Hannibal Gamon - The Praise of a Godly Woman

This glorious deſcription of a woman fearing the Lord, is not mine (Bleſſed Brethren) but the Scriptures, wherein I finde; 1. The cauſe of her Feare to be not Selfe-Loue 68 68 2 Tim. 1. 7 & 3. 2. , but the Loue of God; not the ſpirit of Bondage 69 69 Rom. 8. 15. ; but the Spirit of Adoption: 2. The Obiect of her feare to be not the precepts of men 70 70 Eſ. 29. 13. , but the Commandements of God 71 71 Deut. 4. 10. Eſ. 66. 2. Eccl. 12. 13. Prou. 13. 13. Pſal. 119. 161. : not his Threats only 72 72 Pſal. 119. 120. & 52. 6. , but his Promiſes alſo 73 73 2 Cor. 7. 1. Heb. 4. 1. Pſal. 130. 4. : not his Anger only againſt ſin 74 74 Deut. 5. 9 , but his Mercy alſo in Chriſt 75 75 Hos. 3. 5. Pſal. 33. 18 & 130. 4. : not his Preſence only, as a Reuenging Iudge 76 76 Ier. 5. 22. Act. 10. 2, 33. , but his Forbearance alſo as a louing Father 77 77 Mal. 1. 6. Oſ. 3. 5. Hebr. 12. 9. . 3. The workings of her Feare to be in the heat of temptations and afflictions, not Deſpairing 78 78 Ier. 17. 17. Eccleſ. 2. 8. ; but Beleeuing the forgiueneſſe of her ſinnes, not Limiting God to the present danger; but 79 79 Pſal. 33. 18. 20. Eccleſ. 2. 7. waiting for his mercy, not Diſtruſting his Prouidence; but hoping for Good 80 80 Pſal. 115. 11. & 56. 3. Eccleſ. 2. 9. : not Murmuring againſt him; but praiſing Him, and praying vnto Him 81 81 1 Cor. 10. 10. Pſalm. 22. 23. Act. 10. 2. , yea (which is the proper Act of her Feare) not Louing any ſin, but hating and eſchewing all ſin 82 82 Exod. 20. 20. Eccleſ. 15. 13. Prou. 8. 13. & 16. 6. 2 Tim. 1. 7. 1 Ioh. 4. 18. Hoſ. 3. 5. Pſal. 97. 10. Ier. 4. 18. & 2. 19. , not out of a ſlauiſh terrour of puniſhment; but chiefly becauſe it is Sinne, an Infinite euill; and becauſe an Infinite Good God, whom ſhe loueth (ſaith Saint Auguſtine ) is offended by it, though ſhe ſhould neuer goe to Hell-fire to be puniſhed for it 83 83 Verò-Chriſtianus – proficiēdo perveniet ad talem animū, vt plus amet Dominum quàm timeat Gehēnam: vt etiamſi dicat illi Deus, vtere deliciſe carnalibus ſempiternis & quantum potes; pecca, nec morieris, nec in Gehēnam mitteris, sed mecum tantummodo non eris; exhorreſcat et omninò non peccet, non iam vt in illud quod timebat non incidat, ſed ne illum quem ſic amat, offendat. De Catechiz. Rudib. cap. 27. tom. 4. fol. 912. .

II.

The continuance of her Feare.

Laſtly, in the Scriptures I finde Perſeuerance or Conſtancie 84 84 Ierem. 32. 39, 40. Deut. 4. 10. Prou. 23. 17. & 14. 2. 1 Tim. 2. 15. to be euer an inſeperable Attendant vpon her Feare! For ſhe is not one that hath not yet taſted of this ſauing Grace, or elſe not continued in the ſame; but ſhe is a woman for the preſent, Timens Dominum, Fearing the Lord . You ſhall neuer finde Her otherwiſe, than (as God would haue her) In the feare of the Lord all the day long, Prou. 23. Fearing and keeping his Commandements alwaies, Deut. 4. Doing her Husband Good and not euill all the daies of her life , verſe the 12. of this Chapter.

It is true indeed, as Feare is oppoſed to Diffidence, Luke 1. So ſhe ſerves God without a Diſtruſtfull Feare all the daies of her life; becauſe of Gods continuall preſence with Her 85 85 Matth. 28. 20 Eſ. 43. 1, 2. , continuall mercy towards Her 86 86 Ier. 14. 9. Lam. 3. 22, 23. , continuall power 87 87 2 Cor. 12. 9. Eſ. 26. 4. & 45. 24. Psal. 121. & 35. 24. Rom. 8. 26. ouer Her, in Strengthening, Helping, and Vpholding Her, Eſai. 41. 10. But yet as Feare is oppoſed to Negligence, ſo ſhe ſtill feares God, leſt ſhe ſhould be ſecure by reaſon of his Power which is inuincible 88 88 Matth. 10. 28. Deut. 28. 58. ; of his Wiſdome, which is infallible 89 89 Eſai. 29. 15, 16. Pſal. 50. 21. ; of his Mercy, which is compaſſionate 90 90 Eſai. 43. 25. & 63. 9. & 49. 13, 15. ; and of his Iuſtice, which is inflexible 91 91 Eſai. 42. 14. .

