The History of the Woman of Great Faith, Verse 28

The History of the Woman of Great Faith · Verse 28

p. 274VERSE 28.

Then Ieſus anſwered and ſaid vntounto her; O woman, great is thy faith.

NOW wee are at iſſue concerning the conference betweene Chriſt and this woman; which ſtandeth in two things: as the commendation of her great faith, in theſe words; and the grant of her requeſt in the next. She had receiued three repulſes: and if ſhee had receiued (not three, but) threſcore more: with ſuch a faith ſhee could not hauehave gone away confounded. Obiect. Some, with their dimunitiues, p. 275would make her faith leſſe than Chriſt hath ſaid, and the matter of it not ſo great; ſaying, that her requeſt was no more but that Chriſt would heale her daughter ſicke of a deuill in her: and what is that to ſaluation? Anſw. I confeſſe there is no more expreſſed in the text: yet this anſwer of Chriſt, and the womans carriage in her former ſore flight, ſhew that more was at the ſtake, and that the health of her daughter was not all the matter: the ſaluation of her and her daughter was chiefely ſought; and her daughters health, as Chriſts pawne for it; who (therefore) ſaith: be it vntounto thee as thou wilt; or that, and much more than that. In ſo ample a grant, then, how can it be but that more was meant than her daughters well being in the bodie, as the forgiuenes of ſinnes to both, and to both, faith in Chriſt, to ſaluation? Further, p. 276Chriſt doth not ſay, Woman but with a ſacred exclamation, O woman, as pained till he was deliuered of ſo much: his affections boiled as Ioſephs did, till hee had opened himſelfe: and now he melteth ouer her, as he ouer his brethren, when he had told them who he was, Gen. 43.1, 2, 3. nor doth he onelyonly commend her great faith, but wonder at it, as before at the Centurions, Matth. 8.10. and therefore ſaith, O woman, as if he had ſaid: O noble daughter of Abraham, noble in ſo great a faith: I muſt now tell thee that I am that Ioſeph that God hath ſent, in this ſpirituall long famine of Canaan, to thee, and to thy daughter: ſhortly Iacob will bee in Aegypt, and the houre of the Gentiles is neere, but yours is come already: and now the deuill is gone out of thy daughter: thou haſt had power with God: thou ſhalt hauehave power againſt p. 277deuils: ſuch is the meaning of the words now read. And now where Chriſt ſpeaking of a good woman indeed, detracts not from her, but giues her, her due: we learne by ſo worthie a precedent, to ſpeake truly of good men and good things: the Hittites, (though ignorant of the true God) gaue to Abraham his true reſpect, as that hee was a Prince of God among them Gen 23. 6 and when the brethren of Ioſeph enuied him for his dreame, his father regarded him for it, Gen. 37 11. the women in their fo…g and dance, gaue Dauid his due: but the thing diſpleaſed Saul, 1 Sam. 18.7. The like did Abimelch, who ſpeaking of Dauid to Saul, ſaid, hee had not ſuch another ſeruant, 1 Sam. 22.14. & Chriſt the Lord (for example to vsus) doth elſwhere call thoſe that improued his ſpirituall talent, (as they were indeed) his good ſeruants and faithfull, p. 278Matth. 25.21.23. ſo Barnabas is called by S. Luke, in his right name, a good man, Act. 11.24. and ſo we muſt not nip with the froſt of …, but cheriſh the ſpring of good things where God hath put them, and giuegive them a true report: Reaſons.the reaſons. for elſe wee wrong the owner, that is, God from whom is eueryevery good giuing, and perfect gift, Iam. 1.17. Secondly, the contrary is forbidden, as falſe witneſſe againſt our neighbour: for what other doe wee, when wee take away a righteous mans righteouſneſſe from him, and ſpeake euill of his good, Eſa 5.20.23. but ſpeake falſely of him? Thirdly, the deuill (who is the accuſer of the brethren, and a ſlanderer,) doth belie the goodneſſe of the Saints, Iob 1.11. and ſhall Chriſtians, that ſhould follow Chriſt, bee like the deuill? Fourthly, we ſhould incourage the good in p. 279their good way, but to ſpeake otherwaies than well of welldoing, is not to ſet them forward, but backward in goodneſſe.

