The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-11-27
THE SUNDAY PULPIT
FEAR AND LOVE.

| way to Indicate three very different
| states of mind.
When Solomon said. '',The fear of the
Lord is the beginning of knowledge. ne
| used the word as the equivalent of rever-
ence. 1t is as though he had said Faith
| in God rs supreme authority, with SUI
! preme wisdom behind it, is the basis or
life conducted with intelligence. Inc
| idea of dread, of that condition of mlnd
which is apprchensive of evil, is not TO
be found in this sentence.
| Then there is the fear which the tray-
eler has who is passing through a
strange country, with here and there q
difficult mountain pass or possibly Il
band of marauders. That is Il whole
| some. not to say an inyigorating, fear.
| It does not reduce his energy by timidlty.
but simply makes him cautious. There
| is no dread in this instance, either, but
wise desire to be prepared for any
| emergency, and Il determination not to
| make any miSstep which careful fore
1 sight may avoid.
| Both of these kinds of fear are a
| legitimate part of a reasonable mans
| religion. They do not hamper him, but,
| on the contrary, are n spur and an m
centiye. Reverence and love make q
| true musical chord They are wholly
| consistent with one another, for rever-
| ence fosters love and love prompts to
| reverence. And that kind of carefulness
and watchfulness which prevents you
4 from breaking one of Gods laws because
| certain unfortunate consequences will
1 follow does not interfere with the closest
| relations with Him any more than q
| sons anxiety TO do just what his father
has asked him to do on the ground that
| the father knows what is for the sons
best good, interferes with his love for
! the parent. Fear in these two senses is
l \ wholesale element in Il human life. If
| | have reverence for law and am anXi-
GUS not to break it l am likely to make
| the best of my circumstances and to find
a deal OF contentment and happiness
| But there is another kind Of fear which
| ought never to be mingled with your re-
| igion. The slave stands in dread of his
| master. The slave has no rights, for
| the master absOrbs them all. The
| master can sell or whip or MAIN his
| slave, for the power TO do what he will
| is vested in him. His authority is nm
| questioned, and according to his caprice
he may punish or reward. Such Il slave
| under such master knows what real
4 fear means. Can there be any relation
I between the two? Can the one love the
other. or can he be happy in his pres
| ance? He finds contentment only when
| far away, but to approach such n master
and to be near his person is positive
| afflction.
| DO you tell me that that sort of fear
has any place in our religious life? With
hat sense of apprehension pervading
your soul is it possible for you to say.
Our Father which art in heaven and
not denounce Yourself as a hypocrite:
Are you so made that you can love and
fear the same being ut the same time :
If You love it is impossible to fear, and
if you fear it is impossible to love.
l If man does right because he is
afraid, he cannot be happy even in
heaven if man does not steal because
he is being watched and will certainly
be caught you would not call him an
honest man. worthy of a great reward.
1t is true that he oheys the law Thou
shalt not Steal" but in his heart he IS d
thief nevertheless. lie only lacks the
| opportunity to do you an i'll turn, and
the fact that the opportunity is wanting
does not make him virtuous.
| That kind of religion which makes rls
| afraid of God is very injurious to the
| soul. Let us put it aside and search for
| something better. The Scriptures tell us
| IN a large variety of phrases that God is
| our best friend, that He is full of pity
( for and sympathy with us, that He
| sends His angels to uphold us lest we
| stumble: that He sent His only Son to
| tell us the good tidings, and if this be
| true then lore and gratitude are the
| only solid foundations for my religion.
| 1t is false that He hates us or ever can
| hate lis. II there were literal jail and
| we should be in it deservedly God would
not even then hate us. In any true
| sense of the word hatred is an impossi-
| bility with Him. He may punish, but
| not hate. That is simply unthinkable.
| Turn your back on such thought, for
| it is rs unreal as nightmare. If you
! have dread of God you cannot APP
| preach him. Even a prayer of gratitude
| lacks heartiness To thank a being of
| whom you are afraid is not a pleasure;
| it is a difficult task. 1t may be duty,
but duty performed without feryor.
| have no faith in the efficacy of fear.
| A religion which is kept on ice cannot
| warm you to noble motives or to self
sacrifice. There is nothing in the spirit
ual universe which so benumbs and
paralyzes the soul ais the feeling that
the terrors of the Lord are hanging over
| YOU like a sword suspended by a hair.
| think of the old days with something
| of horror-the days when there was
| thunder and lightning in the pulpit, but
no sunshine. The wonder is that men
| survived the ordeal. But those times
| are gone, and gone forever.
| If you would be at peace, il you would
| love this beautiful world and would
| make the most out of its discipline. if
you would look forward with something
| like happy anticipation to the morning
| after death, because you and your dear
ones will meet again, you must think
| of God as always near, always helpful
and always surrounding you with infinite
love and sympathy. That thought is like
a cool breeze on hot day, for it invigor-
ates and cheers and strengthens. Christ
was the incarnation of love, and true re-
| ligion fills you with love, even as harp
| is full of music.
GEORGE II. HEPWORTH.
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