Of the fear of the Lord.
Sir. 13, 1-8.
No one does this except the one who fears the Lord, and the one who keeps God's word finds her. And she will meet him like a mother and receive him like a young bride. She will feed him with bread of understanding, and will water him with water of wisdom. Through this he will become strong so that he can stand firm, and he will cling to her so that he will not become a disgrace. She will exalt him above his neighbor and open his mouth in the community. She will crown him with joy and gladness, and endow him with an everlasting name. But fools cannot find her, and the wicked cannot see her. For she is far from the hopeful, and the hypocrites know nothing of her.
1. "He who fears God does good," says Ecclesiastes. This is a short lesson for those who want to know how to do good. For if you ask, How shall I do good? he answers, Fear God, and whatever you do in that fear will be good. Thus, in the last chapter of Ecclesiastes, v. 13, it says: "Let us hear the main summa of all doctrine: Fear God and keep His commandments; for this belongs to all men." Let us therefore conclude: Just as it cannot happen that he who fears God should do what is evil, so it cannot happen that he who despises God should do what is right and good. And it is not to be wondered at, since even contempt is evil, and fear itself is right and good. For even if you raise the dead and live safely, you do not then do what is good; on the contrary, even if you do the least work and live in fear, you then do what is good and right. Every work has as much good in it as is found in it from the fear of God; and again, every work has as much evil in it as is found in it from contempt.
Addition.
2) Since not only the works that are done against the law, but also those that are done against the law
are done according to the law, with contempt for God and without fear of God: it is clear from this that not only are evil works sinful, but that good works can also be sinful, namely, those that are done in security, pride, and without fear of God. Second, just as he who fears God does not need to be diligent in choosing works, so he who does not fear God does not need to be diligent in choosing works. This is clear because many, driven by the spirit of deception, choose such works as they dream will please God, and on which they rely, when they are not such at all as prayer, fasting, vigilance, etc. For these works are good and pleasing to God when they are done in the fear of God; just as the work of a tailor, shoemaker, mayor, prince, indeed, of every art and office is pleasing to God in this way. But now they choose such things as if they were pleasing in and of themselves, since it is said in the cited saying, "He who fears God does right and good," as if to say, "If a man is to do right and good, he must first of all fear God; if he does not fear God, it is in vain for him to think that he is doing good.
3) But in order to explain this more, the question is: How can the fear of God be something good, since otherwise that which is feared is hateful and not pleasant (as the common saying goes, and St. Jerome says: "You cannot fear God")?
other than the one you fear), but God is the highest good and most lovable. The nature of fear, however, is that it wishes that that which it fears should not be; for in this way one fears hell, death, poverty, and whatever it is that one wishes should not be and should cease to be: but now it is the greatest blasphemy of all to wish that there is no God. So to fear God is as much as to curse God; for to wish that God is not, that God is not alive, that God is not powerful, that God is not wise, that God is not willing, that He is not just, true, good etc.: what does it mean but to wish Him the greatest misfortune and evil? I therefore bring this question for no other reason than to see how few there are who bless, praise and glorify God; and how great a work it is to bless, praise and glorify God rightly. For there are many who sing and read the praises of God with their mouths, yet their hearts are full of blasphemy, even though they neither believe nor know such things. Of these, God says through Isaiam Cap. 29, 13: "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me," that is, in the heart they do differently through blasphemy than with their lips. Of whom it is also said in Isa. 1:4, "They have blasphemed the Holy One in Israel." And in Jeremiah the Lord says: "They all blaspheme me"; and Isa. 52, 5: "My name is always blasphemed daily." Finally, it is also said of Job, Cap. 1, 5, that he worried that his sons would have blessed the Lord in their hearts (since he suspected that they had praised him with their mouths) and sacrificed for them. And here let us see the tremendous fear and terrible danger of our lives. Behold, how very like hell is the world; for every damned man, yea, every dying sinner, immediately begins to blaspheme God, and so shall he remain without end and cessation. If it is asked: How does this happen? I answer: The blasphemy of the heart consists in wanting, wishing, and striving that there be no God: but now a damned person detests and fears God to the utmost, and all that is
he does and wants, he speaks against him. From which fear and fright then also comes that he detests God in the highest way, considers him an abomination and hates him; and so it happens that in death God is not remembered, and in hell no one gives thanks to him, Ps. 6, 6. Now all those who are outside the state of grace are like these damned, yes, they already make a beginning with this misery. Which is proven: Just as the elect are fortified by grace, so that even in death and hell they praise God, not to mention in every other temporal misfortune and harm, accepting and approving all these things as having been done by God, who is just, good, true etc.Thus, without grace, the reprobates are weak and powerless, so that they have an abhorrence not only of death and hell, but also of every misfortune; and thus, in all things, they desire that which is contrary to the supremely good will of God, opposing it with all their might, because they have an abhorrence of such things happening to them.
