the right of her pertaine and thou must marry her seeing thou alone art the remnant of her fathers kinred and the maide is faire and wise nowe therefore heare mee and I will speake vnto her father that we may make the mariage when we are returned from Rages for I know that Raguel cannot marry her to another according to the lawe of Moses els hee shoulde deserue death because the right of her doth rather appertaine to thee then to any other man Then answered the young man Tobias and saide I vnderstand and haue heard brother Azariah that this maide hath beene giuen to seuen men who died in the marriage chamber and were slaine of the Diuell I am afraide therefore least such thinges shoulde happen vnto mee for if I as thou knowest the only begotten sonne of my father should go into her whoÌ„ I feare the wicked spirits do loue because they hurt no bodie but those which come into her it should come to passe y t I also should die as y e other vii I should I feare me bring my father mothers life because of me to y e graue in sorrow for they haue none other sonne to bury theÌ„ Then said the Angel againe vnto him doest thou not remembtr the precepts that thy father gaue thee when he charged thee of his blessing that thou shouldest marry a wife of thine owne kinred wherfore heare me O my brother for shee shal be thy wife neither bee thou carefull or fearefull of the euill spirite For I will tell thee what they be of whom the Diuell hath power namely they that receiue mariage after suche a fashion that they shut God out of them and from their heartes and giue themselues to their owne lustes euen as it were an Horse and Mule whiche haue no vnderstanding vppon suche hath the the same Diuell Asmodeus power But this same night shall Sarah bee giuen thee in marriage And when thou takest her and art come into the bed chamber withold thy selfe from her three dayes and giue thy diligence to nothing but vnto prayer together with her And in the first night take the heart and liuer of the fishe and lay it vpon hot coles and make a perfume thereof to perfume the chamber and when the Diuell doth smell the same hee shall flee away and neuer come againe any more The seconde night also when thou shalt come to her and goe into thy bed ryse vp both of you and pray to God which is mercifull who will haue pitie on you and saue you and so shall you bee receiued into the companie of the holy Patriarches The third night arise and pray likewise both together that yee may obtaine the blessing of God and haue whole and sounde children begotten and borne of your bodies And after the thirde night feare not but take the maiden in the feare of God for shee is appointed vnto thee from the beginning and abuse her not but vse her body modestly more for the desire of children then for any fleshly lust that in the feede of AbrahaÌ„ thou maiest obtaine the blessing in children And thou shalt keepe her and shee shall goe with thee Moreouer I suppose that shee shall beare thee children Now when young Toby heard these thinges hee loued Sara before that â—uer he sawe her and in his heart he was effectually ioyned to her And when they were come to Raguels house in Ragis it was Saraes chaunce to meet them first who after gentle salutations vsed ech to other brought them into her fathers house where after further acquaintance taken when shee heard that olde Toby was blinde she with her father and mother wept and were very sorowfull for that his affliction And after much good cheere and courteous entertainemente made by her father and mother and her selfe vnto them the Angell brake the matter and cause of their comming first to Raguel and communed with him about the giuing of his daughter to young Toby his cosin And Raguel Saraes father being very willing so to doe tolde him all the doubt and thinges that hee feared woulde discourage the young man saying It is meete that thou shouldest marry my daughter Neuertheles I will declare vnto thee al y e truth I haue giuen my daughter alredy in mariage to seuen men who dyed that same night y t they came into her Therefore I feare least it should chance vnto thee in like maner No quoth the Angel feare not to giue him thy daughter in mariage for vnto this man Tobie which feareth God doth thy daughter Sara belong to wife therefore might many marry her but none other haue or inioy her as appeareth by thy saying in that the seuen men are all dead before they euer lay with her Yea quoth yoÌ„g Toby who for all this was couragious mery constantly set in the loue of Sara I will neither eate nor drinke here this day except thou first graunt me my petition that is doe not only promise mee to giue me thy daughter Sara but also bring her foorth hither and presentlie betroth her to me to be my wife Then Raguel perceiuing this to bee the worke of God who had sent them for the same intent y t his daughter might bee maried in her owne kinred according to the law of Moses doubted not to giue her vnto young Tobie but said vnto him take her then marry her according to the custome for thou art her cosin she is thine and God which is mercifull make this prosperous to you both in al good things So he called his daughter Sara who came vnto