The Handmaid to Private Devotion, Part 22
The Childe-bearing Woman's Deuotion
In her traueile.
After her traueile.
THE ADMONITION.
THE ANALYSIS.
Religious women ought patiently and comfortably to endure the paines of childebirth, considering
1. That fruitfulnesse is a speciall blessing and honour to a woman.
2. That these paines were the punishments, and are the memorials of Eue's transgression.
3. That the hope of children who may be members of Christ, & heires of saluation, asswageth the paines for the present, and the ioy for them afterwards extinguisheth the memory of them.
4. That they hauehave daily experiments of God's strange deliuerances; especially in this kinde.
5. That childe-bearing hath a promise annexed vntounto it of a blessing
Temporal.
Spiritual.
if the mothers bee faithfull, and so continue.
THE TEXTS.
O Lord God of Hoasts,Fruitfulnes is a spirituall blessing. if thou wilt indeede looke vponupon the affliction of thine Hand-maid, and wilt not forget her, but wilt giuegive her a man-childe, I will giuegive him to the Lord all the dayes of his life, 1 Sam. …. 11.
Loe children, and the fruit of the wombe, are an heritage, and gift that commeth of the Lord, Psal. 127. 4.
Like as arrowes in the hand of a gyant: euen so are young children, v. 5.
Happie is the man that hath his quiuer full of them: they shall not be ashamed when they speake with their enemies in the gate, v. 6.
Thou fillest their belly with thy hid treasure, Psal. 17. 14.
Elizabeth said, Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the daies wherein he looked on me, The paines are deserued by the sin of Eue.to take away my reproach among men, Luke 1. 25.
VntoUnto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrowe, and thy conception; In sorrow shalt thou bring forth children, Gen. 3. 16.
Adam was not deceiued; but the woman being deceiued was in the transgression, 1 Tim. 2. 14.
A woman, Sweetened with hop of a childe.when she is in traueile, hath sorrow, because her howre is come; but as soone as shee is deliuered of a childe, shee remembreth no more her anguish for ioy that a man is borne into the world, Ioh. 16. 21.
Be fruitfull, And promises of blessings Temporall,and multiply, and replenish the earth, Gen. 1. 28.
Be ye fruitfull and multiply, and bring forth abundantly, on the earth,Spirituall. Gen. 9. 7.
Notwithstanding she shall be saued in childe bearing, if they continue in faith, and charity, & holines, & sobriety, 1 Tim▪ … 15.
A Psalme for women in their trauaile.
IN thee ô Lord doe I put my trust: let me neuer be put to confusion, Psal. 71. 1.
Deliuer mee in thy righteousnes, and cause me to escape: incline thine eare vntounto me, and saue me, v. 2.
Lord strengthen mee vponupon the bed of languishing: make all my bed in my sicknesse, Psal. 41. 3.
Lord be mercifull vntounto me, heale my soule, for I hauehave sinned against thee, v. 4.
Make haste ô God to deliuer me: make haste ô Lord to helpe me, Psal. 70. 1.
For thou art my hope ô Lord God: thou art my trust from my youth, Psal. 71. 5.
By thee hauehave I bin holden vp euer since I was borne: thou art hee that tooke mee out of my mothers wombe: my praise shall be continually of thee, v. 6.
I am feeble, and sore broken: I hauehave roared by reason of the disquietnesse of my heart, Psal. 38. 8.
Lord, all my desire is before thee: and my groaning is not hid from thee, v. 9.
My soule is bowed downe to the dust; my belly cleaueth to the earth, Psal. 44. 21.
Make haste to helpe mee ô Lord my saluation, Psal. 38. 22.
Lord heare me in this day of my trouble; thy name ô God of Iacob defend me, Psal. 20. 1.
Send mee helpe from the Sanctuary; and strengthen me out of Sion. v. 2.
Blesse me Lord, and blesse the fruit of my wombe.
A Prayer for a woman in time of her trauaile.
