Hannibal Gamon

“ 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. ”

“ In what respect to Ipsa.
Ipsa Laudabitur: She shall be praised.
She shall be so; but may not that labour be spared? For a man would thinke, she hath been praised all this while; because Godly Feare, the Grace of God in Her, and the onely cause of her Praise, hath beene alreadie so much commended vnto you? No (Beloued) my Text (you see) applies [Pg 18] and appropriates this praise to Ipsa, Her own Person, by vertue indeed of the Feare of the Lord. ”

“ We should not dispraise women more than men, for the sex sake only (as some doe [31] ) because they haue as noble soules as men, for [32] soules haue no sexes, (as Saint Ambrose saith) nor praise women for the endowments of the flesh onely (as [Pg 4] othersome doe [33] ) vnlesse they be adorned also with the sauing Graces of the Spirit, whereof a chiefe one is not noble birth, great wealth, excellent wit, or rare beautie: but the feare of the Lord, his treasure. [34] This godly feare is that, that makes a Woman in relation [35] to God, praise-worthy. ”

“ To Her Children, her tenderest Affection and Sollicitousnesse to plant the feare of the Lord in their hearts, to fit them with worthy Matches out of Religious Families, to adorne her onely Sonne with the richest endowments of Grace and Learning: Witnesse her Letters to that Learned Professour [295] in our famous Vniuersitie, worthy to be kept as a Monument of her truly Noble spirit and Godly Desire (like that of Gregory Nazianzen's Sister) to haue the fruit of her Body become the fruit of the Spirit [296] . ”

“ I know a man (Blesensis by name) that thought two things should excuse him at the dreadfull day of iudgement, the Frailty of his flesh, and the Ignorance of his minde; but then he feared lest God would iudge men by womē, whose sex being more fraile, more ignorant than that of mens, were for all that oftentimes more holy, more deuout than many men.
Secondly, the Feare of the Lord is the truest Nobilitie (as Gerson [37] proues) the noblest grace that can ennoble and extoll a man or a woman. ”

“ First, a womans weaknesse is naturally [36] greater than the mans, and therefore by how much her flesh is weaker, and her spirit lesse willing, by so much the combate she hath, is more difficult, and the victory she gets, more commendable. ”

“ So Great a Feare as must feare vs from our Bosome Sinne.
To conclude: I beseech you all (Blessed Brethren) Suffer not the Word of God, which you haue heard this day, for want of the Feare of God, which is The firmest foundation of Gods word [336] , to vanish into aire, into nothing, to rebound from your flintie hearts (as a shaft shot against a wall of Adamant [337] ;) but in Gods Name, Let the Sword of Gods Spirit sunder euery one of our minion sinnes from our bosomes: Let Gods pretious promise here of praising a Woman that feareth the Lord, feare vs from our strongest corruptions. ”

“ For the subiect then of my Text, I dare say, in regard of the Description thereof, your owne consciences haue made the Application, and doe witnesse for Her, that She was A Woman fearing the Lord. A Woman indeed, & so the Weaker Vessell [291] , yet neuerthelesse Honour to be giuen Her in that respect; but rather the more (as Saint Peters inference will allow) because though shee had This Treasure of the Feare of the Lord in an Earthen and in a Weaker Vessell [292] , yet Gods strength was made perfect in her Weaknesse. ”

“ 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? ”

“ Therefore iudge nothing before the time, vntill the Lord come, who will bring to light the hidden things of darknesse, and will manifest the counsells of the hearts, and then shall euery man haue praise of God. ”

“ Consider therefore O Man (as that excellent Physitian of the Soule aduiseth thee [314] ) if thou canst beare with a fraile Body, that thou must much more beare with a fraile Minde and Body too. Consider also O Man, that this her Pettishnesse did more wound her to the heart, than any iniury thou couldst presse her with. ”

