The History of the Woman of Great Faith, Verse

The History of the Woman of Great Faith · Verse

p. 1Matth. 15.21. with Mark 7.24. &c.

Then Ieſus went thence, & departed into the coaſts of Tyre and Sidon.

MATTHEVV & Marke doe (both of them) make a remarkable report of a famous Hiſtorie; we will draw one thred from both, and ſupplie the defect of one of them by another. The Hiſtorie concerneth the ſingular commendation that Chriſt giueth to a Woman of great faith, the Woman was a ſtranger, p. 2a Cananite, the Cananites, an accurſed nation, and ſhe of them, which maketh the ſtorie more remarkable; it concerning a woman, a Cananite; the weakeſt ſexe, and the wickedeſt nation, and here we hauehave Iacobs hold in Canaan, Gen. 32.26. or the victory of faith in a woman a Cananite, 1 Ioh. 5.4. and in the whole of the hiſtorie, wee may obſerue the occaſions and ſubject matter: the occaſions are partly in this word of context, then; and partly in the text it ſelf. And thoſe are ſuch as were out of the woman, or in her, they out of her were in the Phariſes, Mat. 15.12. in her daughter grieuouſly vexed with a Deuil, Math. 15.22. and in the fame that went of Chriſt; ſhe had heard of him, Marc. 7.25. the occaſion (which was an occaſion of fault in the Phariſes) was this they did binde vponupon tradition againſt Chriſt, Math. 15.2. and the truth hee p. 3taught, they would not diſpenſe with cuſtoms of their owne inuention to keepe him, and, (not his doctrine onelyonly, but the miracles he did, diſpleaſed them) therfore, from them & from thence, that is from the land of Geneſareth (where he was;) hee departed to the furtheſt part of Galile, in the skirts of Tyre and Sidon, And ſo went farre enough from them: Doct. 1.which teacheth that Chriſt cannot abide to bee, where his ſeruice (for the ſubſtance of it,) is ſet in ceremonies, or mixtures of mans clay with his head of gold. Dan. 2.32.33. they that let go the ſubſtance in religion for ſhadowes, make God weary of them. In the old Teſtament, the Iewes had Moon-times and Feaſt-dayes of their owne appointement: and the Lord ſaith that they were to him a burden and wearines: Eſa. 1.14. and, when they called not vponupon him, or called vponupon others with him: p. 4and when they brought to his altar, not his ſacrifices, but the offerings of their owne head, the Lord ſaith that they made him to ſerue with their ſinnes, whom they ſhould hauehave ſerued with his owne ſacrifices, not with that Swines blood, & what was this but a wearying of him? Eſa. 43. verſ. 22.24. though God had wrought wonderfully for his people, in the eye of Pharao; and of the whole Kingdome: yet when there was no enemie left, they left God by limiting him to their deuices, and by tempting him. Therefore (as followeth) God was wroth, and greatly abhorred them. Pſal. 78.40.41.58.59. at another time they prouoked him with their inuentions: & it is ſaid that the plague brake in. Pſal. 106.29. So in the dayes of Ames, they put words of their owne pleaſures into the mouths of his Prophets, and gane them their text: therefore, the Lord p. 5ſaith; that hee was preſſed vnderunder them as a cart full of sheaues. Am. 2.12.13. and cold hee bee more wearied? therefore, it is a vexation to him, when a people is more zelous of traditions or of mens inuentions, then of him. The reaſons, Reaſons.what Maſter will not, to a vexation, bee weary of that ſeruant that will not doe what hee ſhall command, but what himſelfe liſteth? wee are Gods ſeruants, not to follow our owne head, but to follow him. When (therefore) wee walke in our owne deuices, not in the ſteps of his word, muſt it not needs vexe him, and ſo cauſe him to leaue vsus, when we leaue him firſt? Secondly, ſuch ſpillings are but ſtrange fire, as all els are which in worſhipping hee commandeth not, and ſuch fire the Lord will deuoure with fire from heauen, as he did Nahab and Abihn, the Sonnes of Aaron. Leuit. 10.1.2. And would he ſo do, if ſuch acts p. 6of preſumption did not greatly prouoke him? Saul ſought the Lord in his owne way, and found his owne deſtruction. He would not obey, as he was commanded, but as hee liſted: therefore, the Lord had no pleaſure in him, nor in any of his offerings. 1 Sam. 15 22. Thirdly, God is pleaſed when we do his will, and obey his word. And obedience, in this ſenſe, is as the ſalt of the offering, that keepes it in good taſte; without which, it ſtincks before God. 1 Sam. 15.22. as before. Ier. 7.22.23. and is God pleaſed when his word is obeyed? then, it muſt needs vexe him, when it is not. Such ſeruants, and they that ſo ſerue, doe but mocke God with a ſhew without ſubſtance, and hee will not be mocked. Galat. 6.7.

