they may exist together; how they may concur and co-operate; and how the union of both is necessary for producing the full display of those beneficial effects which belong respectively to each. To this end, let us first accurately inquire what we mean, when we speak of the fear of God, and the love of God.

In what does the former of these consist? It has been not improperly viewed under two very different aspects; as a servile, and as a filial fear. The one we find distinguished in Scripture by the appellation of " reverence and godly fear;" the other by that of " fear having torment." Filial fear consists in the prevalence of reverential awe in our meditations on the Divine Being. Slavish fear is the predominance of that kind of awe which is connected with feelings of dislike, dread, and disturbance. Filial fear is, for the most part, engaged in contemplations of the greatness and majesty of God, as they shine forth in the wonders of his creative power and beneficence. Slavish fear confines itself to the view of him, as the strict and terrible avenger of disobedience. It is true, indeed, that some portion of this last feeling will enter likewise into filial fear; for this undoubtedly comprises a fear of incurring the divine displeasure. But then it operates by preserving us from great and wilful violations of his law, and by leading us to exercise a

proportion to their joint operation in the people's hearts, would they be sure to "walk in his ways," and to serve him with the homage of true and active obedience. This is what God expected from them; and this is what he demands from us and from all his rational and accountable creatures.-It may here be just observed, by the way, that to those who speak of the religion of the ancient Israelites, as if it consisted chiefly in positive, as contra-distinguished from moral precepts, and prescribed little beyond a system of ritual and minute observances, this single passage may furnish a sufficient reply: for this alone will prove incontestably that, at all periods, and under all dispensations," to obey" was, in God's estima"better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams."

tion,

The particular instruction to be derived from the text appears to be this; that the fear and the love of God are two feelings or principles which have a joint operation in the heart of every good man, and that the gradual improvement of his character depends on their united influence. This is what I shall attempt briefly to illustrate in the present discourse. Fear and love are two emotions of the mind, which, when loosely and superficially considered, may appear to stand opposed to each other. It therefore becomes of importance to show how

they may exist together; how they may concur and co-operate; and how the union of both is necessary for producing the full display of those beneficial effects which belong respectively to each. To this end, let us first accurately inquire what we mean, when we speak of the fear of God, and the love of God.

In what does the former of these consist? It has been not improperly viewed under two very different aspects; as a servile, and as a filial fear. The one we find distinguished in Scripture by the appellation of "reverence and godly fear;" the other by that of "fear having torment." Filial fear consists in the prevalence of reverential awe in our meditations on the Divine Being. Slavish fear is the predominance of that kind of awe which is connected with feelings of dislike, dread, and disturbance. Filial fear is, for the most part, engaged in contemplations of the greatness and majesty of God, as they shine forth in the wonders of his creative power and beneficence. Slavish fear confines itself to the view of him, as the strict and terrible avenger of disobedience. It is true, indeed, that some portion of this last feeling will enter likewise into filial fear; for this undoubtedly comprises a fear of incurring the divine displeasure. But then it operates by preserving us from great and wilful violations of his law, and by leading us to exercise a

holy vigilance over ourselves, with respect to our general conduct. Slavish fear, on the contrary, is the dread and anticipation of punishment, excited by the consciousness of allowed and habitual sin. This is not a principle which necessarily, nor perhaps commonly leads to repentance and a change of life. Very compatible is it with obdurate perseverance in iniquity. In few cases does it so far prevail as not to be subject to very long and frequent intermissions of ease and carelessness; and, during such intervals, the sinner is continually contracting a heavier load of guilt. In short, filial fear is the fear of angels who stand in awe of the perfections of the Deity, and are preserved in their obedience by such awe, operating in concurrence with other motives more efficacious and delightful. Slavish fear is the fear of devils, already suffering under the rod of divine vengeance, and dreading future judgments, though without any effort to avert them by the movements of true repentance. Good men, in proportion as they resemble the angelic spirits in holiness, partake of their profound, but not unpleasing awe; while the wicked, in proportion as they reflect the likeness of infernal spirits, become actuated by their dread and abhorrence of the Divine Majesty. Hence we may understand the meaning of the apostle John, when he speaks of "perfect love casting out

fear." It is not opposed to that filial fear which consists in holy reverential awe; but it always, in proportion as it prevails, diminishes that slavish "fear which has torment," which presents the Divine Being in no other character than that of an avenger to execute wrath, and may perhaps prompt, through the mere dread of punishment, to partial and transitory amendment. It must be observed, that the fear of God, as that expression occurs in Scripture, usually denotes the feeling, not as it appears under the form of slavish dread, but as it develops itself under the delightful aspect of filial reverence. Such is the import of the declaration-" Blessed is the man that feareth alway." And in this sense is it that we are directed to "be in the fear of the Lord all the day long."

It is impossible not to understand the difference of those sentiments which a tractable and well-disposed child feels towards a parent of an affectionate, but wise and determined character, and those which a slave entertains for a master, governed by self-interest, who will rigorously exact from him the uttermost of what he stands engaged to perform. Both the child and the slave are, in a very intelligible sense, influenced by fear. But the fear of the child is awe, tempered by lively emotions of trust and tenderness; while the fear of the slave is