Sermons Upon all the Sunday Gospels, Sermon 25
The seconde sondaye in Lent. ¶The Gospell. Math. xv.
IEsus wente thence and departed into the coastes of Tyre and Sydon: And behold, a woman of Canaan (whiche came out of the same coastes) cryed vntounto hym, saying: hauehave mercy on me, O Lorde, thou sonne of Dauid: My daughter is piteously vexede with a Deuyll. But he aunswered her nothinge at all. And his Disciples came and besought him, sayinge: Sende her away, for shee cryethe after vsus. But he aunswered and sayd: I am not sente but to the loste sheepe of the house of Israell. Then came she and worshipped hym, saying: Lorde helpe me. He aunswered and sayde: it is not meete to take the chyldrens bread and caste it to dogges. She answered and said: Truth Lorde, for the dogges eate of the ccummes whiche fal from their masters table. Then Iesus aunswerede, and sayde vntounto her: O woman, great is thy faith, be it vntounto thee euen as thou wylt. And her daughter was made whole euen the same tyme.
THE EXPOSITION.
The dignitie and excellēcie of this gospelNOtable and of great dignitie is the Gospell of this present Sondaye. For it treateth not of chyldysh and trifling matters, …ut of moste graue and weightie thyngs, as of the battail or conflict of Faith, and of the agonie of death before God: wherin we learne, that nothing ought to fray vsus, and to pluck vsus away from callyng and crauyng of God, although God him selfe seme vtterly to contemne and despise both vsus and our prayers,The deuyl is moste buly at the hower of dea…h. as they that lye at the poynte of deathe hauehave experience of this matter. For at that tyme the deuyll laboreth to the vttermoste of his power, to persuade vsus, & to bryng vsus into this opinion, yt God neyther beholdeth vsus, regardeth vsus, or heareth vsus. And this is such a miserie, as excedeth all mans capacitie, namely when the most horrible and dreadfull cloudes of Gods anger doo shadowe the sonne of Gods grace and fauour, and vtterly remoue it out of sight. Suche conflict or batail is described and sette foorth vntounto vsus in this our Gospel, concernynge this woman,The woman of Cananee diuersly tem…ted. whiche commeth vntounto Christ to entreat for her daughter. For not onelyonly the reason, but also all other circumstances are so euyll, that none can be worse. For first of all,1. She is a Cananite. the woman is a Cananite, and an hethen creature, which thyng doth greatly hinder her cause, forasmuch as she is not of the kynrede and stocke of Abraham, and so hath she no right to aske any thyng of Christ, because she is a stranger. This one thyng is of such force, that it might easily take away from her all hope to obteyn any thyng at the hand of Christe.Math. 10. What should an heathenyshe woman obteyne of a Iewe, yea and of suche one, as is sente vntounto the Iewes? If suche a blocke were layde in our waye, it woulde surely take awaye from vsus all hope to pray. Neyther maye we thynke it to be a matter of lyttell purpose, when our conscience answereth vsus: Thou arte nor of that number that oughte to praye. Thou belongest not vntounto Christ. Let Peter, Paule. &c. praye, whiche maye laufully doo it.A greuous stomblynge blocke. Thou haste nought to doo with this matter. GOD wyll neuer heare thee: thou arte a synner, thou hast no fayth, and peraduenture thou art not of the number of Gods elect and chosen people. Thou arte no mete man to take so great a matter in hande, nor to stande before God, and to aske any thynge of God. If suche thyngs ones enter into a mans hert, it is an easy thing for the dyuell to cast hym into desperation. For this is a tormēt passyng al torments. But what is to be done in so great daunger, we must learne by the example of this woman, and see how she behaued her self in this so great and myghty conflict. Headlong and without any consideration,Faith obteyneth al thynges of Christ that she was a Gentile, and Christ a Iewe, (so blynde was shee in her mynde) she commeth boldly vntounto CHRISTE, fearyng nothynge that myght be a lette or hindrance vntounto her. Only her faythe that she had in Christ, was so greate, that she doubted nothynge at all, but that he wolde healpe her. And wyth thys Faythe shee ouercame not onelyonly her Gentilitie, but also whatsoeuer otherwyse myght be a lette or hyndraunce vntounto her. Any other not hauing this Fayth coulde neuer hauehave doone this, but woulde hauehave thoughte on thys maner: Thou haste none accesse vntounto this holy man. Thou shalt pray in vayn, for as muche as thou art a synner. Hys people maye pray