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.

VERSE 24.

But he answered and said, I am not sent but vnto the lost shepe of the house of Israel.

CHRIST (before) answe∣red nothing: now, he ans∣wereth in words (seemingly) worse then nothing. For, now hee refuseth her as not of his charge, or not within his com∣mission; but a stranger in the wild of the Heathen, to whom hee was not sent, and this must

needs be a sorer venny then the former, offered at the face of the Faith of a sad and distressed Ca∣nanite. For, what? Christ, (the Sauiour of the world) to make no better an answer to his poore Petitioner, then that it was not in his commission to doe any thing for her, how could it but cut to the heart? and yet his an∣swere was: I am not sent, but vnto the lost shepe of the house of Israel. As if he had said: the strayes of Israel I am to bring home, and not the strayes of the Gentils. And (here) the words of Christ seem to fight both against her saith and hope in a most sharpe incounter: for, here her Sauiour is in shew against her. If an An∣gel from heauen had told her so, she might haue found a word of answere in the word of God: But when her Sauiour shall tell her as much with his owne mouth; what shall she say? what might she think? Obiect. But was

not Christ sent a light to be re∣nealed to the Gentils. Esa. 49.6. Luc. 2.42. And was not his sal∣nation prepared before the face of all people? v. 31. How was it (then) shut vp in Israel? Ans. It is true that Christ was sent to the Gentils: but not then, and when he spake so to the Woman: nor till the partition wall was broken downe betweene lew and Gen∣tile: nor till both became one in the saluation of God. But to the words themselues, by the lost shepe of the house of Israel, Christ meaneth the 12. tribes of Iacob, to whom this word of sal∣uation was sent. Act. 13.26. But, when they put it from them, it came to the Gentils. v. 46.47. And where Christ saith hee was not sent but to those of the hou∣ses of Israel: his meaning is, that the day of the Gentils was not come, which (yet) was coming; and that yet the light was in the Horizon of Israel. And where

he saith he was sent, (possessed∣ly) to the Iewes and (implied∣ly) to the Gentiles; hee saith in effect, that he is the sauing shep∣heard of both by his Fathers or∣dinance. This is the meaning of the sentence in whole (not to breake it in any more peeces,) and it sheweth to whom Christ was sent by his first commission, and to whom hee was not sent yet; * 1.1 the Doctrine of the whole is this; Christ is shepheard to his lost ones in the whole Israel of his Church on earth: this was typified in Dauid, Ezeck. 34.23: and is verified in Christ; who (therefore) is called the good shepheard, that knoweth his, and is knowne of his, Iohn 10.14. for this, hee is in name, the shepheard of Israel, Psal. 80.1. and in true effects, one that lea∣deth Ioseph like a flock, Psal. ibid. that is, the Sauiour of his people, Matth. 1.21. and that seeketh out, and bringeth home the

strayes in the wildernesse, Luke 15.4.5. Iohn 10, 11.16. Fur∣ther (therefore) his name is, the great shepheard of the sheepe, Heb. 13.20. the shepheard and Bishop of soules, 1. Pet. 2.25. the chiefe Shepheard, 1 Pet. 5.4. and the Pastor which is One, Eccles. 12.11. the reasons: * 1.2 the first reason shall bee from his ef∣fects; for he is the Aduocate that speakes for them, 1. Tim. 2.5. and the hostage that hath laid downe his life, to saue them, Ioh. 10.15. also hee hath the words of eternal life, Iohn 6.68. and (therefore) as there is no going from him, so there is no com∣ming to God without him, Iohn 14.6. further, he doth all things that belong to a good Pastor, for hee brings them to their pa∣sture, and leads them to waters of quietnesse, Psal. 23.2. hee coates them in his Church, and feeds them with iudgement, Ezeck. 34.16. being lost, hee

seekes them, and being found, lookes to all their wayes, v. 24, 25, 26, 27. hee keepes all their bones, Psal. 34.20. and not one of them is lacking, Ier. 23.4. Iohn 17.12. Secondly, it was the decree of the Father, that Christ should bee set for the fall & rising againe of many in Isra∣el, as Simeon in his 〈…〉〈…〉 Luke 2.34. which decree is no i∣dle purpose, but a deed of sucrtie: a conclusion in heauen, and or∣dinance vnder the seale of eter∣nitie. Now to be sent as Christ was, for a lost people (such as we were) what is it but to be the sauing shepheard of them by an euerlasting decree? Thirdly, our errour was in the heart, with∣out all knowledge of our waies, Psal. 95.10. and what created thing can heale the heart, or leade the wayes of it, but the Lord of spirits and hearts; euen he that made vs these soules (the Lord Christ) who onely is the

hand, that can and doth deliuer from the hand of hel: thither we erred in the first man: & from thence we are brought backe by him, and onely by him that is God and man.

