Institutes of the Christian Religion

by John Calvin

In short, they give conscience a position between hope and fear, making it alternate, by successive turns, to the one and the other.

Hope and fear, again, they place in complete contrast,

If you look to yourself damnation is certain:

Let us breathe again, brethren. Although we are nothing in our hearts, perhaps something of us may lurk in the heart of God.

peehaps something of us my lurk in the heart of God

"If, in both views, we diligently consider what we are, - in the one view our nothingness, in the other our greatness,

presume our glorying will seem restrained; but perhaps it is rather increased and confirmed, because we glory not in ourselves, but in the Lord.

I have not forgotten myself when, with fear and reverence, I say, We are, - are in the heart of God. We are, by his dignifying, not by our own dignity."

we are in the heart of God

God is entitled to the reverence of a Father and a Lord.

Hence he who desires duly to worship him, will study to act the part both of an obedient son and a faithful servant.

"A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master. If then I be a father, where is mine honor? and if I be a master, where is my fear?[18]

The fear of the Lord, therefore, may be defined reverence mingled with honor and fear.

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear has torment," (1Jn 4: 18).

For he is speaking of the fear of unbelief, between which and the fear of believers there is a wide difference.

But believers, as has been said, dread the offense even

They are not alarmed by the fear of punishment,

as if it were impending ove...

This fear the sacred writers term servile, and oppose to the free and voluntary fear which becomes sons.