Addition.
(4) Therefore, the fewest are those who praise God; indeed, there are as few of those who praise God as there are of those who exalt Him in adversities, and that not only with the mouth, but with the heart. For they have an abhorrence of what pleases God, and do not want what God wants, because everything is done according to God's will, which they wish would not be; and for this very reason they curse and blaspheme with their hearts.
(5) Therefore we answer the question: That one thing is the fear of God, and another is the fear of God. Fear is the fruit of love, but fright is the cause and origin of hatred. Therefore, do not be afraid of God, but fear Him, lest you hate the one who is to be loved. For as I have said, the nature of fright is to flee, to awe, to detest, and by this very means to blaspheme, to curse, and to wish that something were not so. Hence the
The fear of God is better understood through reverence than is seen in those whom we love, honor, esteem, and fear to offend. But this is impossible for the one who loves something other than God. For by striving after this love and relying on it, he inevitably, being sure, falls into fright when he is deprived of something he loves; just like a house built on the sand when rain and wind come rushing in. Whoever therefore fears God, that is, whoever has a reverence for God, does good, and is not to be feared that he will do evil.
Therefore, God is not to be feared as a tormentor, executioner, devil, or hell. Nevertheless, man by nature, without grace, cannot fear otherwise; as we see in Adam, who fled and hid himself in paradise: but this is terrifying to all exiles. Therefore we find in Scripture of a double holy fear, as, Psalm 19:10: "The fear of the Lord," that is, the reverence of God, "is pure, and abideth for ever." So also the angels and the powers tremble, as it is said Ps. 111, 9.: "Holy and holy is His name"; and Ps. 2, 11.: "Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling." But this fear is called "holy" because it sanctifies man and represents him in the purest way, so that he does not desire what is his, but only what is God's. And how this fear can exist with certainty, we do not know and recognize, because we have experienced nothing but servile fear. But St. Augustine, as the Magister Sententiarum (Petrus Lombardus) reports, gives a likeness of a chaste, modest wife. The theologians call this fear a childlike and free fear; but that fear, the servile fear, they call a rewarding, forced and external, and for that very reason an impure one, of which it is said in 1 John 4:18: "Fear is not in love." Is this, then, distinguished from true fear: first, because the latter has chastisement; for it afflicts him who thus fears. But holy fear has pleasure, because it is so moved against the one it loves that it cannot sufficiently show him reverence.
prove. Second, the former has fear and anxiety; the latter has security. Third, in the former there is hatred; in the latter, love. Fourth, in the former there is a desire to slacken; in the latter, a desire to cling steadily. Fifth, the former has something other than God, but the latter has nothing except God, as it is said in Isa. 8:13, "Sanctify the Lord of hosts." Sixth, the former is external; the latter is internal. Seventh, the former is temporal; the latter endures forever. It lasts as long as the chastisement lasts; for if the chastisement ceased, it would also laugh at him whom it now fears. And so it also reveals the inner heart; for inwardly it condemns, but outwardly it fears; it is therefore a forced and extorted fear. Finally, it is also evident that she fears something other than God, namely, punishment, and thus she does not fear God.
Addition.
(7) Just as we do not fulfill the commands of God in this life, so we do not become perfect in holy fear, because it is so great as the love of God: but the love of God is not perfect in this life.
Therefore, just as every virtue has many levels, so does fear. For some are so foolish that they do not even fear God because of hell, death, or other innumerable bodily plagues and misfortunes. For example, God smites a country with pestilence, evil time, war, plunder, tyranny, calamity, misgrowth and barrenness; likewise, with all kinds of horrible, extraordinary diseases: yet they retain a hardened forehead and neck, and do not fear God; nor do they turn from their evil ways to do good, but they become worse and worse; as we see in our times with the manifold and most miserable plagues, of which Isaiah says Cap. 1, 5: "What further shall they smite you, if ye do but more and more transgressions?" And Cap. 9, 13. says: "So the people do not turn back to the one who strikes them"; as also Amos speaks of this Cap. 5.