The firſt vſe is for reproofe of thoſe who are ſo blinded with anger againſt the good, Vſe 1.that they can ſee no good where much is: and heere the old ſaying proues true, that ill will neuer ſpeake well. If any little fault bee in ſuch, they blow with their ſtrongeſt wind, to ſend it as farre as their breath will carry: ſo far from commending things commendable in them, that they grime them rather with their blacke tongues, calling all their holineſſe hypocriſie. Papiſts were wont to be alone in ſuch wrong done to true Chriſtians; but company comes vntounto them, euen out of our owne profeſſion; and this leproſie of a foule tongue is gone from Naaman to Gehazi, from them to ſome Proteſtants, p. 280as great mockers of ſinceritie in profeſſion, as Papiſts are. 2. King. 5.27.

The next vſe is for inſtruction, Vſe 2.teaching vsus to louelove good men for the good things in them: for ſo we will louelove ſuch much better in whom they be. We louelove gold, though in the filthy oare; and will take vp a iewell, though trodden in the mire: ſo if we loued goodneſſe for it ſelfe (that is, truly loued it) we would not neglect it, though in the foile of a bad man, or trodden in the mire of a heart very ſinfull: much leſſe would we diſ-regard it placed in a worthy ſubiect Parents louelove their children with a ſtrong louelove: the reaſon is, they hauehave that in them which they louelove; nature. So Chriſtians ſhould follow true Chriſtians with like force of true louelove; the reaſon is, they hauehave that in them which they ſhould louelove; grace. This louelove of parents to their children, makes p. 281that they care not how much good they ſpeake, or heare ſpoken of them, ſo if like louelove, or any were in vsus towards theſe earthly Saints, we would ſpeake our ſelues, and be glad to heare others ſpeake much good of them, for the grace of God in them.

Thirdly, Vſe 3this is for admonition to Chriſtians to beware of enuy in regard of graces, which are in others, more then in themſelues. For, ſuch will bitterly, from that wormwood of enuie, (inſtead of praiſing) oppoſe againſt them. So did Ioſephs brethren; and therefore roſe vp againſt their better brother, Gen. 37.4.18, 19. And Cain ſet his crueltie on worke againſt Abel, a farre better man then himſelfe, and his owne naturall brother: where nothing could eaſe the great paine of his enuie, but a medicine made of his brothers bloud. Gen. 4 8. So the Phariſees p. 282and Prieſts among the Iewes, watched Chriſt in the graue that he ſhould not riſe: Matth. 27.66. and ſo the enuious among vsus (louers of themſelues, 2. Tim. 3.2.) put vertue in the graue with Chriſt, and watch it that it riſe not. But further, as Chriſtians muſt not wrong others in their good parts by enuious detractions; ſo, neither (hauing ſuch good parts in them) muſt they wrong themſelues by falſe teſtimonie: I ſay, falſe teſtimonie: for there is falſe witneſſe againſt a mans ſelfe, as well as againſt his neighbour. Many well indewed of God, in ſome fits of the ſpirituall feauer, fare as if they had nothing; no faith, no hope, no grace. And ſome, in the affliction, ſay (though before they had done exceeding well) that they were neuer good before God, nor ſound in profeſſion, but hypocrites. So the deuill would hauehave it. But ſhould Chriſtians p. 283ioyne iſſue with Sathan againſt themſelues? Is not the deuill ſtrong enough without our helpe; and except we wrong our ſelues to gratifie him? rather, we ſhould fight vnderunder God againſt him, then with him, againſt our owne ſoule. For ſo did righteous Iob, in the thickeſt miſt of his troubles: His friends had vrged him hard, and would baue perſwaded him, that though he had done many good things, yet it was in no ſoundneſſe to God. But Iob (though hee had otherwayes loſt all; his children, ſeruants, ſubſtance, and all) yet he would not be ſo great a loſer to them and the deuill, as to part with his integritie in what hee had done. Iob 27.5. for where he had failed, he knew hee had made vp the reckoning by repentance, and ſorrow for ſinne. and (therefore) doubted not, but that ſo much was left as would comfort him, and reproue p. 284them.

