6. He that hath this holy importunity in him, his desires are rather quickened, then abated by denials. You find this in the woman of Canaan, Matt. 15. 22. She cried unto Christ, saying, Have mercy on me, O 1Lord, thou Son of David, my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil: Jesus Christ takes no notice of her; He answered her not a word, vers. 23. There is one discouragement. One would have thought she would have dusted; but she prayed again, and the Disciples besought him to send her away, vers. 23. There was another discouragement, which would have knocked off the desires of many; but she continues her request still. Jesus Christ himself answers her, I am not ⟨p. 41⟩sent, but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, vers. 24. There is a third discouragement; and yet this doth not cool her affections, but she comes afresh upon Christ, she came and worshipped, saying, Lord, help me, vers. 25. Yet she found another repulse, and that worse then any of the former; It is not meet to take the children's bread, and give it to dogs, vers. 26. Christ you see calls her a dog; and yet all this doth not cast her off, but she takes encouragement, even from this discouraging answer: And she said, Truth Lord, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters table, vers. 27. She was resolved she would not give over, till she got what she came for, till Christ had said, O woman great is thy faith, be it unto thee even as thou wilt, vers. 28. Denials are to the Saints, as water to the Smiths-forge, when it is sprinkled upon it, it is so far from cooling or quenching it, that it makes it burn with the greater heat: So the denials, and discouragements Gods people meet with, they serve for bellows, to blow up those sparks that are in them into a flame, to make their desires stronger, their affections to burn the hotter. But now to an hypocrite, denials and discouragements, do take off the wheels of his affections, and make them to move slowly and heavily: Job 21. 15. What is the Almighty that we 2should serve him, and what profit should we have ⟨p. 42⟩if we pray unto him? We get no good by it, the mercies we ask, are not yet in our hands. Now this argues a sinful impatience, and a want of holy importunity.
6. He that hath this holy importunity in him, his desires are rather quickned, then abated by denials. You finde this in the woman of Canaan, Matt. 15. 22. She cryed unto Christ, saying, Have mercy on me, O 1Lord, thou Son of David, my daughter is grie vously vexed with a divel: Jesus Christ takes no notice of her; He answered her not a word, vers. 23. There is one discouragement. One would have thought she would have d••sted; but she prayed again, and the Disciples besought him to send her away, vers. 23. There was another discouragement, which would have knocked off the desires of many; but she continues her request still. Jesus Christ himself answers her, I am not ⟨p. 41⟩sent, but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, vers. 24. There is a third discouragement; and yet this doth not cool her affections, but she comes afresh upon Christ, she came and worshipped, saying, Lord, help me, vers. 25. Yet she found another repulse, and that worse then any of the former; It is not meet to take the childrens bread, and give it to doggs, vers. 26. Christ you see calls her a dog; and yet all this doth not cast her off, but she takes encouragement, even from this discouraging answer: And she said, Truth Lord, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters table, vers. 27. She was resolved she would not give over, till she got what she came for, till Christ had said, O woman great is thy faith, be it unto thee even as thou wilt, vers. 28. Denials are to the Saints, as water to the Smiths-forge, when it is sprinkled upon it, it is so far from cooling or quenching it, that it makes it burn with the greater heat: So the denials, and discouragements Gods people meet with, they serve for bellowes, to blow up those sparks that are in them into a flame, to make their desires stronger, their affections to burn the hotter. But now to an hypocrite, denials and discouragements, do take off the wheels of his affections, and make them to move slowly and heavily: Job 21. 15. What is the Almighty that we 2should serve him, and what profit should we have ⟨p. 42⟩if we pray unto him? We get no good by it, the mercies we ask, are not yet in our hands. Now this argues a sinful impatiency, and a want of holy importunity.
- 1Mat. 15. 22.
- 2Job. 21. 15.
