God will prouide that is worke though they see not how ver 8. Indeed when the fauour of God is in the eclipse God darkeneth for that time all the lights of his children they cannot see his loue and they feele a great measure of his wrath in the best things they do Hence they iudge themselues to bee cast-awayes from the life of Christ which is the case of Gods best Saints It was the case of Iob Dauid Hezekâ—ah Ieremiah and other of the Lords worthies Iob 13.26 Psal 77.7 8 9. Isa 38.10 11 12. c. Ier. 20.14 15 But their darknesse brake vp after a while and their Sunne returned as after a recouery out of some great eclipse or losse of light Therefore meane while and so long as thou feelest such an eclipse of thy lights remember the yeares of the right hand of the most high Psalm 77.10 his former mercie and truth toward thee which are in him without repentance Rom. 11.29 And when thou hast greatest temptations to despaire labour most against them Though thou canst see no reason to beleeue yet beleeue with all thy heart If Gods fauour seeme to be gone in the eye of thy reason looke abroad with the better eye of thy faith the eye that seeth euen those things that are not and it will giue that a being which reason giues for lost The obiect of faith is the promise of God not things vnder sight And therefore when all things seeme to go one way and when heauen and earth the Sunne Moone starres and all the elements go against vs here is iust matter for our faith a grace that is able to draw some thing out of nothing Here let vs beleeue and wrestle against hope vnder hope and vnder the darke cloud against hell and deuils that enuy our saluation If they say ye haue lost Gods fauour let vs say and with the voyce of faith say it is lost to our feeling but not to our faith for we beleeue and we will beleeue though the Lord should kill vs Iob 13.15 And thus the doctrine of faiths obiect in things not visible or not presently seene will be a good cloke for the weather when rainy dayes come And what storme can stay vs in our spirituall course being so well prouided against what may come hereafter The third vse is for conuiction Vse 3 And here desperate is all the Religion of Poperie which standeth altogether vpon sense for worshipping and vpon sense for saluation They cannot pray but before a Crucifixe nor worship deuoutly but before an Image And for their saluation it is in works that are visible not in grace that saueth vs. Ephes 2.8 Beyond the eye of reason and further then the care of sense they will not haue the Ignorants that follow them to go for assurance that they shall be saued They must not beleeue their owne saluation a thing they cannot see onely they must hold it in a slippery hope or certaintie vncertaine But the old saying is here true As good neuer a whit as neuer the better To allow a certaintie that may faile and they allow no better is in a seeming to build and in true substance to pull downe Looke Rom. 8 15. Mark 11.24 1. Ioh. 3.23 Rom. 5.5 Luk. 10 20. 2. Cor. 13.5 The particular effect followeth The Deuil is gone out of thy daughter WE haue heard of the generall issue now followeth the particular subsequent effect or successe of this conserence The deuill that did go into this womans daughter is now gone out compelled by Christs authoritie and soueraigntie Where wee may consider what Christ said to the woman in these words and what followed vpon it in the next Christ tells her that the deuill is gone we must thinke against his will and dispossessed by a stronger euen Christ that had cast him out And here obserue That Christ is the Soueraigue Lord of the deuils Doctr. The Author to the Hebrews saith that hee had destroyed him that had the power of death to wit the deuill Hebr. 2.14 the effects shew it For he commanded the foule spirits and they came out Luk. 4.36 Now to command and get obedience is to haue dominion The deuils confesse as much who therefore cry out at his approach toward them Matth. 8.29 Also how may deuils being entred into men did he cast out with his onely word Mark 5.8 9 10. and 9.25 26. The seuentie when then returned said to Christ Lord euen the deuils were subdued vnto vs through thy Name Luk. 10.17 And how then can he but haue authoritie ouer the deuils of whom this is spoken and by whom so much is done Reasons The reasons So much was promised to Christ the feed of Mary Genes 3.15 and Gods promises neuer faile can neuer for if hee say the word it is done Psalm 33.9 Secondly this was the end for which God his Father sent him 1 Iohn 3.8 and what shall crosse the way of his ends Mens ends haue a superiour disposer Pro. 26.33 and commonly are ill set but who can say so of Gods ends that they haue a superiour and that they are not well set and what then