brought to extreeme necessitie and pouertie as he did this poore man and woman before he succoured them to the intent that afterward being helped and restored by him againe they might haue the more ample cause to prayse his mercie When Benhadad king of Aram had besieged Samaria so long vntill the famine was wonderfull great and that an Asses head was soulde for fourescore peeces of siluer to eate for want of victualles and the fourth parte of a kab of Doues dung was soulde for fiue peeces of siluer to burne for lacke of wood Beholde as Iehoram the vngodly king of Israel was going vpon the wals of the Citie to looke vnto his affayres there cryed a certaine woman of the Citie vnto him and said Helpe my Lorde O King whose voyce being heard the king began to waxe angrie and in stead of comfortable wordes he being moued gaue her reprochfull speeches thinking in deede she had called vnto him for that which he had not namely for sustenance and victuals whiche as then was very hard for him to giue because they were all spent sayd vnto her Seeing the Lorde doth not succour thee howe shoulde I helpe thee with corne or wine or any other victual for as thou knowest there is no such thinges left among vs. Then the woman answered my Lorde O king I aske of thee neither victualles nor sustenaunce therefore the king sayd vnto her againe Woman then what ayleth thee and what wouldest thou haue O king quoth shee there is a controuersie betweene mee and another woman one of my neighbours about a bargayne or couenant For wee made this contract or couenant betweene vs that wee woulde eate our children one one day and another another day so I in good faith stoode to my promise and killed my sonne and sodde him and we haue eaten him together but this woman nowe when the day came that we shoulde eate her sonne shee hath craftily conueyed him away and hid him from mee eyther to spare his life for compassion and natural affection or for to satisfie her own hunger and to eate him alone without mee and so shee hath broken her couenant and is departed from her promise whereby I am like to perishe for hunger vnlesse thou O king giue sentence and iudge my But y e king abhorring so vnnaturall wicked a contract or bargaine could in no wise ratifie y e same nor alow therof For what is more horrible theÌ„ to receiue into y e belly again y e childreÌ„ once brought vp to bury their bowels euen in their owne bowels thereby making that their graue which was their nourishment Therefore when the king heard these vnnaturall wordes and cruell contract of the women hee feeling the iudgementes of God fallen vpon him and his people for his wicked life rent his clothes and put on sackcloth in signe of sorrow and lamentation For nowe was the curse of God against the contemners and despisers of his lawe perfourmed which he threatned Leuit. 26. where he sayth Yee shall eate the fleshe of your owne sonnes and the fleshe of your daughters shall ye deuoure Nowe I say was fulfilled that heauie indignation and wrath of God against the idolaters and wicked people foreshewed by God in Deut. 28. where it is sayde that the enemie shal besiege thee in al thy cities vntil thine high stroÌ„g walles fal downe c. And thou shalt eate the fruite of thy body euen the fleshe of thy sonnes and thy daughters which the Lorde thy God hath giuen thee during the siege and streightnesse wherein thine enemie shall inclose thee So that the man that is tender and exceeding dayntie among you shal be grieued at his brother and at his wife that lyeth in his bosome and at the remnant of his children which he hath yet left for feare of giuing vnto any of them of the flesh of his childreÌ„ whom he shal eate because he hath nothing left him in y e siege streightnesse wherew t the enimie shall besiege thee in all thy Cities Yea and the tender and daintie woman among you which neuer woulde venture to set the sole of her foote vpon the grounde for her softnesse and tendernesse shall bee grieued at her husbande that lyeth in her bosome and at her sonne and at her daughter and at her after byrth that shal come out from between her feete and at her children which shee shall beare for when all things lacke shee shall eate them secretly during the siege and streightnesse wherewith thine enemies shall besiege thee in thy cities 2. King 6. Samaritesse In y e same citie of Samaria called SicheÌ„ there was a certayn womaÌ„ ytâ—ame about noone to draw water at Iocobs wel where shee met Iesus sitting all alone vppon the welles mouth to rest him whiles his disciples were gone into the Towne to buy victualles And when shee had drawen her water and filled her pitcher Iesus sayde vnto her woman giue mee drinke Howe is it quoth shee that thou being a Iewe askest drinke of mee which am a woman of Samaria For the Iewes meddle not with the Samaritanes yea they esteeme the Samaritanes as wicked and prophane Then Iesus speaking of him selfe whom his father