The vſe is (firſt) for inſtruction & teacheth that to complement with religion, Vſe 1.is to driue away Chriſt and religion. Hee is no good Chriſtian whoſe Chriſtianitie p. 7ſtands (all) in outwardnes. Rom. 2.28. neither he who flides into a viſible garbe of Chriſtianitie onelyonly by cuſtome, and the imitation of times. The lewes did ſo, and had glorious words for a cloake of their falſhood. Ier. 7.4. They had (as moſt of our ignorants now hauehave) a ſpiced conſcience in vaine things, but no conſcience of worſhipping in Spirit and truth. Such worſhippers were the Samaritans: they ſtood vponupon the formalitie of Iacobs Well, when there was no water in it, ſuch as Iacob drank of, when hee drank of the Spirit. Ioh. 4.12. So nature and cuſtome taught them their religion: and hauehave the moſt of our people any other teachers at this day? If they pray, it is in words without any heart, euen when their lippes march, as Iehn. 2 King. 9.20. they care not, if hee, that is the Salt of the Pariſh (the Miniſter) keepe his whitenes, whether hee hauehave p. 8any ſauour in him or no. Math. 5 13. and ſo they louelove rather to ſee then heare a Preacher. This is not to doe after the doctrine here, but contrarily; and will Chriſt tarie, where hee hath but an outſide, and not the inwards of a true welcom in the Goſpel? One ſaith well: he that is maried to a fleſhly religion, or religion of no Spirit, cannot hauehave Chriſt for his Husband. All ceremonious worſhippers are of this ſtamp moulded into no religion but what is carnall and ſtandeth in worldly matters, & therefore, the marriage bond is broken betweene Chriſt and them. Againſt this doctrine offend the Papiſts, who hold of Peter by ſucceſſion (if ſo) but not by doctrine, not hauing the faith of Peter, they catch at his chaire, and keepe the bones of the Saints, though no marrow bee in them. Yea they make croſſes …, while yet they make the Croſſe of Chriſt p. 9of no effect, and will Chriſt tarie there, where he is ſo dallied with?

An admonition (therefore,) Vſe 2.if we would keepe Chriſt, to keepe in with him, by bearing vponupon ſubſtance in religion, and not vponupon formes only. God is a Spirit and a liuing ſubſtance, Ioh. 4.24. will be worſhipped ſubſtantially. Now, to worſhip ſubſtantially, is to ſerue God by his word where, his ſeruice muſt be learned of himſelfe; who left making, after hee had made his laſt teſtamēt, hence, the ſecond commandement ſends vsus to God, the only Maker in the frame of religion. Exod. 20.4. In making of the tabernacle eueryevery thing was preciſely commanded, the ſilke, the colour, the ſmalleſt Goatshaire, the leaſt pinne was ſtriken in with Gods owne hammer. Exod. 26.4.7.15.16. And then ſhall wee thinke to pleaſe God, when wee vſe not his hammer, but our owne, for the pinnes we p. 10hang our faith vponupon? all good meanings (the ſpring of our owne braine) what are they but our vnreaſonable ſeruice of God? and what is that but the ſinne of witch-craft? 1 Sam. 15.15.23. & what vponupon this but a prouoking of Chriſt to a departure? The Lord ſeekes ſuch to ſerue him, who ſcrue in ſpirit and truth. Ioh. 4.23. And doth hee ſeeke ſuch worſhippers? queſtionleſſe, he is delighted with ſuch a worſhip; and further, hee ſeeketh this ſeruice, that hath no need of our ſeruice, and it is to our owne profit, not his, and (then) ſhall hee not hauehave it, that wee may hauehave him euer? Quest. but, what is it to worſhip in Spirit & truth? Anſw. To worſhip in Spirit, is to worſhip ſpiritually, not carnally, and in ceremonie; and to worſhip in truth, is to worſhip otherwayes, then the lewes, who worſhipped in ſhadowes of things to come. Heb. 9.9.10. Where it appeareth p. 11that the ſeruice of God in the Goſpel, muſt bee in manner, wholly inward & ſpirituall; whence I inferre that they who vſe Gods worſhip or any part of it, as matter of ceremonie and forme only do, with Saul, go to graues to enquire at the dead. 1 Sam. 28 7.8. but (then) the Lord was departed from him, ver. 16. (that the Deuil ſaid truely:) and (then) he will leaue vsus, which would be conſidered of thoſe Chriſtians, who (ſo … heere a forme of Gods ſeruice) never care whether it edifie the conſcience or no: never ſeeke for Gods ſeale vponupon it that it may imprint bleſſings: & never hold Chriſt with the right hand, that he may not go away (as here) from the Phariſes, whoſe deuotion was (all) ſet in a ceremonie of religion.

