Treatise of Diuinitie longer than they shall runningly reade it ouer and marke the mans methode and wit that made it thou heauenly Theologie mayest be perchaunce reuerently regarded whilest thou arte for an houre with sweet vtterance and graue gesture deliuered but if euer thou com to the publike Presse thou shalt feele and finde thy selfe too publickely oppressed by the multitude of these thy malignant ennemies Neuerthelesse I could wish from my heart that in these diuine Discourses if any things iustly mislike the Reader as many things may he woulde remember Saint Paules counsell to followe the trueth in loue considdering as Saint Iames saith In many things we may erre all of vs. The God of all trueth I hope will so blesse these Labours in the trueth that whosoeuer commeth not with a preiudicate contemptuous conceit to the reading of these Conclusions hee shall wyth the strength of this small Cake and wyth the comforte of this colde water walke foorth with Elias euen to Horeb the Mountaine of GOD And thus I leaue thee committing these my first fruites vnto the blessing of Gods holy Spirite who grant vs a right vnderstanding hart wyth a charitable friendly iudgement in all things R. Wilmott The Cananitish womans Conflicts Matth. 15. verse 21. Then Iesus went thence and departed into the Borders of Tyrus and Sydon GOD saith 1. Corin. 1. vers 27. 28. the apostle hath chosen the foolishe things of this world to coÌ„founde the Wise the weake things of the worlde to confound the mighty and vile things which are despised hath God chosen to bring to naught things that are And this hath beene the Lords practise of olde for by Hushai hee 2. Samu. 17. 8 effatuated the counsell of wise Ahithophel by Dauids weake meanes he brought downe mightie Goliah 1. Sam. 17. â—0 and by despised Iphtah vile in the eyes of his brethren he vanquished Iudg. 11. 33. the huge hoste of the Ammonites But if yee desire in one person to see all these three things palpably performed looke then into this history and consider with me howe by this foolish weak and despised woman the Lord hath confounded condemned the wise the mighty and the scornefull generation of the Iewes Therefore saieth Austen this Austin ser 74. memorable historie is neuer to bee forgotten for it serueth as a liuely mirrour of true godlinesse wherein an inuincible faith may be seene lincked to an humbled spirit and I haue obserued in the discourse of this Storie fiue notable pointes for our instruction well woorthy eternall remembrance First the miserable condition of our naturall man which is such as is not onely subiect to the possession of the diuell but also to his extreame torments and that euen in this life Secondly with what faith feare and reuerence Iesus Christ our Sauiour is to be sought after for helpe and succour in this life Thirdly what greeuous temptations and domesticall afflictions remayne for the elect of God sometime to be winnowed withall in this life Fourthly what louely care and carefull loue Parents and Tutors ought to haue of the children committed to their charge as also what a charitable minde euery Christian ought to beare towards his afflicted neighbour Fiftly the triumphant victorie and healthfull rewarde wherewith our inuincible faith is crowned These thinges so excellent so comfortable and so worthy the learning I beseech you accept as friendly as they come from the ground of a kinde heart vnto yee The Euangelist aimeth at these two markes and hitteth them both in this discourse The one is a most euident proof of the deitie in Christ Iesus who with his very woord casteth out vnseene diuells and healeth her without applying any thing vnto her whom he neuer beheld The other is the inuincible faith of a weake woman greeuously afflicted since her conuersion to the true religion of God In these wordes which are vsed as an induction vnto this historie the holy-ghost seemeth orderly to obserue these three descriptions First the Chronographie or description of the time when this miracle was wrought Secondly the Topographie or description of the place where it was wrought Thirdly the Prosopographie or description of the person vpon whom it was wrought Our Sauiour Christ had been in the land of Gennezaret and thither came the Scribes Pharises and Elders of Ierusalem with a great multitude vnto him of purpose to cauell with him and to catch him or his Disciples in a snare But when he had roundly threatned them with the iudgements of God and soundly laid open vnto them the naturall filthinesse of their owne harts then saith the Euangelist Iesus went thence that is from Genezaret as appeareth and came into the coasts of Tire and Sidon Thus may we read that our Sauiour Iesus Christ was twice forced to depart and leaue their companie amongst whom he was working the will of his father once was from the Gaderenes and that was because of Mark 5. 