Coll. 2
by St. Bonaventure
Source text: Public Domain Mark 1.0. English translation/apparatus/encoding: CC BY-NC 4.0, Wroot Press.
https://bonaventure.wrootpress.com/browse/12/d/2/q/bon-don-c2
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### COLLATION II.
#### *On the gift of the fear of the Lord.*

### Summarium

*Introduction and recapitulation,* 1. — *The two effects of the seven gifts: they drive out the seven sins and bring in the seven virtues,* 2. 3. — *They are asked for in the Lord's Prayer,* 4. 5. — *An invitation to the gift of fear; three things to be considered about it,* 6. — Part I. On the origin of the fear of the Lord. *It arises from a threefold consideration: first, of the loftiness of God's power,* 7. — *Secondly, of the penetration of the divine wisdom,* 8. — *Thirdly, of the severity of the divine vengeance. There are seven judgments of God,* 9-12. — *On these three taken together,* 13. — Part II. On its usefulness. *It avails for three things,* 14. — *First, for obtaining the inflowing of grace,* 15. — *Secondly, for bringing in the rectitude of justice,* 16. — *Thirdly, for gaining the illumination of wisdom,* 17. — *On these three taken together,* 18. — Part III. On its perfection. *This consists in three things: first, in the perfect sanctification of the conscience,* 19. — *Secondly, in the perfect readiness of obedience,* 20. — *Thirdly, in the perfect firmness of confidence,* 21.

1. *Come, children, hear me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord*. — *Hear in silence, and for thy reverence good grace shall come to thee.* The second text is written in Ecclesiasticus, in which the Wise Man exhorts the good hearer to hear the word of God in silence and with reverence; because silence and reverence are not useless to him, since through them good grace will come to him. What is good grace? Are there then bad graces? That grace is good which makes a man good; but *grace is deceitful and beauty is vain,* as is said in Proverbs. Grace *freely given* can stand together with mortal sin. Ecclesiasticus reckons that grace of little account, but grace *that makes pleasing* he prizes greatly. — I described that grace to you under three heads, namely as to the *rise* of grace, as to the *use* of grace, and as to the *fruit* of grace. As to the rise of grace I said that grace is nothing other than *the best giving and the perfect gift, coming down from the Father of lights* through the Word incarnate, through the Word crucified and through the Word inspired. And I said that that Word leads us back into the highest principle; and Dionysius notes this in treating this text: *Every best giving* etc., and he adds and says: "But also every procession of the manifestations, the Father setting it in motion, coming forth into us largely and well, as a unifying power fills us and turns us back into the Father of lights." — As to the use of grace I said that the use of grace ought to be *faithful*, *manly* and *generous;* therefore grace that makes pleasing is a perfect gift, by which we use well both it and other things. And the use of grace ought to be such that a man use grace well and faithfully as regards God, manfully as regards himself, and generously as regards his neighbour. — Thirdly, as to the fruit of grace I said that grace *heals* from guilt, *strengthens* in virtue and *consummates* in glory. — And from this is drawn out a description of grace of this sort: that grace is *the best giving and the perfect gift, coming down from the Father of lights, healing from evil, strengthening in good and consummating in glory.* — The grace that *heals* is given in the seven Sacraments, is kept in the seven exercises of justice and is perfected in the seven works of mercy. The grace that *strengthens* consists in the seven habits of the virtues and in the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. But the grace that *consummates* consists in the seven beatitudes and in the seven dowries. — These are the seven sevens which are counted in the jubilee year. Of that multitude we said that we cannot speak save of one seven, namely of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. Let us ask the Lord etc.

2. *The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the spirit of counsel and of fortitude, the spirit of knowledge and of piety, and the spirit of the fear of the Lord shall fill him*. Concerning these spirits I wish you to understand what John in the Apocalypse saw: *in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures a Lamb having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.* John sets down an imaginative vision and expresses the truth.

He calls the gifts of the Holy Spirit *horns* and *eyes*. And why? You ought to understand that there belongs to the gifts of the Holy Spirit a certain efficacy by which all evils are assailed; and there is another efficacy of the gifts by which a man is made ready for all goods. And because strength is in horns, therefore he calls those gifts by which evils are assailed *horns*. And because the power that makes ready is in the eyes, therefore he calls those gifts by which a man is made ready for all goods *eyes*. — There are seven sins which are assailed by the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. The first is the sin of *pride*, the second sin is *envy*, the third *anger*, the fourth *sloth*, the fifth *avarice*, the sixth is *gluttony* and the seventh is *lust*.