Our Sauiour purpoſing to commend this womans vnwearied petitioning to him in regard of her daughter and her ſelfe, commends that which was the roote of that fruit, her great faith. Which faith is a grace of perſuaſion, whereby we beleeue for our ſelues, and particularly, to eternall life. And to this faith of hers, the health of her daughter is aſcribed, as the branch to the root that beares it. Where wee ſee, Doct. 2that by faith we hauehave acceptance with God; the good workes we doe, being as fruites of that tree. Hence Dauid ſpeaking of a iuſtified ſinner, ſaith, that the booke is cleared by forgiuing the debt, and not by any ſatisfaction made, Pſal. 32.1.2. This faith beleeues, and workes hauehave nothing to do in her office. Therefore, ſaith the Apoſtle Saint Paul, To him that worketh not, but beleeueth in him that iuſtifieth the vngodly, p. 285his faith is counted for righteouſneſſe. Rom. 4.5 that is, all the ſatisfaction that a iuſtified ſinner can make, is to beleeue, that it is made without him, or any thing that he can do. And ſo faith obtaineth by imputation: what it gets in the account, it gets it by Chriſt that hath paied the whole debt of ſinne, and turneth ouer his obedience to thoſe that cannot obey but imperfectly and vnprofitably, Luk. 17.10. and ſo hauehave no righteouſneſſe but what is his: Rom 5.22. Hereupon the ſame Apoſtle Saint Paul, ſpeaking of himſelfe, a iuſtified ſinner, ſaith, that the life he hath in the new life of the Goſpell, is not his, but Chriſts, who breathed it in him, and liueth in him. Galat. 2.20. all his minde ranne vponupon the gaine he had by Chriſt, hauing his righteouſneſſe: all other things in the world were but loſſe and dunge to this, Philip 3.8, 9. Therefore in his Epiſtles to p. 286the Romanes, to the Galathians, and Epheſians, hee ſtrongly pleades the cauſe of faith in the power of iuſtification without workes: plainly, in the ſecond Chapter of his Epiſtle to the Epheſians, verſ. 8. and 9. he excludeth the beſt things, left in nature, and the beſt workes in new nature from the merit of ſaluation, ſaying, We are ſaued by grace: not of our ſelues, againſt Pelagius, and not of workes, againſt Papiſts: and giues the reaſon, which is to preuent all boaſting in our ſelues; as if wee did, (as Papiſts ſay we doe) bring ſomewhat in hand to the purchaſe of our ſaluation. And ſo we ſee that faith maketh our way to God, and that works follow. Reaſons.The reaſons. Our workes (the beſt of them) are imperfectly good, and partly euill: and what account can ſuch hauehave before him, whoſe eyes cannot behold euill? Haba. 1.13. that that pleaſeth him, is p. 287Chriſt abſolutely holy, & Chriſts righteouſneſſe perfectly good; onelyonly … that: but neither hee nor this, is ours, further then by the grace of faith wee can make them ſo, with application to our ſelues. Secondly, the beſt come out of an vncleane pit, and their beſt works are but as foule ragges, Iſa. 64.6. And who can bring a cleane thing out of filthineſſe? Iob 14.4. Now can any thing that is vncleane and filthy enter into ſo holy a place as heauen, and ſtand before ſo holy a perſon as the Lord? or if it cannot; our perſons not purged by Chriſts holineſſe, and our works not couered with his iuſtice, whither ſhall they go? in heauen there is no place for them; and they muſt ſtand without, with dogges, ſorcerers, and other ſinners. Apocal. 21.27. & 22.15. It was ſinne that brought vsus out with God it muſt be that (which we hauehave not, perfect righteouſneſſe) p. 288that muſt bring vsus in againe. And this is the Sonne, in whom the Father is well pleaſed. Matth 3.17. all other things (as we heard) are loſſe and dunge: and what good ſauour in workes of dunge?

This is againſt the Papiſts, Vſe 1who (like dogges) barke againſt the truth of ſole iuſtification by faith. Their tenet is, that the righteouſneſſe whereby we are iuſtified is inherent in vsus. But the righteouſneſſe, that doth iuſtifie, is called a robe: and why a robe, but becauſe wee hauehave it (as wee hauehave our clothes) from another, out of our ſelues? Fleſh and skin we hauehave from our mothers, but our apparell is made vsus. So nature we hauehave by birth, but grace by gift in the hand of faith. Therefore Saint Paul deſired to be found in Chriſt, Philip 3.9. clad with him. Obiect. True, ſay the Papiſts, all wee hauehave in our firſt iuſtification or change to p. 289righteouſneſſe, wee hauehave from God onelyonly, and all is due to him for it. But (ſay they) there is a ſecond iuſtification or change, and that as a ſtocke giuen vsus to ſet vp for themſelues, as it increaſeth vnderunder our hand, maketh ſome part of pay to our ſaluation. Anſwer. But if the Apoſtle (as we heard) had knowne any iuſtification but one, and that one onelyonly and altogether by gift, hee would not hauehave giuen away his owne part, as hee did, and hauehave acknowledged no other iuſtification, but that of beeing in Chriſt. And further, the Apoſtle giues the reaſon why hee did ſo, though in another place. For, ſpeaking of God that iuſtifieth and ſaueth onelyonly, hee ſaith, For (and that for muſt ſtand) For, (ſaith he) of him, and through him, are all things. Rom. 11.36. by all things, wee muſt vnderſtand all good things; ſpecially, the good things of life eternall: and theſe p. 290all are of and from God. And now where wee ſpeake of faith, we vnderſtand not ſuch a faith, as Saint Iames reproueth, which is a faith without workes, and ſo dead, as the bodie is dead that breatheth not, Iam. 2.26. but a ſaith accompanied with or breathing, in manifeſt ſymptomes of new life: ſuch a faith this woman had which in her was ſo commended. And yet faith only iuſtifieth our perſons before God: good workes ſerue but to iuſtifie our faith before men, Iam. 2.18.21. Alſo though wee acknowledge good works to be the quicke pulſes of a louing faith, yet withall (wee ſay) that they come not to God in way of iuſtification. For true it is that wee muſt do good works, if we will bee ſaued: and yet it is as true that wee ſhall not bee ſaued for them.