17. their Couetousnes for they feared the loosing of their Swine An other was in this place from the learned of Ierusalem because of the contempt hardnes of their harts so that these two things will enforce Christ Iesus to depart from our companie and to leaue our coasts Couetousnes Contempt the one sauoureth too much of grosse Idolatrie and the other smelleth of prophane Atheisme Two things which the Lord abhorreth Therefore he saith for his wicked couetousnes I am angry with him I Esay 57. 17 haue hid my selfe am gone away And of the three caueats in the gospell which our Sauiour Christ hath Luke 12 15. giuen vnto vs this is one Take heed and beware of Couetousnes for though a man haue abundance yet his life or safetie standeth not in his riches Hereuppon dooth the Authour Hebr. 13. 5. of the Epistle to the Hebrewes exhort all Christians that their conuersation be without Couetousnes desiring them to be content with that they haue for saith he the Lord hath said Non deseram neque destituam I will not faile thee nor forsake thee The Lion they say cannot endure the sauour of an hogge but whether it be so or no this I am sure of The victorious Lion of the tribe of Iuda cannot abide the smell of Couetousnes The other thing that driues Christ Iesus our Sauiour out of our companie and Countrie is contempt hardnes of heart which is alwaies the fore-runner of confusion And of all kind of people there are none so much taxed with this fault as Pharises Lawyers and Hypocrites of whom the holy ghost saith They despised the counsel of God against Luk. 7. 30. them selues But to meet with the contemptuous despisers the Lord enacted a very good statute that is this He that blasphemeth the Lord or speaketh presumptuously or coÌ„temptuously Numb 15. 31 of his holy word whether he be borne in the land or a stranger he shall die the death The reason is added
because he despised the word of the Lord Therefore doth the Apostle S. Paul exhort the Thessalonians neither to despise prophecying 1. Thess 4. 8. nor the Prophet for saith he he that despiseth these things despiseth not man but God and in this respect our Sauior Christ warranteth the departure of his Disciples Math. 10. 14 from that place and from that people which neither reuerently receiue them nor regard their words protesting it shall be easier for the land of Sodom and Gomorra in the day of iudgement then for that place and people Thus you see what driueth Christ Iesus our Lord out of our companie coasts and ye know when the Prince remoueth all the honour of the court departeth with him So when our Sauiour Christ departeth from vs all his graces and heauenly blessings take their fare-well of vs for when the Lord departeth from Saul by and by an euill spirit 1. Samu. 16. 14. possesseth vexeth him As when the Sun is fallen from our Horizon darknes couereth the face of the whole earth Our conclusion is let vs detest Couetousnes and beware of contempt for where these two infectious plagues are nourished our Lord Iesus Christ cannot abide to stay within their noysome sauours Now followeth the second description of the place wherunto our Lord Iesus went He departed into the coasts of Tirus and Sidon These two Cities were great sea townes or markets of exchange mightilie frequented rich and populous yea and famous to the verie dayes of S. Ierome they were scituated in the region of Phoenitia bordering vpon the vttermost parts of Palestine determining Iosua 19. 28. 29. the boundes of the try be of Ashur southward Into these coasts that is into the borders or suburbes of these cities came Christ Iesus at this time But it may be asked wherfore our Sauiour should goe to this place Obiectio whereas he had heretofore charged his Disciples not to go into the way Matth. 10. 5 of the Gentiles neither to enter into the Citie of the Samaritans It may be answered First it was Responsio not a fit season for them as yet to vndertake so great a labour but vnto him now was the hower and fulnes of the season come to do his fathers will for now when he saw this region began to be white vnto the Iohn 4. 35. haruest therfore was the sickle to be thrust in Againe he would not haue them to go into the way of the Gentiles to preach or to bring vnto them the glad tydings of the Gospell Neither doth he come hither at this time to that purpose but as Saint Marke hath it he came to be alone Mark 7. 