THE Woman of Canaan. MATTHEW, 15. beginning at the 21. verse. A Ser ched Chrifts at Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coafts of monprea- 23. But he answered her not a word. And his Difciples 24. But he answered and faid, I am not sent, but unto 25 Then came free and worshipped him, Saying, Lord 26. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the 27. And fhe faid, Truth, Lord, yet the dogs eat of the E have in this Story, a great Storehouse of Heaven- The Church Octob.26 1647. The words tell us, of a great Miracle, wrought by our Savior Chrift, Cafting out the Devil in one that was poffeffed. Concerning which care, Two things confiderable: Where this cure was wrought: And by what means it was wrought. Wrought in the coaffs of Tyre and Sidon: And by means of a Womans faith. For our Savior faid, 0 woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee, even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whol. The greatness of this womans faith, is fer out by Three great Temptations that he did meet withal, when the came and befought our Savior for the cure of her child. First, He answered her not a word; but was filent to all her mifery, and Prayer. This was a great temptation, a great tryal. Secondly. He was not only filent; but when the Dif ciples fpake for her, he feems to give her a flat denial: I am not fent, but to the loft sheep of the house of Ifral. And this was a farther, and greater Temptation. Thirdly. When yet the preft in upon him; he seems to give ber the repulfe, and to call her Dog: It is not meer to take the childrens bread, and to caft it to Dogs. Here was a great Temptation indeed. But her faith wrought through all thefe Temptations. And becaufe (as ye ball fee and hear in the opening of the words) that there is none of all these Temptations, but one time or other, may befall the best of Gods children: it will be good for us to obferve, How this womans faith wrought through every Temptation, that we may do the like in our Temptations, Bat before we come unto that. The holy Ghost here, would have us take notice, Firft, From whence Chrift came, and upon what occafion. Secondly, Whither he came, and how he was received. First of all, it is faid here, [Then Jesus went thence.] He went from the Jews. He had been (as ye reade in the for mer part of the chapter) difputing with them against their Traditions, Te have made the Commandement of God void, through your Traditions, vetle 6. Whereupon they were much much offended, verfe 12. Our Savior now then goes from them; they were offended, and reje&ted his words, and he goes from them. Thefe were the Jews that dwelt at Jerufalem, not the meaneft neither, The Scribes and Pharifees, the Learned men of that time, and thofe that were moft in account for Holiness; See what entertainment the Gospel finds in Chrifts own time among the Learned, and thofe that were accounted the moft Holy Scribes, Learned men, and the Pharifees, the moft precife, and ftri& men of thofe times, and yet here the Gofpel is rejected by them. Chrift goes away, Chrift goes from thence, upon this ac count. vigorous None more oppofers of the Gofpel of Jefus Obferv. Chrift, than Learned men, and fuch as goe for Holy, and Precife men, being wedded to their own invention: So were thefe here. Know ye therefore, men wedded to their own inventions, though never fo Learned, or never fo ftri& in their lives; little hope that the Gofpel, or the Lord Chrift, fhould find entertainment among them. offended though this fall out. Be not Mar.10. Jefus went from thence: But whither went he? The text faies, He departed into the coafts of Tyre and Sidon.]How fa? Our Lord & Savior Chrift, commanded his Difciples, that they fhould not go into the way of the Gentiles; but (faies he) Go and preach to the loft sheep of the houfe of Ifrael, but go not into the way of the Gentiles. Will Chrift forbid his Dif- 5, 6. ciples and Apoítles to go into the way of the Gentiles, and will be himself go into the way of the Gentiles, go into Tyre and Sidon, how can this be? Some anfwer it thus: That the Law-giver was not bound unto the Law that he made himself. Others anfwer it thus: That our Lord and Savior did not go unto Tyre and Sidon for to preach, but he went thither to be hid. And in the 