414 Death in Birth's or; Ifhmael tkc fon ofthe bond-woman had twelve Eons, and allPrinces in their Na- tions; but what did all thefe titles ofdignity do themgood, as long as they were i out ofthe proniife ? geftionlefs Hanna's drift in deftring a (òn ofGod, was, that outof her might come one; by whomGods glory might beadvanced among men, therefore th e vowed him to theLord aft thedayes ofhis life. The Angel told Zachary} that he Ihould have joy and gladnefs at the birth of hifon, why ? Beçaufe be (hoard begreat in thefight of the Lord, andfilled with the holy &hop, and turntnaty to the Lord, Luk, t. So. He that begets a fool, that is, an ungodly irreligious fon: for that is one of Solomops fools, he gets himfelfforrow, andtbefatber offuchaone 'ball haveno joy ; but he (hall be his very calamity, and his meer vexation. It is a rule fet down in Scripture,thatwhatfoever is donc,Ihould bedone to theglory of God: therefore our defire of having children muff aim at this, that out ofour ló ins may come fuch, by whomGods glory maybe promoted, and the number ofthe godly increafedin the world. t. Obedient. -Thirdly, the is recorded to have yielded in all willingnefs, and readine(s tothe defireof her Husband : When ?acob was warned by an Angel from God, to return from Laban to the Land wherehe was born; he made his wives acquainted with the matter,and difcoveredto themhis whole intent and purpofe : they forth-with gave him this yielding, and refpe&ive anfwer ; wbatfoever Clod bath faiduntothee, that do, Gen. 3f. u: The lice is to be feen inSarah,lltewas no hindrance to Abraham in his removal from his own Country to Canaan, no, nor at fuch timewhen the was ignorant whither he went : the was no hindranceto him in thefpeedy circum- cifingofhis fon; No, nor thedid not go about to hinder him,inthe very facrificing of his foil. Oakofall doubt,ifthehad been a clogtohim in any of theft refpeds the Spirit of G'odwould never have concealed it, becaufe the wreftling with her un- willingefs, and gain- faying, had been a ftrong evidence of Abrahams faith, that the Scripture is very careful to Pet out to the full, for his credit and our inftrudi- on. There are twoWomen ftoriedin the Scriptureaboveothers as examples of Gods ,judgment upon the tintowardnefs ofWives,not joyning with,andincouraging their Husbands in good-doing. Theone is Lots Wife,whofe loveno queftion was agreat delay to Lot in hisdeparture from Sodom, that when (he thould have gone on with her Husband in haft to theplace whichwas appointed fortheirrefuge without look- ing back, the drew behind frill, lingring after her wonted home; but what was the ilfue ? thewas.turned into a Pillaroffait. Theother was Michael the wife ofDa- arid, whenate looked out, and faw Daviddancebefore the Ark, the defpifed him in her heart, and was fo far from approvinghis zeal, that when he returned, the entertained himwith afrump, Paying to him, what afool ryas the KingofIfrae/ this day: but what was the iffue of it ? a pùnifhment was infls hed on her for her fault, that thehad no child all the dayes ofher life, z Sam. 6.23. I remember apolicyofSaint Paul,in hisEpiftle he wrote to Philemon : hewrites to him for the re- entertainment ofa runnagate fervant that he had begotten toGod in his bbnds, and for the better effeaing of it in his infcription, henot only writes ro`Philemon, but joins with himPhilemon: wife, To Philemon our dearly beloved, and to our beloved Appbia, Phil. I. 2. 'Wherefore was this ? For nothing elfe I believe, but to warn her ofherduty,that when the receiving of Onefmwwas mani- tëfted to her Husband, as aneedful duty, and a thing pleating to Almighty God, the fhould not put in her fpoke to withftand the motion, but further it by allthe means thecould. it was to this end that the womanwas created,that themight be a helpto her Husband in all honeft offices, to joys witlehim, toencourage him, to provoke him, anddrift him in the performanceofthem. 4. 14m death. Fourthlyand laflly,to omit many otherthings recorded of her, thatI might here relate to you, and to come to that that more neerly concerns this prefent occafiou, it is faidofilacbrl,thedied in travel. God had commanded Jacob to rife,and goup to Bethel, and dwell there: he obeyed, and ereftedaPillar in the place whereGod talked with him: thencehe journeyed a little further toEphraeh, and thereRachel travelled, and had hard labour : in the fufferance of which, which might be fome cafe,
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