24. neither would he that any man should haue knowen of his comming But there are two speciall reasons to be giuen which moued our Sauiour to go to this place The one is saith S. Chrysost Palam aperta The other is secreta incognita The one is plainely to be gathered which was to refresh and ease himselfe after his wearisome labors amongst the Iewes for this cause he entred into a priuate house in the Suburbs to be obscure for a season in a place where he was not knowen prefiguring thereby in a mysterie the ruinous fall of the synagog and the beautifull erection of the church of God amongst the Gentiles But if this weake body wherewith our sauior Christ was clothed had neede of the refreshing of his tyred members what vnnaturall men are they that will not alowe to his ministers men of as weak constitution as our sauiour Christ was their christian recreation The Apostle saint Paule as hee chargeth vs to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 labourers so also he woulde haue vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 louers of our labours but he that is tired like an horse in the mill or an oxe in the plough cannot long loue his labours and then woe be to him that dooth the worke of the Lorde Ierem. 48. vers 10. negligently Our conclusion is It is both godly and lawfull for the minister of the Gospell when hee feeleth himselfe weary in his holy labours to refresh himselfe with some christian recreation so it be doone according to our Sauiours example in this place discreetely The other reason which moued our Sauiour at that time to come to these coasts was vnknowen to the world but well knowne to him before whom the extreame minute of the last houre is present and that was to bring to light to the publike view of the whole worlde the wonderfull faith that was in this weake woman so rudely so idolatrously and so ignorantly brought vp and yet nowe in the first fruites of her knowledge so vehemently so religiously and so learnedly conflicting with Christ Iesus Wherefore as Elias had a hartier welcome of the poore widdow of Zareptah then of 1. Reg. 17. Ahab and all his counsellors so are the mercies of our sauior Christ more magnified by this miserable woman than by all the Rabbies of the Iews for such is the blessed virgines Luk. 1. 53. song He hath filled the hungry with good things and the rich he hath sent emptie away But let vs therein considder the wonderful secret of Gods wisedom whilest our Lord Iesus Christ walked openly in the land of Iewrie amongest the peculiar people vnto whome hee was specially sent alluring all men vnto him hee findeth but few that regarde his proffered grace but so soone as hee steppes out of Iewry towarde the Gentiles desiring not to be knowen behold how quickely he is found out and his louing kindenesse most thankefully receiued So falleth it foorth with vs euen in these dayes marke yee not howe the sweete secrets of Gods word are hidne from the wise Math. 11. 25. et ver 5. and prudent of this worlde And are reuealed vnto babes and sucklings and the poore very ioyfully and greedily receiue the gladde tidings of the Gospell such is the diuine wisedome pleasure and will of our heauenly Father to him bee glorie Amen ¶ Haec rerum capita in hoc Tractatu vt in reliquis in longiorem orationem dilata auditoribus applicata fuêre quae nunc de industria solummodo capitulata abbreuiata sunt Tractatus secundus Verse 22. And behold a woman a Canaanite came out of the same coastes and cryed saying WE are now come to the third description of the person vppon whome or for whose sake this same miracle was wrought In the which description wee haue orderly these foure poyntes to be examined First that the Euangelist sayeth she was a Woman Secondly a Cananite or a Cananitish woman Thirdly shee came out of the same coasts Fourthly she cryed saying c. But first in that the Holy-ghost vseth this watchwoorde Beholde which is a word of admiration and attention Wheresoeuer you meete with it throgh the whole Scriptures of God noting some rare and wonderfull matter well worthy the obseruation
which insueth as in that where the Prophet sayth Behold Esay 7. 14 a Virgin shall conceiue and bring forth her sonne And againe that which Saint Iohn Baptist saith Behold the Iohn 1. 2â— Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world c. in the rest Here then our Euangelist meaning to set downe a maruellous matter to deliuer a wondrous thing he saith Beholde Let vs then as we are warned by this watchword lift vp the eyes of our minde marke consider and beholde this woman A woman not such a one as was Sarah who laughed at the promises of God in the incredulitie Genes 18. 12 of her heart but such a one as hoped beyond all hope and beleeued contrary to the reason of beleefe A woman not such a one as was Iobs wife who when she sawe Iob 2. 9. her husband punished of the Lord she that should haue bin his comforter beginnes to be his confounder giuing him counsell to cursse God and die But such a one as seeing her daughter tormented of the Diuell runneth to GOD for helpe and with her importunate prayers neuer leaues him vntil she was released and eased A woman whereby we are giuen to learne the things which by nature are very weake God vseth by grace to make strong For Iacob Genes 32. 28 though hee halt in his thigh yet is hee made the Israel of God and it is most true which the Apostle testifieth of the Saints of God in elder time who of weake became Heb. 11. 