Sermons, Sermon 14
THE XIIII. SERMON.
MATTH. CHAP. XV.
verse 21 And Ieſus went thence, and departed into the coaſts of Tyrus and Sidon.
verse 22 And beholde, a woman, a Canaanite, came out of the ſame coastes, and cryed▪ ſaying vntounto him, HaueHave inercie on mee, O Lord, the ſonne of Dauid, my daughter is miſerably vexed with a deuill.
verse 23 But he anſwered her not a word. Then came to him his diſciples, and beſought him, ſaying, Sende her away, for ſhe cryeth after vsus.
verse 24 But he anſwered, and ſaid, I am not ſent, but vntounto the loſt ſheepe of the houſe of Iſrael.
verse 25 Yet ſhee came, and worſhipped him, ſaying, LORD helpe mee.
verse 26 And hee anſwered, and ſaide, It is not good to take the childrens bread, and to cast it to whelps.
verse 27 But ſhee ſaide, Trueth, Lord: yet in deede the whelps eat of the crummes, which fall from their maisters table.
verse 28 Then Ieſus anſwered, and ſaide vntounto her▪ O woman, great is thy faith: bee it vntounto thee as thou deſirest. And her daughter was made whole at that houre.
IN this TEXT which wee hauehave read (wel beloued in the Lord Ieſus) wee hauehave a wonder, that the Lord wrought on a woman, a Canaanite a Gentile, of a curſed generation, the generation of Canaan. The wonder is, the healing of a womans daughter that was poſſeſſed, and ſore and miſerably vexed with a deuill. The woman hauing the occaſion to meet with the Lord through His comming to theſe parts where ſhe abode, ſhee ſlippeth not the occaſion, but ſeeketh mercy and grace: ſhe findeth at the firſt great hardneſſe and difficulty, to get mercy: but at the laſt, ſhe ouercommeth all by her faith, and getteth mercy.
Now to go through this Hiſtory ſo ſhortly and plainly as the LORD ſhall giuegive the grace. This woman is called a Canaanite, that is deſcended of that olde and rotten ſtocke of Canaan▪ that was deſtinate for wrath and deſtruction. (Geneſ. 9. 25. Looke to her eſtate, ſhee is come of a curſed raſe, ſhe is lying in ſinne and ſecurity: firſt in ſinne, next in a deadly ſleepe and ſecurity of ſinne. This is the eſtate of eueryevery one of vsus: we lie in ſinne, conceiued in ſinne, and borne in ſinne: we feele not the ſinne, & that deadly ſleepe of ſecurity is worſe than the ſinne we lie in: there is none of vsus better by nature than this woman was. Then when ſhe is thus lying in ſinne & ſecurity, the Lord from the Heauen ſendeth her awakening, and a ſharpe wakening: for the judgements of God are like many meſſengers from Heauen to waken vsus. In the example of the woman wee ſee that the Lords children muſt bee wakened: and oftentimes our firſt wakening is verie sharpe, dolefull, and fearefull, as it is with one that is wakened in the rage of a feuer. Yet there is grace here: Well is ye man that is wakened, though the wakening were neuer ſo ſore and sharpe: for the multitude of the worlde dye in ſecuritie, and neuer waken, till the fire of Hell waken them. Well is thee, and thou be wakened, albeit it should be with neuer ſo heauy a judgement, yea, though thy daughter, or thy ſelfe, should bee poſſeſſed with a deuill.
Now, when this poore womā is thus wakened, and is wraſtling vnderunder the heauy hand of God, the Lord caſteth an eye towardes her, (for no doubt, howbeit ſhe was one of the raſe of curſed Canaan, yet ſhe was choſen to eternall life) and of very purpoſe He caſteth Himſelf into theſe parts where ſhe was: what euer other erand Hee had, there is no queſtion, but He had a particular reſpect to her, … she might hauehave the occaſion to come to Him, and this was a great grace. When we are wakened out of ſecurity, then the Mediciner hath his time, and this is a greater grace. It is a great grace to bee wakened, but it is a greater grace to find a Mediciner to cure thy diſeaſe: for, as multitudes die in ſecuritie, ſo alſo multitudes die in paine, torment, and deſperation, after they are wakened. Well, she hearing tell that He was come to theſe parts, and that He was ſuch a man, a wonderful man, as the prophet Eſay calleth Him, who cured all ſort of diſeaſes, who reſtored ſight to the blind, limmes to the lame, cleanſed the leprous, and raiſed vp the dead, she is moued to ſeeke grace and mercy at Him. Had not the Lord preuented her, and come downe thither & ſought her, to draw her to Him, there had neuer bene ſuch a thing, that she had ſought for Him. All thy miſery, albeit it vvere neuer ſo great, vvill neuer draw thee to Him, except Hee ſeeke thee firſt, and draw thine heart vntounto Him.