(9) Furthermore, there are others who are only frightened by the plagues, as by scourges sent by God, and depart from evil: but these are still in the lowest degree of fear, for they depart from evil only as long as the punishment and plague lasts; but when they get rest again, they fall back to their former ways, to which they were once accustomed; on these God now works, as on fretful servants, with smiting, driving, chastising. And these are in the state of beginners and those who are afraid for the sake of punishment; of whom it is said in Ps. 32:9: "Whose bridle and bit must be put in their mouth, if they will not come to thee." But of sinners, who are not moved by any punishment or plague, he says, "The sinner" (according to the Hebrew, the wicked) "hath many plagues." But there are two kinds of those who live without all fear of God. The first, who, like the stupid and dumb cattle, do not even think or believe that the evil with which they are afflicted comes from God; but they attribute it either to the devil or to evil men, or to the heavenly planets, or to other causes. These people's blindness is a palpable darkness, for that is why they become more hardened than Pharaoh; they curse and become worse until they finally fall into blasphemy. The others are more subtle, who know that evil comes from God, but they are sure, because they are not extremely evil and because they consider their righteousness, that they immediately say, or at least feel, that evil comes for the sake of other evil people; but for their sake, as pious people, it would not come. It is therefore impossible that both kinds should be corrected by plagues. The first kind is not corrected because it does not believe that it comes from God; the other kind because it does not believe that it comes because of them; indeed, they think it is wrong for them to be reminded of it by anyone; and when they suffer something from plagues, they regard themselves as people of great merit, who are not beaten for the merit of guilt, but for the merit of being beaten.
service of glory. These people's patience is the proudest conceit, since the very holy Daniel with his companions, as well as many holy martyrs, attributed all their persecution to their sins; therefore they always endeavored to become better in the fear of God, and were reminded by the punishments to be wise in humility; since those, on the contrary, are safe and almost thank God, not because they are moved by the plague, for this is good, but because they attach martyrdom to themselves.
Thirdly, there are others who are very rare, who, having overcome the fear of temporal evil, are indifferent when it either approaches or departs, whether they are struck by it or not, and have a fear of the future and the eternal, in which fear they do good and forbear evil, which otherwise they would neither do nor forbear. Most of the saints are like this; therefore David also says Ps. 6, 2: "Lord, do not punish me in your wrath" etc., and in many other places. Because he says, "In death thou art not remembered; who shall thank thee in hell?" we conclude that he who said this was indeed afraid of hell. But these are also of two kinds: some either do not care at all, or not much, whether there is a hell, and either do not believe it at all, or believe it very little; of which there are too many nowadays, at least according to the heart. The others are also too righteous, who know and believe that there is a hell, but are not afraid of it, as if it were prepared for them, because they always have the best opinion of themselves. Of these it is said in Isa. 28:15, "We have made a covenant with death, and a covenant with hell: if a flood come, it shall not overtake us," etc.; and Ps. 10:6, "He saith in his heart, I will never be laid low; there shall be no trouble for ever"; and again in v. 5, "He continueth in his doings for ever." But the true righteous are very afraid of hell and death. Their voice is, Is. 38, 10: "I said, Now I must go to hell.
go to hell in the half of my days"; and again Ps. 88:4: "My soul is full of sorrow, and my life is near hell"; and again Ps. 141:7: "Our bones are scattered unto hell"; hence we have the common saying: "They that go up to hell while they live, go not in when they die. For this is what the 9th Psalm v. 18. wishes for them: "Oh that the wicked should be turned to hell, all the heathen who forget the word of God"; and elsewhere (Ps. 55:16.): "Death overtakes them, and they must go to hell alive." Therefore also a true righteous man believes that all will be saved, and fears that he alone will be damned. And this is a good thought; many also have it, but they do not know its use. For thus was that tanner of Alexandria about St. Anthony, because he was able to say: He alone is condemnable, but all others are worthy of salvation. On the contrary, the hopeful, who think that all others are damned, but they alone are worthy of salvation, do not fear. Therefore the apostle Rom. 2, 5. speaks to them very strongly when he says: "But you, according to your hardened and impenitent heart, heap wrath on yourself for the day of wrath.
