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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
GOD TO BE FEARED, BUT NOT MAN
AN undue regard to the good opinion of mankind operates to the production of two apparently opposite effects, namely, a hypocritical assumption of the religious character, and a cowardly concealment of it. Moreover, the same persons may be alternately tempted to both these evils, according as the one kind of dissimulation or the other may be best suited to their present circumstances. The persons most likely to feel their influence, are those who have lately begun to venerate religion, and to desire the attainment of it in their hearts. Hence our blessed Lord earnestly cautioned his Disciples against them. He began with guarding them against hypocrisy, which was the leaven that pervaded all the Pharisees; and then he guarded them against the fear of man (which would induce them to put their light under a bushel); and, as the best antidote to it, to cultivate the fear of God [Note: ver. 1, 4, 5.].
The subject of our text cannot be rendered more clear by any artificial arrangement of it, nor can the words be treated in any better order than that in which they stand: we shall therefore follow them simply without any particular division.
The fear of man is a very powerful and prevailing evil—
[Scarcely does any one begin to feel a desire after salvation, but he is beset immediately with this temptation: though perhaps he never at any time regarded the good opinion of men so far as to be deterred by it from the commission of any sin, now he is filled with apprehensions lest this or that person should despise him. He scarcely dares look grave, lest his friends should think him melancholy; nor will he venture to acknowledge any compunction for his past iniquities, lest they should say that he is going mad. He is persuaded in his mind that they who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake are on the whole in the best way; but he dares not join himself to them for fear of participating in their reproach; nor dares he shew any attachment to a minister of Christ, from whom he would wish to derive instruction, lest he should be classed with his followers. He dares not even go to a place of worship where Christ is more faithfully preached, lest he should be loaded with some opprobrious name. To bear an open testimony against sin, or to vindicate the ways of righteousness, would be an effort which he could not even contemplate without dread: so tied is he and bound with this ideal chain—the good opinion of the world.
If he have been enabled to surmount these first difficulties, he still is in bondage to fears of another kind. His father perhaps threatens to disinherit him, his master to dismiss him, his patron to turn his back upon him: the question then arises in his mind, How shall I sustain this trial? and then, to avoid the cross, he sacrifices his conscience, declines from the ways of God, and goes back again to the world: “tribulation and persecution arising because of the word, he presently is offended.” Nor is it uncommon for those who have appeared bold in the cause of Christ, to turn back, when they are called to “resist unto blood.” When Paul was first called before the Roman Emperor, there was not found one single Christian that dared to stand by him: “Every one of them forsook him.” And God alone knows how any of us should act, if, like Daniel or the Hebrew Youths, we were called to seal the truth with our blood.]
But to be governed by this principle, is both impious and absurd—
[God expressly commands us not to harbour it in our bosoms: “Be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled [Note: 1Pe_3:14.].” He cautions us against it as a fatal snare: “The fear of man bringeth a snare [Note: Pro_29:25.].” He represents it as quite absurd: “Who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and forgettest the Lord, thy Maker [Note: Isa_51:7-8; Isa_51:12-13.]? And in our text he shews how impotent man is, and unworthy to be regarded as an object of fear [Note: Compare Isa_51:13. with the text.]. Man may prevail so far as to kill our bodies; but this is the utmost that he can do. In doing this, he may exercise his ingenuity to put us to the most cruel torture: but God has graciously appointed that the body should not endure all that our enemies might wish to inflict: the soul will take its flight, if the body be too violently assailed, and will leave the body insensible to all that the most insatiate malice can devise [Note: Job_3:17-19.]. Now we grant that this is an evil: the Christian cannot be indifferent to pain, and anguish, and death; but still these things are not so formidable as to justify his being influenced by the fear of man. If, indeed, there were no state beyond the present, and no Being that was superior to man, and able either to recompense our sufferings or to inflict others more severe, then there were some reason why we should fear man: but]
God is the more proper object of fear—
[Him we ought to fear; indeed “he is very greatly to be feared;” for “with him is terrible majesty:” we should therefore “stand in awe of him,” and “fear him always,” and “walk in his fear all the day long.” We should do nothing without considering first whether it will please or displease him: if we have reason to think that it will displease him, we should not for the whole world presume to do it; nor should we neglect any thing which our conscience tells us will be pleasing in his sight. In every thing that we do, we should have respect to his will, as the reason; his word, as the rule; and his glory, as the end, of our actions. In comparison of his favour, all earthly considerations should dwindle into nothing: the allurements or the terrors of the world should be alike contemptible in our eyes: they should weigh no more with us than the small dust upon the balance.]
There is very abundant reason why we should fear him—
[The circumstance of our being his creatures, formed by him for the promotion of his glory, should of itself induce us to regard him chiefly, him continually, him exclusively: and the circumstance of his having redeemed us by the blood of his dear Son, should constrain us irresistibly to live altogether for him. But the consideration urged in our text is that which we are more particularly called to notice.
