The Praise of a Godly Woman. Gamon Hannibal

teacheth wit, wiſdome. She that hath this Feare, dare not for her heart, but be loath to offend her huſband, and deny her inferiority55, but be an example of godlineſſe to her children56, prouide things neceſſary for her ſeruants57 both in health and in ſickneſſe; loue her naturall and legall58 kindred, eſteeme her equals aboue her ſelfe59, countenance and relieue her inferiours60, maintaine the dignitie of her place by all ſuch vertues as may diſcharge the61 ſame; winne the affections of Gods people, to her more and more, by the offices62 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 taskes63 of hearing, reading, faſting, praying, meditating, moderating paſſionate diſtempers, and of all other gracious exerciſes, of Selfe-deniall64; ſo that there is not any knowne65 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 ſight66 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 Heauen67.

      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-Loue68, but the Loue of God; not the ſpirit of Bondage69; but the Spirit of Adoption: 2. The Obiect of her feare to be not the precepts of men70, but the Commandements of God71: not his Threats only72, but his Promiſes alſo73: not his Anger only againſt ſin74, but his Mercy alſo in Chriſt75: not his Preſence only, as a Reuenging Iudge76, but his Forbearance alſo as a louing Father77. 3. The workings of her Feare to be in the heat of temptations and afflictions, not Deſpairing78; but Beleeuing the forgiueneſſe of her ſinnes, not Limiting God to the present danger; but79waiting for his mercy, not Diſtruſting his Prouidence; but hoping for Good80: not Murmuring againſt him; but praiſing Him, and praying vnto Him81, yea (which is the proper Act of her Feare) not Louing any ſin, but hating and eſchewing all ſin82, 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 it83.

      II.

      The continuance of her Feare.

      Laſtly, in the Scriptures I finde Perſeuerance or Conſtancie84 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 Her85, continuall mercy towards Her86, continuall power87 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 inuincible88; of his Wiſdome, which is infallible89; of his Mercy, which is compaſſionate90; and of his Iuſtice, which is inflexible91.

      It is as true alſo (which Gerſon and others haue obſerued92) 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 Loue93, Mercie94, and Couenant95, the Vnconquerableneſſe of his Power96, the Immortality of his Word97, the Certaintie of his Promiſes98, the Efficacie of Chriſts Spirit99; Prayer100, Merits101, and of Faith in them102; yea ſuch is the durable vigour of this ſauing Grace of the Feare of the Lord103, 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 feare104, that as in the midſt of Gods not Conſuming, but Conſummating Anger (for ſo Saint Auguſtine105 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 Diſpleaſure106, 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.

      Thus wee haue ſeene who ſhe is, who ſhall be praised, lest we ſhould praiſe Her vnawares, whom we ſhould not praiſe. And now it were good we did thinke a little better on the Reaſon, why ſhe ſhall be praiſed, euen becauſe ſhe is ſuch a woman fearing the Lord.

      The Reaſon.

      For if any thing, ſo rare and excellent a Grace as the Feare of the Lord is, ſhould moue vs to affect it, and labour for it, eſpecially being found in so weake a Veſſell as a Woman is107. For I could tell you, there are more Michals108 than Abigails Скачать книгу