The Trial and Triumph of Faith, Sermon 12
SERMON XII. And his Disciples came and besought him, saying Send her away, &c.
IN the Disciples we see little tendernesse, no more, but send her away, she troubleth us with crying ▪ forsooth they were sore slain, that their dainty ears were pained with the crying of a poor woman. Why? they say not, Dear master, her little daughter is tormented with the Divel, and thou her Saviour answerest her not one word; she cannot but break her heart: we pray thee Master, heal her daughter: Doct. Naturall men, or Christs Disciples, in so far as t…er… is flesh in them, understandeth not the mystery of sorrow, and fervour of affection in the Saints, crying to God in disertion, Naturall men, and the renewed in so far as there remaineth in them flesh are ignoran… of the mistery of an afflicted spirit.and not heard. 1. Naturall men jeer at Christ deserted, Psal 22.8. He trusted in the Lord, let him deliver him. Heavy was the spirit of the weeping Church, a captive woman at the rivers of Babylon; yet see they mock them; Sing us one of the songs of Sion. 2. Even the Saints in so far as they are unrenewed, are strangers to inward conflicts of souls praying, and not answered of God, the fainting and swooning Church, Cant. 5.6, 7. is pained; O dear watch men, saw you my Husband? Heavy was her spirit, but what then? v. 7. The watch-men, that went about the City found me, they smote me, they wounded me, the keepers of the walls took away my vail from me; in stead of binding up her wounds, they returned her buffets, and pulled her hair down about her ears. And the daughters of Ierusalem say to the sick sighing Church pained for the want of her Lord, v. 9. What is thy beloved more then another beloved, &c. Whereof is thy Christ made, of Gold? or is thy beloved more precious then all beloveds in the world? Troubled Hannah grieved in spirit, to Eli, is a drunken woman. The Angels finde Mary Magdalen weeping, they leave her weeping, they give her a doctrinall comfort; Woman why weepest thou, he is not here, he is risen again. 1. If a string in the conscience be broken, the Apostles that were with Magdalen cannot tye a knot on it again; If there be a rent in the heart, so as the two sides of the soul of the woman rent asunder, she poor woman still weepeth; O why speake you, O Angels to comfort me: they have taken away my Lord. Angels, what are you to me? And indeed they cannot sew up the womans rented heart. This is the Lords Prerogative,Peace of conscience is a work of Creation Esa. 57.19. I create the fruit of the lips, peace; I know no Creator but one, and I know̄ no Peace-Creator but one; Peace of conscience is Grace, Grace is made of pure nothing, and not made of nature: Pastors may speak of peace, but God speaketh peace to his people, Ps. 85.8. 2. There be some acts of nature, in which men have no hand; to bring Bread out of the earth, and Vines, men have a hand; but in raising Winds, in giving Rain, neither Kings, Armies of men, nor acts of Parliament have any influence; The tempering of the wheeles and motions of a distempered conscience is so high, and supernaturall a work, that Christ behoved to have the Spirit of the Lord on him above his fellowes, and must be sent with a special Commission to apply the sweet hands, the soft mercifull fingers of the Mediator, with the art of Heaven, Esa. 61.1. That I (saith he) foreign, should as a Chyrurgian bind up with splints and bands the broken in heart, and comfort the mourners in Sion. There must 3. be some immediate action of Omnipotency, especially when he sets a Hoast of terrors, in battle array, against the soul, as is evident in Saul, in Iob, c. 16.13. His Archers compasse me round about: that is, no lesse then the soul is like a man, beset by enemies round about, so as there is no help in the creature, but he must die in the midst of them, Job 6.4. The terrors of God do set themselves in array against me: only the Lord of Hoasts, by an immediate action, raiseth these souldiers, the terrors of God, he only can calme them.