had sent to conuert this woman among other sayde vnto her if thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that sayth to thee Giue me drinke thou wouldest haue asked of him and hee woulde haue giuen thee water of life which is the loue of God in his sonne powred into our heartes by the holy Ghost vnto euerlasting life Rom. 5.5 1. Iohn 3.5 Sir quoth the woman thou hast nothing to drawe with and the well is deepe from whence then hast thou that water of life Art thou greater then our father Iacob which gaue vs the well and he himselfe dranke thereof and his children and his cattell Yea saide Iesus whosoeuer drinketh of this water shall thirst againe but whosoeuer drinketh of the water that I shall giue him that is of the Gospel of Grace shall neuer be more a thyrst dryed vp or destitute For the water that I shall giue him shall be in him a well of water springing vp into euerlasting life Sir quoth shee giue me of that water that I may not thirst neyther come hither to drawe First go sayd Iesus and call thine husbande and come hither I haue none quoth shee Thou hast well sayde sayd Iesus vnto her I haue no husbande for thou hast had fiue husbandes and hee whom thou nowe hast is not thine husbande that saydest thou truely Then the woman being liuely touched with her faultes where before shee mocked and woulde not heare Christ nowe shee could say Sir I see that thou art a Prophete our fathers worshipped in this mountayn and ye say that in Ierusalem is the place where men ought to worship Woman said Iesus beleeue me the houre commeth when yee shall neyther in this mountayne nor at Ierusalem worship the father yee worship that which yee knowe not We worshippe that which we knowe For saluation is of the Iewes but the houre commeth and nowe is when the true worshippers shall worship the father in spirite and trueth for the father requireth euen suche to worship him
was priuily made long agoe betwixt her and mee in all places where we became Then Abimelech the king gaue Abraham beeues sheepe men seruants and maide seruants and greatly inriched him also restored vnto him Sarah his wife giuing him leaue to depart and dwell where hee woulde in his Dominion but before Sara departed as God had suffered this Heathen king to doe vnto her husbande so nowe hee reproued Sarah his wife also for her dissembling lying Behold I haue giuen thy brother a thousand peeces of siluer beholde he is in the vaile of thine enemies to all that are with thee and to all others as if he had said Sara seeing God hath giuen thee an husbande as a vaile or defence yea such a head as with whom thou maiest bee preserued from all dangers thou hast done euill to vse this dissimulation with mee in calling him thy brother that is indeede thine husbande Then Abraham prayed vnto God for Abimelech God heard his yrayer and healed Abimelech and his wife and his maid seruants so that they conceaued afterwarde and bare children for before the Lorde had taken away from them the gift of conceauing and shut vp euery wombe in the house of Abimelech because of Sara Abrahams wife Now the Lord visited Sara while shee was in the land of the Philistines at Gerar so that shee through faith receiued strength to conceaue seede and brought foorth a sonne in her olde age at the time appointed of God according as he had promised by the Angel because she iudged him faithfull that had promised So that of one woman euen of her y t was as one dead past age there sprang so many as y e starres of the skie in multitude as the sand in the Sea shore which is innumerable Heb. 11.11 12. And Abraham called his sonnes name Isaack and when the childe was borne shee accused her self of ingratitude in that shee did not beleeue the Almightie and said God hath made me to reioyce all that heare will reioyce with mee who woulde haue said to Abraham that Sara should haue giuen children sucke for I haue borne him a sonne in his olde age After this when Sara saw and perceiued Ismael the sonne of Hagar her maide as he plaied with Isaak mocking and deriding Gods promises made to Isaak which the Apostle to the Galathians 4.29 calleth persecution she complained thereof vnto Abraham and saide Put away or cast out this bond maid and her sonne for the sonne of this bond woman shall not bee heire with my sonne Isaak Which thing was very greeuous in Abrahams sight because hee loued Ismael But God saide vnto Abraham Let it not greeue thee for the childes sake or his mother but in all that Sara shall say vnto thee heare her voyce for in Isaak shall thy seede bee blessed that is the promised seed shal be counted from thy sonne Isaak borne of Sarah and not from Ismael Rom. 9.9 Then Abraham followed his wife Saraes counsaile and put away Hagar and her sonne foorth of his house who after liued in the wildernesse of Paran and troubled Sara no more Finally when Sara was an hundred and seuen and twentie yeeres olde in the yeere of the worlde 2145. she died in Kyriath-arba otherwise called Hebron in the land of Canaan and was buried in the double caue of the field Machpelah ouer against Mamre which is Hebron which Abraham her husband bought of the sonnes Heath called the Hittites of purpose to bury Sara for whose death he greatly lamented and mourned after her to be a place of common buriall for all his her posteritie for euer And after the death of Sarai Abraham tooke him another wife called Keturah by whom he had diuers sonnes Gen. 11.29 12.5.13 c 13.1.16.17.15.21 18.6,9.11.12 c. 20. 