The History of the Woman of Great Faith, Verse 29

The History of the Woman of Great Faith · Verse 29

p. 300Marke 7.29.

And he ſaid vntounto her, for this ſaying, goe thy way; the deuil is gone out of thy daughter.

and Matth. 15.28.

And her daughter was made whole, from that very houre.

THE booke drawen in the former ſentence, is ſigned in this of Marke, and the other p. 301of Matthew. Marke vſeth the trope of a metonomy, putting her ſaying, for that, that cauſed it, the effect for the cauſe: the cauſe was her faith, which thruſt out ſuch a ſaying, or made her ſo to ſay: hereupon Chriſt ſaid; for this ſaying; that is, for that faith that cauſed it, or becauſe of it: goe thy way, or, take my word, the deuill is gone out of thy daughter; not of his owne accord, but by power of authority from me. This woman was a woman of great faith; yet Chriſt helpes it with a ſeale of ſenſible matter, in her daughters cure: Doctr. 1and ſo it is plaine that God (for the helpe of his weake ſeruants) ſigneth their faith, and his other graces in them, with outward things. God made a promiſe to Abraham, and writes it in his owne fleſh, and in the fleſh of the males of his houſe, when he gaue charge that he, with them ſhould be circumciſed, Gen. 17.10, 11. p. 302And when God by his Angel, would ſmite the Aegyptians, and ſpare his people, for the ſtronger aſſurance of their faith, hee ſigneth the two ſide poſtes of their houſes with the bloud of the Lambe called the bloud of the Paſſeouer, that the deſtroying Angel ſeeing it, might paſſe by, Exod. 12▪ 22, 23. Alſo God promiſing deliuerance from the hand of the Midianites by the hand of Gideon, doth ſeale it with two ſignes, Iudg 6.36, 37, 38, 39, 40. and our deliuerance from the Madian of hell, in the eſtate of the new Teſtament, hee ſigneth with the two Sacraments of Baptiſme, and the Lords Supper: and ſo hee doth not puniſh vsus (as hee might) for not beleeuing: (and what great perſon will not ſtorme, if his word ſhall not bee taken;) but giues vsus ſomewhat in hand to confirme vsus rather: Reaſons.the reaſons. The beſt are weake to hold the graces which hee p. 303giues of faith, hope, louelove, patience, and other: therefore, and becauſe hee would not hauehave ſo precious wares to goe to loſſe, who ſaith; gather vp the fragments that nothing bee loſt, Iohn 6.12. hee ſtrengtheneth with ſenſible helpes the hand into which hee puts them. Further alſo, faith is that ladder, which Iacob ſaw, and that raught from earth to heauen, Gen. 28.12. Now a ladder hath ſteps vponupon it, higher and lower; and ſo the ladder of our faith, which reacheth from vsus to God, muſt likewiſe hauehave like ſteps of helpe, or riſings toward him: and yet further, wee are but babes in faith, who (therefore) hauehave neede of outward things, as a wall to hold by. Secondly, the ſtubborne heart of nature is not quite gone from the beſt beleeuers in their new eſtate of grace, and ſtill it hath a ſtubborne root: & therefore muſt hauehave many hands vntounto it, beſides p. 304the promiſes in the word, to pull it vp. Thirdly, the end of Chriſts comming (one of them) was to ſtrengthen the weake lambes of his Fathers election, Ezeck. 34.16. Now, the beſt that are, beleeue but weakely, Matth. 8.26, and therefore, Chriſt muſt either loſe the end of his comming, or keepe and fulfill it by ſtrengthening the weake in faith.

The vſe is (firſt) for inſtruction, Vſe 1.teaching Chriſtians to confeſſe the weakeneſſe of their faith, and that it is not ſo eaſie a matter to beleeue as they thinke: ſome ſay they neuer yet doubted but this eaſie beleeuing is a ſure ſigne (no ſurer) of no faith: for they that beleeue indeed, are not high minded but feare, Rom. 11.20. and ſome (againe) truſt to their old ſtore, neuer ſeeking, (as the diſciples prayed) the increaſe of their faith, Luke 17.5. but wherefore doth God p. 305ſo helpe (euen) the beſt in their weake faith, if it were ſtrong as it ſeemes in their imaginate degree of beleeuing? beſides, the ſhield of faith muſt bee managed with more humilitie, or we ſhall neuer make vſe of it againſt Satans firie darts, either to Gods glorie, or our owne preſeruation, Epheſ. 6.16.