7. of Mark, (where ye have the fame ftory) From thence be arose and went to Tyre and Sidon, and entered ino an houfe, and would have no man know it. In this refpect now, he did not forbid his Difciples to go into the way of the Gentiles. But But the answer is clear, both in the 15. of Matthew, and that fame of Mark, He departed is Tien unto the confis of Tyre and Sidon. And in the 7. Mark 24. He arofe and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon. He went anto fome place of Judea; he did not go into the way of the Gentiles, but he went unto fome Town and place in Judea, which was upon the coafts of Tyre and Sidon. And here now he being, A woman comes onto him. Who is defcribed at the 22. verfe. From her Country'; and from the action which he did. Bebold,a woman of C4naan came out of the fame coafts, and cried unto him, faying, &rc. AWoman, a woman of Canaan and Behold, a woman of C naan] As if that the holy Ghoft would have us take fpecial notice of it, Behold, a woman of Canaan came unto him. The Canaanites were of all others the moft Wicked: the Jewi were for to caft them out of their Nation, and not to converfe with them: in the Jews account they were Dogs. And therefore our Savior faies afterward, It is not lawful to caft childrens bread unte Dogs. She was a Canaanite. But now this Woman,this Canaanite, the Beleeves; comes unto Chrift, and Beleeves greatly: O woman, great is thy faith. Pray let us obferve the wonderful difpenfation of God Obferv. here. The jews that Chrift was fent unto, they rejected Chrift: a Canaanite that is called a Dog, receives Chrißt. Oh! the wonderful dispensation of Gods grace! "Mercy takes thofe in, and Free-grace takes in thofe into Chrift that are most unlikely. The Jews, they were called the Children of the Kingdom; the children, they turn Dogs: Beware of the Concifion, beware of Dogs. Children turn Dogs: Phil. 3.2 and Dogs rurn Children: the Canaanite, a Dog, becomes a Child and beleeves ; and the Jews that were the Children ( of the Kingdom, they turn Dogs and rend Chrift; Ob! what Free-grace and Love is here! Who would reft opon any outward Priviledge though it be never fo great? Who would be difcouraged in regard of any unworthineffe though it be never fo much? But But what faies the woman? Saies the, [Have mercy upon me, O Lord, thon Son of David, my daughter is grievously vexed with a Devil.] Have mercy upon me, O Lord, thou son of David. Why does the call him the son of David? and not rather the fon of Abraham ? and not rather the fon of Adam and not rather the fon of Man? (as Chrift was of ten called) why does the here call him the son of David? We find in Scripture, that Chrift and David did often exchange Names. And David your King fball reign over you. Fer.30.9 (A Promife made to the Jews yet to be converted) that is, Chrift: David your King (and not Abraham) shall reign o ver you; but David your King. David was the King of the people of God, and was to feed them: and fo Jefus Chrift is King of the Church, and feeds the people of God. Abrabum was not a King, David a King; and therefore, And thou fon of David, and not, thou fon of Abraham. then, the Meffiah ordinarily among the Jews was called David. And therefore this woman here faies, O Lord, thou fon of David She does first of all acknowledg his Deity; and therefore the cals him Lord, O Lord: She does acknowledg his Humanity, and Incarnation; and therefore the faies, Thou fon of David. Her Faith was rightly planted: here now ye have her Faith in the Mustard feed; look but down a few verles, and you find it grown up into a great tree, that the birds of the air, and the Saints, may come and build their nests in the branches of her Faith. But here it is planted. She had in her own countrey, fome that by Exorcifm did undertake for to caft our Devils: fhe does not go to them: the had her own gods in her own Country, the leaves them, and the fingles out Chrift, and the fingles out that Name, Ticle, and Actribute of Chrift, wherein was most of the Covenant, and most of the Promife: and her faith now, being thus rightly planted, it riles up unto great perfection, the comes on with boldness. But ftay,O woman,a little, Thou art a great finner, thou artaCanaanite, and fo a Dog, and what doeft thou co Dag D ming |