34 very strong And Saint Paule had the experience thereof hee spake therfore that he had proued where he saith When I am weake then am 2. Cor. 10. 12 I strong Truly therfore and sweetly singeth Anna in her heauenly 1. Sam. 2 song the weake haue girded themselues with strength as in little Dauid weake Iudeth and lame Mephibosheth may be seene Our conclusion is with the apostle Gods strength is made perfect 2. Cor. 12. 9 in our weakenesse Lette vs learne then wee that are strong in faith to support them that are yet weak that they may gather strength in the Lord Iesus A Canaanite The second Marke 7. 26 point to be obserued in the description of this person S. Marke calleth her a Greeke which was a common name applied to all the Gentiles she is said also to be a Syrophenissian by nation which was the place of her dwelling Chananea is by interpretation commutata and truely euery soule that seeketh for help and succour of our Lord Iesus must be with this good woman one changed altered and metamorphosed turned from euill to good from vice to vertue from prophanenes to holines a right Canaanite Also some of the Fathers haue interpreted Syrophenissa to signifie profunde conuersa deepelie soundly one sincerely conuerted In this Syrophenissian we haue then a notable example of a true repentant sinner syncerely conuerted And by both these brands set vpon her we find she descended of the posteritie of Cham the father of Genes 9. 25 Canaan cursed by the Prophet Whereby we gather that which by nature is cursed by faith may be made blessed sanctified and saued For though the waters of Marah Exod. 15. 25. were by nature bitter yet through Moses prayers by grace from aboue they became sweet and healthfull By this was Rahab the common harlot of Iericho sanctified and saued Ioshua 6. 22 And through this our Sauior Christ saith that many lewd Publicans and vile sinners shall enter into Math. 21. 32. the kingdome of God The Apostle saith we are all by nature the children of wrath as well as others Ephes 2 but by faith in Christ Iesus our Lord we are seasoned and sweetned with the sauour of eternall life Came out of the same coasts This is the third point to be obserued in this description Wherein we are giuen First to learne that God hath his elect some times amongst the reprobates in Tire and Sidon for Reuel 2. 13 the Lord saith to his Church of Pergamus that she dwelleth euen where Sathans throne is As the Arke of God was sometime in the temple of Dagon for good wheat growes in 1. Sam. 5 the middest of tares and sometime sweet roses spring sprout vp from a bank of stinging and stincking nettles Did not righteous Lot dwel in Sodom the sinke of sinne Ioseph in Egypt and Daniel in Babylon but to touch pitch and not to be defiled with all to liue in the midst of a naughtie and crooked nation and to shine amongst them as brightsome lights Hic labor hoc opus this is praise worthy for a Monke to liue vertuous in a wildernesse or an Anchorist holie locked vp in a stone wall is not worth the wonder Secondly we are giuen to learne out of these words that they that will meete with our Sauiour Christ to their health and saluation must come out of their owne coasts they must leaue their old consort and company Abraham was commaunded Genes 12. 1 to come out of his countrie and from his kinred and from his fathers house to go into the land which the Lord should giue him And Moses must come out of Egypt Exod. 2. 1. before he come vnto the mountain of God Lot as loath as he is must leaue Genes 19. marke 5. 2 Sodom if he will be saued and the mad man possessed of the diuells must come out of the graues before he meeteth with Christ Iesus Let vs also labour to come out of our selues to leaue our old dwellings in sinne to forsake our naturall inclinations to flie from our owne desires to whom we are so neere allied that we may meete with Iesus our true Sauiour Phisitions vse three speciall reasons to perswade a sick man for the recouery of his health to remooue his dwelling The first is the grossnes of the aire but I assure you there is no aire so contagious to the bodie as sinne is infectious to the soule The second is the incommodious scituation of the place or house but there is no earthlie mansion which standeth so dangerous as that soule that liues in sinne The third is the vnkind neighbourhood about him but what neighbours may be so barbarous to the bodie as the diuell the enuious man is to the soule Our conclusion is for the recouerie of thy daughter that is of thy soules health allegoricallie come out of these coasts to meete with Christ Iesus Thirdly we are giuen to learne out of these wordes that there are three degrees or three profitable progresses to be made by them that haue truelie repented them of their sinnes and are conuerted vnto our Lord Iesus The first is with this good woman to come out The second is from her owne coastes The third is to crie out The first is the state of them which begin to repent The second is the state of them that haue repented The third is the