him he tooke her by the right hand gaue her into the right hand of Tobie for a wife vnto him blessed theÌ„ saying Behold take her after the law of Moses lead her away to thy father And the God of Abraham the God of Isaak the God of Iacob be with you ioyne you together fulfill his blessing in you And then y t is to say in the yeere of the world 3414. Raguel with his wife Edna made a contract of mariage sealed it to approue both their consents to the marriage of their daughter so after the feast praised God And when night came her mother Edna at her husbands commandement prepared another chaÌ„ber for Sara to lie in who so soone as she was brought thither fel a weping But her mother wyped away her daughters tears comforted her with sweete wordes saying Be of good cheere my daughter the Lord of heauen earth giue thee ioy for this thy sorrow heauinesse y t thou hast suffered be of good comfort my daughter So when she was in the chamber a bed they brought in Tobie her husband also into her who remembring the Angels wordes perfumed the chamber with the liuer of the fish which perfume when the euill spirite had smelled hee fled straight way into the vttermost parts of Egypt for the Angel Raphael had taken hold of
Wisd. 8 2 c. Desire to heare all godlie talke and let not the graue sentences of knowledge escape thée Let thy mind be vpon the ordinances of the Lord and be continuallie occupied in his commandements so shall he stablish thine hart and giue thée wisedome at thine owne desire Eccles. 6 36,38 Loue the Lord all thy life and call vpon him for thy saluation Ecc. 13 verse 15. Feare the Lord with all thy soule and honour thine elders Eccl. 7 verse 29. Pride is hatefull before God and man and by both doth one commit iniquitie Why art thou proud O earth and ashes Why is earth and ashes proud séeing when a man or woman dieth she is the heire of serpents beasts and woormes The beginning of all pride is to fall awaie from God and to turne away thine hart from thy maker Pride was not created in men neither wrath in the generation of women Pride is the originall of sinne and she that hath it shall powre out abhominations so long till at last she be ouerthrowne For the Lord destroieth the memoriall of the proud and plucketh them vp by the roots but loueth the remembrance of the humble and planteth the lowlie with glorie among them Eccles. 10 7 c. Dishonour not a man or woman in their old age For they were as thou which art not old Eccles. 8 6. Despise not the exhortation of the elders that be wise but acquaint thy selfe with their wise sentences and graue maners so shalt thou bée able to serue euen great men without complaint Eccles. 8 8. Doo no euill so shall no harme come vnto thée depart from the thing that is wicked and sinne shall turne awaie from thée Sowe not vpon the â—urrowes of vnrighteousnesse least thou reape them seuen fold Eccles. 7 1,2 c. Make not manie words when thou art among thine elders neither vse to make anie maner of lie For the custome thereof is not good Eccles. 7 14,13 Stand thou in thy state and exercise thy selfe therein and remaine in thy worke vnto thine age Eccles. 11 20. Get thy selfe praise by modestie méekenesse and chastitie estéeme thy selfe least of all other Who will count hir iust that sinneth against hir selfe Or honour hir that dishonoreth hir owne soule Eccles. 10 verse 29. Followe not thy lusts but turne thée from thine owne appâ—tites For if thou giuest thy soule hir desires it shall make thine enimies that enuie thée to laugh thée to scorne Take not thy pleasure in great voluptuousnesse and intangle not thy selfe with such lewd riotous companie Eccles. 18 30 c. Shée that companieth adulterers and riotous companie shall béecome impudent rottennesse and woorms shall haue hir to heritage and she that is too bold and impudent shall be taken awaie and be made a publike example Eccles. 19 3. Who so reioiceth in wickednesse shall be punished but she that resisteth pleasures crowneth hir owne soule Eccles. 19 5. A maidens garment hir looks hir countenance hir excessiue laughter and going and pride declare what maner of person she is Ec. 19 â—erse 28. and 26,9 A maid that communeth with all men is a scourge of the tongue and a plague to hir soule Eccles. 26 7. There be thrée things hid from me saith Salomon yea foure that I knowe not The waie of an Egle in the aire the waie of a serpent vpon a stone the waie of a ship in the midst of the sea and the waie of a maid or yoong woman with a man Prou. 30 18. An vntamed horse will be stubborne and a wanton wench will be wilfull Eccles. 30 8. Thou maiden that art yoong speake if néede be and yet scarse when thou art twise asked and when thine elder speaketh babble not much but giue eare and be still and for thy good and modest behauiour thou shalt be loued and commended Before thunder goeth lightening and before a shamefast maiden goeth fauour and grace Eccles. 