What wonder then that Ministers, the Word, Comforts, Promises, Angels, Prophets, 1. Use.Apostles cannot bind up a broken heart, friends cannot,A Reason why its so hard to convince deserted ones of the comforts of the Spirit, and to bind them up. while a good word come from God; Its easie for us on the shore to cry to those tossed in the sea between death and life, Saile thus and thus; its nothing to speak good words to the sick, yet Angels have not skill of experience in this; the afflicted in minde are like infants that cannot tell their disease, they apprehend Hell, and its real hel to them. Many Ministers are but Horse physitians in this disease; wine and musick are vain remedies, there is need of a Creator of peace; she is frantick (say they) and its but a fit of a naturall melancholy and distraction.
The Disciples are Physitians of no value to a soul crying, and not heard of Christ.2. Use. Oh Moses is a meek man, David a sweet singer,Christ sweete… to the diserted then all the world Job and his experience profitable; the Apostles Gods Instruments, the Virgin Mary is full of grace, the glorified desire the Church to be delivered, but they are all nothing to Jesus Christ; there is more in a piece of a corner of Christs heart (to speak so) then in Millions of worlds of Angels, and created comforts, when the conscience hath gotten a back-throw with the hand of the Almighty.
ver. 2424. But he answered and said, I am not sent but for the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
In this answer two things are to be observed; 1. The temptation coming from Christ, denying he had any thing to do with this woman, I am not sent for her. 2. The matter of the temptation, containing Christs 1. sending: 2. to whom, To the house of Israel: 3. Under what notion, The sheep of the house of Israel: 4. what sort of sheep, The lost sheep. In the temptation consider, 1. who tempteth; 2. the nature of the temptation; for the former, Its Christ who tempteth. Hence these Positions;
1 Posit How God tempeth.1. Pos. God tempeth no man to sin, Jam. 1.13. Let no man say, when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted, neither tempteth he any. 14. But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust: God doth try, rather then tempt. 1. God cannot command sin. 2. He cannot actuate the crooked faculties to sin, as he that spurreth a Horse, putteth the horse to actuall motion: But the dislocated legge of the horse putteth in act the halting power of the horse. 3. He cannot infuse sinfull habits, which are as weights of Iron and Lead, to incline the soul to sin. 4. He cannot approve sin. Satan never tempteth, but upon practicall knowledge, either that the wheels may run down the mount, as he tempted Eve, Difference between God trying men, and Satan, the world & sin tempting menand upon that false perswasion tempted Christ to sin; or then he knoweth sin hath oyled the wheels and inclinations, and so casteth in Fire-brands, knowing that there's powder and firewood within us in our concupisence; he should not offer to be a Father to the brood of Hell, if he knew not that a seed and mother were within us: except Christ by grace cast water on our l…sts, and coole the furnace, wee conceive flames easily.
2. Pos. Neither Devils, nor men,2 Pos. A creature cannot put another creature to act sin, upon an intention to try his fellow-creature. nor our heart may, without sin, tempt or try the creature by putting it to do that which may prove sin, upon any intention to try, whether that creature shall obey God or not: Had Abraham coōmanded Isaac to kil Iacob his son, to try whither Isaac loved God, or no, it had been a sinful tempting of him. A creature cannot put his fellow-creatur upon the margin & border of death (such as all sin is) to try if the creature hath a good head that cannot be giddy. God may try duties by events, He is the Potter, we the Clay: but clay is limited to try events upon clay by duties only; and not by events duties.