It is as true alſo (which Gerſon and others haue obſerued 92 92 De diuerſis tentat. Diaboli, part 3. Mr. Greenham 5. part, among his Rules for an Afflicted minde. ) that many times a Deuout Soule is ſo diſquieted with a ſlauiſh Feare of the Aduerſary; that ſhe feares leſt ſhe hath not any true Feare of Gods Maieſtie; but yet ( B. B. ) ſay the Pelagian what hee can to the contrary, ſuch is the Euerlaſtingneſſe of Gods Loue 93 93 Eſai. 54. 8, 9, 10. c. 49. 15. Ier. 31. 3. 36. c. 33. 20, 21. Ioh. 13. 1. Rom. 8. 38, 39. Mat. 12. 20. Eſai. 42. 3. , Mercie 94 94 Pſalm. 103. 17. 2 Sam. 7. 15. , and Couenant 95 95 Pſal. 89. 28, 34. Eſai. 55. 3. c. 59. 21. Ier. 32. 40. , the Vnconquerableneſſe of his Power 96 96 Ioh. 10. 29. Iude verſ. 24. 1 Pet. 1. 5. Eſai. 26. 4. Pſal. 80. 17. Manus Dei eſt iſta, non noſtra vt non diſcedamus à Deo, manus inquā eius eſt iſta, qui dixit, Timorem meum dabo in cor eorū &c. S. Aug. de Bono perſeuer. c. 7. to. 7. Ier. 32. 27. , the Immortality of his Word 97 97 1 Pet. 1. 23. 1 Ioh. 3. 9. , the Certaintie of his Promiſes 98 98 Epheſ. 1. 13. Numb. 13. 19. Ioſ. 21. 45. 1 Ioh. 5. 10. Hebr. 7. 27. c. 11. 11. Rom. 4. 21. 1 Cor. 1. 9. , the Efficacie of Chriſts Spirit 99 99 Eſai. 59. 21. Epheſ. 1. 13, 14. c. 4. 30. Ioh. 14. 16, 17. 1 Ioh. 2. 27. ; Prayer 100 100 Luke 22. 32. Ioh. 17. 15, 20. Rom. 8. 34. Hebr. 7. 25. , Merits 101 101 1 Pet. 1. 2, 3, 4, 5. 1 Ioh. 5. 4, 18. , and of Faith in them 102 102 1 Pet. 5. 9. Epheſ. 6. 6. Matth. 16. 18. ; yea ſuch is the durable vigour of this ſauing Grace of the Feare of the Lord 103 103 Ierem. 31. 40. Perſeuerantiam enim promiſit Deus, dicens: Timorem meum dabo in cor eorum vt à me non recedant. Quod quid eſt aliud quàm talis ac tantus erit Timor meus, quem dabo in cor eorum, vt mihi perſeuerantèr adhæreant? Idem de Bono Perſeuer. c. 2. tom. 7. Rom. 11. 29. , that being once rooted by God, (as Saint Auguſtine vrgeth) it cannot be remoued; but through it we may perſeueringly adhere vnto God according to his promiſe: I will put my Feare in their hearts, that they ſhall not depart from me, Ier. 32. 40. with Pſal. 80. 17. She then that truely hath this Feare , doth ſo feare the Lord in Loue, and loue him in feare 104 104 Abſit enim vt timore pereat amor, ſi caſtus eſt timor. S. Aug. in Pſal. 119. tom. 8. , that as in the midſt of Gods not Conſuming, but Conſummating Anger (for ſo Saint Auguſtine 105 105 Eſt ira conſummationis, & eſt ira cōſumptionis, (nam omnis Vindicta Dei, Ira dicitur) ſed aliquando ad hoc vindicat Deus, vt perficiat: aliquando ad hoc vindicat, vt damnet. Idem in Pſal. 58 to. 8. ſ. 599. calls Gods Anger towards the Godly) ſhee can ſee the yerning and relenting Bowels of a Compaſſionate Father, ſo in the height of Satans Terrifying iniections, ſhe can ſhunne and abhorre Gods Diſpleaſure 106 106 – Qui glutine Deo conglutinatur, id eſt charitate … terribilius & horribilius ipsâ Gehenna iudicat, in re leuiſſima vultū omnipotentis scientèr offendere. S. Bern. de Tripl. Coharen. Vincul. , more than all other miſeries of Puniſhments, and therefore in what ſtate ſoeuer ſhe be of Conſolation or Deſertion, ſhee is ſtill the ſame Woman, Timens Dominum, Fearing the Lord .