32 8. To auoid fornication let euerie woman haue hir owne husband 1. Cor. 7 2. For it is better to marie than to burne in lust I will saith S. Paule that the yoonger women marie and beare children and gouerne the house and giue no occasion to the aduersarie to speake euill as some doo that are turned back after Sathan 1. Tim. 5 verse 14. I will powre out my spirit saith God vpon all flesh your sonnes your daughters shall prophesie your old men shall dreame dreames and your yoong men shall sée visions and also vpon the seruants and vpon the maids in those daies will I powre my spirit Ioël 2,28,29 Then shall the virgin reioice in the dense and the yoong men and the old men togither For I will turne their mourning to ioie and will comfort them and giue them ioie for their sorowe Ierem. 31 13. Can a maid forget hir ornament Or a bride hir attire Yet my people haue forgotten me daies without number Ierem. 2 32. How streightlie virgins were kept in from men in the old time yea among the heathen that knew not God so that it was a verie hard thing for a man to come vnto them without leaue of their kéeper it doth appeare by the storie of Hester 2. of Thamar 2. Sam. 13 2. How perilous a thing it is for maidens and virgins to vse the common méetings at bridalls faires dansing schooles and plaies it may well be séene by the storie of Dinah Iudg. 21 19. and of the daughters of Silo who therby lost their virginitie chastitie and by Iobs daughters who dansing and banketing lost their liues by sudden death Iob. 1 13. It was counted a great shame in Israel in the olde time for a virgin to die vnmaried and without children and therfore the maids reioiced to be maried Yea the Prophet Dauid reckoneth it among the great plagues of God for a maiden to die in hir virginitie or vnmaried wher he saith The fire consumed their yoong men and their maidens were not giuen to mariage or had no mariage songs Psal. 78,63 Therefore if you will sée how the maidens customablie lamented bewailed the virginitie the space of a moneth together in the mountaines of hir that died a virgin you may read the storie of Iepthas daughter Iudg 11 37. Yoong men and maids old men and babes praise yée the name of the Lord. Psal. 148 12. I am gelous ouer you with godlie gelousie for I haue prepared you for one husband to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. Beware therfore least as the serpent beguiled Eue through his subtilty so your minds be not corrupted from the puritie holinesse perfection and simplicitie that is in Christ. 2. Corinth 2,3 O how faire is a chaste generation with vertue The memoriall therof is immortall For it is knowne with God and with men When it is present men take example at it and if it go awaie yet they desire it it is crowned and euer triumpheth when it hath wonne the reward of
prouinces nowe therefore Hester if this content thee not for a sufficient reuenge of that villanie that they offered thy people then what doest thou require yet further of mee aske and I will giue it thee Tell mee thy request I say yet further and I will surely perfourme it vnto thee Then Ester not so much for desire of vengeaÌ„ce as moued w t a zealous desire to see Gods iustiudgements executed against his enemies sayde vnto the king if it please y e king let it be granted also to y e Iewes y â— are in ShushaÌ„ by decree y t it may be lawfull for them to hang vp the dead corpes or bodies of Hamans ten sonnes vpon y e selfe same gallowes or tree with their father which her request the king also not so willingly graÌ„ted but it was as diligeÌ„tly executed accordingly by y e Iewes who for ioy of that victory of their happy deliuerance kept y e same xiiii and xv dayes of March in the which they should haue all been slayne in the which they did kill their enemies and were preserued high and holy dayes to y e Lord calling theÌ„ the dayes of Purim or casting of lots by the speciall comaundement of Mordecay and the Q. Ester who her selfe wrote with all authoritie to confirme those letters of Purim sent by Mordecay her cosin vnto the people commaunding them by her decree also to keepe those dayes holy and obserue them as feast with fasting and earnest prayer and thankesgiuing vnto God for their deliueraunce wrought by her which her noble and valiant actes are registred in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kinges of the Meedes and Persians to the glory of GOD and her and her cosin Mordecayes perpetuall memory fame and renowne to all posteritie Ester 2.3.4 5.7.8.9.10.13.14.15 Eunice signi decking a good victory or conquest Shee was the daughter of Loyis the mother of Timothie whiche women both the mother and daughter are highly commended of saint Paul for their sinceritie of fayth which he desired Timothy earnestly to followe 2. Tim. 1.5 Gomer signi consuming fayling Shee was the daughter of Diblaim and a verie wicked woman who hauing long accustomed to play y e harlot at the last became y e wife of Hosea the Prophete and bare vnto him three wicked adulterous children like her selfe to wit a sonne called by God Iezreel then a daughter called also by God Loruhamah and when shee had wayned her daughter shee conceiued and bare Hosea another sonne called by God also Loammi after the Lorde threatned to plague her and her children greatly for her whoredome and adulterie except shee repented in time Reade this mistically in Hosea 1.3.2.1 H Haddasha see Ester Hagar or Agar signi a stranger a newecome chewing cudde