the Lambes wife or Church of Christ persecuted by that dragon Antichrist not vnprofitable to be read of women in trauell to their comfort and edification as a lesson in prayer THere appeared in heauen a great woonder saith S. Iohn a womā cloathed with y e sunne the moone was vnder her feete vpō her head a crowne of xii starres she was with childe cryed trauelling in byrth and was pained readye to be deliuered And beholde a great redde dragon with seuen heades ten hornes and a long tayle that reached vp to heauen stoode before the woman which was ready to be deliuered to deuour her child when shee had brought it foorth So shee brought foorth a man child which should rule all nations with a rod of yron and her sonne was taken vp to God and to his throne And the woman fled into the wildernesse where shee hath a place prepared of God that they should feede hir 1260. dayes Then this great Dragon that old Serpent called the Diuel and Satan which deceiueth al the worlde with his Angels was cast out of heauen vnto the earth for euer by Michael his Angels that waged battel with him And whē he saw that he persecuted the woman which had brought forth the man childe But to the woman were geuen two winges of a great Eagle that she migh◠flie vnto the wildernesse into her place where shee is nourished for a tune and times and halfe a time from the presence of the serpent And the serpent seeing the woman flye away cast out of his mouth water after her like a flood that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood but the earth holpe the woman for it opened and swallowed vp the flood which the Dragon cast out of his mouth Then the Dragon was more wroth with the woman and went and made warre with the remnant of her seede which kept the commaundements of God haue the testimony of Iesus Christ. Reuel 12. See more chap. 19. 7.21,9 Leuites wife There was in the time of Iudges a certaine woman of Bethleem Iuda who being the Concubyne or wife of a certeine Leuit dwelling in mount Ephraim there played the whore with other men and when shee had done she added one euil to an other for feare of punishment ranne a waye from her husbande and went and dwelt with her owne father in Bethleem Iuda from whence shee came And by that tyme shee had continued the space of foure monethes it chaunced at the last that her husband riding after her and vnderstanding where shee was come thither to her fathers house with horse and man to fetche her away home to his owne house in mount Ephraim where after much intreatie and faire promises and sweete woordes vsed by him vnto her to come away home agayne with him vpon the Asse that he had brouht for her to ryde on Shee first brought him into her fathers house who very courteously entertayned him for her sake fiue or sixe dayes before he would suffer her to depart afterwarde she being willing to come away with her husband tooke her leaue of her father and friends and so departed with her husband homewards And comming somewhat late in y e night into Gibeath a place so called in Beniamin where the wicked men of Iemeny dwelt they were fayne to sit in the streete because they could get no lodging in the Innes vntill it fortuned that an old labouring man came late from his work who espying her and a man sitting like wayfaring folke so late in the streetes went vnto them and after he vnderstood of them what they were and from whēce they came and whither they were going of very courtesy compassion he tooke them both home with him to his house and gaue them lodging and intertaynement the best hee coulde But as they were at Supper making merrie beholde certayne Beniamites that is wicked men of the Citie came and like night walkers besette the house rounde about and smote at the doore to the intent they might breake in and commaunded the olde man that was maister of the house saying Bring foorth the man that came into thine house that wee may knowe him whereuppon the olde man went out of his house to pacifie them and sayde Naye my brethren doe not so wickedly I praye you seeyng that this man is come into my house committe not suche vilanie against him Beholde rather then yee shall so doe loe heere is my daughter whiche is a Uirgin and his Concubine them will I bring out nowe and humble them and abuse them and doe with them what seemeth you good but to this manne doe not this villanie but the wicked men woulde not bee intreated therefore the olde man tooke the Leuites wife or Concubine and brought her out vnto them and they forced her and knewe her carnally and abused her bodie moste villainously all the night vntill the morning and in the breake of the daye lette her goe So the woman came in the dawing of the daye and fell downe starke dead at the thresholde or doore of the olde mans house where her husbande was and there laye till day light And in the morning when her husbande arose and opened the doores of the house thinking to haue gone his waye beholde hee sawe his wife lye at the doore with both her handes lying vppon the threshold and supposing her to haue beene fast a sleepe called vnto her and sayde vp let vs goe but shee answered not Then hee stouped to take her vp and perceiuing her to be stark dead through the rapin force villany of