FEAR.
The fear of the wicked it shall come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted.—Proverbs, x. 24.
The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.—Proverbs, xxix. 25.
Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not; behold your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; He will come and save you.—Isaiah, xxxv. 4.
Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.—Matthew, x. 28.
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.—II. Timothy, i. 7.
So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.—Hebrews, xiii. 6.
Since nature’s work be good, and death doth come
As nature’s work, why should we fear to die?
Since fear is vain, but when it may presume,
Why should we fear that which we cannot fly?
Fear is more pain than is the pain it fears,
Disarming human minds of native might;
While each conceit an ugly figure bears,
Which were not ill well viewed in reason’s light.
Sir P. Sidney.
Persuade them then,
Fearless to be resolved to die like men;
For want of such a resolution stings
At point of death, and dreadful horror brings
Ev’n to the soul; ’cause, wanting preparation,
She dies, despairing of her own salvation.
Yea, and moreover this full well know I,
He that’s at any time afraid to die,
Is in weak case, and whatsoe’er he saith,
Hath but a wavering and a feeble faith.
George Wither.
Fear on guilt attends, and deeds of darkness;
The virtuous breast ne’er knows it.
Havard.
Some, for fear of want,
Want all their lives; and others ev’ry day,
For fear of dying, suffer worse than death.
Ah! from your bosoms banish if you can
That fatal guest, I mean the demon fear,
That trembles at impossible events,
Lest aged Atlas should resign his load,
And Heaven’s eternal battlements rush down.
Is there an evil worse than fear itself?
And what avails it, that indulgent Heav’n
From mortal eyes has wrapt the woes to come,
If we, ingenious to torment ourselves,
Grow pale at hideous fictions of our own?
Enjoy the present, nor with needless cares
Of what may spring from blind Misfortune’s womb
Appal the surest hour that life bestows;
Serene and master of yourself, prepare
For what may come, and leave the rest to heaven.
Armstrong.
God’s altar grasping with an eager hand,
Fear, the wild-visaged, pale, eye-starting wretch,
Sure-refuged, hears his hot-pursuing fiends
Yell at vain distance. Soon refreshed from Heaven,
He calms the throb and tempest of his heart,
His countenance settles; a soft solemn bliss
Swims in his eye—his swimming eye upraised:
And faith’s whole armour glitters on his limbs!
And thus transfigured with a dreadless awe,
A solemn hush of soul, meek he beholds
All things of terrible seeming.
Coleridge.
Happy beyond description he
Who fears the Lord his God,
Who hears His threats with holy awe
And trembles at His rod.
Let fear and love, most holy God,
Possess this soul of mine.
Then shall I worship Thee aright,
And taste Thy joys divine.
Needham.
My son, be this thy simple plan:
Fear God and love thy fellow-man;
Forget not in temptation’s hour
That sin lends sorrow double power:
With hand, and brow, and bosom clear,
Fear God and know no other fear.
Anon.