Well, nowe to come forwarde, vvhen shee ſeeketh Him, shee findeth Him, and getteth His bodilie preſence.
CHRIST and His Diſciples vvere vvalking together after His accuſtomed manner: at the firſt meeting, ſaieth the TEXT, The woman cryeth, Hee is apparantlie going before, and the vvoman followeth after, and cryeth: Miſerie conſtraineth her to crie: And if the LORD laye His handes vponupon thee, Hee vvill compell thee to howle and crie. O, that power and might that is in the LORD ouer His creature!
But I doubt not, conſidering the vvordes and communication that the LORD hath with this poore, miſerable, and ſinfull vvoman, but it was that Spirit of adoptiō that opened her mouth ſo vvide to crie vponupon Him ſo, O thou ſonne of Dauid hauehave merciemercy on mee: What crieth ſhee? Marke her words: She crieth, hauehave mercy vponupon me. How many of Hieruſalem cried after this manner? An Heathen, … Cananite, crieth this way: miſery compelleth her to cry. But what maketh her to cry Mercy? Wee will raile & blaſpheme God whē we are in miſery: but what cauſed her to cry MercieMercy? No queſtion, the conſcience of her demerites cauſed her to crie MercieMercy: ſhee felt her ſelfe to bee worthy of all that miſery wherewith ſhee was burthened. The voyce of a miſerable ſinner, that feeleth miſery, is, O Lord hauehave mercy vponupon mee: but loe howe ſhee ſtileth Him, O Lord, The Sonne of Dauid: theſe were the common ſtiles indeed of the Lord, in this life, He was called of the multitud, LORD, and the ſonne of Dauid. But certainly, I am of this mind, that this woman took theſe ſtiles otherwiſe than ye common multitude: The very eye of her ſoule was opened, to ſee Ieſus Chriſt to be the Lord, & to bee the Sonne of God manifeſted in the fleſh of the ſeed of Dauid, howbeit I will not attribute vntounto her a diſtinct & clear knowledge of both His natures in one perſon, and of His offices.
Then, Brethren, ye ſee two grounds of her petition. The firſt is a Lordſhip, and Power, and Dominion in Him, of whom ſhe ſought mercy. The next is, a Pitie, a Mercy in Him of whome ſhee ſought mercy. She ſought mercy at a mèrcifull face, grace at a gracious face. Looke that thy prayer bee well grounded on the LORD. When thou openeſt thy mouth to ſeeke mercy at that LORD, looke that thou acknewledge that there is a power in that Lord to giuegive thee eueryevery thing that thou ſtandeſt in need of: and chiefely, looke that thou acknowledge, that there is an infinit paſſing mercy in that Lord, ſurmounting all thy ſinnes, and then ſhalt thou pray from the heart, with confidence and liberty: otherwiſe thou mayeſt well ſeeke merciemercy from the teeth outwarde, but neuer with thine heart. Then ſhee letteth Him ſee a good cauſe wherefore ſhe ſought mercy: Lord, I hauehave need of a Phiſition, for I am ſicke. What ſickneſſe is ſorer to a poore body, than this, to bee rent both in ſoule and body with a deuil? Lord, my poore daughter is tormented with a deuill: As in thy prayer thou muſt hauehave a ſight of the infinit power of thy God, of the mercy of thy God, ſo ſcorn Him not with a ſenſeleſſe heart: No, if thou getteſt not a ſenſe & feeling of thy miſery, of thy trouble, & vexation in thine heart, call not vponupon the Name of the Lord. It is true indeed, the Lord ſeeth and knoweth thy miſery, as well as thy ſelfe, albeit thou ſpeake not a word vntounto Him of thy miſery: yet for all that, the Lord taketh pleaſure to heare thy miſery out of thine owne mouth: He will not only hauehave thee to feele and grone in thine heart for it, but he will hauehave thee to vtter it vntounto Him with thy tongue alſo, if oportunity ſerue: He wil hauehave thee to make it knowne vntounto Him, as if Hee knew it not He will hauehave thee to bring vp thy miſery from the ground of thine heart, & as thou feeleſt it in the ſadneſſe of thine heart, ſo to vtter it in thy voyce: for the Lord delighteth to heare miſerable bodies ſpeaking of their miſerie.