An admonition to Chriſtians to labour to get and hope faith, p. 291Vſe 2ſo greatly commended in this woman of great faith: and to do ſo, wee muſt vſe the meanes; as (firſt) the Word: faith is by it, Rom. 10.17. If (then) wee will wreſtle with God by faith, when he proues our faith by temptation; we muſt know what promiſes God hath made in his word, and vponupon what tearmes: Pſal 9.10.Ps 9:10ſo wee ſhall hold him by the words of his owne mouth, and with Iacobs hand till he bleſſe vsus; who will ſurely doe it, for bee cannot deny himſelfe. But how ſhall wee know what promiſes God hath made in his word, and to whom, and vponupon what conditions, when we know neither Eaſt nor Weſt in it, and when wee turne from it in the day of hearing? When Sathan ſhall ſift vsus in the maine point, how ſhall we hope in more then the chaffe, if we be not ſound graine by the knowledge of ſaluation? Faith is by hearing, and hearing by the p. 292Word, Rom. 10.17. Therefore no hearing, no faith: and without, what poſſibilitie to pleaſe God? Hebr. 11.6. and not pleaſing him, what hope to bee ſaued? A fearfull darknes (therefore) muſt needes bee vponupon all that want this Sunne of their holy faith. And let them thinke of it, who (as one ſaith well) hauehave paſſed an eſtate of their ſoules to ignorance for tearme of life: neither hauehave they heard, nor will they. For, how can ſuch obey, when they know not God: and not knowing him, how can they eſcape the vengeance that is threatened in the flame of fire? 2. Theſſal. 1.8. Secondly, if we would hauehave and get faith, wee muſt pray for it to the authour and finiſher of our faith. Hebr. 12.2. Mark. 9 24. Luk. 17.5. They deſerue not good things that will not open their mouthes for them: and we hauehave a ſaying, Spare to ſpeake, p. 293ſpare to ſpeed. Faith (then) being of good things the beſt, how vnworthy ſhall wee ſhew our ſelues of ſo faire a Iewell, if wee will not aske it? Thirdly, as we get faith by the Word and prayer, ſo (being had) we muſt keep it in a good conſcience. For faith and good conſcience are relata, one cannot be without the other. Hee that puts away good conſcience in his life, puts away faith: they come together, and go together, 1. Tim. 1, 19. & 3.9. Paul might earneſtly (as with the hold of faith) behold the counſell, who had liued in all good conſcience, from the day of his conuerſion, to that day. Act. 23.1. But with what face of faith can they appeare before God or man, who (hitherto) hauehave had no cleare conſcience toward either? Act. 24.16. And who (therefore) being men of no conſcience, are men of no faith.

p. 294The grant of the womans requeſt followeth.

Bee it vntounto thee euen as thou wilt.