fearing ouerthwaâ—â— turned turning dwelling wayfaring delay c. She was an Egyptian woman and the handemaide of Sara Abrahams wife who being olde long barren and childelesse when shee had dwelt in the land of Canaan by y e space of 10. yeres in the yere of of y e world 2094. she gaue this Hagar her handmayd vnto Abraham to be his wife whiles he dwelt in the lande of Canaan And shee conceiued feeling her selfe with childe began then to dispise her old barren mistresse Sara whereat Sara being grieued went and complayned thereof vnto Abraham her husbande who giuing her power to correct the maide at her pleasure shee began to deale so roughly with Hagar that in no wise shee woulde abyde it but ranne away from her dame fled into the wildernes and sitting there beside a fountayne called Berlaheroy or the well of y e liuing seeing mee not knowing whether to goe the Lorde whiche reiecteth no estate of people in their miserie sent his good Angell euen Christe Iesu to comfort her who appearing vnto her in the shape of an Angell sayde vnto her Hagar from whence commest thou and whether intendest thou to goe I flie quoth shee from Sara my dame whiche fareth so foule with mee that I am euen weary of my life Well sayde the Angell returne to thy dame agayne and submitte thy selfe humblye vnder her handes for I euen I the Lorde will so greatly increase thy seede that it shall not bee numbred for multitude Loe thou art with child and shalt beare a sonne whose name thou shalt call Ishmaell Then Hagar rebuking her dulnesse acknowledged Gods graces ' who was with her euery where and gaue him hartie thankes for this his consolation in her trouble saying Thou O God lookest on mee and haue not I also here in this place looked after him that seeth mee in miserie which being ended shee returned home agayne to Sara her mistres and submitted her self vnto her as the Angel gaue her counsel And after in processe of time that is in the yeere of the worlde 2094. shee brought forth vnto AbrahaÌ„ being theÌ„ 86. yeres old his first begotten sonne called Ishmael as the angell had before saide of which Ishmaell came the peculier people of the Ishmaelites as of Hagar came the Hagarians 1. chro 5. 10. And thus was Hagar the bondewoman the mother of the Ishmalites and children of the fleshe and not of the promise but Sara she was the mother of the true Israelites and heires of promise as shall appeare For when it pleased God to make his promise first to Abraham that Sara though olde and barren shoulde haue a sonne by him called Isaak hee thinking that impossible besought God for Hagars sonnes saying Oh let Ishmael liue in thy sight and it shal suffice Whereunto God answered him saying I haue hard thy praier for Ishmael Hagars sonne lo I wil blesse him with temporal blessings c. As of whoÌ„ shal come all the children of the flesh but mine euerlasting couenant will I make and establishe with Isaak the sonne of Sara of whom shall come y e children of the spirite for Hagar or Sinai saith S. Paul to the Gal. 4.24 is a mountain in Arabia bearing y e name of Hagar and signifieth the olde Testament and the Law and Ismael her sonne signifieth the Iewesh sinagogue but Sara or Ierusalem which is aboue and is the mother of vs all signifieth the Gospell and Isaak her sonne signifieth the Church of Christ. So that we now are all children of the promise in the Church of Christ which is our mother not children of y e fleshe nor of y e Sinagog which is a seruaÌ„t vnto the law So wheÌ„ y e time came that it pleased God according to his promise to visite Sara she conceiued and brought forth a sonne called Isaak after whose birth a new coÌ„tention arose between Sara and Hagar her maide about their children for Sara perceiuing Ishmael Hagars sonne to be a mocker despiser of her son Isaak w t the apostle Paul to the gal 4.29 calleth persecutioÌ„ would not suffer Ismael to keepe coÌ„pany w t her sonne Isaak but made her coÌ„plaint vnto AbrahaÌ„ saying cast
be found nor they beyng therein knowen So when Absoloms seruaunces that pursued them came to make search in her house for them to aske her where they were the wife made aunsweare and sayde they be gone ouer the brooke or water of Iordan but they geuing no credite to her wordes made further search for the men and when they saw they coulde not finde them they went their way Who were no sooner gone but the wife went by and by and told Ionathan and his brother thereof Wherevpon they immediatly came foorth of the well and went vnto Dauid And thus God sent these 2. good men succour and reliefe by the meanes of this good wife to Dauids preseruation in his kingdome and his sonne Absoloms vtter destruction as yee may reade at large in the Byble 2. Sam. 17. 18. 