Now to goe forward. When shee hath made her petition, ſee the meeting: the text ſaith, At the firſt Hee anſwered her not a vvord, but goeth forward vvith the Diſciples, and letteth her follow on crying, O Lord, hauehave merciemercy vponupon me: not once nor twiſe, but the crie goeth neuer out of her head. This is wonderfull: Hee that preuented her vvith grace, and gaue her grace to ſeeke him, vvill not make her one vvorde anſwere, but goeth his vvaye, and vvill not ſpeake vntounto her: Yea, thou vvilt find, that he, who preuēted thee vvith grace, & ſought thee, ere euer thou ſoughteſt him, & gaue thee grace to crie and pray, HaueHave merciemercy, O God, yet he vvill ſeeme to miſ-knowe thee, and make thee none anſwere. Thou vvilt crie in ſickneſſe, MercieMercy, but vvilt thou alwayes find mercy? No, no, thou vvilt cry in other troubles, MercieMercy, and his Spirite no queſtion vvill interceade for thee, and yet for a time hee vvill make thee none anſwere. What meaneth this? why doeth he ſo? Now vvhen he hath giuen thee grace to crie for mercy, a thirſt & an hunger for grace, (Bleſſed are they that hunger & thirſt) vvhen he hath giuen thee this firſt grace, hee vvill let thee crie a great vvhile to trie thy conſtancie. We neuer get a ſpirituall grace in this life, but vvith the grace vve get alwayes a tryall: and vvhen he giueth vsus grace to crie: hee vvill trie if vvee vvill crie on. And to ſpeake the trueth, Brethren, All our life heere, is but a tryall of the graces of GOD, vvhichwhich hee hath giuen vsus. Wee gette not our heauen heere, but a faith to looke a farre of vntounto it, an hunger, a thirſt, a deſire of it, and vvith our thirſt a tryall of our Faith, a tryall of our Hope, of our deſire, to ſee if vvee vvill ſtand in it. And then ſaieth Peter, in the life to come, the tryall of thy faith, and hope, and patience, beeing ended, What ſhall followe, Praiſe, and honour, and glorie, vvhen IESVS ſhall appeare, 1. Pet. 1. 7. Thou ſhalt bee filled vvith ſaciety and fulneſſe of joye, thine hunger and thirſt ſhall bee ſatisfied as ſoone as euer thou ſeeſt thy Redeemer.