these wicked Beiamites he layd her vppon his Asse and carried her home to his house at mounte Ephraim And as soone as he was come home he tooke a knife and cut his dead Concubine in peeces and deuided her bones and all into twelue partes and so sent her all to bee mangled vnto the twelue trybes that is to euery tribe a parte of her to signifie vnto them the horryble murder committed by those wicked Beniamites against the lawe that they might reuenge it by executing due punishment vppon the offendors And al that hard thereof considered the matter and consulting of the manner gaue this sentence that that sinne was like to the sinne of Sodome and Gomorrhe for whiche God rayned downe fire and brimstone from heauen For there was neuer the like thing done or heard of since the deliuery of the people of Israell out of Egipt And afterwarde the twelue tribes as soone as they vnderstoode the matter consulted together and sente for the Leuit the womans husbande whoe came and declared the whole circumstance and troth of the matter vnto them whereupon they determined to sende to the gouernours of the tribe of Beniamin that they should finde out the offendors and deliuer thē vp to the rulars of the tenne tribes to be punished with death according to iustice but the children of Beniamin vtterly refused so
out this bond womaÌ„ her sonne for the sonne of the bond woman shal not be heire with my soÌ„ne Isaak which thing though it were grieuous vnto Abraham to do because hee tenderly loued Hagars sonne Ishmael yet being coÌ„manded by God to followe his wife Saras counsel therin y t rather for y t the promised seed should be counted from Isaak not from Ishmael also being coÌ„forted by God y t he would blesse Ismael also to a mightie people because he was of Abrahams seede Abraham obeyed the voyce of his wife Sara the next morning early sent Hagar her son away with bag bottel good prouision of victuals vpoÌ„ her back to shift for her selfe her child So Hagar being thus departed from Abraham with her young childe Ishmael in her armes gate her vnto the wildernesse of Beersheba where shee wandered so long vp and downe till all her prouision of meate and drinke was spent gone And wheÌ„ she saw no remedy but y t both she and the child must needs perish for lacke of sustenaunce shee in this great perplexitie renounced all naturall affection and distrusting in Gods prouidence notwithstanding that she had had good experience therof before time went and cast her childe Ishmael vnder a certayne tree behinde a bushe and went her selfe away from it and sate ouer agaynst it a farre off about a bowe shoote weeping and saying thus with her selfe I will not see the death of the childe but as shee sate thus a farre off mourning and lamenting for her sonne Behold God for his promise sake made before to Abraham and not because eyther shee then prayed for the childe as shee ought to haue done or that the childe it selfe had the capacitie and witte to pray for it selfe being so young sent his angell agayne euen from heauen which comforted her in this her miserie and wofull plight saying what ayleth thee Hagar feare not for God hath heard the voyce of the childe where hee lyeth Aryse take vp thy childe and holde him in thine armes and I will make of him a great people as I haue promised vnto Abraham So where as before shee coulde neyther see nor vse the meanes whiche was euen before her eyes God at this instant opening her eyes and Hagar nowe arose and sawe a wel of water wherevnto shee went and refreshed her selfe and filled her bottell with water and then ran to the boy and gaue it drinke thereof by which good prouidence of God both shee and her sonne were relieued and liued together a long time after to her great ioy and comfort And when her sonne came to mans state she then dwelling in y e wildernes of Paraâ— tooke him a wife out of the lande of Egypt Gene. 16.17.21 Haggith or Aggite signi holidayes yeerely feastes turning about merrie Shee was one of the vi wiues of Dauid that hee had in Hebron who there bare vnto him a sonne called Adoniah that afterwarde was put to death by his brother king Salomon for treason as appeareth in the storie of Abishag 2. Sam. 3.3 1. King 1.5 1. Chron. 3.3 Hannoch or Anna â—igni gâ—acions or mercifull his grace or fauour gracious Lady fauourable freely giuing resâ—ng c. She was the wife of Elkana an Ephrathiâ—e who beeing coupled with a mate called Penennah or Fenenna that was very fruitful she her selfe long barren without child yet because HaÌ„na was better beloued of her husband then her mate Penenna was although Penenna had more porcions and giftes giuen vnto her of her husbande when hee wente abroade and vnto her sonnes and daughters then Hannah had Therefore her aduersary mate Penenna did dayly vexe her sore by â—â—brayding her casting her in the teeth w t her barreÌ„nes yea as oft as went vp to the house of the Lorde to sacrifice and serue God her companion would so vexe her herewith to her great reproch that she would sitte and weepe and lament greatly in fasting and prayer in her house before she went out adores which when her husband perceiued he to comfort her said vnto her Hannah why weepest thou and why eatest thou not And why is thy heart thus