A reproofe of thoſe who deſpiſe in the ſinne of Ahaz, Vſe 2.the helps of their weake faith. Iſa. 7.12. which would be conſidered of thoſe that finde no taſte in the Sacraments, neither tarrying at Baptiſme, nor caring to receiue the Lords Supper more then once (if once) a yeare. Indeed, God is to bee credited of his word, yet (in regard of our weake eſtate in ſaith) his ſeals confirme vsus more. When we hauehave an honeſt mans ſeale and writing, with his word, wee doubt no longer. The promiſe of God is ſealed and deliuered in the Sacraments, to p. 306make it of leſſe queſtion with vsus in our ſtaggerings here: yet in contempt of them, we had rather hold by no leaſe, or one that hath no ſeale vntounto it; then come and bee at the Sacraments on the dayes of ſealing. The Lords Supper is the feaſt of thankſgiuing, (and here we ſhould take the cup of ſaluation, Pſal. 116.13.) but if a few of the meaner ſort come to giuegive thanks, thoſe of higher place take ſtate, as nothing concerning them, who ſhould bee moſt thankfull. And may not Chriſt (then) ſay, as of the Lepers, Are not ten cleanſed? But where are the nine? Luk. 17.17. that is, are not all bounden? and yet where is one of ten that obeyes? For of ſixteene ſcore in a Pariſh, how few come to meat, as Saul ſaid of Dauid, Yeſterday, or to day? 1. Sam 20.27. If it were to take ſome houſe or peece of Land, wee would take it ouer anothers head for haſt: but where p. 307wee may buy for nothing, Iſa. 55.1. wee let all go; houſe and land, though of farre better purchaſe in heauen.

VponUpon this anſwer to the woman, and Chriſt bidding her to go her way, or to take his word; ſhe gaue ouer, went away, and beleeued, though hee went not with her, in perſon, to caſt the deuill out of her daughter. And ſo ſhe beleeued what ſhe did not ſee. Doctr. 2.From whence we may gather, That Faith (and ſhee had a great faith) ſtandeth not in ſight, but in the promiſe of the World. We (therefore) are ſaid to behold the glory of Chriſt, not by face, but in the mirrour of the Goſpel 2. Corinth. 3.18. Simon Peter had faith, and that made him to take Chriſts word for that which hee ſaw not. Luk. 5.5. And that true Iſraelite, Nathanael, beleeued vponupon a word that Chriſt ſpake, Ioh. 1.47 48, 49. Abraham receiued the promiſe (and ſo did that p. 308cloud of faithfull Saints, ſpoken of in the eleuenth to the Hebrews) by faith, not by ſeeing; by an inuiſible hand, not by an hand of viſible matter. Rom. 4.20.21. And this is the word of faith, that wee preach: not the word of man, which is but the word of opinion. Rom. 10.8. and this is the ground of things hoped for, and euidence of things that are not ſeene. Hebr. 11.1. Therefore Chriſts firſt Text was, Repent, and beleeue the Goſpell, Mar. 1.15. hee ſaith not, Repent and ſee, but repent and beleeue what you cannot ſee. And it is no proper ſpeech to ſay, wee beleeue what we ſee: for faith goes when ſight comes. Hebr. 11.1. And thus the obiect of Faith is not ſight, but matter that cannot be ſeene. Reaſons.The reaſons. Faith is in the heart, Rom. 10.10. therefore not vnderunder ſenſe: alſo of things to come, and therefore neither vnderunder ſight. For who can ſee that p. 309that is not? Secondly, the obiect of Faith is God the Father, Son, and holy Ghoſt. And is God, in Trinitie, vnderunder the ſenſe of ſight, whom we ſee with other eyes in the glaſſe of the Goſpel? For in it we hauehave Chriſt, and in him eternall life. Ioh. 5.39 But neither he, nor it is in the noriſon of our ſight: and what mortall eye can ſee ſo farre?