Now to proceed. The Diſciples that followed ye Lord, they are troubled vvith the cry of ye woman, & ſay to the Lord. Either giuegive her one anſwere or other, and let her goe her way. Surely I thinke this ſute of the diſciples was not ſo much for anie deſire they had that he ſhould helpe her, as to be quite of her crying, becauſe they vvere deafned vvith her. So then the Papiſtes neede not vponupon this, to ground their interceſſion of the Sainctes in heauen, for vsus that remaine heere on earth: for this ground is as vveake as their doctrine of interceſſion is: and ſhe directeth not her ſpeach to the Apoſtles heere, to PETER, IAMES, or IOHN, that they ſhould intercead for her, but to the Lord himſelf, ſhe ſpeaketh to none of thē, but ſhe paſſeth & ſpeakes to ye Lord immediately: So ſhould wee leaue all the Saincter, and with confidence goe to the Lord Himſelfe. The Diſciples are deafned and troubled with her crying: the Lord Himſelfe letteth her crie on: and this is a token that Hee is not wearied with her crying Well then, thou findeſt a comfort heere, when thou cryeſt night and day, Hee neuer wearieth with thee: He ſaith not, thou troubleſt me, al thy cryes ſighes, and ſobbes, are pleaſant to Him. Men will bee weary ſometimes with thy crying, as wee reade, that vnjuſt Iudge was importuned by the juſt ſute of the poore woman, and diſpatcheth her away, and ſaith, thou troubleſt and irkeſt mee night and day, Luke 18. 1. But the true righteous Iudge is neuer wearied with thee, when He letteth thee cry out, He wil not anſwere with a grudge, as the Iudge did, but chearfully. The Lord that loueth a chearfull giuer, He Himſelfe giueth chearefully. What meaneth that joye that the faithfull finde in their heartes, accompanying the benefite that commeth from Him, but that the Lord giueth His benefites chearefully? for if the LORD gaue thee them not chearfully, but in anger and wrath, and threwe them to thee as to a reprobate, thou wouldeſt neuer hauehave joye in the receiuing of them. There is not ſuch a thing, as a reprobate can hauehave joy in the giuer, or euer hauehave his mouth opē with true thankeſgiuing to the Lord to ſay once, I thanke thee: Why? Becauſe the Lord giueth him not His benefites in louelove, but in anger. So this is a ſure token when thou findeſt joye in thine heart, and a contentation in thy prayer, and a purpoſe to be thankfull, that the Lord giueth thee chearefully, and heareth thee joyfully. And if thou canſt get but a joyfull looke of thy God, thou mayſt be aſſured that it proceedeth of mercy. When Hee looketh ſo vntounto thee, Hee doeth not as earthly kings, or any earthly creature vſe to doe, for they can keepe a faire countenance, and yet hauehave little good will in their heartes. Well, the womā crieth, & the diſciples cry: The Lord muſt anſwere once, but Hee maketh an anſwere little to her contentment, I am not ſent, ſaieth He, but vntounto the loſt ſheepe of the houſe of Iſrael: What hauehave I to doe with that poore woman? ſhee is not one of My ſheepe, ſhe is of a curſed generation of the Canaanites, ordained to deſtruction and wrath: In a word, He debarreth her from grace, Hee cloaſeth the gates of Heauen vponupon her teeth: for when He ſaith, Hee is not ſent to her He ſhutteth her out of Heauen. Wee ought to marke this well, for we are Canaanites, that is to ſay. Gentiles: It is true indeed, the Lord comming down from the Heauen, & manifeſting Himſelfe in the fleſh. He had His commiſsion firſt & principally to the Iewes, and not to the Gentiles, not to Scotland, nor ENGLAND, nor Germanie, nor France, chiefely and principally: as Chriſt ſaid to Hieruſalem. Oh! that thou couldeſt ſee the day of thy viſitation! Luke 19. 41. Hee was ſent with commiſsion to the Gentiles, but in caſe of the contumacie & rebellion of the Iewes, as if the Lord had ſaid vntounto him, Goe thy vvay vntounto mine owne people, vvhome I hauehave choſen from among all the Nations of the earth, and ſee if thou canſt vvinne them, goe no further. And if the Iewes had not bene rebellious and diſobedient, vve had neuer gotten merciemercy and grace▪ Looke Roman. 11. 11. The fall of the Iewes, vvas the raiſing vp of the Gentiles, & the diminution of the Iewes, vvas the riches of the Gentiles. Howe got yee grace? ſaith he, By their contumacie and rebellion. So Chriſt, ſending out his Diſciples to preach, biddeth them go, not vntounto the Gentiles, or vntounto the Samaritanes their next neighbours, but vntounto the l…st ſheepe of the houſe of Iſrael, Matth. 10. 5. And Paul in a preaching before both the Iewes and Gentiles, Act. 13. 46. The worde of GOD, ſaieth hee, behooued first to bee preached vntounto you, the promiſe belonging vntounto you. But becauſe yee will not receiue the worde, and hauehave made your ſelues vnworthie of life euerlaſting▪ Therefore, I will turne and preach to the Gentiles: And ſo hee bade the Iewes good-night, and turned him to the Gentiles. And the TEXT ſaieth, that then the Gentiles rejoyced exceedingly.
