The History of the Woman of Great Faith, Verse 24
VERSE 24.
But he anſwered and ſaid, I am not ſent but vntounto the lost ſhepe of the houſe of Iſrael.
CHRIST (before) anſwered nothing: now, he anſwereth in words (ſeemingly) worſe then nothing. For, now hee refuſeth her as not of his charge, or not within his commiſſion; but a ſtranger in the wild of the Heathen, to whom hee was not ſent, and this muſt needs be a ſorer venny then the former, offered at the face of the Faith of a ſad and diſtreſſed Cananite. For, what? Chriſt, (the Sauiour of the world) to make no better an anſwer to his poore Petitioner, then that it was not in his commiſſion to doe any thing for her, how could it but cut to the heart? and yet his anſwere was: I am not ſent, but vntounto the lost ſhepe of the houſe of Iſrael. As if he had ſaid: the ſtrayes of Iſrael I am to bring home, and not the ſtrayes of the Gentils. And (here) the words of Chriſt ſeem to fight both againſt her ſaith and hope in a moſt ſharpe incounter: for, here her Sauiour is in ſhew againſt her. If an Angel from heauen had told her ſo, ſhe might hauehave found a word of anſwere in the word of God: But when her Sauiour ſhall tell her as much with his owne mouth; what ſhall ſhe ſay? what might ſhe think? Obiect. But was not Chriſt ſent a light to be renealed to the Gentils. Eſa. 49.6. Luc. 2.42. And was not his ſalnation prepared before the face of all people? v. 31. How was it (then) ſhut vp in Iſrael? Anſ. It is true that Chriſt was ſent to the Gentils: but not then, and when he ſpake ſo to the Woman: nor till the partition wall was broken downe betweene lew and Gentile: nor till both became one in the ſaluation of God. But to the words themſelues, by the loſt ſhepe of the houſe of Iſrael, Chriſt meaneth the 12. tribes of Iacob, to whom this word of ſaluation was ſent. Act. 13.26. But, when they put it from them, it came to the Gentils. v. 46.47. And where Chriſt ſaith hee was not ſent but to thoſe of the houſes of Iſrael: his meaning is, that the day of the Gentils was not come, which (yet) was coming; and that yet the light was in the Horizon of Iſrael. And where he ſaith he was ſent, (poſſeſſedly) to the Iewes and (impliedly) to the Gentiles; hee ſaith in effect, that he is the ſauing ſhepheard of both by his Fathers ordinance. This is the meaning of the ſentence in whole (not to breake it in any more peeces,) and it ſheweth to whom Chriſt was ſent by his firſt commiſſion, and to whom hee was not ſent yet; Doctr.the Doctrine of the whole is this; Chriſt is ſhepheard to his loſt ones in the whole Iſrael of his Church on earth: this was typified in Dauid, Ezeck. 34.23: and is verified in Chriſt; who (therefore) is called the good ſhepheard, that knoweth his, and is knowne of his, Iohn 10.14. for this, hee is in name, the ſhepheard of Iſrael, Pſal. 80.1. and in true effects, one that leadeth Ioſeph like a flock, Pſal. ibid. that is, the Sauiour of his people, Matth. 1.21. and that ſeeketh out, and bringeth home the ſtrayes in the wilderneſſe, Luke 15.4.5. Iohn 10, 11.16. Further (therefore) his name is, the great ſhepheard of the ſheepe, Heb. 13.20. the ſhepheard and Biſhop of ſoules, 1. Pet. 2.25. the chiefe Shepheard, 1 Pet. 5.4. and the Paſtor which is One, Eccleſ. 12.11. the reaſons: Reaſon….the firſt reaſon ſhall bee from his effects; for he is the Aduocate that ſpeakes for them, 1. Tim. 2.5. and the hoſtage that hath laid downe his life, to ſaue them, Ioh. 10.15. alſo hee hath the words of eternal life, Iohn 6.68. and (therefore) as there is no going from him, ſo there is no comming to God without him, Iohn 14.6. further, he doth all things that belong to a good Paſtor, for hee brings them to their paſture, and leads them to waters of quietneſſe, Pſal. 23.2. hee coates them in his Church, and feeds them with iudgement, Ezeck. 34.16. being loſt, hee ſeekes them, and being found, lookes to all their wayes, v. 24, 25, 26, 27. hee keepes all their bones, Pſal. 34.20. and not one of them is lacking, Ier. 23.4. Iohn 17.12. Secondly, it was the decree of the Father, that Chriſt ſhould bee ſet for the fall & riſing againe of many in Iſrael, as Simeon in his … Luke 2.34. which decree is no idle purpoſe, but a deed of ſucrtie: a concluſion in heauen, and ordinance vnderunder the ſeale of eternitie. Now to be ſent as Chriſt was, for a loſt people (ſuch as we were) what is it but to be the ſauing ſhepheard of them by an euerlaſting decree? Thirdly, our errour was in the heart, without all knowledge of our waies, Pſal. 95.10. and what created thing can heale the heart, or leade the wayes of it, but the Lord of ſpirits and hearts; euen he that made vsus theſe ſoules (the Lord Chriſt) who onelyonly is the hand, that can and doth deliuer from the hand of hel: thither we erred in the firſt man: & from thence we are brought backe by him, and onelyonly by him that is God and man.