troubled am not I thy louing husband better to thee then ten sonnes Let this suffice thee that I tenderly loue thee no lesse then if thou hadst manye children So Hanna to satisfie her husbands mynd did eate and drinke a little but yet beeing full of heauinesse that God had made her such a rayling stocke that she could not quietly eate nor drinke nor serue GOD as shee ought shee arose and went to the Temple of the Lorde in Siloe where the Arke then was to woorshippe GOD. And there beeyng tormented and troubled in minde shee made her heartie prayers vnto GOD with teares to geue her a sonne or manchild the forme of which prayer or vowe appeareth in the first Lampe of Uirginitie pag. 6. And as she continued praying very earnestly in the Temple before the Lorde it fortuned that Eli the high Priest as he sate there also marked her mouth and perceiuing her lippes onely to moue a little no voyce heard for she prayed mentally and secretly in her heart he thought she had bin dronken and said vnto her Thou woman how long wilt thou be dronken put away thy dronkennes from thee Then Hannah being further vexed in mind to see her selfe thus interrupted in her prayers and more slaundered by the rash iudgement of so graue a man could no lesse but make him this aunsweare in her excuse and sayd Nay my Lord I am not dronke neyther haue I drunken eyther wyne or strong drinke But I beyng a woman troubled in minde dexed in spirite I doe here powre out my sorowfull soule before the Lorde in mentall or secret prayer therefore doe not so rashly count thy handmayde to be the daughter of Beliall or a wicked woman for out of the abundance of the heauinesse and griefe of my heart haue I spoken hitherto Then goe in peace sayde Eli and the GOD of Israel graunt thy petitioÌ„ that thou hast asked And she knowing that y e prayers of others would be of force with God towardes her desired Ely to pray for her saying O let thine handmayden find grace in thy sight and be remembred in thy prayers offered vnto God And so reposing her selfe to the mercie of God and commending her self to Elyes prayers she departed cheerefully home to her house where she ate and dranke merrily and looked no more sad And shortly after God remembred her according to her petition so that in processe of time she conceyued by Elkana her husband and bare him a sonne in the yeere of the world 3000. or therabouts whose name she called Samuel because she begged him of God And when she had geuen her child sucke and brought him vp and weaned it she like a vertuous mother prepared a sacrifice and went to the temple of the Lord in Sylo with her
alloes and cynamom Come I saye let vs therefore lye together and take our fill of loue and let vs solace our selues and take our pleasure in daliance for my husbande is not at home hee is gone a iourney farre of and hath taken with him a great bagge of money and will not returne home againe of a long time vntill the day appoynted Thus this impudent harlot with her great subtilty and craft ioyned with sweete woordes and flattering speeches ouercame so the silly young man that she caused him to yeeld and with her dissembling lippes she so entised and bewitched him as it were that he silly foole followed her straight wayes home to her house as an Oxe ledde to the slaughter which thinking he goeth to the pasture willingly goeth to his owne death and destruction And as a natural idiot and foole that laugheth when he goeth to the stockes to be punished and as a byrde y t hasteth to the snare not knowing what danger and perill his life is in Euen so I say went this besotted young man after her so long till shee had wounded his languishing liuer with the dart of her filthy luste brought him home into her house of hell and chamber of death destruction and there placed him as her gheste in the deepe pitte of hel Prou. 7. The description of the great whore or harlot of Babilon By S. Iohn the Euangelist Whore of Babylon I sawe sayeth Saint Iohn a woman sitte vppon a scarlet coloured beast full of names of blasphemie which had seuen heads and tenne hornes and the woman sate vppon many waters and was arrayed all in purple and scarlet and gilded with gold and precious stones pearles had a cup of gold in her hand ful of abhominatioÌ„s filthines of her fornications And in her forehead was this name writteÌ„ A misterie great Babilon the mother of whoredomes and abhominations of the earth And I saw this woman dronken with the blood of Saintes and with the blood of the Martyrs of Iesus And I heard this strumpet glorifie her selfe and boast gloriously of her prosperitie saying in her heart I sitte and lyue in pleasure being a queene and am no widdow and shall see no mourning Yea I saw the kings of the earth commit fornication with this whore and the inhabitantes of the earth drinke til they were dronken with the wine of her fornication and the marchantes of the earth traffike with her and buye her ware to make them selues rich thereby of the aboundaunce of her pleasures euen her ware of gold and siluer precious stones pearles of fine linnen purple silke scarlette and all manner of Thymwood vessels of Iuory and of pretious wood of brasse yron and marble her wares also of synamom sweete odours oyntmentes