Hannibal Gamon - The Praise of a Godly Woman

Looke we then firſt to the Obiect of the Laudable womans feare , that he whom ſhe feareth be the Lord, in reſpect of his Mercy and Iuſtice both; then to the continuall employment of her Feare , not one that hath feared him, or will feare him; but one that doth feare him for the preſent, and continueth therein, elſe ſhee is not a woman Timens Dominum , Fearing the Lord , and ſo not worthy to be praiſed .

I.

The Obiect of her feare.

Firſt then (that the Obiect may be right) the 42 42 Deut. 10. 12. 2 King. 17. 36. Luk. 12. 5. Eſ. 8. 13. Mal. 1. 6. Lord is her feare , who ſhal be praiſed. For if He be not, all exquiſiteneſſes beſides are nothing in compariſon; and if He be, all ſufficiencies (remarkable in that ſex) are improued, and all Duties (obſerueable in the feare of the Lord) are practiſed. To ſee this the better, let vs follow Tertullians 43 43 Loquacitas in ædificatione nulla turpis, ſi quando turpis. Itaque ſi de aliquo bono ſermo eſt, res poſtulat contrarium quoque boni recenſere. Quid enim ſectandum ſit, magis illummabis, ſi quod vitandū ſit, proinde digeſſeris. Tertul. de Patien. c. 5. tom. 2. rule, and oppoſe one againſt another, a veſſell of diſhonour againſt a veſſell of honour, a woman not Fearing, againſt a woman Fearing the Lord.

A womā fearleſſe of God.

She that fears not the Lord, ſets light by Gods anger and her Huſbands 44 44 Esth. 1. 12, 17, 20, 22. Eccl. 26. 26. Eſ. 36. 9. & 3. 16. Prou. 30. 33. Eccleſ. 25. 13. & alibi paſſim. Vbi verò timor Dei non eſt, ibi diſſolutio vitæ eſt. S. Aug. de Temp. ſer. 213. tom. 10. , not caring whether they bee pleaſed or diſpleaſed. Shee neglects to plant the feare of the Lord in her childrens hearts, chuſing rather to be an example of wickedneſſe vnto them, and to miſplace them in mariage for ſiniſter reſpects. She brings want of things neceſſary to her family by her waſtefulneſſe, brauery, and idleneſſe. She contemnes her naturall and legall kindred, lifts vp her ſelfe aboue her equalls, diſdaines her inferiours, diſhonours her place by an ouer-loftie or an ouer-baſe and contemptible behauiour in the ſame. She alienates the hearts of Gods people from her, by neglecting the offices of courteſies and helpfulneſſe. She declines and vnderualewes the moſt ſearching meanes of Saluation, the Word, Prayer, Conference, Repentance, Meditation, Sacraments; in a word (according to Saint Ambroſes 45 45 Aliud eſt timere quia peccaueris, aliud timere ne pecces. Et ibi eſt formido de ſupplicio, hic ſolicitudo de præmio. Epiſt. 84. tum. 3. Eſt quem timor Dei ligat, qui non expaueſcit ad vultus hominū, ſed ad memoriam gehennalium tormentorum. Et hic quidem peccare non metuit, ſed ardere. S. Bern. de Tripl. Coberent: Vincul. &c. Eſ. 33. 14. Diſtinction) ſhe feares hell torments, becauſe ſhee hath ſinned, but ſhee feares not Gods diſpleaſure, leſt ſhe ſhould ſinne, and therefore ſhee liues and dies in worldlineſſe, wantonneſſe, pride, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, ſtrife, reuenge, impatiencie, gluttonie, or ſome ſuch darling ſinne: and tell me (Beloued) if ſuch a woman not beautified and adorned with religion and the feare of the Lord, be worthy to bee praiſed of the Lord? I am ſure the ancient Fathers 46 46 Tertul. de Habit. Mulieb. & de Cultu Fœm. tom. 2. S. Cyprian de Diſcipl. & Hab. Virg. to. 2. Greg. Naz. aduerſ. mulier: Ambitiosè ſe ornantes. to. 2. S. Ephræm aduerſ. improbas mulieres tom. 1. if his workes. Riuet. l. 3. c. 21. declaime bitterly againſt her filthy heart, falſe haire, adulterate paintings, naked breaſts, new-fangled faſhions of ſuperfluous, monſtrous attire: & the holy Scriptures 47 47 2 King. 9. 20, 30, 34. Eſ. 3. 16, &c. & 32. 9, 10, 11. 1 Pet. 3. 3, 4. Matth. 5. 36. & 6. 27. Eccleſ. 25. 13, 19. vilifie her to her face, threatning her (notwithſtanding all her other ornaments and excellencies of nature, art, policie, preferment,) that without this Feare of the Lord, it ſhall not be well with her, Eccleſ. 8. 13. The Lord will come neare to her to iudgement, he will be a ſwift witneſſe againſt her, Mal. 3. 5. She ſhall leaue her memorie to be curſed 48 48 Eccleſ. 23. 26. Prou. 10. 7. , and her reproach ſhall not be blotted out, ſhe ſhall be counted vngodly of all 49 49 Eccleſ. 26. 25. , more bitter than death 50 50 Eccleſ. 7. 26 . As rottenneſſe in her husbands bones 51 51 Prou. 12. 4. , As ſpittle 52 52 Eccleſ. 26. 21. , yea As a Dogge 53 53 Eccleſ. 26. 25. , and at laſt ſhe ſhall be caſt into hell fire, Saluâ Veniâ , without pardon from God, becauſe (ſaith Tertullian 54 54 Sic ergò & ipſi, ſaluâ veniâ in gehennam detrudentur, dum ſaluô metû peccant. De pænit. c. 5. Reuel. 21. 8. & 22. 15. ) ſhe hath ſinned Saluo metû , without any feare of God.