A reproofe of thoſe who go all by ſight. Ʋſe 1.In matters of high myſterie they will go no further then reaſon doth bring them, drawne from the ſenſes: where it is reaſon of faith that muſt perſwade in ſuch caſes; or elſe when will we beleeue the virginitie of the mother of Chriſt? the three diſtinct perſons in one entire God head, the riſing againe of the ſame bodies, long ago conſumed to duſt and nothing; and the like ſacred myſteries of our moſt holy faith? Some that profeſſe to beleeue in Gods power and p. 310goodneſſe, will yet beleeue no further then they ſee. They will truſt God vponupon a good pawne, as if hee fill their barnes with corne, and their purſes with money; otherwayes they will truſt him no more then men will bankrupts. Hee hath giuen his faithfull word, that they who ſeeke him in faith, Pſal. 34.10. and ſerue him in righteouſneſſe, verſ. 15. ſhall want no good thing. But doe they take him at his word, who lie, and coſen, vſe violence, and draw bloud to bee rich? And do they truſt him for their prouiſion, who (being poore) fall to practiſes againſt good conſcience, ſteale, and take his name in vaine? Prou. 30.9. theſe can skill of nothing but what they hauehave in hand. Where the faithfull beleeue without meanes and againſt them. Dan. 3.17. When they hauehave nothing, they know God hath enough, and they ſufficient in his ſtorehouſe p. 311of prouidence. They will beleeue in his power for their ſafetie, though they ſhould hauehave all the world againſt them, Pſal. 3.5, 6. and though they be drunken with gall and wormwood, they will not doubt to be made ſober againe, with the ſweet mercies of the God of their ſaluation.

A direction for Gods mourners, Vſe 2.when with Iſaac (readie to be offered vp) they ſee the fearfull knife and wood, but not the Lambe for ſacrifice: Gen. 22.7. that is, ſee their fearfull changes, but not the iſſues of them. In this caſe, they are here taught with Abraham, to ſay in their faith. that God will prouide; that is, worke, though they ſee not how: ver. 8. Indeed when the fauour of God is in the eclipſe, God darkeneth (for that time) all the lights of his children: they cannot ſee his louelove, and they feele a great meaſure of his wrath in the p. 312beſt things they do. Hence they iudge themſelues to bee caſt-awayes from the life of Chriſt, which is the caſe of Gods beſt Saints. It was the caſe of Iob, Dauid, Hezek…ah, Ieremiah, and other of the Lords worthies, Iob 13.26. Pſal. 77.7, 8, 9. Iſa. 38.10, 11, 12. &c. Ier. 20.14, 15 But their darkneſſe brake vp after a while, and their Sunne returned, as after a recouery out of ſome great eclipſe, or loſſe of light. Therefore meane while, and ſo long as thou feeleſt ſuch an eclipſe of thy lights, remember the yeares of the right hand of the moſt high, Pſalm. 77.10. his former merciemercy and truth toward thee, which are in him without repentance, Rom. 11.29. And when thou haſt greateſt temptations to deſpaire, labour moſt againſt them. Though thou canſt ſee no reaſon to beleeue, yet beleeue with all thy heart. If Gods fauour ſeeme to be gone p. 313in the eye of thy reaſon, looke abroad with the better eye of thy faith, the eye that ſeeth (euen) thoſe things that are not, and it will giuegive that a being which reaſon giues for loſt. The obiect of faith is the promiſe of God, not things vnderunder ſight. And therefore when all things ſeeme to go one way; and when heauen and earth, the Sunne, Moone, ſtarres, and all the elements go againſt vsus, here is iuſt matter for our faith, a grace that is able to draw ſome thing out of nothing. Here let vsus beleeue and wreſtle againſt hope vnderunder hope, and (vnderunder the darke cloud) againſt hell, and deuils, that enuy our ſaluation. If they ſay, ye hauehave loſt Gods fauour: let vsus ſay, and with the voyce of faith ſay, it is loſt to our feeling, but not to our faith: for, we beleeue, and we will beleeue, though the Lord ſhould kill vsus, Iob 13.15. And thus, the doctrine of faiths obiect in things, not viſible, p. 314or not preſently ſeene, will be a good cloke for the weather, when rainy dayes come. And what ſtorme can ſtay vsus in our ſpirituall courſe, being ſo well prouided againſt what may come hereafter?