frankinsence wyne oyle fine flower and wheate of beastes and sheepe horses and charyots seruants and soules of men And when I sawe her saieth S. Iohu I wondred with great maruell But the Angell of the Lorde after that hee had shewde me the misterie of the woman and of the beast that bare her told mee that this whore or harlot Babilon for her sinnes and abhominations committed which were all ascended and come vp to heauen shall haue a great fall and be sore plagued and tormented in one day all at once euen with death sorrowe and famyne and that shee shoulde bee rewarded double according to her workes and drinke the dreegges of her own cuppe and bee burnt with fire for strong is the Lord which will condempne her yea that they that hate the whore shall with one consente make her desolate and naked and shall eate her fleshe and burne her with fire as God hath put in their heartes to fulfill his will vppon her That the kinges of the earth which liued in pleasure with her also shall bewayle and lament her when they shall see the smoake of her burning And standing a farre off for feare of her torment shall saye Alas alas the great Citie Babylon the mightie Citie howe is thy iudgement come euen in one houre The inhabitants and people of the world also shall runne out of her and crye out mightelye with a loude voice and saye Alas alas it is fallen it is fallen Babylon the great citie is fallen and is become the inhabitation of diuels and the holde of all foule spirites and the cage of euery vnclean and hateful byrde Finally y e marchants of her trash which made them selues rich therby for sorrowe and wante of their filthy gaine shall stand a farre off from her for feare of her tormente and erye out and dispayre weeping and wayling and saye Alas alas the greate Citie that was cloathed in fine linnen purple and scarlet and gilded with golde and pretious stone and pearle howe in one houre are so great riches come to desolation And all shipmen and trauaylers by sea shall flye vp to the toppe of their mastes to see her destruction and shall crye out when they see the smoake of her burning and cast dust vppon their heades and saye alas alas what Citie in all the world was like vnto this great Citie wherein all that had shippes on the sea were made rich by her costlynesse howe in one houre is shee made desolate But contrariwyse the Angelles tolde mee that the Saintes and Martyrs whome shee hadde slayne shoulde greatlye reioyce in her destruction and saye O heauen reioyce of her desolation and yee holye Apostles and Prophets tryumph in her ouerthrow for GOD hath giuen your iudgement on her c. And with that the Angell cast a greate myghtye mylstone into the sea saying With suche violence shall that great Citie Babylon bee caste downe so that shee shall bee founde no more Reuela 17. 18. see more 19.1.2.3 I Of the Virgins of Iabes Gilead read in Syloe Ieptahs daughter Ieptahs daughter being a very fayre virgin vnknowne of manne â—he onelye childe and heire of her father went out of her fathers house in Myspheh accompanyed with diuers damoselles to meete her father with Tymbrelles daunces and songes as the manner and custome of women then was after anye great victorie to welcome him home from warre and to praise God for the victory giuen him against the Ammonites but alas to her destruction and her fathers infamy For her father hauing before made a rash vow to God that if hee gat the victory came home in peace he would dedicate offer vp in sacrifice vnto God the thing that first came out of his house to meete him as wickedly performed the same rash vow And so soone as he saw his daughter come out to meete him being nowe ouercome with blinde zeale little considering whether his vowe were lawful or no hee rente his cloathes and sayde alas my daughter thou haste brought mee lowe and arte one of them that trouble mee for I haue opened my mouth and made a vow vnto the Lorde to sacrifice vnto him the first thing that meeteth mee
to doe and beganne to take vp armes against the children of the Israelites as maintainers of their brethrens cruell facte but therefore they were all by Gods iust iudgement iustly plagued for the other tribes of the children of Israell ioyning with them in battayle vppon that occasion offered And after the losse of two and twentie thousand men of Israell that were slayne at the first conflicte and eighteene thousand men of Israell at the seconde battayle and threescore men of Israel at the thirde and fifth encounter in all fortie thousand and 60. men of the one side the Israelites then at Gibea slewe of the Beniamites in one daye fiue and twentie thousand and an hundred chosen men of warre at another conflict 18. thousand and at the last battell fiue and twenty thousand men in all threescore and eight thousand and an hundred men of the Beniamites all chosen and valiant souldiers and stoute men of warre on the other side and went and burnt their cities and destroyed man and woman beast cattell with the sworde and fire so that this harlots death cost the liues of an hundred and eight thousand one hundred and threescore valiant men of warre besides an infinite number of women and children And after this great slaughter the children of Israel of the