state of them which are still in the practize of repentance which because it is the perpetuall exercise of a Christian mans life let vs looke a little better into it And cried saying Here in the first place we are giuen to vnderstand that this Canaanitish woman had an excellent faith and confidence in our Lord Iesus for otherwise as the Apostle saith how can Rom. 10. 14. they call vpon him in whom they haue not belieued and how can they belieue in him of whom they haue not heard Doubtles therfore this good woman had grounded her faith vpon the generall promises of God granted vnto the whole world in the promised redeemer as this All nations in the world shall be blessed in him And againe he shal deliuer the poore when he crieth the needie also and him that hath no helper And againe he that putteth â—enes 12. 3. his trust in him shall neuer be Psal 72. 12 confounded These promises had Esay 28. she heard of which she knew did specially belong vnto the Messiah and thus she applied them to her selfe If all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him then are not we Cananits excluded from this blessing And if he shall heare the poore that crie vnto him then will he heare me so poore and helplesse a creature as I am And forasmuch as whosoeuer putteth his trust in him shall not be confounded then shall not I be disappointed of my hope for I haue reposed my whole confidence in him Our conclusion is that we thus learne to edifie and build vp our most holy faith that she being founded and grounded vpon this rocke may be able to stand fast and endure all the tempestuous stormes of 1. Pet. 1. 7. temptation that the triall of our faith which is much more precious then gold may be found vnto our praise honour and glorie at the appearing of our Lord Iesus The second thing giuen vs to learne is the vehemencie of her speech expressed by this word cryed for a strong faith sendeth forth earnest requests as a feeble faith maketh faint praiers for great miseries and perplexities will force forth great out cries Hence was it that Moses when he with the people of Exod. 14. 15. Israell was driuen to such an exigent at the red Sea hauing the mountaines on each side of them their enemies behind them and the deep before them ready to swallow them vp the Lord asketh him wherefore he doth so crie vnto him Euen so good Hannah a woman 1. Sam. 1. 15 troubled in her spirit in the perplexitie of her soule she calleth vpon the Lord and wept sore shee prayeth weeping and weepeth praying And what a continuall exercise doth the Prophet Dauid Psal 61. 6. make of this as himselfe testifieth euery night cause I my bed to swim in my teares and I water my couch with my weepings And our Sauiour affirmeth that his elect crie day Luk. 18. 7. and night vnto him Beloued when we pray thus crying and crie out in our prayers as Ezechias did chattering like a swallow and mourning like a doue Esay 28. 14. how gratiouslie the Lord accepteth of these our cries ye may perceiue by Marie Magdalen and Peter that wept bitterlie There are three kinds of praiers saith Bernard which neuer pierce the heauens Timida tepida temeraria oratio a fearfull one which fainteth and vanisheth like a vapour before the Sunne The second a luke warme praier which like a meteor is neither hote nor cold neither feruent nor fruitful and that is consumed ere it come to his centre The third is a rash prayer which furiously ascendeth like a gun-shote into the aire but it falleth downe againe not onely doing no good but much harme and these kind of praiers cannot preuaile with the Almightie but that which is fidelis humilis et feruens faithfull humble and feruent out of doubt it neuer returneth from the throne of God emptie to our hungrie soules Here me thinkes I might frame this argument that prayer which is without feruencie feeling is no praier with vnderstanding And what prayer soeuer is without vnderstanding is no prayer in the spirit and the prayer which is not in the spirit is not acceptable before God Therfore the prayer which is without feruencie and feeling is not accepted of God Will ye then know the reason why ye pray so much and preuaile not ye aske so often and Iames 4. 3 receiue not S. Iames giues it because saith he ye aske amisse For indeed we neither aske in the same maner nor in the same measure as we ought to do In the same maner so faithfullie in the same measure so feruentlie pouring out our soules like water into the Lords bosome as it becommeth vs. Our conclusion is before thou praiest prepare thine hart and soule therunto as the Preacher counselleth thee And when thou praiest be not faint harted in thy prayers but continue in prayer and watch therunto with all dilligence and be thou assured as the Angell said to old Tobias so will the Lord say Tob 12. 