But whither did Chriſt goe, going from the Iewes? departing from them; hee went as farre as (well) he might, he went to the p. 12hithermoſt coaſte of the Gentils, whereof hee was the appointed light. Luc. 2.32. And ſo, (as the Sunne of the heauens) he ſends forth ſome beames of his approach before him, as the meſſengers of his comming, not long before he came. The Sunne went low in Iudea, but was not down: and Chriſt was going away, but not gone: therefore Chriſt departed but into the coaſts of Tyre and Sidon, and not farre into the countrie. Here he deſired to repoſe himſelfe, and was receiued, where his owne receiued him not. Doct. 2Math 4.15.16. And heere we learne that when Gods owne people will not receiue the truth, a ſtrange people ſhall. For Princes ſhall come out Egypt: Ethiopia ſhall ſoone ſtretch out her hands to God. Pſal. 68.31. as God ſaid to Elijah; ſo he hath not only ſeuen, but ſeuentie times ſeuen thouſands, wherewith to ſeed Iſrael in the thinne ſpring p. 13of true worſhippers. 1 King. 19.18. and he is able, out of the ſeed of ſtones, to raiſe vp ehildren to Abraham. Math. 3.9. when Iereſalem wold not receiue Chriſt, Egypt. did. Math. 2.13. and here, Tyre & Sidon open their dores, when Iewry ſhut hers againſt Chriſt, and Chriſt ſaith that hee hath other ſheepe then thoſe of the fold of Iudah. Ioh. 10.16. reaſons, Reaſons,the firſt may be taken from Gods vnqueſtionable right and propertie in all things: for all are his, made or not made. Ioh. 1.3. Heb. 1 2. Now hee that is Lord ef all, may chuſe where hee will; For, may not the King abide with vsus, or ſet his throne in Scotland? Secondly, hee that can make ſtones, can (as was ſaid) of ſtones, raiſe vp children to Abraham. Math. 3.9. if one world will not he can make another that ſhall: for, hee is All-mightie. Pſal. 115. 3. and ſo from the power of creation in God, wee draw a ſecond p. 14ſtrong-binding conſequent. 3. A reaſon may bee drawne from the inconuenience that would follow, if it were otherwayes, for it could not but make a people exceedingly arrogant & proud, if God could not bee God without them. For, would they not then ſay; let him go whither hee will, he muſt come againe?

