The history of the woman of great faith Recorded by Saint Matthew, ch. 15. v. 22. &c. and by Saint Mark, ch. 7. 24. where three very strong encounters are beaten back by her vnmatchable faith. Treatised and expounded for some help to the weake in faith. By Robert Horn, a Minister of Iesus Christ.

But he could not be hid.

THere was a barre in the dore of the womans comming to Christ; for it was said that hee would haue none to know where he was: but here it is taken out, for, he could not be hid: that is, the fame of his miracles & teaching could not bee kept within the wall of Iudea, it flew out to those that dwelt in Tyre and Sydon (colonies of Phoeniesa) And further, Herod heard many things of him, Luke 23.6. his Doctrine and workes made him much spoken of in the Kings court: and here, vpon the legs of the same report that went of Christ, this woman came vnto him: for it is said V. 25. that she had heard of him: * 1.1 where wee see that God hath meanes (euen out of the Church) to bring those to his saluation that are appointed vnto it. When Israel went out of

Aegypt, a great multitude went out with them, whereof some (no doubt,) euen in Aegypt, had learned the way to Iehoua, Exod. 12.38. Iethro had few ordina∣rie meanes (indeed none) to be as he was: for, he was not in the Church to haue them, and hee was Prince of Midian, Exod. 2.26. yet was the father both in Law and in counsaile to Moses, Exod. 18.14. 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23. and what meanes had Iob from the Church, when the Church was but in his owne house, and where (out of it) were none but the wilde of the nati∣ons? Iob 1.1. Further, was not Ruth a Moabitesse made an Isra∣lite out of Israel? Ruth 1.4.16 17 a little maid carried out of Israel young, and bred in Naamans house (no house for the know∣ledge of the true Iebova) yet did forget the Prophet that was in Samaria, 2 King. 5.2, 3. and what meanes had shee in Naa∣mans

house to preserue the know∣ledge of him? and what meanes had the widow of Sarepta (which was in Sidon) to whom Elijah was sent, 1 King. 17.9. had she any Church meanes: yet her name is in the role of the blessed, so hap∣py, that a great Prophet was com∣mended to her. Luke 4.26. the like of Naaman the Leper, who (of all the Lepers in Israel) was onely made cleane by Elisha, Verse 27. In the captiuitie many of the people of the land became Iewes, Hest. 8.17. Was that con∣uersion made by an ordinary way? And so we see that out of the Church, there are meanes other than Church-meanes to bring those to life that are ordained to it: the reason, saluation is the Lords, that is, * 1.2 it is in his hand & bestowing; and therefore he can giue it in what hand, either of meanes, or no meanes, as best pleaseth him. When the woman in the wildernesse could not vp∣on

on her feet goe, from the Dra∣gon that pursued her, God gaue her wings to flie from him, Apoc. 12.13, 14. So, when wee haue not the feet of the meanes to goe from destruction in an ignorant estate: God can giue wings with∣out meanes to saue vs, when or∣dinary tillage failes, as in the wildernesse he did; he can plow the heauens, & raine Manna: for his time is to worke when meanes faile, who can worke without them. Secondly, the winde bloweth where it listeth, Ioh. 3.8. and if the winde, shall not hee that moueth in the fearefull windes? Thirdly, to conclude God within meanes, is to denie him to be Almighty: but he can doe whatsoeuer (by what way soeuer) pleaseth him, both in heauen and earth, Psal. 135.6.

The vse is, * 1.3 (first) for instru∣ction, teaching, that if God haue meanes for the saluation of the

Elect out of the Church, then we need not to doubt but many of our Elders, liuing in Poperie, were saued: for as God had an Arke for Noah, and for those that with him entred into it, in the generall floud, Gen. 7.7. So we feare not to say, that God had his Arke of saluation for those our beleeuing Fathers, who in that generall floud of poperie, did cast themselues wholly vpon the merits of God in Christ, though confusedly, and by vnknowne meanes, and in this sence, where our Papists obiect and say; Doe yee thinke that all your forefa∣thers that liued and died in the aire of poperie were damned; I doubt not but we may safely an∣swere, and that with the voice of God, that all did not, and that God had among them, more than his seuen thousand, that in the bastard Israel of that age, did not bow the knee to the Baal of Rome, 1 King 19.18. Many

(I doubt not) were sorie that the mist of the time being so thicke, they could not see whither they went, and therefore prayed for Gods extraordinarie thred in that labyrinth of ignorance, and had it; for with application to such we may say; the time of that ig∣norance God wincked at, and was mercifull to some in it, though not by an ordinarie rule Act. 17.30.

The second vse is for comfort to those who by some long sick∣nes are kept as with some chaine, * 1.4 from Church assemblies; so it bee their trouble that they can∣not bee in place, and the like to those that haue, and long haue had an impediment in their hea∣ring: for, he that hath a way out of the Church to saue his, hath no shorter arme in the Church, (the ordinary meanes failing) to bring his, by an extraordinarie way, to his saluation. Some would gladly haue a Preacher,

and bee as glad to heare him: but they are not able (them∣selues) to prouide one, and they that are able, are not the Mer∣chants of that pearle, Matth. 13.45. In this case and when no Preacher is neere, let them re∣member that God can fi••d them by a Reader, as he fed Elijah by a Rauen, 1 King 17.6. But it is not safe to trust to a miracle, when by our conuenient trauell, we may heare a Preacher, not breaking the Churches peace. For then we must doe, as it was prophecied we should doe: run to and fro, that knowledge may increase, Dan. 12.4.

The reason why Christ could not be hid followeth.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Doctr.
• * 1.2

  Reasons.
• * 1.3

  Vse 1.
• * 1.4

  Vse 2.