21. 1.2 c. till verse 15. 23.1 reade Iosephus fol. 180.181 Sarra or Sara sig my princehood a prince and as before in Sarai She was the only daughter of one Raguel and Anna or Edna that dwelt in Rages otherwise called Ecbatane a Citie of the Medes where Sarra hauing had seuen husbandes one after another in her fathers house the men before they had lien with her were all one after another by Gods prouidence and permission who had reserued Sara to be wife for young Tobie as afterwarde shall appeare slaine by the euill spirite or Diuell called Asmodius to the great discomfort and heauinesse of the young woman and her friendes And yet to aggrauate her sorrowe and griefe the more Beholde her fathers maides when shee did correct them for their faultes woulde slaunder her cheek and reproue her on this wise saying Doest thou not know that thou hast strangled thine husbandes Thou hast had nowe seuen husbands neither wast thou named after any of them Wherefore doest thou beate vs for them if they bee dead goe thy way hence to them and God let vs neuer see sonne nor daughter of thee more vppon earth thou killer of thine husbandes wilte thou slay vs also as thou hast slaine seuen men When Sara hearde these wordes shee was very sorowfull so that shee thought to haue strangled her selfe But beeing better aduised shee saide with her selfe I am the onely daughter of my father and if I doe this I shall slaunder him and shall bring his age to the graue with sorrow Whereupon shee cast aside all suche wicked and vngodly thoughtes as at the first oppressed her and in great pacience betooke her selfe to fasting and prayer with all deuotion and godlinesse in so muche as in the midst of her griefe and affliction shee got her vp to an high chamber of her house where shee continued three dayes and three nights without meate and drinke in heartie prayer towarde the windowe beseeching God with teares that hee would vouchsafe to loose and deliuer her from this rebuke or els to take her out of the earth saying as before in the first Lampe of Uirginitie Page 39. After prayer shee came downe from her chamber and praysed the Lorde And note that at the very same instant that shee made her prayers old Tobie also made his prayers to God beeing rebuked of his wife Anna and both their prayers came together and were heard receiued also at one time before God who thereupon to both their comfortes sent his good Angel Raphael to heale them both that is to take away the blindnesse of Tobie and to giue Sarra for a wife to Tobias the sonne of Tobit and to binde Asmodius the euill spirite because shee belonged to young Tobie by right For young Tobie being sent by his father to Rages where Sara dwelt conducted all the way by the Angell Raphael when they were come neere to Rages the Angell saide to the young man Brother to day wee shall lodge with Raguel who is thy cosin hee also hath one only daughtâ—r named Sarra I will speake for her that shee may be giuen thee for a wife for to thee doth
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
God is a spirite and they that worship him must worship him in spirite and trueth I knowe well quoth the woman that Messias shall come whiche is called Christe when hee is come hee will tell vs all thinges I am euen hee sayde Iesus that speake vnto thee And with that came his disciples who marueiled to see him talking thus with a woman yet none of them durst say vnto him what askest thou or why talkest thou with her The woman then left her water potte and went her way into the Citie and sayde vnto the men of Samaria Come see a man that hath told mee all thinges that euer I did is not hee the Christ Nowe many of the Samaritans of the Citie beleued in Christ for the saying of the woman which testified saying hee hath tolde mee all thinges that euer I did And so went out of the Citie with her vnto Christ and besought him that he woulde tarrye with them And at their request hee abode there in Samaria two daies and many mo Samaritans beleeued in Christ because of his owne woordes and saide vnto the woman Nowe we beleeue in Christ not so much because of thy saying and report or testimonie that thou gauest of him but because wee haue heard him our selues and knowe that this is in deed the Christ the Sauiour of the world Iohn 4. Samaritesse Importunate widowe As Iesus passed through the middes of Samarie to the ende that wee