So vvee vvere ſtrangers from heauen, and aliantes from the common vvealth of Iſrael.
And vvee learne in the example of this vvoman that our entrie to grace, and to heauen, vvas verie hard and difficill: And as our entrie to grace vvas hard▪ ſo if vvee fall from grace, our re-entrie to grace ſhall bee farre harder: And if thou fall once from grace, hardly ſhalt thou get grace againe. A Gentile that falleth once from grace, and treadeth vnderunder his feete the blood of Ieſus, ſhall neuer bee renewed with grace againe. And I ſay to thee, O Scotland, if thou falleſt from grace, looke neuer for grace againe. Looke to the cities amongſt the Gentiles that fell from grace, looke Corinth, looke Philippi▪ looke ye Galathians, &c. got they euer grace again? No: ſo if Scotland fall from grace, it will bee a wonder if euer it get grace againe. The wrath of God ſhall bee powred foorth vponupon eueryevery one, from the greateſt to the ſmalleſt: for if He receiued not the Iewes (His owne people) into grace, after that they were once fallen from it, ſhal He take thee vp againe, a Gentile, a vile dog, in reſpect of them? And yet our men in this countrey care not to caſt themſelues, and their whole land, into Hell, and into euerlaſting abjection from grace, without all hope of recouery. So this is an harde anſwere▪ ſhee findeth no grace at all. They that follow Ieſus Chriſt, and ſeeke for grace, will finde in their way a ſore tryall: men thinke that Heauen is but a common benefit, & that it is eaſie to a mā to come thither: but albeit thou be a king, an Emperour, or Monarch, thou wilt find an hard entry therein. Will thy kingdome or thy lordſhip bring thee to heauē? No, if thou ſleep on in careles ſecurity, thou ſhalt neuer ſo heauē. So if there were no more but this exāple of this Gentiliſh womā, it teaches vsus, that it is hard to win to heauen, & that the gates of Heauen at the firſt ſhall be ſhut vponupon our teeth. What is the cauſe of this? Thou art further from Chriſt, and from grace, from Heauen, and from the joye of Heauen, a thouſand times more than the naturall earth is from the naturall Heauen. Thou art a Canaanite, come of a curſed generation. What adoe hath a Canaanite with Heauen? ſo vnworthie a thing, with ſo worthy a thing? The Lord, before He opened the gates of Heauen vntounto her▪ Hee woulde let her vnderſtand, that ſhee had nothing to doe with Heauen. And I ſay vntounto thee, that the Lord, ere euer Hee giuegive thee grace, Hee will hauehave thee knowing by tentations and tryalles, that thou art a Canaanite, deſcended of a curſed and reprobate generation, and vnworthie that euer thou ſhouldeſt ſee Heauen, or hauehave a do with Heauen: And if Hee bring thee not to this sight and this feare, I giuegive thee thy dome, thou ſhalt never ſee Heauen.
