A57982:55
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 1: The Trial and Triumph of Faith.Sermon 1: The Triall and Triumph of Faith.
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.
Mark saith, that the woman came to Christ in a house, Matthew seemeth to say, that she came to him in the way,1 as these words do make good: send her away, for she crieth after us. Augustine thinketh, that the woman first came to Christ, while he was in the house, and desired to be hid, either because he did not (for offending the Jews) openly offer himself to the Gentiles, having forbidden his Disciples to go to the Samaritans, or because he would have his glory hid for a time, or rather of purpose he did hide himself from the woman, that her faith might find him out, and then refusing to answer the woman in the house,2 she still followeth him in the way, and crieth after him as Matthew saith. For Christs Love is, 1. Liberal, ⟨p. 4⟩but yet it must be suited, and Christ though he sell not his Love, for the penny worth of our sweating and pains; yet must we dig low for such a gold-mine as Christ. 2. Christs Love is wise, he holdeth us knocking, while our desire be love-sick for him, and knoweth that delays raiseth and heighteth the market and rate of Christ; we under-rate any thing that is at our elbow: should Christ throw himself in our bosom and lap, while we are in a morning sleep, he should not have the marrow and flower of our esteem: its good there be some fire in us meeting with water, while we seek after Christ. 3. His love must not only lead the heart, but also draw;3 violence in love is most taking, and delays of enjoying so lovely a thing as Christ, breedeth violence in our affections; and suspension of presence, oileth the wheels of love, desire, joy: want of Christ is a wing to the soul. Interpreters ask what woman she was? Matthew saith, a Canaanite, not of any Gracious blood;4 a Syrophoenician, for Syrophenicia was in the border between Palestine and Syria; and it was now inhabited by the Relics of the Canaanites; a Greek not by birth, but because of the Greek tongue & Rites brought thither by Alexander, and the succeeding Kings of Syria: All the Gentiles go under the name of Greeks in Scripture Language, as