them and to all other that are careles of his seruice and rebellious against him And therefore he sendeth vs to Siloh saying Goe ye now to my place which was in Siloh Ierem. 7.12 where I set my name at the beginning and beholde what I did to it for the wickednes of my people Israel But to returne from this digression vnto Phinehas wife she is a patterne as I said in whome we may sée the great distresse and miserie of a woman lying in such plight that though at length she be deliuered of her childe yet she is not deliuered from her paines vntill she be deliuered of her life Yet this case in comparison of theirs who hauing accomplished their full time and cannot be deliuered at all séemeth somewhat tollerable And of such histories record some and women no doubt are priuie to many mo from these perils and daungers when the Lord deliuereth a woman that not onely she bringeth forth with the safegard of her life but that before the trauaile shee bringeth foorth and before her paine come shee bee deliuered of her Child howe great mercie doth the Lord shew vnto that woman Esay 66.7 This the Lord speaketh of the sodain restawration of the Church Before shee trauailed shee brought foorth and before her paines came she was deliuered of a man Childe declaring thereby that as he pleaseth to giue such a speedy and easie deliuerance to some whome it pleaseth him that as it were before their paines come they are deliuered so he can and will when his Church is by al likelyhood in greatest danger euen as a woman is when shee boweth her selfe to trauaile of Child vpon the sodaine deliuer it without paine and trouble in the turning of an hand This is more manifestly shewed in the Reuela Apoc. 12.2 12. where the great danger of the Church of God and the miraculous deliuerance thereof is set foorth vnder the similitude of a womaÌ„ trauailing in birth readie to be deliuered Let women therefore who are partakers of this mercy as was Elizabeth namely to be both deliuered and that without the dolefull continuing in labour and trauaile many dayes as many doe acknowledge that the Lord bestoweth vpon them an extraordinarie blessing to be wondred at as it is in the former place of Esay Who hath heard such a thing Esay 66.8 Who hath seen such things assoone as Sion trauailed she brought forth her children For what is one woman in comparison of the whole Church of God men and women and what greater mercie doth or can the Lord in this life bestow vpon them than spéedelie in such distresse when they call to heare and deliuer to them The last circumstance in this first verse obserued is that she brought forth a SoÌ„ne diuers we know bring forth monsters Luk. 16 â— which can haue the name neither of sonnes nor of daughters In that therefore the Lord fréeeth Elizabeth from this curse and graunteth her to bring foorth a childe and he a man child and such a childe who should be filled with the holy ghost eueÌ„ froÌ„ his mothers womb to be the Prophet of the most high and to goe before him in the spirit and power of Elias it is the summe and the perfection of the former benefites and that which maketh ordinarily euen in ordinarie births the sorrowes in trauaile to be forgotten This women know to be true by their own experience Ioh. 16.21 And our Sauiour Christ from whom nothing is hid teacheth vs also the same saying A woman when shee trauaileth hath sorrow because her howre is come but so soone as she is deliuered of her Childe she remembreth no more the anguish for ioy that a man is borne into the worlde Where by Man hee meaneth aswell the woman Childe as the man Childe both being the great blessings of the Lord though in some respects the man childe is preferred to the woman as by whom the name which men and godly men most of all earthly blessings do desire is the longest in remembrance continued And therfore the Godly men and women in the Scripture who haue béen barren haue especially asked of the Lord a sonne Gen. 15.2 so Abraham desired a sonne that Eliezer the steward of his house might not be his heire 1. Sa. 1.11 And Anna prayed for a man child that she might dedicate him to the seruice of the Lorde in his Temple In which respect also it appeareth that the godly then desired rather sonnes than daughters howsoeuer to serue the Lord in that office seemeth now a thing so coÌ„temptible though the ministrie of the gospel be farre more glorious as the Apostle notably sheweth to the Corinth 2. Cor. 3.8 than was the ministrie of the law That euerie man be he neuer so meane disdaineth saue that necessity for want of other maintenaÌ„ce constraineth him to train vp his Sonne as Anna did her Samuel to serue the Lord in that vocation No maruaile therfore though the Lord disdaine to giue them sonnes who doe disdaine to consecrate them vnto him or if he giue such sonnes no maruaile though as commonly we see his blessing be not vpon them since of many they wil not spare him one but if all other meane faile they will rather bestow them vpon * 〈…〉 at is to 〈◊〉 Phisitiâ—â—s ciuill or â—â—mmon â—â—wyers â—â—rchants c. Hose 9.14 Galen Iustinian Littleton and commit them to the windes and the Seas to aduenture thereupon their wittes their goods and their liues and to other