Observations Divine and Moral, Chapter 55
CAP. LV. Of Fear.
FEar hath onelyonly evill for the object; eyther evill in it self; as is sin: or to him that feareth; as are the effects thereof; temporall, or eternall punishment, and the anger of God inflicting them. It is a base affection, and the cognisance of the creatures infirmitie, shewing him to be subject to evill; from the fear whereof onelyonly the creatour is absolutely free. And so, whereas courage, and stoutnes of heart (though none of the best) procures unto men a kinde of respect in the eyes of others: fear, though better used, makes them more contemptible. A lyon is more regarded, then many oxen; though one oxe be of more use both for labour, and meat, and otherwise; then many lyons. But God loves rayther a good, then a great heart. And in the law, Gods sacrifices were to be offered of lambs, and kids, and doves, and pigeons (fearfull creatures, and innocent withall); and not of Lyons, and Eagles; though they be the kings of beasts, and birds.
There is in man, a threefold fear of God, arising from a threefold apprehension of his Majestie: the first, is of God, as our glorious creatour, and governour; & this is naturall: The second, as of a just, and angry Lord; which is servile: The third, as of our gratious Father in Christ; called, and being filiall. All these are found in the true fearers of God in this life: though the midle least, (which per…it love driveth out) and in them the1 Iohn 4. last onelyonly reigns. To fear sin more then punishment, (which they of the last sort do) is to love God more then our selvs: On the contrarie, to fear punishment more then sin (which the second disposition leads to) is to love our selvs more then God: considering, that by sin God is offended; and we by punishment: and that sin in the committing of it seems good to us, and ill to God: and that punishment, in the exequuting of it, is good in respect of Gods justice, though evill to our sense.
The holy fear of God the Scriptures put many times for the whole service of God, as being a generall vertue duplicate page duplicate page diffusing it self into all the parts thereof. For we must trust to God with fear, love him with fear, obey him with fear: and in conscience, and consideration of his excellencie, & our own frailtie, work out our salvation with fear and trembling: Phil. 2.that is, do all things tending thereunto, with that affection of heart. And considering our boldnes, as king Saul sayth of himself, to step aside, to our destruction; it is worthily advertised by the wise man; that he is blessed, Prov. 28.who feareth alwaies: that is, who sets himself in Gods sight continually, making him the judg of all his wayes, and works, out of a serious consideration within himself, unto what sin, and miserie for sin, he is exposed, poore creature, as he is. Besides, this fear of God, is called the beginning of wisdom; and that partly, because the true reverence of his Majestie in the heart makes a man carefull, and studuous to know, and do the things which please him, and to avoyd the contrarie: as also for that God blesseth such an affection with good understanding, and reveals his Psal. 25.secrets to them that fear him. Whereas, on the other side, a prophane heart is commonly punished with a foolish head, and minde void of discerning, specially in particulars, what is good, or evill.
God would have them that hearken unto him, not onelyonly safe, but also secure, and quiet from fear of hurt, and evill. Prov. 1.For which purpose the Scriptures so oft both exhort them, not to fear, and propound arguments of encouragement unto them: Not to exempt their hearts wholly from fear, for that were to exalt them above the condition of mortall, and frayl men; but so far to bring that unruly passion under the regiment of fayth, as that by it a man be not drawn to do any thing evill, and unlawfull; nor to forbear any requisite good in his place; nor to be divided in his heart; nor to shame himself; nor to discourage others in that which is good. It is wisdom for us so farr to fear an evill, as to quicken our carefull use of all good means to escape it; or being a crosse inevitable to prepare us the more patiently to bear it, as not comeing unlooked for: In which regard, Christ spake to his disciples, beforeIohn. 16. hand, of their approaching persequutions, that when they came, they should not be offended. And further to fear evill,Calvin. is an evill both of sin, and punishment: and that of unbeleif specially, if being hindred by fear we dare not doe that, which apperteyns to our calling; or be driven by it, to do that which becomes not pietie. Otherwise, to be fearfull of Chrisost.heart, and yet not to be overcome by it, more commends a man, then if he were without fear. This fear though it be something excessive, if not extream, hath this good in it, that it makes a man the more circumspect, and causeth him to call his wits, and other helps, about him, as men in danger use to doe: It helps in deliberation, and preparation; though it hinder something in exequution. But and if it once get dominion over a man, and rule in him; there is no such cruell, and tyrant-like master within, or without him. It makes him cruell, and a tyrant to others, from whom it may any way be suspected, that danger can come unto him; and provokes to the oppression of whatsoever is in his way. Neyther yet doth it exercise lesse tyranny over the fearfull himself. It bereavs him of the use of understanding; drives sleep from his eyes, which sorrow procures; disables the tongue from speaking; and all the other parts of the body from doing their office, by withdrawing the blood, and spirits from them to the affrighted heart. And whereas men by serious consideration, and thought of things in hand are holpen against most other affections; the objects of fear the more they are mynded, and thought upon, are the more terrible. Some have through extreamitie of fear become grey-headed in a week or two, as one M. Ba…ning of …ondon, as I have heard: and some in one night, as is testified of the Duke of Mantua…s …sman F…a…s us Gonzaga, unto whom (being committed Scaliger.to prison vponupon suspicion of reason) thought and care, in one night brought grey hayr, by subduction of nourishment. And if we would further and in another and worse kinde, take knowledg of this tyrants cruelty, in constreyning even good men to do evill; we may see Abraham, for fear, denying his wife; David his reason, Peter his master Christ in his person; and many continually in his truth, lesse, or more. He is a man, that can overcome excessive fear by reason: but a child of God, that can overcome i… ▪ by true, and sound fayth in Gods good providence over him.
Some, though lambs amongst lyons, yet are lyons amongst lambs; feirce, and terrible towards their underlings, which cannot, or dare not resist them: and like the young ruffian in the Poet, tha… sh…wed his courage in beating a sill…-woman; and poore bond slave, that durst not strike Terence.again. Such beleev not, or forget, that they have a mayster in heaven; whose terrours if they knew, with the Apostle;Col. 4. 2 Cor. 5. they durst not, in such sort be terrible unto others. There are many governers in families, and common wealths; who (if difference arise between them of the last sort, and their subjects; or between them of the first, and their wives, children, and servants) will dominere marveylously; and be so stout, and stern, as if they were made of iron and steel: Whereas, on the contrarie, if they have to doe with such as stand upon even ground with them, specially such as have a li…le the higher ground; they sh…w all cowardize, and base fear, suffering them even to play with2 Chr. 10. & 12. & 13. their noses. Such a one was Re…oboam, who spake …o…ghly to the people under him; but had no courage against the king of Egipt: and so litle against Ieroboam that rebelled against him, as that his own son Abijah taxed him of tendernes, that is, feeblenes of heart, after his death. Such another also was Naball: so evill, that none of his servants,2 Sam. 25. or family, or others of whom he was secure, might speak to him: but perceaving himself to have been in danger (though it were over) by David, whom, and whose men he had rated, and reviled, in his druncken securitie; at the very hearing of it, his heart dyed in him, and he became like a stone. These lyons paws, and roarings amongst the poore beasts, are odious in civill administrations; more in domesticall; most of all in churchgovernments, where they are found; which ought toTit. 1. be specially doctrinall and exemplarie. Let us fear, as we ought, the doing of wrong to others, over whom we1 P…t. 5. have advantage: and God will so provide, that we shall not excessively fear hurt from them, who have power to hurt us.