“ Thirdly, of whom shee shall haue praise, for Laudabitur is an action, and must bee done of some agent, therefore we must finde who shal praise her, and they will fall out to be her Husband and her Children (if she haue them [24] ) and if they faile in this dutie, then the godly shall praise her; and if they cease to doe it, then her own [Pg 3] workes shall praise her, yea rather than faile, God himselfe shall praise her, which is best of all. ”

“ Not that Feare which is Hypocriticall, for this is Superstition, when men feare the Feare of Idolaters [117] . Not that feare which is Worldly, for this is wicked selfe-Loue, when men feare Men [118] , Losse of Goods, Fire and faggot, more than God the Onely Soueraigne Commander of the Soule, the Only Dreadfull Threatner of euerlasting Burnings. Nor that feare which is Seruile [119] or adulterate [120] , for this is no Vertue (proues Paris.) when men feare the Euill of Punishment only; not the Euill of Sinne, as an Adulteresse feares the Comming home of her Husband ”

“ Say what you will, it must needs be an Excellent thing wherwith Christ Iesus Himselfe was Filled, and that was with The Spirit of this Feare, Esai. 11. 2. [139] . An excellent thing which God Himselfe so earnestly desires to be still in vs, and that is this Feare. O (saith He) that there were such an Heart in them, that they would feare me, and keepe my Commandements alwaies [140] , which is indeed the whole Dutie of Man [141] ; without which (Saint Bernard concludes) Euery man is Nothing. He is not a Man (reasons a Schoole-man [142] ) but the Shadow of a Man ”

“ O my Blessed Brethren, suffer neither this Godly Lady, nor Gods word to depart so dishonourably from you.
I.
Imitation of Her Vertues.
Suffer not Her so to depart from you; but let her euer liue in your breasts by Esteeming Her very highly in loue for Her workes sake, by Commemorating Gods Graces in Her; but aboue all by Imitating her Faith and Vertues [331] . Then you shall not need to grieue very much for Her Absence [Pg 35] from you; because she is with Christ, which is best of all [332] ; because she is Taken away, not from you; but from the euill to come, Esai. 57. 1. ”

“ And can any haue the heart to heare her groaning pangs, without renting his owne heart from his darling pleasure? without lamenting his owne sinnes, which vnlesse he forsake betimes, will bring him to euerlasting Burnings [318] ? or without learning to compassionate euery weake one, to assist any one yeelding vp the Ghost, because (as Saint Ambrose giues the reason [319] ) the holy Peophet Iob desired [Pg 33] the Blessing of one, that lyes a Dying: Benedictio morituri, in me veniat: Let the blessing of him that is readie to die, come vpon me! ”

“ And I may well wish with Saint Ierome, that Men would emulate and imitate Women in their deserued attributions [Pg 36] of Praise [338] . Lastly, if you desire to know, besides this motiue of obtaining Heauenly praise, what other Meanes you should vse to get, keepe and increase such a godly Feare in you, then consider the examples of Gods dreadfull iudgements [339] on them, that Feare Him not, yea on Christ Iesus Himselfe pursued for our sins [340] to the fulnesse of Bitternesse by the iustice of God, consider that first. ”

“ For I could tell you, there are more Michals [108] than Abigails [109] , more Iezebels [110] than Sarah's [111] , more proud Vasthy's [112] , than humble Esthers [113] , more Fearefull women, than Women Fearing the Lord; and therefore the rarer such Phœnixes are (as S. Ierom calls them [114] ) not One to be found by wisest Salomon [115] , among a Thousand, greater is her praise that feareth the Lord [116] . [Pg 12]
FOOTNOTES:
[104] Absit enim vt timore pereat amor, si castus est timor. S. Aug. in Psal. 119. tom. 8. ”

“ Not so much in regard of Her fauour towards them, which was great; but chiefly by reason of that spiritual Helpe and refreshment, which they might get by conuersing with Her in the choicest passages of Sanctification. For shee had the Art to vphold holy conferences about perplexities of conscience, Relapses into sin, and Remedies against the same: Shee had the skill to beget many ioyfull Meditations of mortifying Grace and euerlasting Glory: She had the Zeale to nourish Heauenly mindednesse, boldnesse in the waies, and cheerefulnesse in the exercises of Religion and Deuotion. ”