vntounto hym, as for straungers they hauehave no right so to doo. For he that beleueth not, can not praye. But all these thynges can moue this woman nothyng at all. Shee reasoneth not on thys manner with her selfe. Thou belongest not vntounto thys famylye and common wealthe. Thou arte an Heathen, vtterlye banyshed out of the felowshyp and company of the Iewes, yea and suche one as is not worthy to treade vponupon Gods ground. This is an hard and perillous tentation, whē the deuill putteth vsus in mynd, and sayth on this wise vntounto vsus: What meanest thou thus to pray? Pray neuer so muche, yet arte thou myne. Leaue therefore to pray, & curse God. For do what thou wilt, thou shalte neuer be saued. All hope of saluation is vtterly barred from thee: Such thoughtes and imaginations wold easily take away from them that are but yonglynges and vnexercised souldiors in Christs campe,Why this historie is sette foorth. all hope & confidence of praying, yea and throw them into desperation, and finally into damnation. Therfore for our sake, for our consolation and comfort is this storye set foorth, that it may be a bulwark vntounto vsus against these fyry dartes of Sathan: Thou arte no christian. Thy prayers are to no purpose. Leaue of, and geue ouer. Take heede thou bee not perswaded by these subtile suggestions of most subtile Sathan: but rather answere on this maner: What soeuer I am, I care not. For although I be neuer so euyll, yet is Christe good and rightuous, neyther ceaseth he thorow my wickednes to be righteous and mercyfull.All thynges must be asked of God alone for Christes sake. I wyl therfore cal vponupon hym wyth a stronge and stoute faythe, and not admytte any thynge that shoulde be a le…te vntounto me. There is nowe no tyme to dispute of Predestination This woman prayed, and regarded not her gentilitie: What should hynder me, but that I may also pray for suche thyngs as I hauehave nede of? And of whom shold I aske these thynges but of God alone in heauen for Christes sake his sonne, and my Sauiour? This is an hard & greuous conflict, & meruailous to be found in a Cananite, which was an heathen woman. Now saith the story, that she cried: Oh Lord,2 Christ answereth nothing. thou sonne of Dauid hauehave mercy on me. This is an humble and right worthy maner of praying, precedyng from an earnest and feruent faith. For in this her praier she maketh a noble confession of her faith concerning Christ, yt he is the promysed Messias and sauior of the world, which should come, being born of ye sede of Dauid. Of this his office she putteth him in remēbrāce, & openeth her nede vntounto him, saying my daughter is miserably vexed of a diuel This her crye Christe well heareth, and yet he answereth not a worde. Thys is an other greuous temptation. For she feleth God to be suche one towarde her, euen as she her selfe is, that is to say, a stranger. For she was an Ethnicke, and vtterly estranged from the common weale of Israel, and therfore pertained there vntounto her none inheritance, neither could she claym any fruite of Gods gift and liberalitie. For this cause whē she foloweth Christ, and maketh intercession vntounto him he speaketh nothyng at all, as though she pertained no thynge vntounto hym. The strongest that are, might hauehave ben dismayd by these two blocks that were cast in her way. For howe coulde she otherwise then thinke with her self, that what soeuer she had heard of Christ, and of his gentlenes toward all people, yt came vntounto hym, was nothinge els then mere vanitie and vtterly false. As though she should say: Is this the man, that hathe ben so commended vntounto me, that he is mercyfull, and at all tymes ready both to heare and to helpe so many as come vntounto hym? But as farre as I see and proue, he heareth whome he wyll heare,We must continually prayr and not cease▪ and when he wyll, and not when we hauehave nede of his helpe. Yet for all this, the poore woman suffereth not her selfe to falle from all hope, but remayneth styll constant and stedfast in callyng on Christ, in so muche that the disciples of Christ were euen weary of her continual crying, in so muche that for the dispatche of her, they spake vntounto Christ, so that there appered in them a greater clemencie and a more mercye towarde the woman, then in Christ. Neyther semed they to commende in hym this hardnesse, inhumanitie, and vngentlenes, and therfore thei make intercession vntounto Christ for her. Oh Lorde, (say they) Graunt this woman her request, and sende her awaye. For otherwise she wyll neuer make an end of crying.