Nowe marke, Hee hath cloaſed the doores of Heauen vponupon her: And certainely, this anſwere might hauehave cauſed her to hauehave gone awaye with ſhame and confuſion. But for all this tentation, ſhe continueth ſtill, ſhe crieth ſtill, and hopeth for merciemercy: holde vponupon mercy, hope ſtill, belieue on ſtill and that hope ſhal neuer make thee aſhamed. Shee hath cryed for merciemercy, the gates of Heauen are ſhut againſt her: What doeth ſhee? Goeth ſhe her way? No, no, ſhee tarieth ſtill, and knocketh. And if thou kneweſt what Heauen were, and what Hell were, thou wouldeſt bee loath to leaue Heauen. Oh! the tormentes that remaine for them that fall into Hell! So ſhee knocketh, and falleth downe vponupon her face, and adoreth, and ſaieth, O Sonne of Dauid, hauehave merciemercy on mee. This adoring was not onelyonly for the caſting the deuill out of her daughter: No, no, ſhe ſought euerlaſting life at the handes of the Lord, & that healing of her daughter was an earneſt-pennie of that Life. This was the mind of the woman no queſtion. It is ſaide in the Scripture, Seeke, and yee ſhall find: aske, and yee ſhall receiue: knocke, and it ſhall be opened vntounto you. Mat. 7. 7. If the ſeeking faile thee, yet tarie ſtill and knocke. And if it had not bene the Lords will that a ſinner (when he findeth heauen gates cloſed vponupon him) ſhould tary ſtil & knock, would he hauehave biddē him knock? It were a preſumptuous thing for a begger to knocke at one of our doores: but ſeeing ye Lord hath expreſſely commanded thee to knocke, then knocke on boldly. And if thou goe away with the firſt anſwere, or the firſt nay-ſaying thou waſt neuer truely hungrie nor thirſtie: And it is a token that thou counteſt little of the grace of GOD. If thou kneweſt howe precious a thing the grace of God & Ieſus Chriſt were, and what Heauen were, and what Hell were, thou wouldeſt neuer ceaſe knocking day nor night all the dayes of thy life: for if thou goe away proudly, and tarieſt not vponupon Gods anſwere, but ſpeake preſumptuouſly, & ſay, If He will not giuegive mee grace, let Him holde it to Himſelfe, as blaſphemous men will ſay: then Hee will ſhoote thee into Hell: for if thou wert a king of all the worlde, thou ſhalt neuer get thine head in at Heauen gates, except thou knocke. Lord, if the world knew how hard a thing it is to get entry there! men think that they will come eaſily & ſleeping to Heauen, albeit they take their pleaſure & paſtime: but they deceiue themſelues, there muſt bee much ſtriuing and fighting ere they get Heauen: Before that Heauen could be opened, it behoued Ieſus Chriſt to ſhed His precious blood.
Now, Brethren ye may ſay to me, Alas, who can knocke? who is able to come there? No, thou haſt no power once to lift vp thine hand to knocke at that gate, except that the Lord put out His hand, & hold thee vp, euen in the meane time when Hee is holding thee backe, ſo wonderfull is the Lordes working with His owne, He will be holding them abacke with the one hand, and He will be pulling them in to Him as faſt with the other hand, when He will be diſſwading▪ He will perſwade, when He forbiddeth to approach vntounto Him, hee inwardly allureth m…n to come vntounto Him. Nowe, will yee heare the Lordes anſwere? If the firſt anſwere was hard, this is▪ as hard and rough: for with an angry countenance no doubt He anſwereth, It is not lawfull, ſaieth Hee▪ to take the childrens bread, and to cast it vntounto dogges. It is euen as much as if Hee had taken her by the ſhoulders, and thruſt her out: firſt Hee ſaieth, Thou art but a dogge, a Gentile, and this that thou ſeekeſt is a precious thing, the bread of life, this appertaineth onelyonly to the children of GOD: Shall I take that and giuegive it vntounto a dog? As if Hee had ſaide, Goe thy waye, dogge, thou ſhalt not get ſuch a precious benefite as thou requireſt.
Then we ſee here, becauſe ſhe was a Gentile, therfore Hee calleth her a dogge. Suppoſe thou bee a King (I pray thee be not too proude in thine own conceit) and yet a Gentile, Ergo, by nature, a dogge. He will caſt a Kingdome, an Empire, a Monarchie to a man, as one will caſt a bone into the mouth of a dogge, but all is nothing in reſpect of one droppe of grace, and the hope of the kingdome of Heauen.
Albeit thou bee a begger, and yet getteſt but one droppe of grace through IESVS CHRIST, anie hope of the Kingdome of Heauen, anie beginning of regeneration, then thou haſt gotten a greater grace, a more precious thing, than Caeſar, that got all the worlde. There is no compariſon betwixt the meaneſt ſpirituall & heauenly gift, & betwixt the greateſt temporall and earthly thing.
Nowe I note againe the hardneſſe to winne to the Kingdome of Heauen. Would yee not thinke it a marueilous thing to turne a dogge into the Sonne of God? It is as great a wonder to ſee a Gentile to be called to Heauen as to make dogges and ſtones the Sonnes of God Nowe know, that before thou getteſt acceſſe to Heauen, although thou wert a king, thou muſt bee humbled in thine owne conceite, thou muſt know thine owne eſtate and condition, thou muſt thinke thy ſelfe as vile and contemptible as a verie dogge by nature, as this woman was brought to ſaye: otherwiſe, thou ſhalt neuer get heauen.