“ There is no want to them that haue this Feare of any Good thing that is Good for them [171] . For first, Psal. 25. 14. The secret, that is, the feare of the Lord, is with them that feare Him; and is not that enough, though I should say no more with the Psalmist, because Godly Feare is Gods Treasure, Esai. ”

“ 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 ”

“ For if you will Feare the Lord, He will shew you his Couenant [173] of life and peace [174] , Teach you the way that you shall chuse [175] , Haue a Booke of remembrance written before Him for you [176] : Hee will Arise vnto you the Sunne of Righteousnesse with healing in his wings [177] : He wil hide you in his presence from the pride of men [178] , Keepe you secretly in a Pauilion from the strife of tongues, Deliuer you in Temptation euen againe [179] ”

“ Although it bee true (which a worthy Diuine [1] obserueth) that formall Hypocrites are heartned and hardned in their lewd courses & false conceits of happinesse, when they heare more infamous Sinners than themselues, gloriously and flatteringly commended at their Deaths; yet we Image need not feare any such bad effect by the Funerall-commendation of Gods true Saints; because the publike Testimonie of their iust Praises doth not onely make the wicked more inexcusable, and the Glory of Gods Graces shine farre brighter to Posteritie ”

“ Discat ad tempus esse Solicitus, qui semper vult esse securus. Let him learn to feare, that would not feare: Let him be wary and cautelous for a time, that would be happie and secure for euer. Tertullian giues the [Pg 16] reason [164] , because if We feare to Offend, by Fearing we will take heed, lest we Offend, and by Taking heed, we shall be in safetie; otherwise if wee presume and be not alwaies watchfull ouer our hearts lest they offend, we cannot be Saued [165] , Ier. 4. 14. Qui solicitus est, is verè poterit esse securus: He that is not ouer-bold on his owne strength [166] ”

“ But the Feare for which a Woman shall be praised, is informed by Wisdome, instructed by Vnderstanding, directed by Counsell, strengthned by Might, gouerned by Knowledge, adorned with Pietie, as Saint Ambrose collects out of the eleuenth of Esay [122] . It is a Faithfull feare trusting in [Pg 13] God [123] , and making Him her Feare, Esai. 8. 13. and her Hope too in the Day of Euill, not without this feruent Prayer vnto Him then: Be not thou a Terrour vnto me, Ier. 17. 17. A chast and Cleane Feare [124] , Cleansing from all filthinesse of the flesh and Spirit. ”

“ This, of the wicked to Praise the wicked, to Blesse the Couetous, whom the Lord abhorreth, Psal. 10. 3. It is not her Friendship, no nor Carnis bona (as Saint Ierom [184] calls them) the Good endowments of the flesh, can priuiledge him from a Curse, if so be, he praise her without or aboue [185] her Deserts, Prou. 27. 14. Onely the feare of the Lord, with the excellent fruits thereof, is Gods Gift [186] , for which (saith Fulgentius [187] ) she ought, and he may safely commend her, because then, not shee ”

“ And then remember, that vpon Her returne home, being summoned by Sicknesse, by and by she set her House in order, like Hezekiah; She spake to the Hearts of Her Children, Friends, and Seruants, that were then about Her (like Iacob) by putting them in remembrance of Her Departure and their Duties: She hungered and thirsted [Pg 31] after the Body and Bloud of Her Dearest Sauiour, which shee receiued with Due Examination [311] of Her Knowledge; Faith ”

“ This feare (saith Paris. [155] ) can cause a spiritual Earth-quake in a mans Heart, able to ouerthrow all the Deuils strongest holds, any [156] Bosome-sinne, be it neuer so pleasing and profitable, by reason of that Contrarietie and Opposition [157] that is betweene Lying in any Sweet Sinne, and Liuing in Gods Feare and Fauour, as you may see, Leuit. ”