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 is[107]. 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].
FOOTNOTES:
[104] Abſit enim vt timore pereat amor, ſi caſtus eſt timor. S. Aug. in Pſal. 119. tom. 8.
[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.
[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.
[107] 1 Pet, 3. 7. Vir itaq, nominatus eſt, quòd maior in eo Vis eſt quàm in fœmina, & hinc Virtus nomen accepit. Item Mulier à mollicie eſt dicta ... velut Mollier. Lact. de Opſ. Dei. cap. 12.
[108] 1 Sam. 18. 21. & 25. 41.
[109] 2 Sam. 6. 16, 20.
[110] 1 King. 21. 7. 2 King. 9. 22, 30.