(11) But you may say: I have often heard you say that one should not fear hell, that one should not fear God for the sake of hell, and that whoever fears hell will go to hell. To this I reply: I have also said that God must be loved above all things, and that one must have chastity, humility, love for one's neighbor, and the like, and without these things no one can be saved; but that nevertheless there is no one who has these things to the extent that they are sufficient for salvation, but that they are only expected in the future, when they will be given through Christ. Therefore no one is, nor should be, without fear of hell, unless he be the most perfect. Therefore, the fear of the righteous is always mixed from a holy and servile fear; but they get more and more from the servile to the holy, until they finally fear nothing but God.
And also in this place many understand this difference wrongly. There is a proper distinction between servile and filial fear, but it is wrongly understood that servile fear does not exist in a man adorned with love and grace, and that it cannot exist together with love and grace. For this reason no one will be condemned because he is afraid of hell. Let no one teach or understand this. For in 1 John 4:18 the apostle does not say, "Love casteth out fear," but he says, "Perfect love;" and again he says, "He that feareth is not perfect in love;" but he does not say, He is not in love.
(12) For the beginning love and the great servile fear stand together, but fear diminishes as much as love increases. For as it is with other virtues that they are at the same time with the vices opposed to them, so long as the vices are disputed, since they alone reign: so the pure and not pure fear of God is at the same time with him who is not yet perfect. For fear is found in hope; wavering in faith, especially in temptation; crying in patience; anger in gentleness; lust in chastity; complacency in humility; murmuring in obedience; stinginess in generosity; foolishness in wisdom; fearfulness in courage and strength; servile fear in holy fear, and sin in grace. For this also happens in natural changes, that the warm contends with the cold, the white with the black, the rich with the poor, the healthy with the sick, and for this reason alone the one is called so, because it is imperfect in relation to the other; and for this reason it is called such, because it is turned away from the one and turned toward the other. It is therefore called righteous, not he who is, but he who becomes, according to the saying (Revelation 22:11), "Let the righteous be justified more and more." For all movement goes in part to the terminus a quo (point of departure) and in part to the
terminus ad quem; just as a sick person, being healed, is in the sickness that departs from him, and in the health that comes near to him: so the righteous person is always with the left foot and after the old man in sin, and with the right, that is, with the new man, he is in grace, and thus also at the same time in the servile fear of hell and in the holy fear of God.
(13) Therefore, when it is said that he who fears hell will enter it, this is understood of him who fears in no other way than in a purely servile way. But such a one is every one who is apart from grace, which grace alone raises holy fear and leaves out servile fear. Just as when it is said, "He who does not believe is condemned" (Marc. 16:16), this is understood of the one who does not believe at all. Otherwise Christ also said to the apostles (Joh. 14, 11.): "You do not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me"; and again (v. 1.): "If you believe in God, you also believe in me"; yes, finally they themselves said (Luc. 17, 5.): "Lord, increase our faith"; there they asked for the increase of the faith they had begun.
14 Therefore, fourthly, there are others who are not completely afraid of the Eternal, because they are very strong in love; and their fear, so that they fear God alone, is holy. And how
I have said, very few reach the state in which the apostles were, which is rather shown to us as a goal toward which we should strive to attain, but not think that it has already been attained. Yes, even the apostles and prophets were not always on this summit, because Paul says (2 Cor. 7, 5.): "Outward strife, inward fear." Elijah also flees from the wrath of the Jesebel out of a temporal fear, namely, fear of death, saying, "They seek my life." According to these different degrees of fear, the gifts are also differentiated. And it is quite noticeable that it is not said: He who fears God does great, mighty and wise things, but it is said: He does "good".
15 Thus, the first degree fears God for the sake of something else; the second degree fears God mixed for the sake of God and for the sake of something else; the third degree fears God purely for the sake of God. The first degree thus divides love and fear by loving something it does not fear and by fearing God it does not love. The third degree combines both, namely, love and fear. The other and middle one mixes both. Thus servile fear always divides the soul so that it is directed to two parts, namely, to that which it loves and to that which it fears; but filial fear is directed only to one, which it fears and loves.