This is a notable exāple to declare, that we ought not to cease from praier, but diligently continue in the same, tyll we hauehave obteined our desyre. Taulerus writeth in a certayne place, that we must sometyme geue ouer prayer. But men ought not so to teache. For the geuyng ouer of prayer commeth soon inough, yea and to soon, euen of it owne accorde. We ought rather to styre vp our affections vntounto prayer. And this example testifieth sufficiently, that we ought by no meanes to geue ouer prayer, but to go forthe and continue in the same, and to say with the woman:Note and practise. It is no time now to dispute whether I be good or badde, worthy or vnwoorthye. I hauehave no leysure to consyder these thynges: I hauehave a greater and more necessarye matter in hande. My daughter is greuousely vexed of a deuyl: Here hauehave I nede of counsayle and of healpe. Where suche a feruente desyre of the mynde is, there are all stoppes and hynderaunces soone dispatched and put out of the waye.
But nowe commeth the thirde stomblynge blocke,3 Christ denyeth to helpe. torment or grief, when Christ saith vntounto her: I am not sent but vntounto the lost shepe of the house of Israel. And thus he reiecteth and casteth away the intercession of the disciples: neyther the woman, nor other that labor for her. will he ones heare. Thys myght hauehave ben vntounto her a sure token, that Christ was of an hard mynd, and would by no meanes be entreated, seyng he wold not heare other, whyche beyng not desyred on her behalfe: made notwithstanding intercession for her. And truthe it is, Christ in all the Euangelicall storie, is not sette foorth to be so hard and vngentyl to any person,The constancy of this woman. as vntounto this poore woman. Notwithstandynge the woman geueth not ouer her suite, neyther is she dismayde, but still stoutly goth she forward with her purpose. Being now thrise most greuously strikē, yet as a noble warriour, that hath so many tymes ben assaulted, she cometh more stoutely vntounto the battaile. And nowe when her alone crying, and the intercessions of other profited nothing (she as Mark saith) entred into the house,Marc. 7. whether Christ repaired. With her importunitie she may seme to bewray her impudencye & vnshamfastnes. In the strete she crieth out vponupon Christ: now that Christ hath gotten him into an house for to auoide her importune suite, she entreth into the house with him, and cōtinueth her sute, falling down before him.Continue in prayer. And this is writtē yt we may know, how greatly this pleaseth Christ, whē a praier so oftentimes denied is notwithstanding still continued, & wil by no means receaue any repulse,4 Christ recoū teth the woman as a dog. or be sayd nay. And yet can not yt thyng be obteined of hym, that is requested. For heare what he aunswereth the woman: It is not good, to take the bread of children, and to giuegive it vntounto dogges. I at suche an answer wold hauehave ben so dismayd, that I would hauehave thought verily, there had bene no more hope of helpe to be loked for at his hand. For this is a wonderfull hard answer, whē she is so cast away, that not only she hath no place among the children, and is counted an Ethnike, but also moste spitefully is called a dogge. That is much harder, then if so be she had ben called an heathen or Pagan. And this is as muche as though he should hauehave sayd: Thou art vtterly estranged from the kyngdom of God, neither hast thou any portion therin. Therfore get thee hense. The matters yt are here in hand, belong nothyng vntounto thee. This is a tentation passynge all tentations. If Peter or Paule had spoken suche a word vntounto me, they should vtterly hauehave dashed me out of countenance. What shall we then thynke of these wordes,Faith is before God a thyng most exc…llent. that Christ himself spake to this simple poore woman? Therfore is this a notable example to consider, wherin we may euidently see, what a great thyng Faith is. For Fayth (euen when CHRIST is moste angrye) taketh Christes wordes vntounto the beste, and turneth them vntounto her owne commoditie, makyng them of angry woordes, moste comfortable wordes. She denieth not the wordes of Christ, but graunteth them to be trewe. Thou (sayth she) callest me dogge. I grant I am a dogge:Faithe interpreteth all thyngs to the best. neither doo I desire to be in better case then dogges are. Let the children hauehave those thinges that are most fyne, plesant and daintie: OnelyOnly lette me hauehave the crummes that fall frome the table, and are not regarded of the children. This shall right well suffise me. Here snareth she Christ in his owne woordes. And by this meanes commeth it so to passe, that she whyche dydde humble her selfe to be compared vntounto dogges, is nowe receaued of Christe amonge the children.