O Most righteous and mercifull God who hast iustly inflicted the sorrowes vponupon me, which I now endure for the transgressions of Eue, the Mother of the liuing; and yet in iudgement remembring merciemercy hast sanctified them to the propagation of thy Church; and doest graciously and wonderfully strengthen and help thy seruants in them both, to ouercome the paines, and escape the danger. HaueHave pitty vponupon the feeble estate of thy poore Hand maid, vnable without thy speciall assistance to goe through this great worke of patience and labour. My first parent did eate the sowre grapes, and my teeth are set on edge; and I now taste the bitternesse of that forbidden fruit, and from my heart loathe and detest it. I confesse, gracious Lord, that both my selfe & my childe yet vnborne hauehave deserued to perish in our sin, originall or actuall; and I humbly submit it and my selfe to thy gracious will and pleasure: yet my hope is in that blessed seede of the woman that brake the Serpent's head, that thou hast a blessing in store for me, and that I beare in my wombe; of which I am as much in trauaile in my soule to bring it forth to thee, and make it thine, as I am in labour in my body to bring it forth to me and make it mine. Blesse me deare Father in both workes, that of nature, and this of grace. Lord, punish not the childe for the parents sake, but preserue the parent for the child's sake, that both may liue, and praise thy Name. Sanctifie vntounto mee these paines and throwes, that they may serue not onelyonly as a corasiue for sinnes past, but also as a preseruatiue against sinne to come. Blesse me in the vse of all ordinarie meanes for my sake, bearing and bringing forth my childe. Comfort my fainting heart, and strengthen my weake body, and asswage my bitter pangs and sorrowes, and sweeten them with an assured hope of a happie and speedy exchange of them into comfort and ioy that a childe is borne into the world. Lord, who wert present with me at my conception, be present with me in the safe deliuery of that I hauehave conceiued. Let thy hand which formed and fashioned my babe in my wombe, keepe all the parts and members of it in due shape, substance, & proportion, that the notes of the parent's sin bee not seene in the markes, maimes, and defects of the childe. It is my labour, but it is thy work, ô Lord, to make it a liuing instrument of thy glory. Perfect, I beseech thee, the worke thou hast begunne and wrought in mee thine vnworthy worke-house. Make it like all the works of the creation; to which thine own mouth gaue testimony, that they were perfect good. Deale not with me according to my wickednes, but according to thy gracious goodnesse. Carrie such a hand ouer me in al time of my labour & grieuous paines, and after my deliuery also, that I may euer praise and magnifie thee for the effects of thy grace in my patience, of thy power in my strength, of thy prouidence in my timely deliuery, and thy great mercy in my safety, and the preseruation of my fruit; for which I humbly beg a blessing from thee, and both dedicate it and my selfe to thee. Receiue both in and for thy holy childe Iesus's sake, to whom with thee, and the blessed Spirit, be all honour, praise, and thanksgiuing now and for euer, Amen.
The Child-bearing womans Deuotion after her Deliuerie.
The Admonition to confidence in God.
THE ANALYSIS.
For confidence in God in greatest and imminent dangers we hauehave in Scripture
1 Precepts.
2 Presidents in—
ABRAHAM.
SARAH.
DAVID.
MOSES.
ELIAH.
HESTER.
IOB.
SHADRACH, MESECH, and ABEDNEGO.
IONAH
PETER.
3 Reasons drawn frō God his—
Names of
Faithfull Creatour.
Preseruer of men.
Mighty deliuerer.
Sauiour.
Attributes
Omnipotencie.
Goodnesse.
Promises.
Works or performances.
THE TEXTS.
OFFER the Sacrifice of righteousnesse,Confidence in God comanded. and put your trust in the Lord, Psal. 4. 5.
Put thou thy trust in the Lord, and be doing good, Psal. 37. 3.
Commit thy way vntounto the Lord, and put thy trust in him, v. 5.
Charge the rich that they trust not, in vncertaine riches, but in the liuing God, &c. 1 Tim. 6. 17.
In him shall the Gentiles trust, Rom. 15. 12.
God will prouide a Lambe for a burnt offering, Gen. 22. 8.
Abraham aboue hope belieued vnderunder hope,Practised by Abraham. that he should bee the Father of many Nations, Rom. 4. 15.
Through faith Sarah receiued strength to conceiue Seede,Saraah. and was deliuered when she was past age, because shee iudged him faithfull which had promised, Heb. 11. 11.
Moses said,Moses. Feare not, stand stil, and behold the saluation of the Lord which hee will shew you this day, Exod. 14. 13.