handiecraftes than that they should serue him to his glorie in his Church But to leaue complaining of such to whom the Lord for this cause I doubt not giueth oftentimes barren wombes and drye breastes The issue whether it bee of Sonnes or daughters it is a singular blessing and the cheefe blessing of this life for to bee blessed in the fruite of the wombe excelleth the blessing in the fruite of the ground 〈◊〉 128.3 the wife to bee as the fruitefull Vine Iudg. 9.9 13. and the Children to bee as the Oliue branches round about the table surmounteth the fatnes of the oliue wherewith are honored and the red bloud of the Grape whereby are chéered both God and men for sonnes are more pleasing than pleasant plants daughters are more louely and glorious in parents eyes than are the polished corners of a temple The Prophet Dauid in the 127. Psalme Psal 127.4 compareth Children to arrowes in the hand of a strong man and pronounceth him blessed that hath his quiuer full of them shewing also wherein that blessednes dooth consist namelie in this that they whome the Lord hath thus blessed shall not bée ashamed when they speake with their enemies in the gate 1. Sam. 1.6 for whereas their enemies would haue vpbraided them as accursed by reason of their barrennes like as Peninnah did Anna 1. Sam. 2.1 this their opprobrie by their hauing of Children is
Matt. 12.11 the Euangelist S. Luke here sheweth in these two verses and withall declareth how her neighbours and Cosins with her reioyced thereat The blessing is heere amplified by three circumstances First of the time It was fulfilled Secondly of the deliuerance for at her full time shee was deliuered Thirdly of the fruite it selfe which was a sonne To accomplish and fulfill the full and the iust time before the deliuerance how exceeding great a blessing it is may best be considered by the contrarie which is when women bring foorth vntimely fruite such which as the Prophet saith neuer seeth the sunne Psal 58.8 For this besides that it is a great griefe to the mother to haue her womb to be her childes Graue and withall bringeth her to exteame darnger of her owne life if not to death it selfe is a curse which the Lord threatneth to punish them with who doe rebelliously transgresse against him Hose 9.11 Their glorie saith the Prophet Hoseah that is their Children which mē accoūt their glory shal flie away frō the birth from the wombe and from the concedtion that is either being conceiued they shall not be quickned or being quickned they shall not in the wombe accomplish the iust time the birth wherby for glorie they receiue a kinde of dishonour and for comfort and ioy sorrow and griefe Examples of this iudgement among the Iewes no doubt but there were many though they are not recorded for that as now so then children in such sorte borne were hid and not spoken of as appeareth by this that Iob wished vnto himselfe Iob. 3.16 Why was I not hid as an vntimely fruite either as infants which haue not seene the light which manner of secret and close hiding of them sheweth also how fearefull a curse it is when as thereby it is signified that both the mother is ashamed of and loatheth the fruit of her own bodie that the eies of others are not able to endure the sight thereof Now though the wicked are not alwayes ouertaken with this curse but are made partakers of the contrarie blessing in such great measure that not onely themselues doe accomplish the dayes of their deliuerance but their beasts also Iob. 21.10.11 c. according to that which Iob saith Their bullock gendreth and faileth not their Cow calueth and casteth not her calfe they send foorth their children like sheepe signifying thereby the great number of their Children Yet is this the special blessing promised vnto the children of God to them that serue him and hearken to his lawes to heare and doe them according as we read Exod. 23. If thou hearken to his voice and doe all that I speake Exo. 23 26. there shall none cast their fruit or be barren in the land the number of thy dayes will I fulfill This promise then we see the Lord maketh vnto his children which he also performeth vnto them as here vnto Elizabeth vnles their sinnes as they hinder many other good things doe also hinder it Ier. 5.25 And when he performeth it to them it is a blessing from him and a most sure token of his fauour and louing kindnes towards them wheras to the wicked though they commonly enioy the commoditie thereof as they doe of the sunne and the raine which shineth and falleth vpon the good and the bad Mat. 5.45 the iust and vniust Yet it is to them as are all other things of this life which they vsurp but as a curse heaping coales vpon their heads and making their condemnation more grieuous The next circumstance whereby this blessing is amplified is that she was deliuered which of it selfe howe great a mercy it is may be considered also by the contrarie which is when either a woman who hath fulfilled her time cannot be deliuered or in such sorte after long and gieuous trauaile is deliuered as therewith in the anguish and panges thereof she endeth her life This is saith Hezechias a day of tribulation the Children are come to the birth 2. Kin. 19.3 there is no strength to bring