A womā fearing the Lord.

But on the other ſide what perſonall ſufficiency, what ſingular duty is there requiſite in a Woman, either in reſpect of God, or of her huſband, children, kindred, ſeruants, place, and of Gods people, which the life of Grace, the Grace of the Feare of the Lord doth not animate, aduance, and accompliſh? This godly Feare ennobleth Nobilitie, beautifieth Beautie, enricheth wealth, teacheth wit, wiſdome. She that hath this Feare , dare not for her heart, but be loath to offend her huſband, and deny her inferiority 55 55 Gen. 3. 16. Eph. 5. 23.33. 1 Cor. 7. 34. , but be an example of godlineſſe to her children 56 56 1 Tim. 5. 10. 2 Tim. 1. 5. & 3. 15. Tit. 2. 4. Deut. 6. 7. , prouide things neceſſary for her ſeruants 57 57 Prou. 31. 15, 21. Matth. 8. 6. both in health and in ſickneſſe; loue her naturall and legall 58 58 1 Tim. 5. 4. Eſth. 2. 7, 10. & 4. 4. Ruth 4. 15. Exod. 18. 7. kindred, eſteeme her equals aboue her ſelfe 59 59 Phil. 2. 3. Rom. 12. 10, 16. , countenance and relieue her inferiours 60 60 Iam. 2. 1. 1 Tim. 6. 18. , maintaine the dignitie of her place by all ſuch vertues as may diſcharge the 61 61 Titus 2. 3. ſame; winne the affections of Gods people, to her more and more, by the offices 62 62 Luk. 1. 45, 56. Prou. 1. 20 & 5. 20 Gal. 6. 10 1 Tim 5. 10 Iob 6. 14 of courteſies, ſalutations, gifts, viſitations, inuitations and of helpfulneſſe; yea ſhe that feares God, dare not for her heart but Honour them that feare God, Pſal. 15. 4. but keepe her ſet taskes 63 63 Gal. 6. 9. Iam. 1. 19. 1 Tim. 4. 13. 1 Theſſ 5. 17. Luk. 2. 37. Epheſ. 4. 26. Phil. 4. 5. 1 Pet. 3. 4. Luk. 9. 23. & 14. 26. of hearing, reading, faſting, praying, meditating, moderating paſſionate diſtempers, and of all other gracious exerciſes, of Selfe-deniall 64 64 Pſal. 18. 23. & 77. 10. Gen. 39. 9. Prou. 16. 6. & 8. 13. ; ſo that there is not any knowne 65 65 Gen. 17. 1. Pſal. 6. 8. & 116. 9. Act. 10. 33. 2 Cor. 6. 17. Iob 34. 21. Prou. 15. 3. & 5. 22. 2 Chron. 16. 9 1 King. 17. 1. Magna eſt cautela peccati, Dei ſemper preſentiam timere. S. Aug. de Temp. tom. 212. tom. 10. ſinne which ſhe nouriſheth, alloweth, or goeth on in, but quaketh and trembleth at the very firſt thoughts, yea motions and inclinations thereunto, as being in the ſight 66 66 Multum enim refrænat homines cōscientia, ſi credamus nos in cōſpectu Dei uiuere, ſi non, tantum quæ gerimus uideri deſuper, ſed etiam quæ cogitamus, aut loquimur, audiri a Deo putamus &c. Lact. de Irâ Dei. c.8. of an inuiſible God, vnder the perpetuall preſence of his All-ſeeing glorious pure eye, which ſhee will not prouoke to anger by any ſinne, for all the gold that euer the Sunne made, or ſhall make while it ſtands in Heauen 67 67 Eſ. 3. 8. 1 Cor. 3. 22. Pſalm. 119. 14.72. 127.162. .