OR, with ſuch a faith, aske what thou wilt, and it ſhall not be denied thee. Heere the womans requeſt is granted with the aduantage: for, bee it as thou wilt, is a large ouerplus: ſhee expreſſed no more but her daughters freedome from Satans poſſeſſion: but more is granted, euen what ſhee will, as was ſaid before: her daughters cure was but that ſome thing in hand for a greater matter: and both the greater and leſſe are yeelded to ſuch a faith; which is the p…ciple and c…iefe in the good iſſue of this conference betweene Chriſt and her: where we hauehave (firſt) p. 295the generall iſſue, and (then) the particular effect. In the firſt, the booke was drawne; in the ſecond, it was ſigned with the health of the womans daughter, and there Chriſts hand was to the booke. Queſt. But might the woman hauehave had what ſhee would aske? and what if ſhee had asked her houſe full of gold and precious ſtones, ſhould ſhee hauehave had it? Anſw. I anſwer, true faith (ſuch as this woman had) will aske within the word and promiſe, and no otherwiſe: and to ſuch and to no other, is this large grace offered. 1 Iohn 5.14. it is not entruſted to greedie perſons, and couetous that hauehave no faith: in a true faith there is no vaine wiſhing or woulding: but what God is pleaſed to giuegive, that and more than that, it will not aske: but (here) where ſo much is granted to the woman, more than ſhe durſt preſume to aske: Doctr.wee learne p. 296that God is a moſt bountifull giuer: what wee dare not aske for our vnworthineſſe, hee, for his owne worthineſſe will giuegive vntounto vsus: commonly, his gift is larger than our prayers, if wee pray in faith. The Iſraelites asked but bread, and God gaue them Angels food, Pſal. 78.25. Elijah prayed that it might not raine, and it rained not on the earth for three yeeres and a halfe, Iam. 5.17. the King aſked life, and the Lord gaue him a long life, Pſal. 21.4. Salomon deſired wiſdome, and God gaue it him, and more, 1 King. 3.9.12. The prodigall asked to bee a ſeruant in the houſe, and the father receiued him in equall tearmes, with his eldeſt brother, Luke 15 19.22, 23. ſo, the repentant Malefactor, asking no more but to bee remembred of Chriſt in his kingdome, receiued anſwer, that, that day hee ſhould bee with him in paradiſe, p. 297Luke 23.42.42. thus more is giuen to our prayers than is aſked, asking as this woman did. The reaſons: Reaſons.all the reaſon for this is in Gods nature, who is a bountifull giuer, Iam. 1.5. hee makes a kings dinner, and biddes vsus (poore beggers) to it, Matth. 22.1, 2, 3. and thus as the heathen Monarch once ſaid to a poore man, to whom hee gaue a citie, refuſing it, as too great and much for him; that the matter was not what became him to receiue, but what was fit for him to giuegive: ſo heere the matter is not what wee are worthie to receiue, but what pleaſeth him (the worthy God) to giuegive: and now he that ſpared not his owne Sonne, but gaue him to death, that wee ſhould not die, what will hee not doe for vsus? Rom. 8.32. or was hee ſo liberall in his Sonne, and will hee pull backe in ſmall matters?

p. 298Papiſts are here reproued, Vſe 1.who adde to Gods bountie in mans ſaluation: his gift in it, is rather ouer than ſhort, yet they will helpe it with making ſome part of payment, where all is free: but hee, that made this dinner is a King, Matth. 22.1. and Kings, when they hauehave royally dined their Subiects, doe not take a ſhot of them; either (then) our Papiſts beleeue not that God is ſo bountifull (as we hauehave heard) the God that giueth liberally, and doth not (as ſome meates in the ſtomacke) vpbraide the receiuers; Iam. 1.5. or they offer manifeſt contempt to his bountie and goodneſſe.

A comfort to humble ſinners, Vſe 2who finde in themſelues no matter able to draw any thing from God: for ſuch may ſay with the Prophet; returne vntounto thy reſt (O my ſoule) for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee, Pſal. 116.7. If wee ſay, wee are not p. 299worthie: our vnworthineſſe (hauing it in a true account, and rightly humbled for it) will rather open the face of God, than ſet him out with vsus: for, bleſſed are the poore in Spirit, Matth. 5.3. God keepes no ordmarie: and heere hee payes beſt, who (in his true repentance and vile eſteeme of himſelfe) confeſſeth hee hath nothing to pay: ſuch (as being thirſtie indeed) are called to the waters of his rich grace to drinke at will, Eſa 55 1. and this (Chriſtian ſoule) is thy beſt buckler to warde off the ſtroke of inſufficiencie, which Satan (the obiector) will offer at thy weake eſtate in a day of temptation: for, no more is required for ſatisfaction to the iuſtice of God in thy many ſinnes, but, with ſubmiſſion to God, and repentance for ſinne from a ſoule of ſorrowes, to confeſſe thy great vnworthineſſe, and the liberalitie of thy Hoſt: for, the p. 300reckoning is (which is ſoone made,) there's nothing to pay, and yee are welcome: buy Wine and milke (as Eſay ſaith) without money, and without price, Eſa 55.1. And thus the booke was drawne.

The ſigning of it followeth out of Marke 7.29. and Matthew 15.28.