Hannibal Gamon on the excellence of godly fear

[Reformed Covenanter]

Say what you will, it must needs be an Excellent thing wherewith Christ Jesus Himself was Filled, and that was with The Spirit of this Fear, Esai. 11.2. An excellent thing which God Himself so earnestly desires to be still in us, and that is this Fear. O (saith He) that there were such an Heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep my Commandments always, which is indeed the whole Duty of Man; without which (Saint Bernard concludes) Every man is Nothing. He is not a Man (reasons a Schoolman) but the Shadow of a Man; because He employs not his Soule to that noble End for which he had it, namely, to be squared and ruled by the fear of the Lord: without which no man can so much as Begin to be wise, because this Fear is the Beginning of wisdom, nor so much as Begin to Love God, because this Fear is the Beginning of the Love of God. ...

Lastly, this is an Excellent Fear, because it is A fountain of Life: wherefore? To drive away Sins, Sins which have been committed by Repentance (saith S. Bernard) and Sins whereto we are Tempted, by Resistance; and yet this is not all the Excellency of this Fear: For it is A fountain of life also: To Cause us to find favour at our Deaths; and which is more, Such an Excellent Fear as will make us Not fear, nor be afraid. Whereupon Saint Augustine concludes for my purpose: … Let him learn to fear, that would not fear: Let him be wary and cautelous [sic] for a time, that would be happy and secure for ever. ...

For more, see Hannibal Gamon on the excellence of godly fear.

 

[C. Matthew McMahon]

He's excellent. Too bad we don't have more of his works. This is all we could find to publish on him. He was a very good preacher.