The vse is for instruction: * 1.3 for is Christ the sauing Shepheard of his people and sheepe? then they must be his people & sheepe that will be sau••d; that is, they must ••eare his voice, and follow him, Iohn 10.27. or heare and obey, for this is true following: they must receiue his marke and print vpon their hearts, Cant. 8.6. and open to him, Iohn 10.3.5. for wee cannot looke for saluation, carrying Christ in our hearing onely, much lesse in no ••earing; wee must lodge him in the practise of what wee heare, if wee will see his saluation. Swine (therefore) that are al∣waies rooting and couetous, must bee made sheepe, and their faces must be to heauen, whose

s••outs are euer in the ground, if they will bee gathered from their errors in death, to the sal∣uation of God: and so must they who being washed in the Sacra∣ment, returne to the mire of sinne, as Swine: and they, who when the pearle of the Gospell is offered them, treade it (pro∣phanely) vnder their feet, runne grunting from Church, and raile against those that teach them, renting them all to peeces, Matth. 7.6. for, (else) they are not sheepe, whom Christ will bring with him, but fit Innes for the Deuils to guest in, Matth. 8.32.

Another vse for instruction is this: * 1.4 if Christ be the sauing shep heard of his lost sheepe, then we are but lost without him: when the Disciples were vpon the sea in a great tempest, the ship tos∣sed with windes, and (almost) couered with water, they cried saying; Master sane, we perish,

Matth. 8.25. This is our case, and in this case as men readie to perish vpon the sea of this world; and confessing so much except Christ bee in ship with vs, to saue vs, we must ••••ie vn∣to him, praying him to be neere in his saluation, that wee perish not; so did the Disciples in a storme vpon them; and so should we in all stormes of trou∣ble: that wee may doe so, wee must feele our losse without Christ, and feare our destructi∣on, not hauing him: for, Christ came to saue that which was lost, Matth. 18.11. therefore not lost in our owne sence, not saued by him: and what vse of physicke in a sound body? Mat. 9.12. Christ preacheth libertie to prisoners, Luke 4.18. if there∣fore wee be not prisoners in the chaine of our sinnes, nor sensible of so much, what need any li∣bertie? what need any healing of a broken heart, where none are

broken-hearted? before a wound be made, what need of oyle or opening, Luke 10.34. the bro∣ken and contrite in spirit are for Gods cure, Psal. 51.17. when we are at the worst, and (vnfai∣nedly) desire better, wee are fit for Christ, also being burdened and heauy laden with sinne, wee are in case to come vnto him, who hath promised to ease vs, Matth. 11.28. Let vs remem∣ber this, when our sinnes are a burden too heauy for vs to beare: for the sinnes that truely grieue vs, shall neuer hurt vs: and when our whole worke is cast downe, then is Gods time to build vs, Psal. 51.10.

A comfort to poore wander∣ing sheepe: * 1.5 for being poore and lost, they haue a shepheard that will seeke them: which made the Prophet, who had stayed like a loste sheepe to say: seeke thy seruant, Psal. 119.176. Men will not bee troubled for

their way, that haue a good guide; and what need wee who haue such a Leader? though the wolfe and Beare with the roa∣ring Lyons of the world way∣lay vs, Christ will conduct vs in the way, where no beast can come that is hurtfull, and seekes our destruction, Esay 11.9.16. If wee will goe a long with him, wee shall goe safely by the way, and (where others fall, or are snared) our foot shall not stum∣ble, nor be taken, Pro. 3.23.

The Womans beating backe of the former sharpe replie fol∣loweth.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Doctr.
• * 1.2

  Reason••.
• * 1.3

  Ʋse 1.
• * 1.4

  Vse 2.
• * 1.5

  Vse 3.