Sermon 16

Verse 26. But he answered, and said, it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to whelps. 27. And she said, Truth, Lord, yet the whelps eat of the crumbs that fall from the Master's Table. 28. And Jesus answered, and said to her, O woman, great is your faith, be it to you even as you will: and her daughter was made whole from that very hour. 30. And when she came to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.

The dispute between Christ and the woman goes on: Christ brings a strong reason, verse 26, why he should not heal her daughter; because she, and all her nation, not being in covenant with God, as are the Jews the church of God, are but dogs, and profane, and unworthy of Christ, which is the bread ordained for the children.

When Christ humbles, he may put us in remembrance of our nation, and national sins (Isaiah 51:1): Look to the rock from where you were hewn, and to the hole of the pit from where you were dug — I alone called Abraham, he was an idolater (Hosea 9:10). I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness, they should have been wild grapes rotten in the wilderness, had I not put them in my basket (Ezekiel 16:2-3). Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abomination. How? Make them know the stock they came of. And say, thus says the Lord to Jerusalem, Your birth, and your nativity, is of the land of Canaan; your father was an Amorite, and your mother a Hittite. When the Jews were to offer the first fruits to the Lord (Deuteronomy 26:5): And you shall speak, and say before the Lord your God, A Syrian ready to perish was my father, and went down to Egypt to sojourn there. Thus the forgetting of what we are by nature adds to our guiltiness (Ezekiel 16:22): And in all your abominations, and your whoredoms, you have not remembered the days of your youth, when you were naked, and bare, (and were) polluted in your blood. So the Ephesians must be told how unfit they were by nature for Christ; being the very workhouse, and shop of the devil, in which he wrought (Ephesians 2:1-3). National sins have influence in their guilt and contagion on believers: 1. When they mourn not for them, God's displeasure should be our sorrow. 2. When they stand not in the gap to turn away wrath (Ezekiel 22:30). There were (Isaiah 59) godly men that departed from ill, verse 15. But God's quarrel was, that there was no intercessor: in fasting, believers, though pardoned, may have on them a burden of the sins of three nations, and be involved in that same wrath with them. National repentance is required of every one, no less than personal repentance: who sorrows for the blood of malignants and rebels? For their oaths, mocking, scoffing, massing; the sins of the land, idolatry, superstitious days, vain ceremonies, etc. have influence on a believer's conscience in his approach to God. But we are here to consider, that Christ does two great and contrary works at once: 1. He humbles the believing woman, in reproaching her as a profane dog, unworthy of the children's bread, that the will may be more broken for believing. And 2. He tries and tempts her, to see if she can, by reproaches be taken off from Christ. A broken will is a broken heart; for will is the iron sinew in the heart; [reconstructed: discount] merit and conceit of any good in yourself, but the uncleanness of a dog. And 2. break will, that that proud thing may fall in two pieces at Christ's feet. And 3. Believe, stick by your point, that though a dog, yet you are one of Christ's dogs, and then all is well. The best way to break the will is 1. to offer hell, and the coals of everlasting burning to it; indeed, and when the soul is humbled, to humble it more. Christ knew, that this woman was lying in the dust, but he will have her below the dust when he tries her with such a humbling temptation. Many think the troubled conscience should not be further humbled. They say, (There is nothing for such a soul but the honey and sweetness of consolations in the gospel.) In fact, but often that which troubles them, is subtle, and invisible pride; he'll not believe for want of self-worthiness. Oh I dare not rest on Christ, nor apply the promises, because of my sinful unworthiness. Now if this be humility, it's the proudest humility in the world, for the soul thus troubled says, I am not good enough, nor rich enough for Christ and his fine gold. And the truth is, he is not a good enough Papist to give a ransom of self-worth, for that great ransom of blood, which cannot be bought. But though you should buy Christ, the Father will not sell him. Christ is disposed to a sinner, as a [reconstructed: free] gift, not as a wage or a hire. There is a difference between down-casting, and saving humiliation; down-casting may exceed measure in the too much apprehension of the law-curses, and may be conjoined with much pride, and self-love. But right and saving humiliation, conjoined with faith, cannot overstep bounds; it arises often from the sense of grace, rather than from the law (1 Timothy 1:15; Ephesians 3:8; Titus 3:3-5; 2 Timothy 1:9). God gives grace to the humble, and he gives humility to the gracious, under the sense of rich grace. Nothing humbles us more than an opinion of the power and excellency of grace. Grace known and apprehended in its worth, lays down proud nature on the earth (1 Corinthians 15:9-10). Christ's grace was Christ's [reconstructed: account-book] to Paul; But by the grace of God, I am that I am. A borrowed garment, though of silk, will make a wise man humble. Many sins pardoned made much love to Christ, and much humility in the woman (Luke 7:44). And made her lay head and hair, indeed, and heart also, under the soles of Christ's feet. No doubt she thought basely of herself, and her hair, remembering that grace put these feet to a sad and tiresome journey, to come in the world to seek the lost, and to be pierced with nails for her. There's courtesy in free grace, being the marrow and flower of unhired love, to kill high thoughts of a self-destroying sinner.