This is a most singular and notable example, sette foorthe vntounto vsus, to declare, that we ought to be, not waueryng, but constant in Faythe,Iohn. 1.and continually to call vponupon, yea, as I may so speake, euen make wearye Christ with oure prayers, and not to leaue of, tyll we hauehave obteined oure desire. Lette vsus be moued nothinge at all with the contumelious and reprochefull woordes of Dogges, Ethnyckes, Paynymes. &c. For dogges are not wythoute maysters, neyther are they wythout theyr meate. And the Heathen also hauehave a GOD. Roma. 3.With thys harde holde and stronge fayth of the woman,By fayth and prayer Christ is ouercome. is the Lorde Christe taken, and ouercome, so that he aunswereth and saythe: O woman, haste thou so muche strengthe in thee to resyste suche, so many, and so great tentations? Uerily, great is thy faythe. Be it vntounto thee, accordyng to thy desyre and faithe. For it semed vntounto hym a rare thynge, and seldome founde in any other. As touchyng the Iewes, he knewe ryght welle, that they were offended streyght wayes, euen with one worde, when he sayd that they must eate his fleshe, or els they could not be saued.…ohn. 6. But thys woman, not withstandyng all these vnkynd wordes and ouerthwart answers of Christ, continued styll in her promyse, nothyng doubtyng, but surely beleuyng, that at the last she should obteyn her desyre.Why Christe shewed himself so hard to the woman. But one thyng is not here to be passed ouer, I meane, the cause, why Christ shewed him selfe so hard to this woman. Ueryly not to the end that he would not healpe her, nor graunt her her requeste, but that by this meanes, the womans fayth myght be proued, and sette foorth vntounto other for an example: and that the Iewes, whych were chyldern and heyres, myght learne of thys Cananite, whyche was no heyre, howe they shoulde beleue in CHRISTE, and repose all theyr affiaunce, confydence, and truste in hym. For thys is the thynge that Christe requyrethe, wherein also hee chiefly delyghteth. Therefore hauynge triall of thys womans faythe, he coulde no longer hyde and kepe secrete hys mercy and louyng kyndnes from her, but sayde: Go thy way. Bee it vntounto thee accordyng to thy desyre. And by this meanes he makethe not only her daughter whole, but he also of his owne free will promiseth moreouer,Faithe obteyneth all thynges of God. to geue vntounto her, what so euer shee wille or desire, yea and geuethe vntounto her also the dignitie and right of the sede of Abraham.Perseuerāce in prayer. And all these thynges are brought to passe thorough faith, so yt now she is become the daughter of Abrahā, & an holy womā. And herof may we lern, that though God somtyme when we pray vntounto hym, do make delay in grauntyng vsus our desyres, yet we should not be weary, but continue still in prayer, faythfully beleuing that he wyll at the laste graunt vsus our requestes, and abundantlye satisfie our desyres. For although he seemeth sometyme by outwarde apparance, to neglect, not to respecte nor regard our prayers, yet in his heart he beareth alwayes an heartie good wyll toward vsus, whiche in his tyme he wyll openly declare, and bryng all thynges vntounto good effecte, so that we cease not to pray vntounto him, nor geue ouer our suite: as we may se not onelyonly by the example of this woman, but also of many other. Ioseph beyng in prison .xiii. yeres, cryed vntounto God for helpe. But the more he cried,Gen. 49. the worse wente it with hym. And soo goeth it nowe adayes with the Christians. When they hauehave long cryed and called vponupon God, they feele no reliefe or ease of their paynes at all, but the longer the worse, euen as it came to passe with Ioseph.God for tria… of our faythe sometyme deferreth his helpe. If God had sooner delyuered Ioseph, it had ben to the greate ioye and comforte of Iacob his father, but then shoulde the dignitie of Ioseph neuer hauehave ben so greatly beautified and auanced. His abode was longe in pryson: but it was abundantly recōpenced. For after this his so long emprisonmēt, he was made the myghtiest lord & greatest gouernour in all the lande of Egypte, nexte vntounto the king: Neyther do we rede in the holy scriptures, that any of a subiect & captiue, came vntounto higher dignitie, vnderunder hys prince, then Ioseph. Euen so …ouyngly and fauourably wyll God deale with