A57982:220
The trial & triumph of faithThe tryal & triumph of faith
The trial & triumph of faith: or, An exposition of the history of Christs dispossessing of the daughter of the woman of Canaan Delivered in sermons; in which are opened, the victory of faith; the condition of those that are tempted; the excellency of Jesus Christ and free-grace; and some special grounds and principles of libertinism and antinomian errors, discovered by Samuel Rutherfurd, professor of divinity in the University of St. Andrews. Published by authority.The tryal & triumph of faith: or, An exposition of the history of Christs dispossessing of the daughter of the woman of Canaan Delivered in sermons; in which are opened, the victory of faith; the condition of those that are tempted; the excellency of Jesus Christ and free-grace; and some speciall grounds and principles of libertinisme and antinomian errors, discovered by Samuel Rutherfurd, professor of divinity in the University of St. Andrews. Published by authority.
London: printed by John Field, 1652
Sermon 12: And his Disciples came and besought him, saying Send her away, &c.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
3. Pos. Wanton and vain reason would say, Why did the wise Lord create such a Tree of Knowledge, the tasting whereof, 1was the second death by Law, and that in Eves eye? Why ⟨p. 122⟩did not God fortify the first besieged Castle, Eves will and mind with grace, that the day should not have been the Devils? But, O vain man, is the potter holden to make a vessel of earth,2 as strong as a vessel of Iron, or Brass, that though it fall by no fault of the maker it shall not be broken? We may say to superiors of clay, yea to Angels, Who art thou that commandest? And beside we may say, What dost thou? and Why doest thou? and, What commandest thou another Gospel, or no? And we may take their will with a reserve; But we may know of God, Quis, who he is, that he is Jehovah. But we are not to inquire, quid and cur, Lord, Why doest thou this? or, Lord, What is it that thou commandest? The Agent here warrants the action, and all its motives; God infuseth wisdom and goodness in all his ways, because they are his ways; goodness is a stranger to what Angels and men do, except there be a safer Law for their doing, then their person. God must have absolute obedience, though he seeketh no blind obedience; mens actions must be warranted, not only from the wisdom of the doer, but also from the nature of the deed; Gods actions have all, and abundance of goodness in them, from the Lord. Its enough to me what I suffer (I mean it ought to be enough) if ten Hells for one sin, if the absolute former of all things do it: we love to put law on God: whereas to examine mens commandments is ⟨p. 123⟩religion, we take them upon trust: and to examine Gods ways is arrogancy: yet we must judge God. We see in permitting sin in bloods, in confusion, in the fall of Adam, more fairness, beauty, and glory in Christ Jesus, and his new Heaven, then we can see of blackness, of Hell, of sin in Devils, and in sin: possibly it should have been lawful to the Creature, and to Angels to permit sin, so they could and would from thence raise a Gospel, an heaven of Free-grace. Now for temptations from God, we are to consider that they are all reason, all wisdom, all goodness.