Then, Brethren, if the entrie to the Kingdome of heauen be ſo harde, if thou like a dogge returne to thy vomite, or as a ſow to the puddle, (as Peter ſaieth, 2. Pet. 2. 22.) after thou art waſ…en with the blood of that immaculate Lambe, then it is a wonder if euer thou get grace to re-enter againe. Now heare the poore womans anſwere: ſhe granteth all, It is verie true, thou ſayeſt, I am but a dog, a vile and an vnworthie wretch, and that bread of heauen is a precious thing, I am not worthie that it ſhould bee caſten vntounto mee: Yet (ſaieth ſhee) the whelpes doe eate of the crummes which fall from their maiſters table: If thou wilt not ſhew mee this grace, to eate bread with the children, yet let me eate the paringes and crummes vnderunder the table. Ere euer the Lord beſtow grace and eternall life vponupon thee, hee will hauehave thee to accompt thy ſelfe vnworthie of anie grace: yea, hee will hauehave thee to accompt as vilely of thy ſelfe as of a dog, albeit thou hadſt neuer ſo many great prerogatiues otherwayes in the worlde: ere thou get that life, thy conſcience will accuſe thee to bee vnworthie of ſuch a life, and ſuch a joye as the LORD ordained for his owne. Shee ſcipped before, nowe shee thrumbleth and thruſteth in at the gates of heauen, and goeth like a violent woman: not indeede preaſſing like a ſturdie begger, to be in whether the Lord would or not: but by humilitie, and acknowledging of her owne vnworthineſſe, in all ſubmiſſion, comming as it were, creeping like a ſillie whelpe vnderunder the table: that is the violence that is done to the Kingdome of heauen, Matth. 11. 12. Shee taketh vp heauen by violence, in all ſubmiſſion and humilitie. And if thou bee once but a whelpe vnderunder the table of GOD, in the houſe of GOD, to gather vp the crummes of that plentifull table, thou art called to a greater honour, than if thou were made King of all the worlde. I had rather bee a doore-keeper in the houſe of GOD, than to bee king of all the worlde.
Nowe, Brethren, when shee is thronging in, hee is loath to put her out againe: No, hee ſaieth, O woman, great is thy faith, bee it vntounto thee as thou deſireſt, thy faith hath wonne the victorie. From whence had this poore woman all this perſeuerance, and this continuance, and this conſtancie, but from him? and yet hee ſtandeth wondering at his owne graces. The LORD, (beholde his doing) when hee hath giuen thee grace and perſeuerance, when thou commeſt to heauen, he will wonder at thee: and there is the ende of all thy perſeuerance, a faire crowne of glorie. And what more doeth hee? That ſame moment, that force that was in the worde, that proceeded out of the mouth of IESVS, extended it ſelfe to the womans daughter, and healeth her, and caſteth the deuill out of her. Now ſhe ſought only to creepe in as a whelp vnderunder the table to eat the crummes, and now the LORD ſetteth her vp at the table to ſit with Him in glory, as CHRIST Himſelfe ſaieth, I ſay to thee, ſaieth Hee, manie ſhall come out of the East, and out of the West, into mine houſe, into the Kingdome of Heauen, and ſit downe at the Table with Abraham, Iſaac, and Iaakob, Matth. 8. 11. And from whence are wee come? Euen out of the furthermoſt point of the Weſt. And, O SCOTLAND! Belieue in IESVS, ſeeke earneſtlie grace at Him, and waite patientlie, when Hee tryeth thee, and thou ſhalt find that thou ſhalt be ſet downe with ABRAHAM, ISAAC, and IAAKOB, in glorie. Wee are the Sonnes of GOD indeed, but it appeareth not yet what wee ſhall bee: but one daye it ſhall appeare, when wee ſhall be crowned with the crowne of glorie. The Lord worke this faith and earneſt deſire of grace in vsus for Ieſus Chriſts ſake: To whome bee all glorie, honour, and praiſe, for euer, and euer,
Amen.