Dauid said,Dauid. the Lord that deliuered me out of the pawe of the Lyon, and out of rhe pawe of the Beare, he will deliuer mee out of the hand of this Philistine, 1 Sam. 17. 37.
Eliah said,Eliah. As the Lord liueth before whom I stand, I will surely shew my selfe vntounto Ahab this day, 1 Kings 18. 15.
I also, and my Maides wil fast, and so I will goe to the King,Hester. which is not according to the Law; and if I perish, I perish, Hester 4. 16.
I am sure that my Reedemer liueth,Iob. &c. Mine eyes shall behold him, though my reines bee consumed within me, Iob 19. 25. see Iob. 13. 15.
Shadrach,The three children. Meshach, & Abednego answered: We are not carefull to answer thee in this matter, Daniel 3. 16.
Behold, our God whom wee serue is able to deliuer vsus from the hot fiery Furnace, and he will deliuer vsus out of thy hands ô King, v. 17.
Ionah prayed to the Lord out of the fishes belly,Ionah. Ionah 2. 1.
I said, I am cast away out of thy sight, yet will I looke againe toward thine holy Temple, v. 4.
Commit their soules to him in well doing,Reasons drawne from God. His Attributes. as a faithfull, Creator. 1 Pet. 4. 19.
God is faithfull, Faithfulnesse.which will not suffer you to bee tempted aboue that you are able, but will euen giuegive the issue with the tentation, 1 Cor. 10. 13.
God is faithfull, that our words to you were Yea and Amen, 2 Cor. 1. 18.
All the promises of God in him, are Yea and Amen, v. 20.
God is the Sauiour of all men, especially of them that beleeue, 1 Tim. 4. 10.
The Lord is my strength,Prouidence my stonie rocke, my Sauiour, my might, my buckler, &c. Psal. 18. 1.
Casting all your care vponupon God, for he careth for you, 1 Pet. 5. 7.
To him that is able to doe exceeding abundantly aboue all that we aske,Omnipotencie. or thinke, Eph. 3. 20.
He is able to subdue all things vntounto himselfe, Phil. 3. 21.
We receiued the Sentence of death in our selues, that wee should not trust in our selues, but in God which raiseth the dead, 2 Cor. 1. 9.
Who deliuered vsus from so great a death, and doth deliuer vsus; in whom we trust that hee also will deliuer vsus, v. 10.
God is able to make all grace to abound towards you, that ye alwaies hauing all sufficiency in all things, may abound in eueryevery good worke, 2 Corinthians 9. 8.
With God all things are possible, Mat. 19. 16.
Who is able to keepe that which is committed to him till that day, 2 Tim. 1. 12.
God is good vntounto all men,Goodnesse. and his mercy is ouer all his workes, Psal. 145. 9.
Who so dwelleth vnderunder the defence of the most High, shall abide vnderunder the shadow of the Almighty, Psal. 91. 1.
A thousand shall fall beside thee, and ten thousand at thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee, v. 7.
God is faithfull, and will establish vsus, and keepe vsus from euill, 2. Thes. 3. 3.
Blessed are all they that put their trust in him,Gracious promises. Psal. 2. vlt.
Trust thou in the Lord, and verily thou shalt be fedde, Psal. 37. 3.
Put thy trust in him, and hee shall bring it to passe, ver. 5.
Hungry & thirsty their soule fainted in them, Psal. 107. 5.
So they cried vntounto the Lord in their trouble, and hee deliuered them out of their distresse,Performances to men in distresse, as Lot, ver. 6. vide 13. 19. 28.
The men put forth their hands, and they pulled Lot into the house Gen. 19. 20.
And smote the men that were at the dore with blindnesse, v. 21.
And the children of Israel went into the midst of the Sea as on the ground, The children of Israel.ver. 23.
And the Rauens brought him bread and flesh in the morning,Eliah. and bread and flesh in the euening, &c. 1. King. 17. 6.
The Captaine of fifty sayd; Thus sayth the man of GOD: Come downe, 2. King. 1. 9.
And there came downe fire from Heauen, and consumed him and his fiftie, ver. 10.
There was a great famine in Samaria,Citizens of Samaria. and they besieged it till an Asses head was sold for eight pieces of siluer, and the fourth part of a kab of doues dung for fiue pieces of siluer, 2. King. 6. 25.