other tribes made an othe and sware within themselues by consent soleÌ„ne decree as it were that none of them should euer after geue their daughters or women vnto the Beniamites to wiues saying cursed be he that geueth a wife to Beniamine so greatly did they then detest abhorre that wicked fact committed by the children of Beniamine against this Leuites wife or concubine Iud. 19.20 Lots wife Lots wife being drawen by God out of Sodome and commaunded to escape for her life and to flye from his plagues ready to be powred vpon that citie for the abhominable sinnes thereof and not to looke behind her nor to be sory to depart thence for any riches or vanitie that she had or knew in the citie countrie yet for all this as she went behind her husband to Zoare in the playne she looked backe agayne vnto Sodome and behelde it howe it burnt with fire and brimstone lamenting no doubt for the losse of so godly a citie and her wealth possessions which she had left therein behynd her Wherefore presently by Gods iust iudgement for a notable monument of Gods vengeance vpoÌ„ Sodome and all carnall or fleshly Sodomites as touching her bodie onely she was turned into a piller of salt and so in sauing her life she lost it through disobedience and mistrust Gen. 19.17.26 Whose example our Sauiour Christ speaking of the latter dayes setteth before our eyes saying In that day let him that is in the field not turne backe to that he left behind but let him remember Lots wife for whosoeuer shal seek to saue his soule shal loose it whosoeuer shall loose his corporal life shall get life euerlasting Luke 17.31.32.33 M. Manoahs wife Manoahs wife the mother of Sampson dwelt in a place called Zorah in the tribe of Dan and hauing been long barren and without any child the Angell of the Lorde appeared vnto her and sayde behold thou art barren and bearest not but thou shalt conceaue and beare a â—onne And now therfore beware that thou drinke no wine nor stroÌ„g drinke neyther eate any vncleane thing for loe thou shalt conceaue and bare a sonne and no rasor shall come on his head for the childe shal be a Nazarite that is one separate from the worlde and dedicate vnto God from his birth and he shall begin to saue Israel out of the hands of the Philistines Then the wife came and told her husbande saying A man of God came vnto me and the fashion of him was like the fashion of the Angel of God exceeding fearefull for flesh and blood to behold but I asked him not whence he was neyther tolde he me his name But he sayde vnto me Behold thou shalt conceaue beare a sonne and nowe thou shalt drinke no wine nor strong drinke neither eate any vncleane thing for the childe shall be a Nazarite to God from the birth to the day of his death Then her husband and she shewing them selues readie to obey Gods will and desiring to know further prayed vnto the Lorde and sayde I pray thee my Lord let the man of God whom thou sentest come agayne now vnto vs and teach vs what we shall do vnto y e child when he is borne And God heard their voyce and the Angell of God came vnto the wife as she sate in the field alone without her husbande then shee ranne home in all haste to shewe her husbande and sayde vnto him beholde the man of God hath appeared vnto me againe that came vnto me to day With that her husbande arose and went with his wife vnto the man and sayde vnto him Art thou the man that spakest vnto this woman Yea quoth the Angel Nowe then said Manoah let thy saying come to passe but how shall we order the childe and doe vnto him when he is borne The woman thy wife quoth the Angel must be ware of all that I sayd vnto her shee may eate nothing that commeth of the vine tree she shal not drinke wine nor strong drinke nor eate any vncleane thing forbidden by the lawe Let her obserue all that I haue commaunded her The Manoah intreated y e man of God to tarrie and eate with him but the Angel refused saying though thou make me abide with thee I will not eate of thy bread but if thou wilt make a burnt offering to God offer it vnto the Lorde TheÌ„ what is thy name quoth Manoah y t when thy saying is come to passe we may honour thee Why askest thou after my name said the Angel which is secret or maruellous Then Manoah offered his burnt offering vnto the Lorde and the Angel did wonderously whiles Manoah and his wife looked on for God sent fire from heauen to consume their sacrifice to confirme their faith in his promise and wheÌ„ the flame went vp towardes heauen from the alter the Angel of the Lord ascended vp in the flame which when Manoah and hâ—s wife beheld they fel on their faces vnto the ground and woorshipped God for then they knewe that it was an Angel of the Lord that so appeared vnto them And Manoah sayde vnto his wife we shall surely dye because wee haue seene God but his wife sayd vnto him if the Lord would kill vs hee woulde not haue receiued a burnt offering and a meate offering at our handes neither would he haue shewed vs all these thinges nor woulde haue tolde vs any such as if she would haue said these graces that we haue receiued of God and his accepting of our obedience are sure tokens of his loue towards vs so that nothing can hurt vs. So the Angel of y e Lord did no more appeare vnto Manoah and his