The third vſe is for conuiction. Vſe 3And here deſperate is all the Religion of Poperie, which ſtandeth altogether vponupon ſenſe for worſhipping, and vponupon ſenſe for ſaluation. They cannot pray, but before a Crucifixe, nor worſhip deuoutly but before an Image. And for their ſaluation, it is in works that are viſible, not in grace that ſaueth vsus. Epheſ. 2.8. Beyond the eye of reaſon, and further then the care of ſenſe, they will not hauehave the Ignorants (that follow them) to go for aſſurance that they ſhall be ſaued. They muſt not beleeue their owne ſaluation, a thing they cannot ſee; onelyonly they muſt hold it in a ſlippery hope, or certaintie p. 315vncertaine. But the old ſaying is here true, As good neuer a whit, as neuer the better. To allow a certaintie that may faile (and they allow no better) is in a ſeeming to build; and in true ſubſtance, to pull downe. Looke Rom. 8, 15. Mark. 11.24. 1. Ioh. 3.23: Rom. 5.5. Luk. 10 20. 2. Cor. 13.5.

The particular effect followeth.

The Deuil is gone out of thy daughter.

WE hauehave heard of the generall iſſue; now followeth the particular ſubſequent effect or ſucceſſe of this conſerence. The deuill that did go into this womans daughter, is now gone out, compelled by Chriſts authoritie and ſoueraigntie. Where wee may conſider what Chriſt ſaid to the woman, in theſe words, and what followed p. 316vponupon it in the next. Chriſt tells her that the deuill is gone: we muſt thinke againſt his will, and diſpoſſeſſed by a ſtronger, euen Chriſt, that had caſt him out. And here obſerue, That Chriſt is the Soueraigue Lord of the deuils. Doctr.The Author to the Hebrews ſaith, that hee had deſtroyed him that had the power of death: to wit, the deuill. Hebr. 2.14. the effects ſhew it. For he commanded the foule ſpirits, and they came out. Luk. 4.36. Now to command and get obedience, is to hauehave dominion. The deuils confeſſe as much, who (therefore) cry out at his approach toward them, Matth. 8.29. Alſo how may deuils, being entred into men, did he caſt out with his onelyonly word? Mark. 5.8, 9, 10. and 9.25, 26. The ſeuentie, when then returned, ſaid to Chriſt, Lord, euen the deuils were ſubdued vntounto vsus through thy Name. Luk. 10.17. And how (then) can he p. 317but hauehave authoritie ouer the deuils, of whom this is ſpoken, and by whom ſo much is done? Reaſons.The reaſons. So much was promiſed to Chriſt, the feed of Mary, Geneſ. 3.15. and Gods promiſes neuer faile, can neuer: for; if hee ſay the word, it is done, Pſalm. 33.9. Secondly, this was the end for which God (his Father) ſent him, 1 Iohn 3.8. and what ſhall croſſe the way of his ends? Mens ends hauehave a ſuperiour diſpoſer, Pro. 26.33. and (commonly) are ill ſet; but who can ſay ſo of Gods ends, that they hauehave a ſuperiour, and that they are not well ſet? and what then can hinder, that they ſhould not take effect in their iuſt execution? Thirdly, Chriſt is the Sauiour of his people, and this was the name giuen him by the Angell, Matth. 1.21. but how ſhould hee ſaue his people, if he could not by a larger power deſtroy his peoples enemies? p. 318how can hee dwell in them, and not put out the vſurper? Luke 11.22. and how ſhould we doe then? and who ſhall treade Satan vnderunder our feet, if Chriſt doe not, or could not? Romans 16.20.

