What They Said

"Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long."—Prov. ixiii. 17.

“The fear of the Lord—it is a grand and significant Old Testament word. It depicts a state of mind and heart which might well be more manifest to-day, and which I must seek to cherish and foster within my own soul.

It is fear felt towards the Lord.  Do I think, as much and as deeply as I should, of His dazzling and worshipful attributes?  His justice cannot be tarnished.  His holiness is without flaw.  Before the splendour and awfulness of His majesty the angels veil their faces with their wings; cherubim who know and seraphim who burn feel themselves unworthy as they stand adoring about His throne. He is a most pure Spirit, the old Confession says.  His is the sevenfold radiance of divinity. Ah, He merits my reverence and my fear.

But it is also fear felt by the Lord.  Many a year after Hebrew psalmists and prophets and sages had finished their course and borne their testimony, God lived and moved, laboured and wept and died, among men—God in the person of my Saviour Jesus Christ.  And, when He was here, He knew well this sober and seemly grace. He was heard, the New Testament tells me, for His eulabeia—His godly fear.  In my culture and habitual exercise of fear, I am in the best company. I hold fellowship with my Redeemer and my King.”

Alexander Smellie

"The fear of death is ingrafted in the common nature of all men, but faith works it out of Christians."

Vavasor Powell

(1617-1670)

"Men are too apt to flatter themselves that God will not be so severe as He has threatened.  This hardens men in sin, and makes them boldly venture upon damnation. This is to represent God as a God not terrible in judgment.  Let a just fear of God's vengeance have its proper effect, etc.  The Spirit of God makes use of flames, of fire and brimestone, to awaken us, to represent it to us."

Thomas Wilson

“It is terrible to observe the power which the fear of man has over most minds, and especially over the minds of the young. Few seem to have any opinions of their own, or to think for themselves. Like dead fish, they go with the stream and tide. What others think is right, they think is right; and what others call wrong, they call wrong too. There are not many original thinkers in the world. Most men are like sheep, they follow a leader. If it was the fashion of the day to be Roman Catholics, they would be Roman Catholics, if it was to be Islamic, they would be Islamic. They dread the idea of going against the current of the times. In a word, the opinion of the day becomes their religion, their creed, their Bible, and their God.”

J.C. Ryle