3. These vices are driven out by the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, and seven virtues are brought in, which Christ taught when he set out the foundations of salvation on the mountain. The first virtue is *voluntary poverty*, of which it is said in the Gospel: *Blessed are the poor in spirit.* The second is *meekness* or *mildness*, of which in the Gospel: *Blessed are the meek* etc. The third is *mourning*, of which in the Gospel: *Blessed are they that mourn.* The fourth is *hunger for justice*, of which in the Gospel: *Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice.* The fifth is *mercy*, of which in the Gospel: *Blessed are the merciful.* The sixth virtue is *cleanness of heart*, of which in the Gospel: *Blessed are the clean of heart.* And the seventh is *peace*, of which in the Gospel: *Blessed are the peacemakers.* — Through these seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, signified by the seven horns, the seven mortal sins are destroyed and the seven virtues are brought in. The gift of *fear* destroys pride and brings in the good of poverty; the gift of *piety* destroys envy and brings in meekness or mildness of soul; the gift of *knowledge* destroys wrath and brings in the gift of mourning — nothing is so contrary to wrath as a serene mind — the gift of *fortitude* destroys sloth and brings in hunger for justice; the gift of *counsel* destroys avarice and brings in mercy; the gift of *understanding* destroys gluttony and brings in cleanness of heart; the gift of *wisdom* destroys lust and brings in peace. — And so through the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit all evils are destroyed and all goods are brought in.

4. These seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are touched upon in the Lord's Prayer. These gifts are not to be had except from the Father of lights; therefore Christ, willing to teach us how we may obtain them, teaches us to ask for them in the Lord's Prayer. In the first part the gift of *fear* is asked for, when he says: *Our Father, who art in heaven; hallowed be thy name.* Secondly *piety* is asked for, when he says: *Thy kingdom come.* Thirdly the gift of *knowledge* is asked for, when he says: *Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.* Fourthly the gift of *fortitude* is asked for, when he says: *Give us this day our daily bread. Bread strengthens man's heart*. Fifthly the gift of *counsel* is asked for, when he says: *And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.* Sixthly the gift of *understanding* is asked for, when he says: *And lead us not into temptation.* Seventhly the gift of *wisdom* is asked for, when he says: *But deliver us from evil. Amen.*

5. In the first our *sanctification* is asked for, and this through the gift of fear, when he says: *Our Father, who art in heaven; hallowed be thy name.* Isaiah: *Sanctify the Lord of hosts, and he himself shall be your dread and your fear.* In the second the *consummation* of human salvation is asked for, which is not had except through the gift of piety; *judgment without mercy be to him that hath not done mercy*. That gift is touched upon when he says: *Thy kingdom come.* In the third part the *fulfilling* of the divine law is asked for, through the gift of knowledge, which teaches us to do good and to shun evil. This gift is touched upon when he says: *Thy will be done* etc. In the fourth part the *refreshment* of everlasting strength is asked for, and through this the gift of *strength* or *fortitude*, when he says: *Give us this day our daily bread. Bread strengthens man's heart*. In the fifth the *remission* of sin is asked for through the gift of counsel, when he says: *And forgive us our debts, as* etc. In the sixth petition the *driving off* of the enemy's deceit is asked for through the gift of *understanding*, when he says: *And lead us not into temptation.* In the seventh petition the *subjugation* of carnal concupiscence is asked for through the gift of wisdom, when he says: *But deliver us from evil. Amen.* It is impossible for the soul to tame its own flesh unless it be filled with the gift of wisdom. To speak of these would take long.

6. *Come, children* etc. These words are the Prophet David's, in which he invites the sons of God's grace and the sons of adoption to learn this lesson; and he invites not only the little ones, but also the grown, and the old, and the decrepit. This is the one lesson which ought to be taught in youth and never forsaken. Hence in Ecclesiasticus: *Keep the fear of the Lord and grow old therein.* And in Tobias it is said that Tobias begot a son whom from his infancy he taught to fear God. This lesson, then, belongs to all. It is true that holy Scripture speaks of the fear of the Lord; and the fear of the Lord is handed down in holy Scripture. The preacher does as a man does who is in a meadow and gathers flowers; he cannot gather them all, but he gathers some and makes

a garland from them. It is said in Ecclesiasticus: *The crown of wisdom is to fear the Lord.* I want to make you a garland of the flowers I have gathered, which I mean to hand you for the present. It seems to me that the fear of the Lord is a most beautiful tree planted in the heart of a holy man, which God waters continually; and when the tree is grown full, then a man is worthy of eternal glory. I want to describe for you the *root* of that tree and its *branching* together with its *fruit*. — I want to tell you three things to be considered here, that I may learn along with you to fear God. I want to describe for you what is the *origin* of divine fear, what its *usefulness*, and what its *perfection*.