God can destroy the body, as well as man [Note: “After he hath killed.”]. He commissioned worms to execute his vengeance on a prince that robbed him of his glory [Note: Act_12:23.]. And on many of his own peculiar people also has he inflicted punishment, visiting them with sickness and death for their transgressions against him [Note: 1Co_11:30.]. In this respect then, to say the least, he is on a par with men, and is as much to be feared as they. But he can also wound the soul, which man can never touch. The saints of old, instead of being grieved at “the spoiling of their goods, took it joyfully.” Paul and Silas, when their backs were torn with scourges, and their feet fastened in the stocks, so far from having their spirits hurt, were filled with unutterable joy, and “sang praises to God at midnight.” And every saint is privileged to “take pleasure in afflictions,” and to “glory in tribulations;” so little is it in the power of man to hurt his soul. But what distress cannot God inflict? Look at Judas: look at many also at this day, who, like him, “choose strangling rather than life.” Whence arise the numerous suicides that we hear of continually? God lets loose his wrath upon the souls of men on account of their iniquities; and then they are so miserable that they cannot endure to live. The saints themselves, too, are sometimes made to experience his frowns: and then how inexpressible is their anguish! “A wounded spirit who can bear?” Here then God shews his superiority over man, even in this life. But God’s power extends also to the future world: he can cast the soul into hell; and can raise up the body also, and re-unite it to the soul, and make them monuments of his everlasting vengeance. Oh! “who knoweth the power of his anger?” Who can tell us what it is to lie down in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone, and to spend an eternity in that place, “where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched?” Read a faint description of their state, drawn by the hand of an angel [Note: Rev_14:10-11.]; and you will then see that “it is indeed a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
Now judge whom you ought to fear [Note: Jer_10:6-7.]. Now see why our blessed Lord so often, and so emphatically, repeats the same word, “Fear not man; but I will forewarn you whom you shall fear; Fear God; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.” Alas! that the stupidity of our hearts should ever make such repetitions needful! but since our blessed Lord has condescended to make use of them, I pray God that our obduracy may not also render them ineffectual.]
We acknowledge that these considerations are awful; but we state them to you as proofs of our love—
[To speak of the wrath to come is always painful, and frequently offensive. Persons are apt to imagine that we take pleasure in alarming the minds of men; and they even conceive of us as disturbers of the public peace, and as enemies to the happiness of our fellow-creatures. But was this the character of our blessed Lord? or did he feel any thing but love, whilst he gave these solemn admonitions? Yea, did he not account this fidelity to their souls the strongest expression of his regard? Hear how carefully he marks this in his address to them: “I say unto you, my friends.” Permit me then to say, that, however men may be disposed to represent our fidelity as an indication of harshness, we are actuated only by a spirit of love, and are in reality your best friends. Many there are, indeed, who call themselves your friends, who would give advice directly contrary to ours: they would say, ‘Do not indulge any foolish fears about the wrath of God; He is a very merciful Being; and you have nothing to fear at his hands. But think how absurd you will appear in the sight of all sensible men: think how you are ruining all your prospects in life: think what troubles you will bring upon yourself by these needless singularities: shake off all these groundless apprehensions: turn your back upon those who would fill you with false alarms: and act so as to ensure the approbation and esteem of all around you.’ This, I say, is the common advice of parents, of brethren, and of many others who call themselves friends: but think a moment whether their counsel or that of Christ is to be preferred: they say, ‘Fear man, but not God; and Christ says, “Fear God, but not man.” Truly, brethren, we must join in the advice of Him who has proved himself your friend; has proved it by laying down his life for you: and we must declare to you that, whilst the fear of man is folly in the extreme, “the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, and the praise of it endureth for ever.”]
With this feeling, we urge them upon your minds with some additional arguments—
[The minor sorts of persecution are unworthy the regard of a rational man. What signifies a reproachful name, or the contempt of those who contemn God? You should rather account it your honour to be so treated [Note: 1Pe_4:14.]. But whatever be the cross you are called to bear, God has provided abundant consolation under it [Note: 2Co_1:5. Mat_5:10-12]. Only submit to your trials with meekness and patience [Note: What dignity was there in that conduct of Jeremiah! Jer_26:14.], and you may defy the confederate hosts of earth and hell [Note: Isa_51:5-9.]. Think how your Saviour suffered, not only “enduring the cross, but despising the shame;” and arm yourselves with the same mind [Note: 1Pe_4:1. Heb_12:3.], “rejoicing that you are counted worthy to suffer for his sake.” If you are tempted at any time to obey man rather than God, then look to the eternal world, and consider whether temporal joys or sorrows deserve a thought in comparison of those that are eternal. Think of the noble army of martyrs who are gone before, sent by men, as it were, in a fiery chariot to heaven: do they regret that they loved not their lives unto death? Thus, setting eternity before you, implore help from your God and Saviour: then shall you be found “faithful unto death, and finally obtain a crown of life.”]