A comfort to all Chriſts members: Vſe 1.for the power of their head is to ſaue their heads, and the ſubiection of the deuils to Chriſt, is their victorie ouer them in him. The life the deuils hauehave, is but a vanquiſhed life, or life of repryuie in priſon till the day of the laſt generall aſſizes, the day of their full dam… nation: and ſo they are of no power againſt any of Chriſts true members, being as dead Lyons, and Chriſts members being as Daniel among the Lyons, Dan. 6.22. S. Iames makes them no better than Cowards, who (if a man turne againe) will flie, Iam. 4.7. come againſt them with faith, and they are p. 319gone, 1. Pet. 5.9. Obiect. You will ſay, but it ſeemes not ſo. Anſw. I anſwer, what matter for ſeemings? for, ſeeme as it will, it is ſo : the brazen Serpent ſeemed a liuing Serpent, and terrible, but was not. Indeed in the reprobate ſeed the deuils draw breath: in the ſeed of grace, they gaſpe as a dying man, and draw their laſt breath of hope, here and hence. They got downe Chriſt by our ſinnes laid vponupon him, and to this day they nible at his heele, his members and ſeruants by their owne ſinnes; but their Scull is broken, Gen. 3.15. and Chriſt hath triumphed ouer them vntounto their vnrecouerable perdition, made an open ſhew of them, after the old Roman ſolemnitie, and ſpoyled them for euer, Coloſſ. 2.15.

A terrour to all the wicked enemies of Chriſt: Vſe 2for he that hath ſubdued the deuils, the p. 320ſtronger, can caſily maſter them, the weaker; ſhall (then) the blaſphemers of Gods name, ſhall drunkards, whoremongers, oppreſſers of the needie, ſabbathbreakers, and other ſinners thinke to carry out their matters ſtill as they hauehave done when he that is Soueraigne Lord, of the deuils, ſhall make enquirie after them, to their full deſtruction in the hells? The men of Samaria (ſpeaking of Iehu) ſay; two kings could not ſtand before him, and how ſhall we? 2 King. 10.4. not onelyonly not two kings, but not all the deuills of hell (ſtronger than all kings, not ſtrengthened with Chriſt) could make their part good againſt him, that hath the keyes of death, and hell, Apoc. 1.18. euen Chriſt the Lord; and ſhall weake men, being vngodlie, and ſinners, be able to make head againſt him? no verilie; for the vngodlie ſhall not ſtand p. 321in the iudgement, nor ſinners in the congregation of the righteous, Pſal. 1.5.

The conſequent of Chriſts ſpeech to the woman followeth.

And her daughter was made whole from that very houre.

S. Marke addeth, Chap. 7. V. 30. that,

When ſhee was come to her houſe, ſhe found the Deuill gone out, and her daughter laid vponupon the bed.

BOth S. Matthew & S. Marke pitch vponupon one thing; onelyonly S. Marke hath a circumſtance which S. Matthew hath not; and that is, that When ſhe came to her houſe, ſhee found her daughter laid vponupon the bed: becauſe (it is like) p. 322not perfectly well, though much better than before, the deuill being gone, that caſt her into thoſe fits; and ſo ſhe had no more of them, though not quite from weakeneſſe, the remainder of her former diſtempers. And now where the woman found it to be, as Chriſt had told her, wee learne, Doctr.that what Chriſt (the truth) ſaith, is done; his word and deed are one; alſo, Gods promiſe in the word is ſure, nothing can make it vneffectuall, Rom. 3.3. yea all his promiſes in Chriſt are yea, and in him, Amen, 2 Cor. 1.20. Chriſt himſelfe ſaith, heauen and earth ſhall paſſe away, or runne into nothing, before any word of mine ſhall paſſe, or not ſtand in force, Matth. 24.35. and it cannot be that the word of God, (and conſequently of Chriſt-God,) ſhould take no effect, or faile in performance, Rom. 9.6. Hence I conclude, that Gods promiſes, p. 323and the promiſes of Chriſt-God, are as certainely done as made, no tract of time can anull them, Reaſons.Galatians 3.17. The reaſons. One reaſon may be taken from an attribute in God and Chriſt; which is, truth in the abſtract, Iohn 14.6. 1 Iohn 4.6. Deut. 32.4. In the concrete, hee that is true may be falſe; but truth can neuer. Secondly, & a ſecond reaſon may bee taken from an impoſſibilitie that God or Chriſt ſhould lie: it cannot bee ſaith S Paul, Rom. 9.6. and ſo ſaid Samuel, 1 Sam. 15.29. or, if an honeſt man will keepe his word, is it poſſible that God, or that Chriſt, who is God ſhould breake his? truth may bee in men, and is in the bleſſed Angels: but truth in men and Angels, is as thoſe things that are ſet with the hand; in God and Chriſt-God, as things that grow naturally and without hand: and if it bee impoſſible that God ſhould p. 324ſin, (& it is impoſſible he ſhould Hebrews 6.18. Habac. 1.13.) then he cannot deceiue which in true account is to ſinne.