3. Pos. Wanton and vain reason would say, Why did the wise Lord create such a Tree of Knowledge, the tasting whereof, 3 Pos.was the second death by Law, and that in Eves eye? Why did not God fortifie the first besieged Castle, Eves will and minde with grace, that the day should not have been the Divels? But, O vain man, is the potter holden to make a vessell of earth,In creatures actions and commandements, we must 1. know, Quis who commandeth 2. Quid, what hee comands. 3 Quare upon vhat Reason he commandeth But for Gods actions and commandements, its enough. Quis, who doth it, who commandeth it. If Jehovah, I am silent, and must obey. as strong as a vessel of Iron, or Brasse, that though it fall by no fault of the maker it shall not be broken? We may say to superiors of clay, yea to Angels, Who art thou that commandest? And beside we may say, What dost thou? and Why doest thou? and, What commandest thou another Gospel, or no? And we may take their will with a reserve; But we may know of God, Quis, who he is, that he is Jehovah. But we are not to inquire, quid and cur, Lord, Why doest thou this? or, Lord, What is it that thou commandest? The Agent here warrants the action, and all its motives; God infuseth wisdom and goodnesse in all his wayes, because they are his wayes; goodnesse is a stranger to what Angels and men do, except there be a safer Law for their doing, then their person. God must have absolute obedience, though he seeketh no blinde obedience; mens actions must be warranted, not only from the wisdom of the doer, but also from the nature of the deed; Gods actions have all, and abundance of goodnesse in them, from the Lord. Its enough to me what I suffer (I mean it ought to be enough) if ten Hells for one sin, if the absolute former of all things do it: we love to put law on God: whereas to examine mens commandements is religion, we take them upon trust: and to examine Gods ways is arrogancy: yet we must judge God. We see in permitting sin in bloods, in confusion, in the fall of Adam, more fairnesse, beauty, and glory in Christ Iesus, and his new Heaven, then we can see of blacknesse, of Hell, of sin in Divels, and in sin: possibly it should have been lawfull to the Creature, and to Angels to permit sin, so they could and would from thence raise a Gospel, an heaven of Free-grace. Now for temptations from God, we are to consider that they are all reason, all wisdome, all goodnesse.
1. Pos. Christ saith to the Disciples of her (it had been some comfort,1. Pos. if he had given her self but one word) I am not sent for this woman nor for any of her blood, and kindred: she is a Gentile, I am sent primarily for Jews. Hence Christ may in words, and to the apprehension of weak ones, say, I am not thy Saviour, thou art not any of my redeemed ones. Christ may give rough answers, when he hath a good minde; he put a hard word upon the Noble-man, Joh. 4. that came to him for his dying son: Ye (and all your nation) will not beleeve, except you see signes and wonders. Never any man saw and apprehended harder things of God then Ieremiah, chap. 15. vers. 18. Wilt thou be altogether to me as a lyer, and as waters that faile?
2. Posit. 2. Pos,How often doth the promises of the Gospell lye at a distance to us,4 Doubts of the tempted. and we have four doubts touching them; 1. They are not mine. In dispensation God dealeth otherwise with me, then with the rest: so David, Psal. 22.4. Our fathers trusted in thee, they trusted in thee, and thou deliveredst them; and why should he not deliver thee also? v. 6. alas, its not so: But I am a worme and no man, so Esa. 49.13. Sing O Heavens, be joyfull O Earth, and breake forth into singing, O Mountains. What is the matter, that the Skies and Stars are bidden sing Psalms? for God hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted. Yea, but no mercy for me, v. 14. But Sion said, the Lord hath forsaken me, and my God hath forgotten me; whoever finde mercy, Gods dispensation saith, I shall finde none. 2 For unworthinesse and sin, I am uncapable of mercy; the forlorn son dare not believe his father will make him a son in his house: why? there is all his reason, Luke 15.18, 19. Father, I have sinned against Heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son, make me as one of thy hired servants, such was Peters reasoning; Lord depart from me, for I am a sinfull man. 3. I know not how the promises shall be made good to me, but Joseph had a word, that the Sunne, Moon, and eleven Stars should honour him, but how that could be performed he saw not; when he was sold as a slave, and that was far from honour, yet was he to believe his dream should be fulfilled: and so Abraham did adheare to the Promise, when God commandeth the Son of Promise to be killed, Heb. 11.19. accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead. 4. I see not the time of the fulfilling the promise yet, Hab. 2.3. Though the Vision tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come, and not tarry. We are to remember God can tryall his promise, in our seeming, through Hell, and the Divels black hands, (as he led Christ throgh Death, the Curse, and Hell) and yet fulfil them; when Christ is under a stone, and buried, the Gospell seems to be buried.
