Again, God purposely doth, though he be friends with them, take away from them the sense of peace, because he takes delight to find that strength of faith: Faith is manifest that way, faith is most strong when there is least sense. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Psal. 22.1. the less sense, the faster the hold; and God loves this at life, that when he spurns and frowns, he will not let go, nor be put off; let him kill me, he shall kill me with Christ in my arms, I will not let go my hold; God cannot fail, he hath given me his Word, and therefore I will not let go. Such a strong faith had Abraham, contrary to reason; God's Word is true, he gives me his Word, and I will trust him: So a child of God will not be put off; though God write bitter things against him, he will not forego him. We have an excellent ⟨p. 148⟩example in the woman of Canaan; the end of it is, O woman, great is thy faith, Matth. 15.28. But how doth the greatness of it appear? Lord, have merry upon me, my Daughter is grievously afflicted, &c. Why not rather, Lord have mercy on my daughter? the reason is because she was afflicted in her daughter's affliction. By the way we may hereby understand the meaning of the Commandment, where it is said, he will visit the iniquities of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate him: But why to the third and fourth generation? because, I may see the third and fourth generation, and may see the judgment of God on them, and may remember my sin, for which they are plagued; the case is mine, and not theirs only; Lord have mercy upon me, for my daughter is diseased: I see my own sin is punished by the judgment on her in my sight. Poor woman, Christ will not hear her; she might have been dashed out of countenance, the Disciples were weary of her clamorous cries, and say, Send her away, for she troubleth us: What, saith Christ? Is it fit to take the children's bread, and cast it unto dogs? This was enough to dash her quite; before she was discouraged by silence, but to be called dog, it were enough quite to discourage her: but see the fruit of faith; she seeks comfort of that which would have undone another: What, am I a dog under the table? there I shall get a crumb; others of the children that are better, let them have the loaves: I account my self happy if I may but get a crumb. O woman, great is thy faith:
Again, God purposely doth, though he be friends with them, take away from them the sense of peace, because he takes delight to find that strength of faith: Faith is manifest that way, faith is most strong when there is least sense. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Psal. 22.1. the less sense, the faster the hold; and God loves this at life, that when he spurns and frowns, he will not let go, nor be put off; let him kill me, he shall kill me with Christ in my arms, I will not let go my hold; God cannot fail, he hath given me his Word, and therefore I will not let go. Such a strong faith had Abraham, contrary to reason; God's Word is true, he gives me his Word, and I will trust him: So a child of God will not be put off; though God write bitter things against him, he will not forego him. We have an excellent ⟨p. 148⟩example in the woman of Canaan; the end of it is, O woman, great is thy faith, Matth. 15.28. But how doth the greatness of it appear? Lord, have mery upon me, my Daughter is grievously afflicted, &c. Why not rather, Lord have mercy on my daughter? the reason is because she was afflicted in her daughter's affliction. By the way we may hereby understand the meaning of the Commandment, where it is said, he will visit the iniquities of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate him: But why to the third and fourth generation? because, I may see the third and fourth generation, and may see the judgment of God on them, and may remember my sin, for which they are plagued; the case is mine, and not theirs only; Lord have mercy upon me, for my daughter is diseased: I see my own sin is punished by the judgment on her in my sight. Poor woman, Christ will not hear her; she might have been dashed out of countenance, the Disciples were weary of her clamorous cryes, and say, Send her away, for she troubleth us: What, saith Christ? Is it fit to take the children's bread, and cast it unto dogs? This was enough to dash her quite; before she was discouraged by silence, but to be called dog, it were enough quite to discourage her: but see the fruit of faith; she seeks comfort of that which would have undone another: What, am I a dog under the table? there I shall get a crum; others of the children that are better, let them have the loaves: I account my self happy if I may but get a crum. O woman, great is thy faith:
