to the Divine will in doing or suffering grow very like the Angels and Saints in heaven and shall himself enjoy that tranquility and undisturbed serenity as will be a kind of heaven upon earth The truth whereof will especially appear in this particular case of suffering any dangerous and painfull afflictions There was nothing more commendable in old Eli than that pious sentence of his when he heard of the ruine of his house 1 Sam. 3.18 It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good There was never more grace expressed in fewer words than in those of our Saviour's Luke 22.41 Mat. 26.42 not my will but thine be done Considering that his pangs agonies and torments were a thousand times greater than the pains of a woman in travell yea equall in substance to the pains of hell Wherefore be not sollicitous overmuch for your bodily life or the life of your child much lesse should you be too eager in desiring one of such a sex as some will wish for a Boy others for a Girle and that with strange discontent at the very thoughts of being disappointed But the example of Rachel may be a warning to you all She made account to die with melancholy and sorrow if she had not children Gen. 30.1 c. 35.16 17 18. and she had her desire but it cost her her life As you may do well to reade in the story it selfe So what she longed for she perished by T is reported of Agrippina Nero's Mother that she prayed her son might be Emperour The oracle told her that if he came to be Emperour he would kill his Mother she replyed desperately let him kill me so I may but see him Emperour first Occidat modo imperet Sueton And the event prooved accordingly for he caused her to be ript up that he might see the inside of that womb wherein he first lay I have read also of a woman that took on excessively for her child that was like to die and the Minister telling her that she did very unwisely for perhaps the child if it lived might prove so great a crosse to her that she might have cause once to wish that he had now died She madly answered that so her child might live she did not care though he should hereafter come to Hanging Accordingly he did live and was in time for robbery or murther hanged indeed This folly would have seem'd ridiculous to some heathens who knew not the will and wisedom of God so clearly as we may Plutarch relates of Cleobis and Biton that in the absence of the horses they drew their Mother's Chariot to the temple themselves for which obedient Act of theirs she prayed that they might be rewarded with the greatest blessings that could possibly happen from God to Man but so it happened that they were both found dead in their beds next morning News being brought to their Mother of this supposed misfortune she replyed I will never account my selfe unfortunate Spencer's Things new and old pag. 670. in being mother to such sons whom God hath invested with immortality for their pious and obedient actions If a pagan woman had so good an esteem of the providence of an unknown God how inexcusable are you if by a heart of unbelief or self-love you depart from him in your faith or prescribe to him in your prayers How dishonourable to his wisedom and dangerous to your selves is passionate importunity for any temporall blessing T is lawfull I confesse to pray for life and safe deliverance as for daily bread for David Hezekiah yea Christ himselfe did thus petition the Author of life It being naturall to every living creature to desire the continuation of its own Being But we must moderate our desires herein English Annot. on Gen. 35 18 with expresse reference to Gods good Will Yea with that holy indifferency as to be pleased without that gift which it shall not please God to bestow (a) Doct. Gonge on the Lâ—rds prayer p. 94. Seeing as one sayes there is a necessity of yielding to Gods Will because it cannot be resisted and there is equity in so doing because it cannot be better'd Wherefore when blind nature which cannot see beyond mortality at least not see far into immortality shall fill you with earnest desires of longer life yet let the reverence you owe to the gracious Providence and infallible Word of God of which I shall say more in the following Chapters cause you to yeild to his blessed Will Cast up all events consider what may happen and resolve as David did If I shall finde favour in the eyes of the Lord 2 Sam 15.25 26. he will bring me again and shew me both the ark and his habitation but if he thus say Behold I have no delight in thee behold here am I let him do to me what seemeth good unto him Say with them in the Acts the will of the Lord be done Say with that good woman I have somewhere read of who being asked in her sicknesse whether Acts 21.14 if God should referre it to her to live or dye which she would chuse I would choose neither but ee'n referre it to him again If God call for the life of your child yield it up as quietly as Abraham did Isaac If he shall call for the life both of you and your child let your heart be ready to answer Lord here am I and the child which thou hast given me CHAP. VII Dedication of the child to God the duty of women with child VVHen I say it is your duty to dedicate your child to God before it is born I do not mean a dedication to some office in the house of God as Hannah did by Samuel for I suppose she did it by some propheticall instinct equivalent to a Revelation But yet this I must needs say in short That it were in my judgement a commendable purpose in any parents poor or rich that if their child prove hopefull and ingenious he shall be wholly set apart for the service of God in his Church It being so known a practice among Heathens Jewes and ancient Christians if they had any thing of singular worth to dedicate it to God And our Gentry and Nobility are herein guilty of a most irreligious and ignoble practice I mean to count their son and heir or any of their children that are well shaped and towardly above the office of the Ministry as if it would be a perpetual dishonour to their family to set him a-part for God But if there be any of their children mis-shapen make him a Scholar and if he be a Dunce use their interest to get him some preferment that requires no employment Surely the first author of the Priesthood God himself appointed it to the first-born as his peculiar honour above the rest of his brethren and for special provocations against God they lost it and it was conferred by divine favour on Levi. And how
tam ociosorum auribus placeant quà m aegrotorum mentibus prosint magnum ex utraquere caelestibus donis fructum reportaturi The CONTENTS CHAP. I. OF a state of Pregnancy page 1 CHAP. II. Prayer the duty of women with child p. 19 CHAP. III. Repentance the duty of women with child 26 CHAP. IV. Reading of Scriptures the duty of women with child 34 CHAP. V. Meditation the duty of women with child 41 CHAP. VI. Resignation to God the duty of women with child 60 CHAP. VII Dedication of the child to God the duty of women with child 64 CHAP. VIII Care of her own health the duty of a woman with child 68 CHAP. IX Preparation for death the duty of those women with child who never yet repented 71 CHAP. X. Prepation for death the duty of godly women when with child 80 CHAP. XI To resolve upon some special return of thankfulness after their deliverance is also the duty of women with child 93 CHAP. XII The labour for faith in Christ or if they have faith to endeavour to exercise it in trust and dependance upon God for pardon of sin is also the duty of women with child 100 CHAP. XIII Trusting in the Lord for deliverance the duty of women with child 110 CHAP. XIV Patience in the midst of their pains the duty of travelling women 129. Reader Some faults will escape take what care we can those that are are very few and they onely in mis-spelling wherefore I thought not worth the while to trouble my self to note them or thee with naming them A PRESENT FOR Teeming Women c. CHAP. I. Of a state of Pregnancy IT is observable that the great God who is equally infinite in all his Attributes yet hath styled himself rich in mercy glorious in holinesse Psal 86.15 Eph. 2.4 Exod. 15.11 Surely he needs neither riches nor glory He was rich enough to Himself and glorious enough in Himself from everlasting But behold His good Will towards men and the communicative nature of infinite goodness Mercy enricheth us Holiness glorifies us By Mercy we partake of his Gifts by Holiness we partake of his Nature By Mercy we enjoy him by Holiness we love him resemble him and glorifie him for ever Now seeing these two transcendent perfections do eternally cohabite in the nature of God and mutually concur to the benefit of man it is most requisite that our minds should be filled with the thoughts influences of both That is that each Mercy of God should promote our Holiness and that Holiness should encrease our sense of Mercies It being therefore my present business that women with child may be in a holy frame and thereby fitted for the houre of danger approaching I thought good to mind them of this first that 't is a mercy of much value to be with child in a state of Matrimony That this is a mercy will appear plainly by these few considerations 1. 'T is one end of marriage that there might be a succession of generation after generation that the race of mankind may not be confused and disorderly as among Beasts nor extinguished 1 Thes 4.4 nor dishonoured but may continue in a legitimate line and that God might have a holy seed Mal. 2.15 2. That it might appear to be a Mercy God hath by Angels Revelations and Miracles at sundry times of old assured some good women that he would give this blessing to their wombs Thus in Gen. 17.16 I will bless her give thee a son also of her Gen. 17.16 17. yea I will bless her and she shall be a mother also of nations Though upon this strange promise we find Abraham full of wondering ver 17. and Sarah his wife laughing ch 18 12. Both questioning at first how this could be yet afterwards God doth renew his promise and they lay aside any further doubt and the word of the Lord spoken by angels was falfilled Gen. 21.1 The Lord visited Sarah as he had said and did unto Sarah as he had spoken For Sarah conceived and bare Abraham a son in his old age at the set time of which God had spoken to him We find of the Patriarchs also that they found favour with God in like manner concerning the fruit of their womb ever acknowledging it as the gift of God and adoring the gracious providence of the (a) Nihil de generationibus aut seminibus nvscitur si ea non operetur Deus Aug. in Ps 118. Gen. 28. God and Father of all men When they blessed their posteriy they carefully inserted this in their propheticall prayers This last blessing of a dying Patriarch though it be sometime or in some part expressed in form of petition yet in the intent and effect thereof alway amounted to a prediction Thus Isaac to Jacob God Almighty blesse thee and make thee fruit full and multiply thee that thou mayest be a multitude of people Thus Jacob to Joseph Joseph is a fruitfull bough Chap. 49. 22.25 even a fruitfull bough whose branches run over the walls The Almighty shall blesse thee with the blessings of heaven above blessings of the deep that lieth under blessings of the breast and of the womb In which places God is still mentioned as the original of this blessing and the supreme efficient cause of the pregnancy of the womb and increase of posterity It was the same God that sent his Angel to the wife of Manoah Judg. 13.3 to tell her that she should conceive and bear a son 'T is out of question that to these persons it was a mercy to have issue yea a publick blessing to many generations for the seed of Abraham was the onely visible Church on earth the onely people that turned from Idols to serve the living God And Sampson the son of Manoah was in his time the onely Judge and Champion of Israel and Type of Christ But it seems doubtfull whether therefore all other parents can call their children Blessings or indeed whether the faithfull have any such cause to promise themselves comfort in their posterity without some like revelation or testimony from heaven as they had To this I answer that all the seed of Abraham I mean that continue in the faith of Abraham have exceeding great and precious promises to rest satisfied in that extend to them all in all ages I mean Gods promises of giving and blessing children to them 3. And that shall be my third proof If God promise distinctly and frequently that they shall see their posterity and their seeds seed then we must thankfully enumerate it among his rich favours to mankind This was the blessing to Adam in innocency God blessed them Gen. 1.28 and God said unto them be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth And to Noah Gen. 9.1 God blessed Noah and his sons and said unto them be fruitfull and multiply and replenish the earth This blessing was given them as the common parents and stocks of whom
things and holy is his name And whence is this to me that the grace of Christ should come to me MEDITATION 7. Rebecca conceived Gen. 25.22 23. and the children strugled within her and she said If it be so why am I thus that is if I am heard of God in my request and am with child by his blessing whence is this strugling this painful conflict and strange unquietness of the fruit of my womb And she went to enquire of the Lord and the Lord said unto her Two nations are in thy womb c. So when I look into my self and observe the commotions that are in the womb of my heart I conclude Surely there are two nations within me the flesh with all its motions lucting against the spirit and its grace Gal. 5.17 and the Spirit with its gracious influences alway striving against the sinfulness of my carnal part Now blessed be God that seeing sin will yet keep possession that it hath no quiet abode within me but meets with reluctancy and opposition from my spirituall part But oh wretched creature that I am how often is evil present and prevalent with me how many are those pangs of sorrow those sighs and grones that my mischievous and restless corruptions cause within me But if it be so that the power of the most High hath overshadowed me and true grace be implanted in my soule then I shall seek to the Lord that he would cause the better part in me to be the more prevailing part that he would water and give encrease to these tender beginnings and give me at last a safe and happy deliverance from this body of death MEDITATION 8. If men strive and hurt a woman with child Exod. 21.22 23. so that her fruit depart from her and yet 〈◊〉 mischief follow he shall be surely punished c. Women with child are liable to many dangers A fall a bruise an accidentall stroke a fright a strain the taking somewhat that proves expulsive or the disappointment of somewhat they longed for these and such other contingencies are noxious to them and often-times cause abortion or the mischance of her fruit departing from her Such was the case of the Church when it was with child with many Converts Rev. 12.2 3. the great red Dragon watched the destruction of her and of her fruit And thus is with every repenting soul What security soever there be among those careless women that are at ease Isa 32.9 10 11. how little inward care or sorrow they feel while they forget God how unacquainted soever with the hurt and smart of sin or Satans striving with them before they are acquainted with God yet no sooner do they espouse themselves to Christ and conceive purposes of holy living and begin to be fruitful in any grace but they shall have many adversaries in the world and especially the god of this world striving against them to afright them to tempt them to receive such principles company suggestions as may quench their graces or to deprive them of that Spiritual food they long for or to intice them to straine their consciences or some way or other to cause them to fall that they may be wounded bruised c. and the fruit of grace depart from them But oh my soul hath God such care of the unborn infant as to provide a speciall law in its behalfe and will he not much more take care of that grace which he hath begotten in my Soul Oh my God keep me that the Evill One touch me not MEDITATION 9. In sorrow shalt thou bring forth Children As the first general curse Gen. 3.16 In dying thou shalt dy brought not onely the pains of death but intended also all the miseries of our life so this particular curse upon women brings not only pain in travel but comprehends all the infirmities of Child-bearing I find that the child in my womb brings many weaknesses and aches upon me but oh how sad and deplorable are those deeper sicknesses and maladies which I have brought upon it It s body partaking of my substance partakes unavoidably of my natural pollution It s Soul though it come immediately from the Father of Spirits yet I know not how is upon its infusion into this tender infant subjected to the common misery of the Children of Adam who having lost the image and likenesse of God sinne and corruption must needs follow I am an unclearne vessel Psal 58.3 sa 48.8 and how can any clean thing come out of me Oh my soul what need have I to be sanctified throughout both in Body and Soul and Spirit And Oh my God repair by thy grace what sin hath made so defective in me and mine MEDITATION 10 Our blessed Saviour and Great Prophet Jesus Christ foretelling the miseries that should shortly come on Judea Jerusalem sayes Wo unto them that are with Child Mat. 24.19 Lu. 23.29 and to them that give suck in those days And in another Evangelist Behold the dayes are coming in the which they shall say Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never have and the paps that never gave suck And indeed of all persons none more miserable in the time of War than women with child or women that give suck because their care is double and their persons uncapable of flying and shifting for their lives as those who are single may and do And of all murthers none more horrible in all its circumstances 2 Kin. 8.12 Lam. 5.11 then to rip up women with child Wherefore oh my soul let me be thankfull to my God that there is peace in our borders and any quietness and safety in my habitation and that I am free from those terrours and affrights with which many others in a time of common calamity are undone Oh how many Women with their unborn infants have been butchered in many places in ages past and martyred by blood-thirsty Papists in these later ages of which histories are too plentiful And if there be now any in my condition in any place especially among Christians that is exposed daily to the rage of a devouring Sword the Lord be pleased either to restrain the Enemy and the Avenger Psal 8.2 Rev. 6.10 or to avenge the cause of the murthered that according to thy own Law they may not go unpunished but may give life for life Yea Lord hear the crie of the oppressed and give their adversaries blood to drink for they are worthy MEDITATION 11. My little children of whom I travel in birth again till Christ be formed whithin you Where any place is blest with a painfull Minister and Pastour after Gods own heart Gal. 4.19 they have in them much of the Apostle's temper For when I consider their painfull studies their sighes and teares their spending their spirits in ardent Prayers and laborious Preaching their compassionate exhortations passionate supplications and their giving themselves wholly to these things 1
the future generations should succeed and therefore we find it transmitted by other Scriptures to succeeding ages and will continue while the patience and good will of God towards man continues Thus the Psalmist Loe children are an heritage of the Lord Ps 127.3 and the fruit of the womb is his reward Likewise in the following Psalm Psal 128 3 4. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house thy children like olive plants round about thy table Behold that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord. Again the Prophet Isaiah hath the same promise from God to his people Israel thus emphatically expressed I will pour my Spirit on thy seed Isa 43.3 4. and my blessing upon thy off-spring and they shall spring up as among the grasse as willows by the water-courses The like promises of multiplying their seed are frequently to be found in other Scriptures Jer. 23.3 Ezek. 36.11 Zech 2.4 such as those in the margent which the diligent Reader may peruse at his leisure These may suffice to evince the truth of this 3d. particular That they who believe the Lords Prophets that reverence his promises and embrace his providences cannot but subscribe with their hands to the Lord and acknowledge that child-bearing is his blessing and children are his reward 4. Whatsoever the people of God have ordinarily asked of God (a) PaulaÌ„ ante votis quam utero concepisti Hier. ad Laetit according to his will that cannot but be a mercy when it is received That such prayers were not unwarrantable is certain for either some of them were stirred up by an extraordinary instinct of spirit to ask that which God hath intended in a singular and unexpected manner to give or the common spirit of supplication put the innocent desire of nature into a posture of acceptation with God they asking children of him requested no more then the usuall courfe of his providence and the general concurrence of his promises aforementioned led them to expect Abraham had received the promise of children but long time being passed and his wife not yet conceiving thoughts began to grow in his mind what the intent of God should be and therefore when God doth again renew his convenant to him he breaks out into this earnest expression Gen. 15.2 Lord what wilt thou give me seeing I go childlesse as if he should say Lord thou hast given me a great estate but I have no heir and what comfort can I take in all other enjoyments seeing the main thing which thou hast promised is yet behind and I am still childless (b) B. Halls contempl l. 10 p. 117 And therefore either take away these blessings or give me the chief blessing of my house even a son to be born of my wife This prayer you know God accepted and answered according to his desire even then when his body was old and his wife by nature uncapable of conceiving I suppose this dealing of God with Abraham his friend and the father of the faithfull put some life in the hopes of his posterity who in the next and succeeding generations did seek to God in the like case His son Isaac intreated the Lord for his wife because she was barren Gen. 35.21 and the Lord was intreated of him and Rebeccah his wife conceived c. When Rachel had no children she said unto Jacob Give me children or else I die Gen. 30.1 2. Mark his answer Am I in Gods stead who hath withholden from thee the fruit of the womb as if he had said Look to the supreme cause to the everlasting Father and go to him by prayer and beg this blessing of him and then if God answer thy request thou wilt be a mother of children And no question but she thus did for afterwards it is said that God remembred Rachel and hearkened to her that is he answered her prayers and opened her womb and she conceived Gen. 30.22 The like course was long after taken by others especially by Hannah who having no children prayed with no little earnestness yea poured out her soul in this business 1 Sam. 1.11.17 That God would look upon his handmaid and remember her and not forget her and give her a man-child And old Eli seconds this request and adds The Lord of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him And she conceived and bare a son and called him Samuel because she had asked him of the Lord. I need adde no more to this particular but that God himself commanded his people to seek him for the performance of his promâ—â—e Thus saith the Lord God Ezek. 36.37 I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them I will increase them with men like a flock So that if Gods command be any motive to prayer or his promise any incouragement to faith then they had ground enough both for faith and prayer 5 Barrennes of the wombe was frequently is Scripture threatned as a judgment and they that felt this evil did earnestly bewaile it as no small affliction therefore fruitfullnesse must needs be a considerable mercy 'T was a Judgment on Abimelech of which they were not healed but by the prayers of Abraham Gen. 20.17.18 * See Bishop Richardson on the Pentateuch in Locum Gen. 15.2 30.1 1 Sam. 1.5.6 Leviticus 20.20.21 So also of Tyre Isa 23.4 Isa 4.1 God having closed up all the wombs oâ— the house of Abimelech Yea Abraham himself took no comfort in all his riches nor Rachel in enjoyment of Jacob nor Hannah in the company of Elkanah but was in bitternesse of soul 'T is threatned as the punishment of incest to be childlesse And the Prophet threaâ—ning the greatest of temporall calamities to the Jews mentions this in the last place as the greatest of all the rest That seven women should take hold of one man That is though Marriage and Majesty endure no compeers yet the Wars should so consume the male sex that many women should sollicite one man contrary to the innate modesty of ' that sex and be content with any terms viz. to eat their own bread and weare their own apparell that is to be no charge to him for any thing onely let us be called by thy name to take away our reproach that is let us be accounted and used as thine and why to take away our reproach so that barrenness was esteemed no small reproach For God in blessing Israel tells them Exod. 23.26 Deut. 7.14 that none should be barren amongst them but that they should be blessed above all people and that there shall not be a male or female barren among them nor among their cattell When the Lord would punish Coniah this is the punishment write ye this man childlesse Jer. 22.30 whether he were without posterity or they without prosperity or succession to his throne is
not materiall to the businesse in hand it sufficeth that the expression takes it for granted that to be childlesse was a curse and a reproach in Israel So that 2 Sam 6.25 of Michal the daughter of Saul who mocked David it is mentioned as a memorable and severe judgment that she had no child to the day of her death 6 God hath in his Scriptures ever taken to himself the praise of this work and his people have ever acknowledged it as his gift mercy when they conceived and bare children Thus the wives of Jacob. Thus Jacob himself answering his brother Esau Gen. 30.6.17.22 c. 35.5 these are the children which God hath graciously given thy servant Thus Hannah Elizabeth and others still their phrase is God opened their wombs Psal 113.9 Faecundicas foeminarum casta vota filios desiderantium ad quem pertinent nisi ad Dominum Deum Aug. Enarr in Psal 66. God rolled away their reproach God gave them children c. He maketh the barren woman to keep house and to be a joyfull mother of children Seeing therefore by this cloud of Scripture-testimonies 't is evident that women are not with child but by the mercy and gift of God I must adde a few inferences from what I have said 1 That none be dejected at a state of barrennesse though among the Jews it was esteemed so great an affliction If the age of one or both parties render you not uncapable you may with modesty and moderation make your request known to God and then rest satisfied in his pleasure concerning you For though the posterity of Abraham did all desire that the promised seed might come of them as some do uncertainly conjecture and had also too high esteem of temporal blessings and carnal apprehensions of promised blessings did much possesse the mind of the generality yet we are now under a better testament containing exceeding great and precious promises of things Spiritual If therefore we stick too much on the letter of old-Testament promises we shall commit as great an errour in our faith as the Jews by resting in the bare letter of the precepts ran into gross error in their practice God never delighted in their most glorious and costly ceremonies unlesse they gave him their hearts and now he accepts of internal worship with simplicity and spirituality of mind without any further desire of those pompous observations So let us learn to worship God without their Rites John 4. Rom. 14. and to love God though without their mercies Let us count riches and posterity nothing without God and God sufficient without either of them If Christ be ours every thing needfull is ours If we be the Sons and Daughters of God it shall be no unhappinesse if we have neither Sons nor Daughters of our own There is then no curse in what we have no need of what we have not Dr. Gouge of domest duties a Where naturall impossibilities doe hinder the fecundity of the wombe they should also if known have hindred marriage But when the sterility is meerly accidentall from some such present prevailing infirmity as discomposes the body of either party it may by the blessing of God upon medicinall helps be lawfully and success fully removed But when the cause is unknown and unfruitfullnesse seems meerly judiciall viz. immediately inflicted by the hand of God in that case prayer is the Proper course that he who shuts the womb Luke 1.13 Psal 10.17 Psal 145.19 as he did the wombs in the house of Abimelech would open them again as he did theirs upon the prayer of Abraham It may be he will grant thy petition as he hath done of some that for above twenty years in a state of marriage went childlesse yet at last he made the solitary to dwell in families and gave them children like olive plants round about their table Or perhaps he will not yet answer thee Perkins Cas of consc lib. 2. c. 6. qu. 4. Reinolds on Hos 14.1.2 Serm. 1. p. 53. 1 John 5.15 to exercise thy faith prayer and dependence in waiting upon him or perhaps he will deny thee this mercy at last to exercise thy patient submissivenesse to his Will and thy heavenly-mindednesse and wisdom in seeking some better blessing Sure it is thy prayers shall returne into thine own bosom with some answer of peace and if we aske aright we shall receive (c) Deus non sempèr audit ad voluntatem vel voluptatem at Sempèr exaudiet ad salutem Isidor de summo bono l. 3 c. 3. according to Gods choice if not according to our own He hath variety of blessings which like the stars of heaven differ from one another in glory Therefore blesse his name if by this providence he promote in thy heart humility saith patience or any other grace (d) Ward â—n Mat. 8. pag. 451. seeing its better to be fruitfull in grace then fruitfull in children If he give us his favour (e) Bonus qui non triâ—uit quod â—olumus ut â—ribuat quod malimus Aug. epist 34. that 's a blessing of more value The Angels neither marry nor are given in marriage yet have happinesse enough in God Let him be to thee worth ten Sons In a word I say of these certain cares and uncertain comforts that he who hath none of them hath lesse incumbrance here and lesse to reckon for hereafter 2. T is an an addition to the mercy when God gives children in a state of marriage T is a mercy to be kept in a single estate from the unclean libidinous practices of beastly sinners (f) Mat. 22.30 and to be at last happily entred upon that state of matrimony which God appointed and hath sanctified as his ordinance 1 Cor. 7 2 3 4 5. for preventing of fornication and 't is also I say a greater blessing when he is pleased to Crown the chast embraces of wedlock with a hopefull conception Oh how dreadfull are the scripturee-xamples of many women whom God having partly or totally left to their vile affections and inordinate lusts having prostituted their chastity brought shame upon Israel and disparaged the innate modesty of the female sex grew at last past feeling and spent their life in common whoredome till their sin was come to a ripeness But alas in these last days 2 Tim. 3.1 3. the sin of incontinency is grown more perillous by its commonness and also by the impunity of our intemperate Grandees whose example herein gives a law to others And surely those who are priviledged from punishment here shall find it a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God Heb 10.31 Heb. 13.4 who hath said whoremongers and adulterers I will judge i.e. though the secrecy of their actions the potency of their persons or the negligence of Magistrates may secure them for a while yet there is nothing so secret but is under his eye nothing so great but is under
I shall now speak in the next place CHAP. V. Meditation the duty of women with child IT cannot be but women with child when they begin to grow big and unweldy must be taken off from such manual imployments in which they were busied before and must allow themselves some rest and retirement therefore they should labour to make a good use of that time they have for prayer and reading and meditation c. Meditation being then most in season when other things are out of season and hath herein the advantage of other duties that it requires onely the inner to be imployed therein Idlenesse is alway dangerous especially the idlenesse of our minds If the Devil find the soul idle hee 'le soon imploy it And therefore were it onely to prevent the incursion of sinfull and troublesome thoughts in our solitary seasons and also as one sayes (a) Bolton Gen. dir p 71. lest our spirits like milstones wanting grist grate themselves with vexation feares discontents and waste themselves in a fruitless endless melancholy I say were it only to avoid this grand inconvenience it were safest to have alway some choice head or other of pious profitable matter to busie our heads and hearts about Nothing being more known among Christians then the precepts and presidents of this kind in Scripture Nothing more frequent in the writings and Sermons of Divines Therefore I shall not meddle with the duty in general but as it properly concerns women with child And for the better direction of those who are willing to make use of the help offered them I shall present them with thirteen Meditations which they may enlarge upon at their pleasure not doubting but that divers of them are able to adde many others as pertinent and profitable as these MEDITATION 1. (a) J. Planâ—avit Floâ—il Rabbinicum Deut. 27.12 Ps 104.28 1 Sam. 2.6 Acts â—6 4 Gen. 30.22 The Rabbines have a notion that there are four special Keyes which the Lord reserveth in his own power 1. The Key of Rain 2. The Key of Food 3. The Key of the Grave 4. The Key of the Heart To which may be added the Key of the Womb. God hath opened my womb oh that my heart were opened also Nature hath locked it against God and my customary sins have caused me instead of opening when Christ knocketh to adde more bolts to keep him out But oh that he who hath the key of David who openeth and none can shut would break open or lift up the everlasting gates of my soul Rev. 3 7. that the King of glory might come in and sup with me Then should I have more cause then yet I have to rejoyce in him for opening my womb and opening to me the treasures of raine and food yea then I should not care how soon a grave were opened for my body if my heart were first opened by the grace of Christ MEDITATION 2. There is a different generation and conception The children of Adam are generally propagated by ordinary generation but Sampson Jephtah c. had wonders accompanying their conception The elect of God who are in due time regenerate are supernaturally born and conceived not of flesh and bloud but of the Will of God Joh. 1 1â— Jesus Christ as to his humane nature was not begotten but miraculously conceived in the womb of the Virgin as to his Divine nature he was not conceived but eternally begotten by the God and Father of all things Though I am not like to be the Mother of a Prophet or a Judge in Israel though I have no miraculous or supernatural conception but am with child through Gods blessing by my husband in a state of matrimony yet I hope defire and pray that God would prepare some singular blessing for the fruit of my womb Oh that it might as was Saint John be sanctified from the womb and be filled with the holy Ghost that we may have joy and gladness Luke 1.14 15. and many may rejoyce at its birth Oh that it might please God so to bless this unborn child that it may grow and wax strong in the Spirit and may become so eminent in holiness of life Luk. 1. â—0 Lu. 11.27 that others may say Blessed is the womb that bare thee and the paps that gave thee suck MEDITATION 3. And this is the sixth moneth with her who was called barren Luk. 1.36 It is most probable she was called by way of reproach the barren wife and therefore not much set by but rather vilified by the mothers in Israel God hath restrained the wombs of some from bearing but hath made mine fruitful Whether the barrennesse of some good women which I know be to them a curse I know not but oh my soul how great a curse is spiritual barrennesse and how cursed a creature do I then deserve to be Jer. 4.22 I am wise to doe evil though none teach me or tempt but to doe good I have no knowledge I have strong affections to love my friends self c. to hate my enemies and to be vext at worldly crosses and fear temporal dangers but how weak is my love to God hatred of sin and fear of his all-seeing eye I have done many things for my credit profit health ease c. but how barren am I 2 Pet. 1.8 and unfruitfull in the work of the Lord and how little affected with the concernments of my soul I have plenty of words for carnall company and can without study or help vent my passions with much fluency and readinesse if my servants or inferiours displease me but the Lord knows and my foul is confounded to remember that when fit occasion and opportunity have been offered yea a necessity laid upon me of reproving or admonishing my relations or acquaintance of inciting and quickning my family to true godliness I have many a time said little or nothing I have quenched the fire of zeal that burned within me I have by my needless silence seemed to own what my soul abhorrs yea when I have purposed and resolved to speak with serious earnestness in Gods behalf my heart hath been barren of fit matter my tongue hath wanted words and I have stood mute and silent as if possessed with a dumb devil Now whence is this If I be married to Christ and implanted into him Mic. 2.7 why is it thus surely I am not streightned in him but in my self Wherefore oh my soul go to him who onely worketh both to will and to doe of his own good pleasure And never cease importuning him till he quicken me by his Spirit and cause me know and enjoy the vertues and powers of my Saviour Then shall I bring forth my fruits unto holinesse Rom. 6.22 and my end shall be everlasting life MEDITATION 4. Hast thou not poured me out as milk Job 10.10 and curdled me like cheese Miseres â—â—que etiam â—udeâ— aestiâ—â—antem â—â—am fiâ—â—rivola aâ—antium
Tim. 4.15 Coloss 2.1 I conclude that surely they have many agonies and conflicts in their hearts for us Wherefore Oh my soul while I carefully expect the hour of my own travell how much am I to blame that I so little so seldom or never consider the travell of my Ministers soul often have I been pricked in conscience by his goad and nails Eccl. 12.11 often wounded by the sword of the Spirit bruised and smitten down by the hammer of the word and surely his stimulating reproofs his keen admonitions and knocking terrours proceeded from his longing desire of my conversion But when he hath after long striving been in hopes of my returne how have I by relapses and fresh miscarriages vext his righteous soul and quencht his new conceived hopes of me yea like those inconstant Galatians I have caused him again and again to travell with me in birth How just were it with God to plague me with a tedious painfull and fruitlesse travell and to make me read my sin and feel its bitternesse in so suceable a punishment But Oh my God remit the evills I have committed work in me what thou hast required and compleat in me what thy grace hath begun Let not the guide of my soul labour in vain but let him see of the travell of his soul and let me be among those children of whom my pious teacher shall hereafter say Lord here am I and the children which thou hast given me Then also shall I with more confidence expect to have benefit by his prayers for me when my body is in travell if God shall thus blesse and answer him in his prayers and travell for the new birth of my soul MEDITATION 12. I find it frequent in Scripture that the most dreadful judgements on the wicked are thus exprest Psal 48.6 Isa 23.4 Jer. 48.41 c. 49.42 c. 50.43 that Anguish shall take hold of them as of a woman in travel and that sudden destruction shall come upon them as upon a woman in travel and they shall not escape Wherefore oh my soul as Abraham when he had promise of a child Gen. 18.14.22 did presently intercede as far as he durst in behalf of wicked Sodom so let me ever remember to pray for the worst of men though perhaps they scorn and despise me and my Prayers Oh my God deale not with them after their sins but cause the wickednesse of the wicked to come to an end Psal 7.9 that the wicked themselves may not come to a sad end So persecute them with thy tempest make them afraid with thy storm that they may seeke thy face Oh Lord. Psal 83.15 And in whatever place or nation thy judgments shall enter yet if there be but a few righteous persons among them spare them from totall destruction and let not thy wrath come upon them to the uttermost MEDITATION 13. I find also that the sorrows of the people of God when God seemes to forsake them John 16 21.22 Jer. 6.24 c. 22.23 c. 30.6 Isa 26.17 18. c. 37. 3 the calamities of the church when God is pleased to correct them and the miserable disappointment of a Church hoping for reformation and endeavouring in vain for a deliverance from idolatry and oppression are also expressed by the pain and misery of women in travell Now Oh my soul how can I but observe two things from hence The one is that 't is surely the will of God that I should not confine my care to the concernments of my private condition but should labour for a publick Spirit such as was in that good woman 1 Sam. 4.19 20 21. the wife of Phinebas who was with child and near to be delivered and when she heard the tidings that the Ark of God was taken and that her father in law and her husband were dead she bowed her selfe and travelied for her pains came upon her And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said fear not for thou hast born a son but she answered not neither did she regard it And she named the child Jchabod saying the glory is departed from Israel because the Ark of God was taken and because of her father in law and her husband And she said the glory is departed from Israel for the Ark of God is taken Blessed woman worthy of everlasting fame and imitation She took no comfort in her deliverance though she had a son while the Church of God was not delivered Oh that the same mind might be in me that I might learn also to be more affected with the affairs of the Church That if women may not be common actors of publick affairs yet we may be specially mourners for publick miseries Alas what is my danger to the universall danger my travell to the travell of the Church what comfort to me to have many children except I might see the good of Gods chosen Psal 106. â— what content have I in being delivered from my pains unlesse God deliver Israel from all its troubles Psal 37.40 what delight had Abraham in all his mercies while he went childlesse or I in all my children if the children of God be comfortlesse Oh my God blesse me out of Zion and thus let me be blessed as those are that feare the Lord Psal 128 3 4 5 6. let me not onely be a fruitfull vine but let me see the good of Jerusalem all my dayes Let me not only see my childrens children but peace upon Israel But from the manner of holy Writ to compare almost all miseries whether inward or outward whether of good men or of bad to the pains of women in travell as the fittest embleme of extreme conflicts and agonies I must needs conclude that there is no sorrow like unto that sorrow and no evill like that sin that caused it no danger like that danger and therefore no Saviour like him who can deliver from it Wherefore while my life hangs in suspense my soul is distracted between fear and hope my mind is appall'd my heart melts and is even faint when I consider that hour of torment approaching Let me yet further inquire Oh my soul what duties are yet behind in order to making my peace with God and let nothing hinder or divert my present religious and heavenly imployment till I have brought my mind into some setled posture ready to abide whatever shall happen So much for the duty of Meditation now to the rest CHAP. VI. Resignation to the will of God the duty of Women with child TO submit and resign our wills to the will of God in all things is a most desirable and comfortable temper in any man or woman T is indeed the sum of most duties and a compendium of many virtues He that can thus receive the Kingdome of God as a little child Mark 10.15 with Selfe denyal and humble dependance on our Father in heaven he shall in time by thus subjecting himself