Observe also, that not to dare to come to Christ, and believe and pray, because of unworthiness, such as is in dogs that are without the new city (Revelation 22:15), is but a very temptation. And Christ under the notion of tempting and trying, offers that to the woman, that she was too daring and bold, being a dog, to presume to ask for the children's bread. Hence we have to consider how far the conscience of sin ought to stand in our way toward Christ. Hence these considerations: 1. Conscience of sin is to humble any, that is, to make out for Christ (Acts 9). (Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?) Spoken by Christ, brought Paul down off his high horse, and laid his soul in the dust (Romans 3:19). Now we know that whatever things the law says, it says to them who are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. It is a speech taken from a malefactor arraigned and impaneled upon his head: when the judge objects, "What say you? this and this treason is witnessed against you" — the poor man stands speechless and dumb, his mouth is stopped (Ezekiel 16:63). That you may remember your old shame, and be confounded, and never open your mouth any more, because of your shame. Christ then has the sinner's neck under his axe. What justice and law may do, that Christ may do. The captive taken in war may be killed, by the law of wars, if he refuse to submit. 2. No sin is unpardonable treason, but the sin against the Holy Ghost, and final impenitence. The Gospel is a treaty of peace, between parties in war; none are excepted but these two. 3. But what then, if a soul come to this: I have either sinned against the Holy Ghost, or certainly am upon the borders of it; because Christ knocked long, and a year ago, or a long time from this, I remember his farewell rap. When Christ, knocking, took his last good-night with this word: "he that is filthy, let him be filthy still," and said he would never come again. I grant, an ill conscience can speak prophecy (Exodus 10:28-29). So Pharaoh did prophesy, and Cain also (Genesis 4:13-14). But 2. I can yield that there be some farewell knockings of Christ, after which Christ is never seen or heard at the door of some men's hearts (Acts 13:46). Paul speaks so to the Jews: But seeing you put the Gospel from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo we turn to the Gentiles. The like is Christ's language to them (John 8:21). Then Jesus said to them, I go my way, and you shall seek me, and shall die in your sins; where I go, you cannot come. I doubt if any can sin the sin against the Holy Ghost, and the sinner only and no other complain of it; that sin breaks out in prodigious acts of wickedness, as blood and persecution. Though it were true, that you were upon the borders of hell, yet the Gospel, though it excepts you from actual mercy, yet not from the duty of believing and coming to Christ. And though such think, and imagine that they believe Christ is able to save and redeem them, only they doubt of his will; yet the truth is, the doubt of unbelief is more of the power of mercy and infinite grace in Christ, than of his will. And my reason is, that whoever believes (John 3:33) has set to his seal that God is true, and (1 John 5:10) he that believes not God, has made him a liar, because he believes not the record that God gave of his Son. Now it is not God's testimony, nor any Gospel truth, that such as sin against the Holy Ghost shall be pardoned; indeed, the contrary is said (Matthew 12:31-32). Yet those that sin against the Holy Ghost are condemned for unbelief, as all other unbelievers are (John 3:18, 36). Then such as fall in this sin, though they say, infinite mercy can pardon them, but infinite mercy will not pardon them — should not belie God by unbelieving these truths, for they are Gospel truths. Then must the unbelief of those that sin against the Holy Ghost put a lie upon some Gospel truth, and this can be only on the power of infinite mercy; and so they must say, Christ cannot save, though he would, for there is a power of Christ in mercy, no less than a will. If F. Spira goes for a despairing reprobate (which I dare not aver), yet when he said he believed Christ was able to save him, but he doubted of his will, he must not be so understood, as if it were so indeed. Unbelievers know not all the mysterious turnings of lying and self-deceiving unbelief. Unbelief may lie to men of itself, when it dares belie the worth of that soul-redeeming ransom of Christ's blood. If he that sins against the Holy Ghost could believe the power of infinite mercy, he should also believe the will and inclination of infinite mercy, for the power of mercy is the very power of a merciful will. I shall not then be afraid that soul is lost, which has high and capacious apprehensions of the worth, value, dignity and power of that dear ransom, and of infinite mercy. It is faith to believe this Gospel truth, which is (Hebrews 7:25), that Christ is able to save to the utmost all those that come to him. If I believe soundly what free grace can do, I believe also soundly what free grace will do. It is true, Christ can save many, whom he never will save; but the faith of the power of mercy, and of his will to save, is of a far other consideration. 4. It must then be the prevailing of a temptation, not to dare to come to Christ, because I am a dog, and unworthy. 1. Because sin is no porter put to watch the door of Christ's house of free grace; mercy keeps the keys. Sin may object my evil deserving, but it cannot object Christ's rich deserving. 2. That which makes me unworthy, and graceless, and unfit to be saved, may make Christ worthy, and gracious to save; my sin may be Christ's rich grace. Though sin makes me unworthy of Christ, yet it makes me a fit passive object for the Physician Christ to work on; and makes not Christ unworthy to save. If I feel sin, it then says, You are the very person by name that Christ seeks. Therefore is the sense of sin required as a condition in all that come to Christ, whether it be before conversion, or after conversion, when acts of faith are renewed.

Obj. But we find by experience, that true poverty of spirit, and sense of sinful wretchedness, does kill and destroy any sight of guilt and wickedness in myself; if I rightly see Christ, I shall not also see any unworthiness in myself. Answ. This experience is not warranted by the word of truth. These may well consist together: 1. That felt and apprehended wretchedness of a sinner, may stand with a sight of Christ's riches of grace, is as evident, as the felt pain of the sting of the fiery scorpion, may stand with looking up to the brazen serpent, and being saved: indeed, when the poor man (Mark 9:24) said, Lord, I believe, help my unbelief; he both was sensible of faith, and unbelief. 2. Indeed, the converted may well see grace and holiness in himself, (else how shall he be thankful to Christ the giver) and also see Christ, and believe his righteousness? For holy walking comes under a threefold consideration: 1. As a duty. 2. As a means ordained of God that we should walk in (Ephesians 2:10). 3. As a promise, or a thing promised in the new Covenant: and in this threefold consideration, we may know how far we may build our peace upon any duties, as upon evidences of our state of grace. 1. As holy walking is a duty coming from us, it is no ground of true peace; believers often seek in themselves what they should seek in Christ; this is natural merit; often we argue from the measure of obedience to deny grace altogether; this is a false way, especially it is a false way of logic, to argue negatively, from want of such and such a measure of obedience, to deny you are in Christ; how we may argue affirmatively, we shall hear hereafter. 2. The duty is Christ's means, not enjoined in a strict Law-way, but in a Gospel-way, as the commandment is oiled with a Gospel-spirit of love: Law and love are not contrary, as Antinomians do imagine; Christ has united, not only persons, but also graces and virtues. This way the duty is a means, and a way, not to the right of salvation, but to the actual possession of it; and as it is, or stands stated before us in the letter of the Gospel, in a moral commanding, or a doctrinal, or directing way, without the efficacy of grace, it can be nothing but a doctrinal means, no more than the Law-way is; for all Gospel-precepts without grace, are as little available to us, as the Law. But in the third notion, holy walking as performed by that efficacious grace promised in the Covenant of Grace; is an argument on which we may build our peace, not as a cause, or a merit-deserving peace, but as a grace threaded upon the free promise of God: so the saints have built upon their sincere walking, as on a fruit of the Covenant of Grace promised to us (Jeremiah 31:33, Jeremiah 32): for so duties speak the mercies promised in the Covenant (Jeremiah 32:38), And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me forever: See also (Ezekiel 36:27, Isaiah 54:13). Upon this ground Hezekiah pleaded with