3. Posit. Christ is on both sides,3. Pos. he holdeth up, and throweth down, in one and the same act; he denyeth the woman to be his, and is on her side to grace her, to believe that he is hers. Christ putteth his childe away, and he desireth that his child should not be put away from him; he is for Jacob in his wrestling, and as if he were against him, saith, Let me alone. Christ here doth both hold, and draw; oppose, and defend at once.
I am not sent] He doth not here deny the interests of the Gentiles in the Messiah, but his meaning is, I am not first and principally sent; 2. in the flesh, and personally as man for the Gentiles, to preach the Gospell to them, and to work Miracles for them, but principally as the Minister of Circumcision, to the Iewes; therefore Mat. 10. he forbiddeth his Disciples to go to the Samaritanes, but rather to preach to the house of Israel. First then a word of Christs sending, which includeth these three:
1. Designation.
2. Qualification.
3. Speciall Commission.
1▪ The Designation of Christ to his office.1. The Designation was an act of Divine and voluntary dispensation, according to which the second Person of the Trinity, the Son of God, not the Father, not the Holy Ghost, was designed, and set apart to take on him our nature, place, and the Office of the Mediator to redeem us, in his own person: the Son was fittest to be the first, and originall samplar of sons, the Son by naturall generation was the most apt Person to be the perfect mould and patern of all the sons by the adoption of grace,How the Son is most fit to be our Mediator. Gal. 4.4. the substantial power of God is in the holy ghost, the personall rise and fountain of all the excellencies of God, was in the Father: and so though there was no unfitnesse in either to be our King, Priest, and Prophet: yet the love, grace, mercy, righteousnesse of God and his infinite wisdom dwelleth in the Son: O what a bargain of love that (to borrow the word) the lot of matchlesse love, and free grace fell upon the Son: Son, my onelyonly begotten Son, thou must go down, Simil.empty thy self, and leave heaven, and go and bring up the fallen sons out of Hell ▪ Mankinde like a precious Ring of Glory fell off the Finger of God, being his Image; and was broken; the Son must stoop down, though it pain his back, to lift up the broken Iewell, and mend and restore it again, and set it as a seal on the heart of God: This was the rise of the Covenant from Eternity; that Christ gave his word as the prime Son, that all the derived sons should put their hands and hearts to the Pen, and signe and subscribe the Covenant of Grace; the Writs, Evidences, and Charters of our salvation were concluded, and passed the sign and seal of the Blessed Trinity, in Heaven from Eternity: The Gospell is not a yesterdayes fable, its an old counsell of infinite wisdome.
2. The Son was qualified:2. The qualification of Christ. 1. With a Passive aptitude (to speak so) to be a man, that hee might suffer: 2. He was graced with all active indowments, to be a Mediator; The groundwork of all was the grace of Union, the God-head dwelling bodily in him: 2. The sea of infused graces above all his fellows: to say nothing of what he learned by experience, being a Son put to School foreign he learned his lesson of obedience, with many stripes, though an innocent childe, Heb. 7. v. 8. Hence he came loaded with Grace and blessings for all the cursed sons.
3. All was nothing,3 Christs Commission. except this Ambassador of Heaven had also had a Commission for us: but he brought two Writs, two Books from Heaven: 1. He came as a flying Angel with the everlasting Gospel, to preach to the Nations: 2. The book of life also; in the former, were three acts of Law: So Christ is our Saviour both by nature, and by a Positive Law: Christ and Grace is Law: 1. Because of his place and birth, being our goel and neer…st kins man, he was more kind then any other here to redeem the sold inheritance:Its not properly grace that we are born, its an ast of free grace, that Christ was born CHRISTS nature in the womb was grace, its nothing but nature, and that bad enough, for us to be born: Christs mothers wombe was Grace: It was grace that the Son should be conceived, and born, and by this he had law to us: 2. Christs act of dying, was a speciall Law: Ioh. 10.18. This commandement received I of my Father, that I should lay down my life: 3. By his death and Resurrection, he is made a Prince by Law, and hath Law and authority to forgive sins, Acts 5.31. Mat. 9.6. And power to give life eternall, Ioh. 17.2. And rule all by a new Law in his new Kingdom, Mat. 28.8. Our heaven now is by Law, and a speciall Commission: But the Gospel is a Generall: he brought all Gods secrets from Heaven, and in his speciall Commission, Christ hath (as it were) private Instructions, Save such and such persons, not any other, not all Israel, but the lost sheep: Not the Goats; thers's a great mystery, how there be no double dealing in the Gospel, and two contrary wills in GOD.