19. c. Woman with blooddy issue There was a certaine woman amonge the Iewes whiche was long diseased with a blooddy issue or fluxe of blood euen the space of twelue yeeres and had suffered many medicines and things of many Phisitions insomuch that she spent all her substance that she had vpon Phisitions and it auayled her nothing for she could not be healed of any but became still much woorse and woorse This woman therefore as one vtterly despayring of any humayne helpe when shee hearde that Iesus was come into those partes where she dwelt which was as I take it in Decapolis by y e citie of Gadaris she sayd within her selfe I will surely goe vnto Christ for if I may but touch his cloathes onely I shal be whole So her faith that she had in Christ and not any superstitious opinion that she had to attribute any vertue to his garment mouing and emboldening her she came and crowded in among the great presse and throng of people that were about Iesus and approching as neere Iesus as shee coulde shee assured of the vertue and power of Christ to heale her came behinde him and touched but the hemme of his garment and straight wayes the issue or course of her blood stanched and was dried vp and she felt presently in her bodie that she was healed of the plague with that Iesus immediately knowing in him self that vertue went out of him turned him about and sayd who is it that hath touched my cloathes not I quoth onâ— not I quoth another and when euery man denied that they touched him Peter and his disciples saide vnto him Maister thou seest the multitude thrust and throng thee and tread on thee and doest thou aske vs who hath touched thee yea quoth Iesus some one hath touched me for I perceiue y e vertue is gone out of me and then looked round about to see her that had done it Nowe when the woman sawe that shee was not hid knowing what was done in her she feared came trembling and fel downe before Iesus and told him the whole truth before al the people and for what cause she had touched him and howe she was healed immediatly Then Iesus perceyuing the greate faith of the woman that brought her vnto him sayd mercifully vnto her Daughter be of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole goe in peace and bee whole of thy plague And the woman was made whole at that same very houre to the glory of God and her comfort c. Math. 9.20 Mark 5.25 c. Luke 8.41 Diseased woman There was another woman which had a spirite of infirmitie whoÌ„ Sathan had striken with a disease 18. yeeres was bowed together as she whose sâ—owes were shronke together when she heard that Iesus was teaching in the Synagogue on y e Sabboth day she went vnto the temple and stoode before him whom when Iesus saw he hauing pitie vpon her called y e crooked creature vnto him and said woman thou art loosed from thy disease so layd his hands vpon her immediatly she was made straight againe glorified God as all ought y t receiue anye benefite of his mercy Howbeit the ruler of y e Synagogue taking occasion hereby to reproue Christ for healing her on the Sabboth day whiche might haue beene done on y e weeke dayes Iesus perceiuing his hipocrisie answered said vnto him thou hypocrite doth not ech of you on y e Sabboth day lose his oxe or his Asse froÌ„ y e stal leade him to water ought not this daughter of Abraham whom Sathan hath bound so these 18. yeeres be losed from this boÌ„d on y e Saboth day with which his words al his aduersaries being coÌ„founded for shame weÌ„t away but al the people reioyced at y e excellent things good deeds y t were done by him to whoÌ„ therfore be al glory praise for euer Luk. 13.11.12 c. C Cananitesse There was a certaine woman of Canaan a Greeke and a Syrophenisian by nation who had a little daughter that was very sicke and possessed with an vncleane spirit when she heard that Iesus was come into the coasts of Tyrus and Sydon where she dwelt she came to Iesus and fell at his feet crying and saying Haue mercy on me O Lord thou sonne of Dauid my daughter is miserably vexed with a Diuell but he answered her not a worde wherfore she cryed the more earnestly vpoÌ„ him w t which her importunity his disciples being offended they besought Iesus to seÌ„d her away because quoth they she neuer stinteth crying stil after vs. I am not sent quoth Iesus but vnto y e lost sheepe of the house of Israel so the woman continued her crying came worshorshipped him saying Lord helpe me and I beseech thee cast out the diuel out of my daughter And then Christ spake vnto her and sayde let the children among the Iewes to whom the promises were first made first be fed for it is not good to take the childrens bread and to cast it vnto whelpes that is to straungers from the house of God for so he spake after the common opinion of the Iewes who tooke straungers for no better then dogges Truth Lord quoth she yet indeed the whelpes eate of the croomes that fall from the children their maâ—sters table Then Iesus perceiuing her faith and humilitie in asking but the poore croomes and not the childrens bread graunted her petition for her faiths sake and not the request of his disciples and sayd vnto her O woman great is thy faith for this saying goe thy way be it to thee as thou desirest the Diuel is gone out of thy â—aughter And her daughter was made whole at that same houre So that when shee was come home to her house she found the Diuel departed and her daughter lying on the bed safe whole to the glory of God her great comfort Mat. 15.22 c. Mar. 7.25 c. Cayphas mayde Cayphas the high priest of y e Iewes had 2. maydens who when y e one saw Peter the Apostle y t followed Christ to see his araignment before her maister