The vſe is for correction, Vſeſome in their proſperitie think it cannot be otherwayes, and Dauid in ſome of his good dayes, thought he ſhould neuer bee remoued: Pſal. 30.6. But he found the contrarie, and repented. ver. 7. Ieruſalem was impenitently proud of her ſtrong foundation: and Ieruſalem (the ſpeach of al the world) was made an heape. Lament. 1. Rahel, deſpiſing Leah, became barren, and Leah fruitfull, Gen. 29 31. ſo when the Gentils were reputed vile, and the proud Iewes deſpiſed them; the Leah of them became a fruitfull mother of children. p. 15After, the yonger Sons had more honour, than the elder in the houſe. Luc, 15.29.30. This is written for our learning that hauehave drunk ſo deep of Gods mercies, in the cup of the Goſpell. The Goſpel hath been a rich wiſe vntounto England. But, as ſome that marey for welth: ſo many among vsus, that marie, not the power of the Goſpel, but the good dayes of it; behaue themſelues in it, as if they had ſaid; the mariage were good, if the wife were away; and theſe Gadarens louelove their hogges better then Chriſt: who (therefore) will go from ſuch, without bidding to be gone? Math. 8.34. As therefore, when Aholah and Aholibah (being ſiſters) did partake, one with anothers ſinnes; (leruſalem with the ſinnes of Samaria;) they drank (both) of one cup: Ezech. 23.2.4.9. ſo, if we of this nation proue Aholah, and iuſtifie Aholibah in hers and her ſiſters ſinnes, wee muſt look p. 16to pledge them in the ſame cup of deſtruction, that was their death many hundreds gone, therfore let vsus not flatter our ſelues with a ſhewing promiſe of long dayes in the Goſpel, if wee walke not more worthie of it: for, if we refuſe Chriſts ſupper, hee will, without vsus, hauehave gheſts to fill his houſe. Luc. 14.21.23. and hee cannot want a Church, though England were vnderunder ground. God is bound to no nation: and in eueryevery nation, hee that feareth God and worketh righteouſnes is accepted of him. Act. 10.35. our glorie is not in this that wee hauehave the name of God in our mouths and Churches; but that we glorie in God. Ier. 9.23. The rather to moue vsus, conſider wee that the Lord hath change of ground, which, hee may at his pleaſure, turne vp with the plow of the Goſpel: and if it loſe edge among vsus, hee can whet it at the grinde ſtone of the Sauages in p. 17America? Againe, he ſpared not our elder ſiſter the Church of the lewes, when ſhee ſinned againſt him, Pſal. 80.8.9.10. and ſhall we (the yonger Siſter) think to fare better, not doing better, or doing worſe then ſhe that firſt opened the wombe by an elder calling? what ground in reaſon, for ſuch preſumption? thirdly, & againe, let it bee thought vponupon that to whom much is committed, of him or them, much will be required. Luc. 12.48. If it may be ſaid of vsus, as it well may, and as it was ſaid of the houſe of Iſrael: you hauehave I know of all the families of the earth; (for all Europ being, at this day, in combuſtion and blood, wee enioy our ſelues and know no warre:) then what followeth is a concluſion proper to vsus; therefore will I viſit your iniquities vponupon you. Am. 3.2. For, will he ſuffer ſuch pieces to go from him, & not know how? Luc. 19.13.15

p. 18But is Chriſt among the Gentiles? his ſaluation doth (therefore) belong to them. Which (thirdly) teacheth that ſaluation is of the Gentiles. Doct. 3.We heard before out of Iohn 10.16. that God hath more in the bunch than I… dah: and the ſecond Pſalme doth prophecie of an other inheritance, euen that of the heathen, who ſhall come vntounto Chriſt from one end of the earth to another, Pſal. 2.8. Iſaias ſaith, that nations ſhall offer themſelues to the root of Iſhai; which was not Dauid, but Dauids Lord: & that hee hath a remnant of people out of Aſhur, out of Egypt, out of other places, and out of the Iſles of the ſea, Eſa 11.10, 11. And further, that he ſhall bring forth his iudgement, that is, his Law to the Gentiles, who ſhould receiue it, Eſa 42.1. After S. Peter had preached to the Gentiles, they of the Circumciſion (the lewes) contended with him; to p. 19whom he made anſwer, that God would hauehave it ſo: and that hee was not to forbid the winde of God to blowe where it liſted, for ſaith he, could I let God? Act 11.2.17, 18. The Apoſtle S. Paul calleth this, the riches of the world, and the riches of the Gentiles, Rom. 11.12. rich indeed, when for ſo few caſt off (and yet all were not ſo) ſo many were called to Chriſt as (then) were in the broad field of the nations. And thus it is plaine that Gods ſaluation goeth (now) farther than the wall of Iſrael. Reaſons.The reaſons, for elſe Noahs propheticall prayer ſhould be fruitleſſe, Gen. 9.27. and many propheticall texts in Eſa and others falſe. Secondly, then God ſhould hauehave reſpect of perſons, where there is no ſuch thing with him, Act 10.34. Thirdly, the firſt fruits of the heathen, this woman with others make it euident, from effect, that the whole crop of the Gentiles p. 20did belong to God. Fourthly, and therefore did God ſhut vp all in vnbeleefe, as in ſome common gaole, that he might hauehave mercy vponupon all, that is, vponupon the kindes of all, Rom. 11.32: wherein hee had failed, if he had kept the Gentiles in ward perpetually. But the vaile betweene the outward Court and the Sanctuary, was rent at Chriſts death, Matth. 27.51. and then hee ſaid to the priſoners, goe forth, Eſa 49.9.

