The Praise of a Godly Woman

Thus ſhee was Angrie with her ſelfe for being Angrie with others, and then (according to Saint Ambroſes rule) it ceaſed towards them before the Sunne went down[317]; and was not this Holy Reuenge on her ſelfe a true fruit of Euangelicall Repentance? 2 Cor. 7. 11.

But aye me! me thinkes I now heare her groaning vunder the dolefull pangs of Death, vnder thoſe pangs of which ſhee had foretold ſaying: I ſhall ſuffer much more ere I goe hence. 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 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!

Let vs then, not yet, leaue this Departing Saint. For in the midſt of this her Agonie, after ſhee had layen groaning many houres without any articulate or diſtinct ſpeech, yet vpon triall made of Her ſenſe and memory by demanding of Her, whether ſhe would haue prayers made for Her, ſhe anſwered plainly: With all my heart, pray, pray. And then as Gregory Nazianzen[320] reports of his Father, that though He was daily, yea hourely, in great paine before his Death, yet He was euer ſtill and quiet from paine, onely while Diuine Seruice was ſaying; ſo this Deuout Lady forgetting (as it were) Her former Groanings, did liſten attentiuely to the prayers that were made for Her, without fetching ſo much as one ſob during that time. And afterwards rehearſing diſtinctly part of the Lords Prayer, you might heare Her, when S. Stephens Viſion and laſt words[321] were read vnto Her, repeat very often theſe laſt words of Her Sauiour[322]: O Heauenly Father into thy hands I commend my ſpirit. Thus on a ſudden I haue told you how ſhe Dyed in the Lord[323], and is with Chriſt[324].

And though we ſaw her afterwards mouing her lips; but heard not her Voice, no more than they that were at Saint Ambroſes Death did heare his Voice; but only ſaw his lips moue[325]; yet we muſt not thinke The Spirit of ſtrength[326], of Prayer and Grace[327], is then onely ſtrong, when we heare a Dying Saint pray, becauſe Chriſts Spirit cries in Gods Children, Abba, Father[328], with Vnutterable Groanings[329] which we cannot heare, and therefore I doubt not, but this Elect Lady cried loudeſt in Gods eares, when we heard not her words; and why may we not thinke now, our ſinnes hindered vs from hearing them? I am ſure, heretofore ſhe hath ſpoken againe and againe many Heart-piercing ſpeeches to deterre from Sinne, and to allure to Holineſſe of Life. If ſhe be not hearkened to now, henceforth wee ſhall heare Her ſpeake no more. I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, and the Elect Angells:[330] you (I ſay) I charge whomſoeuer ſhee hath iuſtly reproued for any Sin, that you forſake thoſe Sins; and whomſoeuer ſhe hath zealouſly exhorted to holy Duties, that you performe thoſe holy Duties, for henceforth you ſhall heare Her ſpeake no more.

But why ſhould I detaine thee (Honourable Lady) any longer? Or what doe you (Beloued) expect more? That our ſpeech alſo ſhould Die together with Hers, and (as it were) be Buried together with Her. O my Bleſſed Brethren, ſuffer neither this Godly Lady, nor Gods word to depart ſo diſhonourably from you.

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 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. From you ſhee is not Taken, but from ſeeing the plagues and miſeries of this wretched world, yea from ſeeing the future Deaths of you, Her Deareſt friends[333], for whom ſhe would haue wept full bitterly; but you haue greater Cauſe, if you will heare S. Ambroſe and S. Ierome comforting themſelues in a like caſe, to Reioyce[334] and to giue God thankes[335], that you Haue had Her, nay that you Haue Her, if ſo be you follow Her good example, and repreſent her to the life by your Godly Life.

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. Atq vtinam præconia fœminarum, imitarentur viri. And I may well wiſh with Saint Ierome, that Men would emulate and imitate Women in their deſerued attributions 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. Then remember your owne Deaths to haue them before you[341], remember your ſtrict Accounts to be made[342], remember the reſtleſſe Terrour of Conſcience[343], which followes the impenitent, and then or neuer you will Feare the Lord Greatly, as Obadiah and this Bleſſed Lady did. Be not deceiued (my Brethren) after all this Hearing, it is not a Little Feare will ſerue the turne. For to Feare God but a little (as Fulgentius ſaith) is to contemne Him very much[344]. It muſt bee at leaſt ſo Great a Feare, as muſt feare you from your Greateſt, your Sweeteſt Sinne whatſoeuer that be, elſe if you Die in it[345] without Repentance (which God forbid) your Worme ſhall not die, neither ſhall your fire be quenched, and you ſhall be, not a praiſe, but an Abhorring to all fleſh, the laſt verſe of the Prophet Eſay with Iames 2. 10.[346], and Ezekiel. 18. 10, 11, 13.

Knowing therefore (as Saint Paul concludes[347]) the terrour of the Lord, we perſwade you (Bleſſed Brethren) to feare God Greatly, and to Giue Glory vnto Him[348]; then you ſhall haue praiſe of Him, then hee will glorifie you; and to ſay no more than this (with the Prophet Ieremie[349],) which will make the Fearleſſe Sinner inexcuſable: Who would not feare thee O Lord, thou King of Nations, thou King of Saints? 1. For thou onely art Holy: 2. For all Nations ſhall come vnto thee, and worſhip thee: 3. For thy iudgements are made manifest[350]: 4. For there is none like vnto thee, that pardoneth Iniquitie, and paſſeth by the Tranſgreſſion of the remnant of thy Heritage[351]? Who would not Feare Thee ſuch an Almightie, All-ſeeing, Iuſt, Mercifull Lord God? Put thy feare therefore in our Hearts (as thou haſt promiſed[352]) that wee may neuer depart from thee; but clinging inſeparably by a liuely faith, vnto the bleeding wounds of our Bleſſed Redeemer, may without all ſlauiſh Feare[353] of Death and Iudgement, Louingly[354] appeare before thy Iudgement-ſeat, and without deſperate Crying to the mountains and rocks Fall on vs[355], may ioyfully heare Thee ſay vnto vs: Come ye Bleſſed of my Father, Inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world[356].

Which God grants vnto vs all, for the All-ſufficient Merits of his Deareſt Sonne, the Sweet Lord Ieſus: To whom with Himſelfe and the Holy Spirit be aſcribed All Praiſe, Honour, Glory, Power, Dominion and Maieſtie, now and euer. Amen. Amen.

FINIS.