39. I fear, I say, greatly for thee, lest, when thou boastest that thou wilt follow the Lamb wheresoever He shall have gone, thou be unable by reason of swelling pride to follow Him through strait ways. It is good for thee, O virgin soul, that thus, as thou art a virgin, thus altogether keeping in thy heart that thou hast been born again, keeping in thy flesh that thou hast been born, thou yet conceive of the fear of the Lord, and give birth to the spirit of salvation.118    Is. xxvi. 18. See LXX. “Fear,” indeed, “there is not in charity, but perfect charity,” as it is written, “casteth out fear:”119    1 John iv. 18. [See R.V.] but fear of men, not of God: fear of temporal evils, not of the Divine Judgment at the last. “Be not thou high-minded, but fear.”120    Rom. xi. 20 Love thou the goodness of God; fear thou His severity: neither suffers thee to be proud. For by loving you fear, lest you grievously offend One Who is loved and loves. For what more grievous offense, than that by pride thou displease Him, Who for thy sake hath been displeasing to the proud? And where ought there to be more that “chaste fear abiding for ever and ever,”121    Ps. xix. 9 than in thee, who hast no thought of the things of this world, how to please a wedded partner; but of the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord?122    1 Cor. vii. 32 That other fear is not in charity, but this chaste fear quitteth not charity. If you love not, fear lest you perish; if you love, fear lest you displease. That fear charity casteth out, with this it runneth within. The Apostle Paul also says, “For we have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but we have received the spirit of adoption of sons, wherein we cry, Abba, Father.”123    Rom. viii. 15 I believe that he speaks of that fear, which had been given in the Old Testament, lest the temporal goods should be lost, which God had promised unto those not yet sons under grace, but as yet slaves under the law. There is also the fear of eternal fire, to serve God in order to avoid which is assuredly not yet of perfect charity. For the desire of the reward is one thing, the fear of punishment another. They are different sayings, “Whither shall I go away from Thy Spirit, and from Thy face whither shall I flee?”124    Ps. cxxxix. 7 and, “One thing I have sought of the Lord, this I will seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord through all the days of my life, that I may consider the delight of the Lord, that I be protected in His temple:”125    Ps. xxvii. 4 and, “Turn not away Thy face from me:”126    Ps. xxvii. 9 and, “My soul longeth and fainteth unto the courts of the Lord.”127    Ps. lxxxiv. 2 Those sayings let him have had, who dared not to lift up his eyes to heaven; and she who was watering with tears His feet, in order to obtain pardon for her grievous sins; but these do thou have, who art careful about the things of the Lord, to be holy both in body and spirit. With those sayings there companies fear which hath torment, which perfect charity casteth forth; but with these sayings there companies chaste fear of the Lord, that abideth for ever and ever. And to both kinds it must be said, “Be not thou high-minded, but fear;”128    Rom. xi. 20 that man neither of defense of his sins, nor of presumption of righteousness set himself up. For Paul also himself, who saith, “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear;”129    Rom. viii. 15 yet, fear being a companion of charity, saith, “With fear and much trembling was I towards you:”130    1 Cor. ii. 3 and that saying, which I have mentioned, that the engrafted wild olive tree be not proud against the broken branches of the olive tree, himself made use of, saying, “Be not thou high-minded, but fear;” himself admonishing all the members of Christ in general, saith, “With fear and trembling work out your own salvation; for it is God Who worketh in you both to will and to do, according to His good pleasure;”131    Phil. ii. 12, 13. [See R.V.] that it seem not to pertain unto the Old Testament what is written, “Serve the Lord in fear, and rejoice unto Him with trembling.”132    Ps. ii. 11

CAPUT XXXVIII.

39. Timor ipsis virginibus necessarius, non timor saecularis aut servilis, sed timor Dei castus. Metuo, inquam, tibi vehementer, ne cum te Agnum quocumque ierit secuturam esse gloriaris, eum prae tumore superbiae sequi per angusta non possis. Bonum est tibi, o anima virginalis, ut sic quomodo virgo es, sic omnino servans in corde quod renata es, servans in carne quod nata es, concipias tamen a timore Domini et parturias spiritum salutis (Isai. XXVI, 18). Timor quidem non est in charitate, sed perfecta, sicut scriptum est, charitas foras mittit timorem (I Joan. IV, 18): sed timorem hominum, non Dei; timorem temporalium malorum, non divini in fine judicii. Noli altum sapere, sed time (Rom. XI, 20). Ama Dei bonitatem, time severitatem: utrumque te superbam esse non sinit. Amando enim times, ne amatum et amantem graviter offendas. Nam quae gravior offensio, quam ut superbia illi displiceas, qui propter te superbis displicuit? Et ubi magis esse debet timor ille castus permanens in saeculum saeculi (Psal. XVIII, 10), quam in te, quae non cogitas quae sunt mundi, quomodo placeas conjugi; sed quae sunt Domini, quomodo placeas Domino (I Cor. VII, 32)? Ille alius timor non est in charitate: iste autem castus non recedit a charitate. Si non amas, time ne pereas: si amas, time ne displiceas. Illum timorem charitas foras mittit: cum isto intro currit. Dicit apostolus etiam Paulus: Non enim accepimus spiritum servitutis iterum in timorem ; sed accepimus Spiritum adoptionis filiorum, in quo clamamus, Abba, Pater (Rom. VIII, 15). Illum eum timorem credo dicere, qui datus erat in Vetere Testamento, ne amitterentur temporalia bona, quae Deus promiserat nondum sub gratia filiis, sed sub Lege adhuc servis. Est etiam timor ignis aeterni, propter quem devitandum Deo servire, nondum est utique perfectae charitatis. Aliud est enim desiderium praemii, aliud formido supplicii. Aliae voces 0419 sunt, Quo abibo ab spiritu tuo, et a facie tua quo fugiam (Psal. CXXXVIII, 7)? et aliae voces sunt, Unam petii a Domino, hanc requiram; ut inhabitem in domo Domini per omnes dies vitae meae, ut contempler delectationem Domini, et protegar templum ejus : et, Ne avertas faciem tuam a me (Psal. XXVI, 4, 9); et, Desiderat et deficit anima mea in atria Domini (Psal. LXXXIII, 3). Illas voces habuerit , qui oculos non audebat levare in coelum; et quae rigabat lacrymis pedes ad impetrandam veniam gravium peccatorum: has autem tu habeto, quae sollicita es ea quae sunt Domini, ut sis sancta et corpore et spiritu. Illis vocibus comitatur timor qui tormentum habet, quem perfecta charitas foras mittit: his autem vocibus comitatur timor Domini castus permanens in saeculum saeculi. Et utrique generi dicendum est, Noli altum sapere, sed time; ut homo nec de peccatorum suorum defensione, nec de justitiae praesumptione se extollat. Nam et ipse Paulus, qui dicit, Non enim accepistis spiritum servitutis iterum in timorem: tamen timore comite charitatis ait, Cum timore et tremore multo fui ad vos (I Cor. II, 3); et ea sententia quam commemoravi, ne adversus fractos oleae ramos insertus superbiret oleaster, ipse usus est, dicens, Noli altum sapere, sed time: ipse omnia membra Christi generaliter admonens, ait, Cum timore et tremore vestram ipsorum salutem operamini; Deus est enim qui operatur in vobis et velle et operari, pro bona voluntate (Philipp. II, 12, 13); ne ad Vetus Testamentum videatur pertinere quod scriptum est, Servite Domino in timore, et exsultate ei cum tremore (Psal. II, 11).