The vſe is for inſtruction, Vſe 1.teaching that great grace is come to vsus, the ſinners of the Gentiles: & that wee hauehave great cauſe of glorying in God for his mercifull health. We that were dead in ſin, and treſpaſſes, are quickned, Epheſ. 2.1. now wee are written among the liuing in the Goſpell, whoſe names (before) where not in the booke. Our dutie in this caſe, is to beware that wee race not the booke by our contempts, neither blotit, and our p. 21names in it with the pen of our ſins, Rom. 11.20, 21. Be we aduiſed then how we ioyne in anſwer with thoſe, who (bidden to the great Supper) abſented themſelues by their farmes, & yoakes of Oxen, Luke 14.18, 19. God hath pitied vsus, let vsus not be cruell to our ſelues: he loued our ſaluation aboue the life of his Sonne: Iohn 3.16. let vsus not vnderualue it with Eſau, to a portion of meat, Hebr: 12, 16. nor let vsus with the Papiſts, open a ſhop of our owne doings, when the Lord hath done alfour works for vsus, Eſa 26.12. for God hath not giuen vsus this great ſtock of his gracious bounties to ſet vp for our ſelues, but to occupie for him, Matth. 25.25. much leſſe to put it out to bad vſes, or to conſume it on our luſts, Iam. 4.3.

Is the ſaluation of God come to the Gentiles; and (if to any) to vsus of this nation? it reproueth the cold affections of the moſt among p. 22vsus, who receiue it with no better welcome. The Lord hath caſt the ſeed of his word, and the precious ſtone of his Goſpell among vsus: & where others labour and trade with earthly wares, he hath made vsus the Merchants of a rich Iewell, wherein is life & ſaluation: but this ignorance that is among vsus, and this vntowardneſſe that is in vsus, either to learne the good will of God, or to practiſe that wee know, hath made vsus the merchants of the earth, and not Merchants of ſo heauenly a treaſure. It cannot bee denied but that great grace is come vntounto vsus, & that the Lord hath ſet vp his Altar in this Realm for his worſhip: but as when the Arke of God was with great gladneſſe receiued of the Bethſhemits, after it came from the Philiſtims, but with little reuerence vſed, it became the death of 50000 and 70 perſons, who died in that contempt, 1 Sam. 6.19. ſo, it is to p. 23be feared, and almoſt to bee looked for, that if (generally) more care be not taken that the Arke of the Goſpell hauehave better rooms among vsus, & welcome to vsus, than now it hath, or (of late) hath had, that euen that worthy thing, which otherwaies would hauehave bin our life, will proue our death, and the death of all the whole Realme: without ſuch redreſſe of our waies (as one well ſaith) what can bee thought, but that which (otherwaies) ſhould hauehave beene, and would hauehave beene the water of life to ſaue vsus, will bee but a ſea of waters to drowne vsus: and become for a ſweet powder of health, a ſtrong doſe of deſtruction: and for meat to feed vsus? poyſon to kill vsus: and for a word of glad newes, a word of the ſaddeſt that euer was heard.

So much for the occaſion of this conference in the Phariſes, the other occaſions follow, out of the text of S. Marke.