14 vnto thy soule thy prayer and thy teares are accepted and thou hast found fauour grace in his sight Lastly this her crie our Euangelist noteth to be vocall in this word saying There is indeed an internall crie of the soule which the Lord highlie delighteth in as was that which good Anna had when she was supposed 1. Sam. 2. dronk but not with the bloud of the grape but with the wine of true deuotion And so saith a Father In Dei auribus desiderium vehemens magnus est clamor A vehement desire is a great crie in the eares of God according to the old adage Non vox sed votum And this kind of speaking though the Lord regardeth as he did Ezechias chattering yet is not the labour of the lippes exempted for the Lord that made both the tongue and the spirit lookes for a tribute to bee paid to him from them both and for this cause is it that the Lord openeth thy lippes because thy mouth may shew forth his praise He then that spareth the trauell of his tongue because he hath lifted vp his hart vnto God he hath broken the common order of Gods seruice and the Apostolicall rule in the order of the primitiue Church which was this that at all our prayers and giuing of thanks the vnlearned should say Amen Tractatus tertius Verse 22. Haue mercy vpon me O Lord thou Sonne of Dauid WEe are now come and proceeded to the words of this crie wherin the reason and likewise the cause of her crie is discouered her crie is a prayer and her prayer is an outcrie So that the first godlie practise of this good womans faith was a vehement and forcible prayer And if ye aske me what is the continuall exercise of a Christian mans life I answere prayer for what should he els do but as the
from the testimonie of the diuell who is an vnanswerable witnesse against all their soules that haue sought to him for their succour Our conclusion is in this case he that seeketh for any succour and hee that helpeth by any extraordinarie diuellish meanes to succour any man in his troubles they are both flat Apostatas from the sound faith of our Lord Iesus Christ The second point to be followed is that this seelie woman so weak by nature so base by birth so rude by education brought vp in the midst of an Idolatrous generation should notwithstanding thus crie out vpon a nature aboue all natures yea vppon two natures in one person a perfect God for euer Well said the Oratour there is no nation so barbarous that is not seasoned with the sauour of some god this is that Natura naturans nature her selfe which nurtureth and nuzleth vs in this opinion If there were no other helpes to proue the eternall deitie Yet there is a hellish broode of Atheists proude in their own wits who suffocating all light of nature light of the creatures and the glorious light of the Scriptures dare denie the manifest incomprehensible maiestie of our euer-lyuing God Did the Athenians banish Protagoras because he set out a book doubting whether there were any Gods and may any Christian common wealth honour them that deride the blessed Trinitie These hell hounds should be answered with arguments of bloud which we dailie pray for In the meane time cursed be they with the great curse of death and may it cleaue to them and al their fauorites for euer if they repent not that maintaine so foule a blasphemie The third point to be followed is that this good woman in this her prayer giueth vnto our Lord Iesus the true titles both of his Godhead and of his Manhood for she calleth him her Lord and the sonne of Dauid In that she acknowledgeth him her Lord she belieueth his deitie And in calling him the sonne of Dauid she approueth his humanitie This Lord is the gratious beginning the defensing continuing and finall ending of all creatures This Lord hath a name not to be named a name aboue all names the Lord strong and mightie the Lord of hostes the Lord our light and our saluation our glorie our tower our refuge and our protection for euermore And as he is the Lord euen the the God of our fore-fathers so is he also the sonne of Dauid a man made of our seed lineally descended from the loynes of Iesse a branch of the same bough a twig of the same tree but a righteous not a rotten branch and therefore is there more in him then in all the sonnes of men the posteritie of Adam Our conclusion is Let vs with both eyes behold faithfullie in all our prayers these two natures in one person Christ Iesus his Lordship wherin his might his manhood wherin his mercie may be extended towards vs that so his mercifull might and his might full of mercie may gratiouslie accept of our petitions and gratious requests Amen Tractatus Quartus Verse 22. My daughter is pitteously tormented with a Diuell THIS is the first assault giuen to this good VVomans Faith which is expressed in a most tragicall complaint euery woorde hauing his weight of sorrow Therefore wee will the deeper looke into the greeuousnesse of this temptation by these foure circumstaunces considered therein First that her Daughter Secondly is tormented Thirdly pitteously or greeuously Fourthly by the Diuell In