FOOTNOTES:
[328] Gal. 4. 6.
[329] Rom. 8. 26.
[330] 1 Tim. 5. 21.
[331] Ideò laude oris ad Hominem vtimur, vt alios apud quos laudatur, in bonam opinionem, & Reuerentiam, & Imitationem ipſius inducamus. Thom. Aquin. 22. q. 91.
II.
Practiſe of Gods word.
III.
Means to Godly Feare.
IV.
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. 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.