The vſe is for inſtruction: Ʋſe 1.for is Chriſt the ſauing Shepheard of his people and ſheepe? then they muſt be his people & ſheepe that will be ſau…d; that is, they muſt …eare his voice, and follow him, Iohn 10.27. or heare and obey, for this is true following: they muſt receiue his marke and print vponupon their hearts, Cant. 8.6. and open to him, Iohn 10.3.5. for wee cannot looke for ſaluation, carrying Chriſt in our hearing onelyonly, much leſſe in no …earing; wee muſt lodge him in the practiſe of what wee heare, if wee will ſee his ſaluation. Swine (therefore) that are alwaies rooting and couetous, muſt bee made ſheepe, and their faces muſt be to heauen, whoſe ſ…outs are euer in the ground, if they will bee gathered from their errors in death, to the ſaluation of God: and ſo muſt they who being waſhed in the Sacrament, returne to the mire of ſinne, as Swine: and they, who when the pearle of the Goſpell is offered them, treade it (prophanely) vnderunder their feet, runne grunting from Church, and raile againſt thoſe that teach them, renting them all to peeces, Matth. 7.6. for, (elſe) they are not ſheepe, whom Chriſt will bring with him, but fit Innes for the Deuils to gueſt in, Matth. 8.32.
Another vſe for inſtruction is this: Vſe 2.if Chriſt be the ſauing ſhep heard of his loſt ſheepe, then we are but loſt without him: when the Diſciples were vponupon the ſea in a great tempeſt, the ſhip toſſed with windes, and (almoſt) couered with water, they cried ſaying; Master ſane, we periſh, Matth. 8.25. This is our caſe, and in this caſe as men readie to periſh vponupon the ſea of this world; and confeſſing ſo much except Chriſt bee in ſhip with vsus, to ſaue vsus, we muſt …ie vntounto him, praying him to be neere in his ſaluation, that wee periſh not; ſo did the Diſciples in a ſtorme vponupon them; and ſo ſhould we in all ſtormes of trouble: that wee may doe ſo, wee muſt feele our loſſe without Chriſt, and feare our deſtruction, not hauing him: for, Chriſt came to ſaue that which was loſt, Matth. 18.11. therefore not loſt in our owne ſence, not ſaued by him: and what vſe of phyſicke in a ſound body? Mat. 9.12. Chriſt preacheth libertie to priſoners, Luke 4.18. if therefore wee be not priſoners in the chaine of our ſinnes, nor ſenſible of ſo much, what need any libertie? what need any healing of a broken heart, where none are broken-hearted? before a wound be made, what need of oyle or opening, Luke 10.34. the broken and contrite in ſpirit are for Gods cure, Pſal. 51.17. when we are at the worſt, and (vnfainedly) deſire better, wee are fit for Chriſt, alſo being burdened and heauy laden with ſinne, wee are in caſe to come vntounto him, who hath promiſed to eaſe vsus, Matth. 11.28. Let vsus remember this, when our ſinnes are a burden too heauy for vsus to beare: for the ſinnes that truely grieue vsus, ſhall neuer hurt vsus: and when our whole worke is caſt downe, then is Gods time to build vsus, Pſal. 51.10.
A comfort to poore wandering ſheepe: Vſe 3.for being poore and loſt, they hauehave a ſhepheard that will ſeeke them: which made the Prophet, who had ſtayed like a loſte ſheepe to ſay: ſeeke thy ſeruant, Pſal. 119.176. Men will not bee troubled for their way, that hauehave a good guide; and what need wee who hauehave ſuch a Leader? though the wolfe and Beare with the roaring Lyons of the world waylay vsus, Chriſt will conduct vsus in the way, where no beaſt can come that is hurtfull, and ſeekes our deſtruction, Eſay 11.9.16. If wee will goe a long with him, wee ſhall goe ſafely by the way, and (where others fall, or are ſnared) our foot ſhall not ſtumble, nor be taken, Pro. 3.23.
The Womans beating backe of the former ſharpe replie followeth.