that she complaineth that her daughter a colop of her owne flesh her deare childe weake by nature because a woman fearefull by kind because a maide and as neere to her as the skinne of her browes because her owne daughter Thus wee might stay a while to aggrauate the greeuousnesse of this temptation but it seemeth that this woman was no sooner conuerted to the true religion of the God of Israel but the diuell by and by assaulteth her daughter shee findes him not onely in her owne house in her owne mind in her heart and in her concupiscence but in her owne limbes and in her owne bowelles This was a weary welcom at the first vnto this true religion Shee might very well haue imagined 〈…〉 either this not to be the true religion of God which bringeth such a sowre taste with it at the first rellish or else God regardeth not them who in the trueth of his religion worship him because he suffereth the professors thereof to bee so greeuously tormented But it is vsuall with the Israel of God no sooner to set forward toward the land of Promise according to Gods appoyntment but they shall finde infinite troubles vexations and hinderances in their iorney Man and the Diuell on euery side rising vp against them For in this case the Diuel is like a wilde Tygre robbed of her whelpes raging furiously So we find in the Parable of the Luk. 11. â—4 vncleane spirit cast out of the man he taketh no rest vntill if it be possible he hath made his reentry that the end of that man may be woorse than the beginning And this is that Math. 10. 34. sword which our Sauiour saith he is come to bring into this world Whilest Dauid is at home with his father all is wel with him but when he comes to the battell and specially when hee settes forwarde to fight with Goliah his owne brethren become 1. Samu. 17 his heauie hatefull enemies Our conclusion is happy is hee who through the greeuousnesse of these temptations fastening vpon him whilest hee is yet but as a greene blade in the first spring is not so offended heerewith that hee falleth quite away from the truth of his profession Chrysostome supposeth this childe to haue beene her onely daughter and therefore the temptation was so much the more greeuous for if a man hath but one pretious Iewell which he esteemeth aboue all his riches in the world to loose that or to be robbed of it it were an exceeding griefe to him but to bee dispossessed of it by his greatest ennemy who in despite of him makes a spoyle of it before his face this is a most intollerable iniury When Abraham hath but one Genes 22. sonne the onely hope of the Promise and yet he must sacrifice him this toucheth to the quick and runneth very neare the heart vna salus victis But this womans case by many degrees is more miserable then was Abrahams for he hath an other sonne an Ismael this hath no childe but her onely daughter himselfe sacrificeth his childe The Diuell butchereth her childe He knoweth heerein he pleaseth God shee knoweth that neyther God nor Man is pleased in this deede And yet these bitter pilles and vnsauory sawces are sometimes most wholesome for our crazed soules For Physitions holde there is no surffet more perillous then that which is taken of too much honnie Therefore the dungeon in Babylon 2. Reg. 21. was lesse daungerous to Manasses
then the throne of Iuda And it is good for me sayth Dauid that I Psalme 119 haue beene in trouble for nowe I haue learned to keepe thy law Camamile wel trode vppon groweth the thicker and spices well pownded smel the sweeter Our conclusion is hard aduersitie is for the most part more profitable for the children of God then faire prosperitie can be The second poynt is that her daughter is tormented for so tender a childe to haue been possessed had beene a grieuous thing but to be tormented is most wretched The Greeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is very significatiue not as some translate it but not so aptly furiata est but à daemonio agitatur which was indeede malum praeter naturam for this is such a disease qui phisicè curari non potest she was torne harried and peece-meale perplexed by the diuell as the good mans sonne was whome the diuel wheresoeuer Marke 9. 18. he tooke caused him to teare hymselfe and to foame at the mouth gnashing his teeth and pining away Herein we note the furious might of the diuel for he had a threefolde power ouer this poore maiden The first was to enter into her and possesse her the second was in possessing to torment her the third was miserably pitteously and greeuously to do it And this power is granted of God vnto this common ennemy of mankinde because of our sinne for as wee did willingly and wilfully cast away our louing obedience vnto God so pari metria by the like proportion of iustice it is reason that Saul rule ouer them 1. Sam. 9. that call for him to be their King And this permitted power of his hee dooth sometimes exercise but as Gods executioner euen vpon them that are neare and deare vn to their louing and beloued God which hee dooth eyther inuisibly in their mindes or visibly vppon their bodies In their mindes three manner of wayes either abusing their incredulitie as he did in Thomas Or secondly Iohn 20. 