God, when he heard the sentence of death (Isaiah 38:3), Remember now, O Lord, I beseech you, how I have walked before you in truth, and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in your sight. And David puts his faith upon this, as a gracious fruit of grace promised in the Covenant of Grace: so David pleads, and in faith (Psalm 86:2), Preserve my soul; here is a prayer in faith, and upon what ground, for I am holy. Now this would seem Pharisaical, and merit-like, if holiness did not relate to the free promise of the Covenant of Grace, in which God has promised, and tied himself by Covenant, to make his own children holy; and also is resolved upon a proposition of the Covenant of Grace. God has both promised to cause his covenanted ones walk before him in truth, as did Hezekiah, as we have it (Ezekiel 36:27), and he has promised to save and deliver the upright in heart: as is clear (Psalm 50:23, Psalm 34:15, 1 Peter 3:12, Psalm 145:18-19). So all the peace we can collect, for our comfort, from holy walking is resolved on a promise of free grace, and the duty as performed by the grace of the covenant, may and does lead us to the promise, and so no wise from Christ but to Christ. Holy walking, is a faithful witness: and a true witness may lead any accused man to law-right: holiness may lead me to the promise, and that is good law-right. If we cannot gather any assurance of our spiritual estate from holy duties in us, such as are universal obedience, sincerity in keeping close to Christ, and love to the saints, because they may deceive us, and may be in hypocrites, as Doctor Crispe says, then may faith also deceive us, for there are as many kinds of false faiths, as there are of counterfeit loves to the saints: and there is somewhat of Christ peculiar to the regenerate in their love, obedience, and sincerity, which they may discern to be a saving character, and badge of Christ, no less than in faith. 2. But here is the mystery, neither faith, nor anything inherent in us, can yield us certainty that we are in Christ, or any peace with God, in regard all grace, all evidences of our good estate is without us in Christ, inherent holiness and duties are but fancies. When we then refuse the comforts of God, and peace from holy walking, as it is threaded, and linked to the promise, we refuse Christ; especially, under desertion, we bid Christ look away from us; and there is a willfulness of unbelieving sorrow, so that Rachel will not be comforted. But when we refuse Christ's comforts, we refuse himself; she who refuses to accept of a bracelet, or of a gold ring from him who [reconstructed: suits] her in marriage, she refuses both his love, and himself, in that she refuses his love-token.

Observe also, that Christ brings himself in, as a great householder in the Gospel: in his house there be various children, servants, dogs, and the house is broad, and open to all that comes. There's bread in our Father's house for all: what bread? A great marriage supper: here's a king's son married (Matthew 22, Luke 14) and many excellent dainties, and all dainties is Christ the marrow of the Gospel — that bread of life (John 6:48). I am that bread of life: he was the wheat (John 12:24), that dies and rots in the earth, and then takes life, and brings forth fruit: he is the wheat that suffered the winter frosts and storms, rain and winds, and went through the millstones of God's wrath, and was bruised for our iniquities (Isaiah 53:5). For it pleased the Lord to bruise him: verse 10. [in non-Latin alphabet] Dakeo, is Contundere, to grind us in a mortar, or mill: and he went through the oven and fiery furnace of the anger of God, before he could be bread for the king's table and the children. 2. Every bread is not the bread of children: Christ is not a loaf, nor a feast, for the man that wants his wedding garment: such a friend was never invited to the banquet (Matthew 22:11-12). And of those that loathes Christ, and love their lusts better than him, Christ says (Luke 14:24), None of these men that were bidden shall taste of my supper. The children are parts of the house, and are more than children, heirs, even joint heirs with the eldest heir Christ (Romans 8:17). 