1. Use.1. He offereth in the Gospel life to all so they believe, and God mindeth to work Faith,Gods hidden decree & his revealed will opened. and intendeth to bestow life on a few only; like a Kings Son coming to a Prison of condemned men, with offered Pardons to all, upon condition they accept of them; but yet he singleth out some, & perswadeth them to lay hold on the Fathers Grace; and by the head taketh them out, leaveth all the rest to justice: Yet is this no greater mystery then this, Many are called, but few are chosen: so Christs sending with his Commission, cometh under a twofold notion; one is, in the intention of the Euangel;A two-fold intention in the offer of the promises▪ the other is, in the intention of him who proposeth the Evangel to men: I mean Gods intention to give Faith and effectuall Grace. The former is nothing but Gods morall complacency of Grace, revealing an obligation, that all are to believe if they would be saved; and upon their own perill be it, if they refuse Christ. This is the heart and minde of Christ to persons, revealing two; 1. Mens dutie. 2. Gods Grace to give life Eternall to believers; but the latter is not a morall will in God only, but a reall physicall will (to speak so) according to the which Christ effectually, strongly layeth bands of love, cords of sweet inforcing Grace, to perswade the Soul to take Jesus Christ. Christ cometh to the minde under a higher apprehension, with his rainy and wet hair, knocking, and againe knocking, to shew his face in such soul redeeming beauty and excellency; as the soul must be taken Captive, subdued and overcome with the love of Christ: as the Spouse is so wrought on with the Beauty, Grace, Riches, Indowments of excellency, words of love of such an husband, that she is forc'd to say, I have no power, neither heart nor hand to refuse you. Now the former notion of the Gospel is enough to lay on the obligation of beleeving on all; so as though the Gospel reveal not Gods purpose of Election (that is only and formally revealed in, and by Gods efficacious working of Faith, called the inward calling) yet it saith this to all, You are all to beleeve no lesse then if there were not any Reprobated persons amongst you: If therefore any dispairing ones, as Cain, yea, and many weak ones refuse to beleeve on this ground, (Why shoald I beleeve the Gospel hath excepted me, it belongeth not to me, I am a Reprobate) they are deluded▪ for the Gospel formally revealeth,How and who are to believe the Decree of Reprobation concerning themselvs neither the Lords decree of Election, nor Reprobation; the embracing of the Gospel, and the finall rejection thereof, can speak to both these: but that is neither the Gospell voice, nor the Gospel spirit, that revealeth any such bad tidings. Its true, Satan may speak so, but Christ cometh once with good tidings to all, Elect and Reprobate: men do hereby buy a Plea against Christ, and force a quarrell upon him: the beleever breaketh first with Christ, before ever Christ breaketh with him: bad tidings are too soon true: I doubt if Reprobation be so far forth revealed to any, even to those that sin against the Holy Ghost, as they are to beleeve their owne impossibility to be saved. For though a man knew himself to be over score and past all remedy, he is obliged to beleeve the power of infinite mercy, to save him, and to hang by that threed in humility and adherence to Christ.
2. If Christ be sent for lost Israel, and say in the Gospel, Who will go with me? And say to thee, My Father the King sent me his own son, to bring thee up to his house: Why? But thou shouldst go: When old Jacob saw the Chariots …nd Messengers that Prince Joseph his own son, yet living, had sent to fetch him, His heart failed for joy: Seest thou the Chariot of Pharaoh paved with love: make then for the journey: the home we have here, is a taking lover: Why? But thou maist say, I cannot stay here, the King hath sent for me.Its a priviledging mercy that Christ is sent to the Iews first. Privileges of the Iews 9. reckned here.