18. in drawing it into despayre as he did in Cain or blinding or besotting Genes 4. 3. their vnderstanding so that they cannot conceiue that they haue heard and read of heauenly matters as hee did the Apostles in mistaking our Sauiours speach of Leauen Luke 12. 6 and Saint Peter speaketh of many 2. Pet. 3. 16 that so peruerted S. Paules Epistles vnto their own perdition Or thirdly confounding their memorie so that they haue quite and cleane forgotten what admonishment and forewarnings they haue had by the Holy-ghost as the Prophet that had forgotten the commandement 1. Reg. 13. to returne fasting after his message And Peter had forgotten Iohn 13. 38 the watch-word of the cocke crow The Diuell doth also execute his power sometime vpon the bodies of the Saints and children of God visiblie and sensiblie smiting them as he did that holie man of god Iob. Yea and he feared not to set vpon th' immaculate bodie of our Lord Math 4. 8. Iesus Christ carrying him from the wildernes to the tops of the high mountaines and from the mountaines to the citie and from the citie to the pinacle of the Temple c. So that I am easilie drawne into this opinion Omne sublunare euerie elementarie bodie vnder the Moone is maruellouslie captiuated to this permissiue power And this hath our Lord GOD graunted vnto him in his wisdome Foure notable reasons iustlie vrging him thereunto First because he doth thus manifest vnto the view of all the world that all the sort of vs are guiltie of sinne and haue deserued by our offences against his supreme maiestie not onelie to be possessed but also thus to be tormented by the executioner of his will For as the Lord saith to the Prophet concerning 1. Sam. 9. the house of Israell they haue not cast thee away but they haue cast me away that I should not raigne ouer them Therefore did he giue them one in his wrath to rule ouer them and they did feele the smart of his tyrannous dominion The second reason is because hee will by this meanes openly humble vs and bring vs downe bruzing the pride of our hartes abating and abashing the malitious imaginations of our high mindes Thus did he hamper and throw downe the mightie Monarche of Babilon Nabuchadnezar And thus Dan. 9. did he bring him to the knowledge of him selfe to sit at Iesus feet that was possessed with the Legion Marke 8. The third reason is that thus he might make all the endes of the world to feare him and to walke before him in a reuerent regard of his diuine power in holines and righteousnes all the dayes of their life For as yong Tobias when he Tob. 7. vnderstood that seauen of his predecessours had been successiuelie strangled in their wedding bed therfore did he with the more dutifull deuotion by his holie prayers sanctifie the same wherby the feind fayled in his force and was put to slight So whosoeuer he is that followeth the rule of the Gospell to watch and pray least he fall into temptation he shal escape the snares of this great hunter and the grins of this crafty fowler so that they shall not fasten vppon him The fourth reason is that thus the Lord openly executing his fearfull iudgements all the Atheists and profane Epicures of the earth may knowe themselues to be but menne and whatsoeuer may befall a man that also may fasten and light vpon them for as they palpablie see such a one who is very lamentably tormented not with any naturall mallady whereof there may be giuen a reason a remedy by phisick vnto the party so perplexed for his ease but extraordinarily by som supreme power furiously oppressed so may they bee enforced to confesse the same danger is neere vnto them also for they are of the same mettall and moulde of the same forme and fashion like vnto other men For the Diuel feared not Saul because he was a King for to the mightie remaine mighty punishments And if there were no other reason mee thinkes this might serue to conuince their consciences in the confessing of God because by their experience they haue found there is a Diuell the executioner of mischiefe vpon the sonnes of men Doubtles then there is his contrary who is God shewing mercy and compassion towards them that feare him Our conclusion is Be the power and might of the Diuell neuer so extreame and his tortures neuer so intollerable yet whosoeuer hee is that abideth in the shaddowe of the Almightie hee that hath made the Lord his hope his fortresse and his trust he shal be deliuered from this noysome euill The Lord shall couer him vnder his wings he shall Psal 81. be sure vnder his feathers his faithfulnesse and trueth shal be his shield and buckler so that he shall not be afraide of the feare of the night nor of the arrow that flieth by day hee shal cal vpon