forth comparing the estate of Ierusalem besieged by Zenacherib and not able of it selfe to defend it selfe to a woman trauailing of Childe at the full ende of her tearme and yet wanting strength to bring it foorth as though hee should say if a woman in such a case is most miserable then most miserable is our estate This then sufficiently declareth the lamentable condition of a woman in such distresse But consider we it further by examples what a day of tribulation was it to Rachel when after many grieuous pangs and great difficultie being deliuered her sorrowes decreased neither in hearing nor seeing that she had brought foorth a man childe into the worlde but encreased to the taking away of her life in so much that yeelding vp the ghost shee called her Child Ben-noni Gen. 35.18 the sonne of my sorrow In like manner what a day of tribulation was it to Phinehas wife mentioned 1. Sam. 4.19 1. Sa. 4.19 when not answering the women that stoode about her who bad her not feare for that she had borne a sonne nor regarding at all the fruite of her wombe she named him Ica-bod saying The glorie of GOD is departed from Israel and so with griefe of heart repeating the words againe The glorie is departed from Israel shee departed also left her life giuing the women standing by to vnderstand that the glory of God being gone out of the land which is when his true religion and seruice is taken away as it was then from them the Arke being taken by the Philistines that there can no comfort be receiued by Children nor by life it selfe A notable example for the women to make them carefull of the true religion of God who now together with their husbands are so carelesse thereof that whether it depart from them or tarrie with them they make no reckoning for they account not the gospell the glorie of England as Phinehas wife accounted the Arke the glorie of Israel to the therfore we must preach Esay 32.9 as Esay preached to the women of his time Rise vp ye women that are at ease heare my voice ye careles daughters hearken vnto my words For assure your selues that what day the gospell which now ye neglect and doe not regarde respecting onely your pride pleasure and profite be taken from you the fame day shall be taken from you the ornaments of your pride as your high corked slippers your golden Calls c. yea your husbands who haue cherished you and your Children whome in great sorrow ye haue brought foorth Esay 3.24 and the Lord shall giue you for husbands widowhead for children disolutenes for swéete sauour stinck for a girdle a rent for dressing of the haire baldnes for a fine stomacher sack-cloth and for beautie burning Thus it befell to the women of Siloh and thus the Lord threatneth to doe as he did vnto
scholed by this vertuous woman and learne of her for our amendment in this behalfe these two lessons namely our selues vpon whome God hath powred foorth his blessings first to reioyce in thankfulnes and praise to his name and then to communicate and declare it to others that they with vs and wee with them may doe the same For thus wee see Elizabeth did her selfe she reioyced and certified her neighbours and Cosins how great mercie the Lord had shewed vpon ner for which cause they also when they heard tell thereof reioyced with her What this great mercy was which the Lord had shewed vpon Elizabeth may be vnderstood by that which hath been said to wit that whereas she had been a long time barren and thereby a reproach among women now the Lord had giuen her to conceaue to accomplish her full time to be deliuered and to bring foorth a Sonne Euery one of these is a great mercie as seuerally it hath been shewed how much more then when they come all together in their ful perfection as a reeke of Corne commeth in due season into the Barne This teacheth women especially and so al other generally what account they haue to make of the conception and bearing of their Children and from whence it doth proceede namely that they haue to account of it as of a great mercy and as proceeding from the great mercy of God Wretched therefore are they that account it as an ordinarie thing proceeding onely from the mutuall coniunction of man and woman for who hath so bewitched them that they sée not many to want this blessing to die without an heir and to leaue their possession to strangers if not to enemies though a long time begininng in the flower of their age they haue liued a married life Gen. 30.1.2 This opinion it seemeth Rahel had conceiued when she said to Iaacob giue me Children or else I die but Iaacob corrected her fondnes saying am I in Gods steed that I should giue thee Children Children therefore againe wee see come of God without whose blessing a woman remaineth barren not able to conceiue or conceiuing without strength to bring foorth her fruite Looke therefore and account howe many Children you haue borne and reckon that so many mercies yea great mercies whereof euerie one containeth a number of mercies ye haue receaued from the Lorde That wheras others haue remained as dry Chippes you haue beene as fruitfull Olyues in your husbands houses And this as you must account a mercie so you must acknowledge it to proceede from the free mercie of God without