Elisha sayd, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flowre be sold for a shekell, and two measures of barlie for a shekell, and it came to passe, chap. 7. ver. 16.
So Shadrach,The 3 children (as they are called.) Meshech and Abednego came forth of the fierie furnace, Dan. 3. 26.
There was not a haire of their heads singed, neither were their coates changed, neither had the smell of fire passed on them, verse 27.
Daniel sayd,Daniel. My God hath sent his angel, & shut the Lyons mouth that they hauehave not hurt mee, &c. Dan. 6. 22.
And the Lord spake to the fish,Ionah. and the fish vomited out Ionah on the drie land, Ionah 2. 10.
And behold, the Angel of the Lord came to Peter, Peter.and a light shined in the prison, and hee smote Peter on the side, and raised him, saying, Arise vp quickly. And his chaines fell from his hands, Acts 12. 20.
When they passed the first and second watch, they came to the yron gate which opened to them of its owne accord, &c.
A THANKSGIVING for safe Deliuery.
AETernall praises & thanks bee rendered to thee ó Lord of my health and strength, in whose hands are the waies of life, and issues of death. I looked for extreme danger, and behold safetie; I looked for out-cries of sorrow, but behold shoutes of ioy; I looked for sudden death, and behold present life to me, and my sweete babe. O that my heart were a skilfull inditer, and my tongue as the pen of a ready scribe, to write downe thy praises, and record the wonderous things thou hast done for my soule. Thou hast deliuered my life from death, mine eyes from teares, and my feete from falling. Thou hast dealt graciously with mee aboue my desert, enabled me aboue my strength, deliuered me aboue my hope, and therefore I will reioyce in thee aboue measure, & magnifie thee without end. Thou hast shut the mouth of the pit which would hauehave swallowed mee, …herefore will I open my mouth in thy praises. Thou hast made good thy promises vntounto mee, therefore I will make good my vowes vntounto thee. Thou hast giuen mee the fruite of my wombe, therefore will I returne vntounto thee the fruite of my lippes. Now I hauehave felt thy strength in my greatest weakenesse, I hauehave tasted thy goodnesse in my bitter pangs, I will therfore cal vponupon thee in my troubles, and will praise thee in my deliuerances, and depend vponupon thee as well in want as in plentie, in sicknesse as in health, in death as in life. Thou mightest most iustly hauehave depriued me of the benefit, and my infant of the hope of life. Thou mightest deseruedly hauehave cut off the roote and the branch in the same moment, for both were at thy merciemercy, and liable to a curse; But thy merciemercy is ouer all thy workes: thou art good to them that are bad; gracious to them that are vngracious; mercifull to them that are most sinfull. Thou desirest not the death of a sinner, but of sin. Thou wouldest that all should liue, and here sowe the seedes, and in heauen reape the fruite of immortality. For to this end thou breathedst into vsus the life of nature to make vsus capable of the life of grace, that thereby we may attaine the life of glory. Therefore doest thou bring vsus into the light of this world, and set vsus in the way: that walking the paths of thy Commandements we might in the end ariue at our country in heauen. This life of nature thou hast now giuen to my childe, and continued to me; adde now, I beseech thee, grace to nature, and glory to grace hereafter, that as we now liue in thee by nature, so wee may liue to thee by grace, and hereafter for euer liue with thee in glory. Thou h…st ordained strength out of the mouthes of babes and sucklings, and iustly maist expect praise from them. Gracious Lord, first giuegive my infant strength, and then receiue praises from it. The hidden treasure which for many moneths thou layedst vp in me, is now safely taken out of me, and deliuered me, therefore I now offer it to thee in thy holy Temple. Accept that from mee which thou hast giuen to me. Receiue that into thy hands which thou hast put into mine armes. Wash it in the Font of Baptisme; regenerate it by thy holy Spirit; feede it with the sincere milke of thy Word, till it hauehave knowledge to choose the good and refuse the euill. As it groweth in yeeres, and stature, & strength; so grant that it may grow in thy grace and fauour, and increase in wisedome and in the knowledge of our Lord & Sauiour Iesus Christ. So be it, Amen.
The close out of Scripture.
NOw vntounto the King immortal, euerlasting, inuisible, vntounto God onelyonly wise, be honour and glory for euer and euer, Amen, 1 Tim. 1. 17.