vsus, although he heareth not streight waies our prayers,Gods promise is to be apprehended with strong and cō +stant faith. nor granteth vsus our requestes. Let vsus holde faste his promyse with a constant faithe. Lette vsus not waxe wearie of praying but stylle contynue in supplication and prayer, vntyll he hauehave mercy on vsus. For he wyll at the last vndoubtedly come, and perfourme his promyse. For thys hys worde must always abyde true: Whatsoeuer ye shall aske the Father in my name,Iohn. 16. he will geue it you. Our nature can abyde no delayes, but woulde hauehave oure prayers hearde and graunted out of hande.God geuethe more then we can, or dare aske. We must therfore enarme our selues with strong Faith against suche tentations. Let it so be, that God a long tyme semeth to denye our requestes, and maketh delayes a great number of yeares: yet must we diligently take heede, that wee by no meanes suffer oure faythe and hope to be taken away from his promise. For the end wyll be, he wyll geue vsus more then we hauehave asked, as we may see in the storye of this woman. If she hadde asked mo thynges, without doubt CHRIST wold neuer hauehave denyed them vntounto her.Ephe. 3.
By this example therfore we are taughte, that it is not alwayes for our profite, when we praye streight wayes to be hearde.An extremities God heareth oure of hande. When we be in greatest danger and almoste paste all hope, then God heareth vsus out of hande: As when we be in peryll of drownyng, or in daunger of ennemies. There is no taryance to be made, where peryll with destruction is at hande. But where the matter maye be deferred, there lette vsus knowe, that GOD doothe it to exercyse and to trye oure Faythe:When God …eferreth to heare. Abacuck. 2. yet so, that hee wyll in his tyme come and healpe, (as the Prophete Abacucke saythe: If the Lorde make any tariance, see that thou paciently abyde his commynge. For he wyll surely come, and not tary. In these oure dayes also he seemeth to make delayes. He suffereth the Pope and the Turke to doo what they wyll agaynste vsus. We crye and lament. He heareth not, and maketh as though he knew vsus not. In the meane season we are myserably handeled, as though we had no God at all. But the matter wyll one daye otherwise falle oute.The Pope & the Turk extreme enemies to the Churche of Christ. Therfore lette vsus moste certainly persuade our selues, that our cause is moste true, and moste vndoubted before Christ our Lorde, and before GOD his father, although it appeareth not nowe, that God careth for vsus any thyng at all, but that the deuyll and all his hauehave the vpper hande ouer vsus, treadeth vsus vnderunder foote, and triumpheth agaynst vsus. Rather assure thou thy self, and say: I know for a certaintie, that God wil not forsake his churche, and that he wyll euer be at hand to helpe and defend it, if she be diligent with feruent prayer to call vponupon hym for ayde and succour. Our state and condition is certaine and good, because of this his promise. Whatsoeuer ye shal aske the father in my name he wyl surely geue it you. Wherfore I wyl not dispute whether I am electe, and woorthye to praye,Iohn. 36. but I wyll moste certaynly perswade my selfe, that his promyse is certayne, sure, and mooste vndoubted, when soeuer that I do praye, and be constant in the same, And that he wyll deale with me, and with his whole Churche, accordyng to his word and promise. Which doctrin is both nobly and notably set forth in this our gospel, worthy at al times diligently to be consydered. For it describeth and liuely setteth forth Faythe wyth her exercise,Prayet made in fayth obteyneth all thynges of God. whyche at the last obteyneth all thynges at the hande of God, if we faint not, after the example of this woman. For she although diuersly proued and tried, fainted not in her faith, neyther ceased she by feruent and continual praier to call vponupon Christ, euer persuading her selfe euen in the middest of those stormes, that Christ was gentill, louyng, and mercifull, & at the last wold vndoubtedly helpe her, & geue her her desyre which thyng, as ye hauehave herd she obteined. The Lord our God bee mercyfull vntounto vsus, and geue vsus grace to folow the faith of this woman, and to holde fast his worde and promise without wauering or doubting, & to continue in the same vntounto the ende. Amen.