ought alwayes instantly to pray and not waxe faint or colde or to giue place in afflictions and daungers hee put foorth this parable of a importunate widowe vnto his disciples saying There was a iudge in a certayne Citie whiche feared not God nor reuerenced man And there was a widowe also in that same Citie which came vnto him saying Doe me iustice against mine aduersarie who pleadeth against mee And the iudge woulde not for a time but delayed her from day to day yet afterward he saide within himselfe Though I feare not God nor reuerence men yet because this widowe troubleth mee I will doe her right least at the last shee come and make mee wearie with her importunacie Heare nowe what the vnrighteous iudge sayth vnto the widowe And shall not God auenge his elect which cry day and night vnto him Yea though he suffer long for them and seeme flowe in reuenging their wronges I tell you hee will auenge them quickly but when the soone of man commeth shall he finde faith on the earth Luk. 18â—1 c. Samsons wife Samsons wife was daughter of a Philistine dwelling in Timnah a Citie in the tribe of Iuda And when at her marriage feaste day her husbande had propounded this ridell Out of the Eater came meate and out of the strong came sweetenesse and promised her friends then sitting at the table that if they coulde reade and interprete this his ridell within seuen dayes of the feast hee woulde giue them 30. sundry suites of apparell to weare at solempe feastes dayes But if they coulde not declare nor finde it out that then they shoulde giue him 30. suites or changes of rayment as costly Because her friendes coulde not within the first three dayes expounde this ridell on the fourth day they came and threatned her saying Entise thine husbande that hee may declare vs the ridell least wee burne thee and thy fathers house with fire haue yee called vs to your feast to impouerishe vs is it so in deede With that Samsons wife being afraide went vnto her husbande and wepte before him saying Surely husband thou hatest mee and louest me not For thou hast put forth a ridell vnto them which are my countreymen and hast not tolde it mee Beholde quoth Sampson I haue not tolde it my father nor my mother and shall I tell it thee Then his wife from the fourth day vntill the seuenth wept still vnto her husbande while the feast lasted to knowe the ridell And when the seuenth day came he vp and tolde her the meaning of his ridell because shee was so importunate vpon him And when shee had learned it shee went straite wayes and tolde it to her friendes and countreymen So when the seuenth day of the feast came or euer the same was set they came to SaÌ„son and declared vnto him his ridell saying what is sweeter then honie And what is stronger then a Lion O well quoth Samson if yee had not plowed with my heyfer that is vsed the helpe of my wife yee had not founde out my redell And so being very angry with his wife that she had heereby caused him to loose the wager hee was by her folly mooued first to take vengeance on the Philistines and presently went and slue 30. of them in one of the fiue chiefest Cities called Ashkelon and of the spoyle of them gaue change of garmentes to them that had expounded his ridell So when he had thus robbed Peter to pay Paul he forsooke his wife her friends went backe to his father Manoahs house in Zorah And in the meane time his wife was giuen to his companion whom he had vsed as his friend but within a while after Samson came backe againe to Timnah thinking to haue visited his wife lien with her and when he sawe that her father had giuen her to another and would not suffer him to go in to her saying I thought that thou hadst hated her therefore gaue I her to thy companion Is not her yonger sister fayrer then shee take her I pray thee in steade of the other Samson then by his wiues father being thus moued againe the second time to take vengeance on y e Philistines said Now am I more blamelesse then the Philistines therefore will I do them displeasure and bee auenged on them And with that he went and got 300. wilde Foxes turned them tayle to tayle and put a fyre brande in the mids betweene the two tayles and when he had set the firebrandes a fyre hee sent the Foxes into the standing corne of the Philistines and so burnt vp both the rikes of corne and hay that were reaped and gathered and also the standing corne in the fieldes with all the vineyardes and Oliues Which fact so grieued the Philistines when they vnderstoode who did it and wherefore that for feare of daunger that els might come vnto them and not for loue of Iustice like wicked men in like malice and spite they came vp to Timnah to his father in lawes house and there burnt his wife that had forsaken him and her father and all that they had with fire likewise Therfore in reuenge of which vilanie done this vnto his wife Samson yet againe the thirde time went to be auenged on the Philistines and slue them