The firſt vſe is, Ʋſe 1.for the reproofe of thoſe who are not followers of God, or Chriſt in what they ſay: for, (as it was ſaid of the Phariſes and Scribes, in Moſes chaire) they ſay and doe not, Mat 23 3. they can promiſe by the …ll, but pay by the inch: their mouthes talke of vanitie, and their hand is the hand of falſehood, Pſal. 144.8. their words and deeds fall out by the way: and many promiſe largely, yea, and ſhake hands vponupon the ſame, who yet keepe no promiſe. May not ſuch mens words well bee called winde? for, as when the winde blowes, we heare a ſound but cannot hold the ſame: ſo when ſuch promiſes are ſo made, wee heare a ſound of words, but beſide words, which wee cannot hold, there is nothing p. 325to hold by, but a winde of promiſes that turnes with eueryevery weather: Gods promiſes are yea and Amen, 2. Cor. 1.20. theirs are yea and nay: not careing how many they make, nor how few they keepe: but as Peter ſaid to lying Ananias, while it remained, appertained it not to thee? Act. 5.4. ſo I ſay to thee before thou didſt open thy mouth to thy neighbour, was it not in thy power to promiſe, or not? but, hauing promiſed, the power is gone from thee to the other: and not keeping promiſe, thou lyeſt both vntounto God, and vntounto man. God taketh hold of thy words, though man cannot: and let this teach vsus to hold in, and not to ſpeake raſhly, leſt as a riuer ouer flowing, wee leaue much ſlime behinde vsus, the ſlime of many and great vntruthes. And further, let vsus conſider what we are in Gods booke by our many promiſes, p. 326not kept; and ſo blot the booke by repentance, that they may not ſtand there againſt vsus in the day of his Audit.Ʋſe 2

The next vſe is for comfort. For, is Chriſts word and deede one? then what Chriſt hath promiſed, concerning ſaluation, to beleeuers, is as good, as in hand: on the word of the Goſpell (therefore) wee muſt relie by faith in all quauerings of times and men; here Abraham held faſt, Rom. 4.17, 18. and if wee will walke in the ſteps of his faith, wee muſt keepe his hold, and not let goe for any temptation. But ſome ſay, I could doe ſo, if Chriſt would ſpeake to me, as God did to Abraham; but art thou a beleeuer? in ſpeaking to beleeuers, Iohn 3.16. he ſpeaketh to thee; and when God ſpake to Abraham, hee ſpake to all that ſhould bee of his faith. In the perſon of Abraham, hee ſpeakes to vsus as Chriſt exhorting p. 327to a ſpirituall watch, ſaith, What I ſay to you, I ſay to all Mar. 13.37. And therefore, let no beleeuer go away, as vnſpoken vntounto, when all are called; and are they called to ſend them emptie away? no, but hungring for him, hee will fill them with good things, Luke 1.53. Queſt. But how ſhall wee know that? Anſw. He hath made promiſe to all in couenant with him, vnderunder the …eale of an oath, that hee will bee true vntounto them, Ezech 16.8.Ezek 16:8Heb 6.17. and ratifie what hee hath ſaid; beſides, hee hath left it written in the Goſpell, and ſealed it in the Sacraments; and will he denie his word, and hand vntounto it?

The circumſtance in the text of S. Marke, omitted by S. Matthew, followeth.