any desert or merit of yours it is from his mercie that you conceaue that you fulfill your time that you are deliuered of Children not of Monsters Were it not for his mercie your sinnes euen the best of the whole Sexe deserue that in some of these if not in al of these you should miscarrie Gen. 3.16 The multipliyng of your paines in the conception bringing foorth it proceeded of the cursse of God the deliuerance from those paines that therein you perish not it is of the great mercie of God This Elizabeth and her Cousins here confesse and this no doubt all such women as feare God do with thankesgiuing acknowledge And this cannot be but a great comfort vnto you to consider when as in other thinges so in your children especiallie you haue such notable pledges of the Lord his mercie towards you for thus may you say if the Lord in this and this child and so in all the rest had not shewed me contrarie to my deserts great mercie the curse of sorowes which iustlie I deserue had ouerwhelmed me that I should neuer haue liued to haue praised the Lord in the Land of the liuing As therefore to conclude you haue the greatest tokens of God his mercie towards you so you must labour that in you may appeare the greatest signes of all dutifull obedience vnto the Lord otherwise the Lord for your vnthankefulnesse will cut off his mercies from you whereby you shall die not onely in your sorrowes to the losse of your liues but in your sinnes to the losse of your soules But if according to the example of all holy Matrons and especially of this our Elizabeth you render thankes vnfaynedlie cause thanks by many to be rendred vnto the Lord for his great mercies vpon you then be you assured that his mercies shal neuer cease from following you in this life till you haue receaued the summe of all mercies in life euerlasting Thus we haue heard what blessings the Lord bestowed vpon Elizabeth and how she her neighbours and Cosins reioyced thereat in rendring praise and thankes for the same vnto the Lord. Now let vs pray vnto our good God and louing father in Iesus Christ yeelding vnto him all praises and thankes for his great mercie alreadie shewed as generally vpon vs all so particularlie for his great mercies towards her for whose cause especially we are assembled to reioyce in thankefulnes vnto him FINIS Errata In the 4 Pag. lin 1. for Lod read Lord. Pag. 11. lin 15. for deliuer to read to deliuer Pag. 15. lin 9. for serueth read feareth li. 16. for watching walking lin 28 for falleth faileth Pag. 18. li. 6 for his this Pag. 19. lin 14. for mutis cautes Pag. 20. lin 9. for spirituall speciall The thankes-giuing O Lord our God most gratious and most mercifull father in Iesus Christ wee thine humble seruants doo yeelde vnto thy diuine Maiestie through him in whō onlie thou art well pleased all possible thanks from the bottome of our heartes for all thy benefits and blessings both publique and priuate of bodie and of soule which from thy bountiful hands in great mercie we haue receiued And especiallie O Lord we praise and magnifie thy glorious name for thy great mercies bestowed vpon thine handmaide in giuing her to conceiue to accomplish her ful time and to bring foorth a man-childe into the world This mercie thou hast reuealed vnto vs out of thine holie word to bee a great mercie and from thy great mercie onelie to proceede so O Lorde we doo acknowledge it so wee accept it confessing no power to bee in any creature in Heauen or in earth to bring the same to passe nor worthines or merit to binde thee thereunto For this thy great mercie therefore towards her wee extoll and laude thy name reioycing with her in all thankfulnes and reuerence on her behalfe vnto thy maiestie and we further in Iesus Christ his name most humblie beseech thy fatherlie goodnes as thou hast thus mercifullie begun so to continue on thy louing fauour and kindenes towards her and the sweete infant which she hath brought foorth into the world O Lord strengthen her by thy power comfort her by thy spirit that howsoeuer now she be brought into a lowe and a weake estate that yet in due time shee may recouer her former strength and be able to come to giue thee praise for her gracious deliuerance and for all other thy blessings with the rest of thy Saints in the great congregation Blesse also O Lord her infant that as shee hath sustained sorrowe and paine in bearing it in her womb and in bringing it foorth so by thy blessings vpon it she may receaue comfort and ioyce when not onelie shee may see it to haue receaued the Sacrament of new birth but when comming to age of discretion it shall manifest by a godlie and an holy life that it is borne a new and regenerate in spirite and is of the number of them with whom thou hast made this pretious couenant I will be thy God and the God of thy seed For these graces O Lord our God as we pray thus particularly in regard of this present occasion so we beseech thee to enlarge thy selfe in al other necessarie mercies to vs and to thy whole Church generallie especiallie in the pardoning forgiuing of our sinnes according to thy promise in Iesus Christ in whose name with the same words which he hath taught vs we pray further vnto thee saying Our Father c. FINIS