1. Because Christ and the younger heirs divide heaven (to speak so) between them, and 1. the spirit that raised Christ from the dead (Romans 8:11) dwells in them: 2. They have one GOD, and one Father CHRIST, and we are Father's children (John 20:17). Go to my brethren, and say to them, I ascend to my Father, and your Father, and to my God and your God. 3. We must be together in one place, all the children must be in one house together (John 17:24, John 14:3). And if I go (it's not an if of doubting) and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also (John 12:26). And where I am, there shall also my servant be. 4. On resurrection (John 14:19), Because I live, you shall live also (1 Corinthians 15:23). Every believer is raised in Christ, but in order, every man in his own order, Christ first, as the first fruits. 5. One heaven and one kingdom: and one throne (Luke 22:29, Revelation 3:21). 2. There be great odds between the spirit or mind of an heir, or a son, and a servant: the heir will do much for the birthright, take his life from him, before you take his heritage from him. Esau's face dried, he wept no more, when his father blessed him with the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth: a servant will not contend to be an heir. 3. (John 8:35) The servant abides not in the house forever, but the son abides ever. The son's reward is all hope; as some courtiers attend princes upon hopes; servants have hand-payment, and present wages. Every professor try his spirit, and nature, if the spirit bend toward the inheritance and heavenward it is right: see who looks to the last year of nonage and minority, and has not an eye and heart on time. There's a latent hope in all troubles in sons, as in a king's heir in a far country where he is not known, not honored as one of a prince's blood, but neglected, injured: indeed, in want and necessity, yet when he casts his eye upon his over-sea hope, it comes home to his heart with ease, One day I shall be a king, in honor, and wealth. 2. Try the free and ingenuous spirit of a son toward the Father, there's not a nature or an instinct in the servant, nor such an inward principle toward the lord of the house, as in a son; blood and nature is strong and prevalent, blood-bonds, nature-relations are mighty (Mark 7:27). But Jesus said to her, let the children first be filled. Christ denied not, but the woman and the Gentiles have a right to the bread of Christ's house, only grace must keep an order; let the Jews first have the loaf broken to them, and then let the Gentiles have the by-board, or the second table of Christ. Hence observe Christ's wise attempterating of the temptation in these particulars: 1. That temptations are measured by grains and scruples to the saints; there's a seed of comfort and hope in Christ's [reconstructed: glowering] and frownings; he would say, when the children are filled with bread first, then you that are dogs shall also have your portion of the children's bread. There is a kiss and bowels of compassion under the lap of that covering and cloak of wrath, with which he is covered, for in wrath he remembers mercy, and moderates anger. Fury is not in me (Isaiah 27:4). 2. Gospel trials and temptations are for a merciful end, that Paul may not be puffed up, or as he says (2 Corinthians 12:7), [in non-Latin alphabet] Lest I should be like a meteor, lifted up in the air above measure (2 Corinthians 1:9). But we had the sentence of death in ourselves (as condemned malefactors) that we should not trust in ourselves. 3. God will not have them above our strength; but the burden and the back are proportioned (1 Corinthians 10:13). It's good that we know Christ brews or mixes our cup; he can sugar the salt and bitter wine with mercy, there is no desertion of the saints that we read of, but there's as much of Christ in it, as gives it some taste and smell of heaven. Heaven is stamped upon the hell of the saints, life is written on their death; their grave and dead corpses are hot, and breathe out life, and glory, their ashes and dust smell of immortality and resurrection to life. Even when Christ is gone from the Church, he leaves a pawn or a pledge behind him, as love-sickness for the want of him (Song of Solomon 3 and 5). When Christ is nothing but an empty grave, and he himself is away, yet weeping for the want of him, without care of angels or apostles, when the beloved himself is gone — that is somewhat of Christ. Indeed, he sends before a messenger to tell that the King himself is coming, as in a great summer drought, little drops go before the great shower, to make good report that the earth shall be refreshed. 1. longings for him: 2. waiting after him: 3. Christ in you seeking after Christ are messengers of heaven sent before to dress and adorn the lodging for the Prince, who is on his journey coming to you.