7. And what is the root of the fear of the Lord? For we must go to the original principle, that we may know by what way the fear of God arises in us. Now the fear of God arises in us, first, from the consideration of *the loftiness of the divine power*; secondly, from the consideration of *the penetration of the divine wisdom*; thirdly, from the consideration of *the severity of the divine vengeance*. — First, I say, the fear of God arises in us from the consideration of the divine power. Hence in Jeremiah: *There is none like to thee, O Lord, thou art great, and great is thy name in might; who shall not fear thee, O king of the nations? For thine is the glory; among all the wise men of the nations and in all their kingdoms who is like to thee?* He puts first the greatness of the divine power, when he says: *There is none like to thee, O Lord* etc.; whence in the book of Wisdom: *As a drop of the morning dew, so is the whole world before thee.* Therefore *who shall not fear thee*, unless the impious and the fool? Wherefore it is also said in Malachi: *The son honoureth the father and the servant his master; if then I be a father, where is my honour? And if I be a master, where is my fear?* If a man is impious, he needs punishment; if he is a fool, he needs sense. That it is the height of folly not to fear, the Lord says in Jeremiah: *Hear,* he says, *O foolish people, that have no heart; who having eyes see not, and ears and hear not. Will you not then fear me, and will you not be sorry at my face? who have set the sand a bound to the sea, an everlasting ordinance which it shall not pass over. Will you not fear me?* — I say, then, that fear arises in us first from the consideration of the divine power.

8. But secondly the fear of the Lord arises in us from the consideration of *the penetration of the divine wisdom*. Hence Job: *For he is alone; and no man can turn away his thoughts. And therefore I am troubled at his face, and considering him, I am disquieted with fear.* — *He is alone,* that is, he has being from himself alone, and all other things from him. And as all things flow from the first being, so God is the cause of all. Therefore if God is the cause of all, there is no creature that is not naked before his eyes, since he sees and looks into the thoughts of men. Therefore Job, in the person of a man considering the divine wisdom weighing all things, says: *Considering him, I am disquieted with fear.* Hence on that verse of the Psalm: *Who looketh upon the earth and maketh it tremble* etc., the Gloss says: "Then does God look upon the earth and make it tremble, when he enlightens the earthly man with the regard of his grace and turns him to his original principle, by which all things are begun and governed. And then a man trembles." — Therefore a man ought to consider much what he thinks, what he speaks and what he does; because God sees all. Hence Boethius in the book *On Consolation* says: "A great necessity of uprightness is laid upon you, if you will not dissemble it, since you do all things in the sight of a judge who discerns all things." And in Esther it is said: *I saw thee, my Lord, as an angel of God, and my heart was troubled for fear of thy glory; for thou art very wonderful, my Lord, and thy face is full of graces.* — *I saw thee, my Lord, as an angel of God.* An angel sees and looks around at all things, approves what is good and condemns what is evil; likewise, an angel loves the good and hates the evil.

9. The third origin of the fear of the Lord is from the consideration of *the severity of the divine vengeance*. Hence in Habakkuk: *O Lord, I have heard thy hearing and was afraid. I have heard, and my bowels were troubled; my lips trembled at the voice. Let rottenness enter into my bones and swarm beneath me, that I may rest in the day of tribulation.* He says: *I have heard thy hearing and was afraid,* namely, that hearing, when

it shall be said: *Depart, ye cursed, into everlasting fire.* He says: *Let rottenness enter into my bones, and swarm beneath me; that I may rest in the day of tribulation.* Not only *in the day of tribulation*, that is, of the severity of the last judgment, but of any other judgment whatsoever, since the judgments of God are many. Hence the Psalm: *Pierce thou my flesh with thy fear, for I am afraid of thy judgments.*

10. For there are seven judgments of God; six are in the present, and the seventh is in death, and that one will be doubled. — The first judgment of God is that of *binding;* the second judgment is that of *blinding;* the third judgment of God is that of *obstinacy;* the fourth judgment of God is that of *abandonment;* the fifth is that of *scattering;* the sixth is that of *despair*, and the seventh is that of *condemnation.* — The first, I say, judgment of God is that of *binding*, because the sinner, when he sins, is stripped of the gratuitous gifts and wounded in the natural ones. And so the sinner is bound with two chains, namely *a bent towards evil* and *a difficulty towards good.* With these two chains the sinner is bound into the hands of the devil, as Peter was bound into the hands of Herod. — After that judgment there follows another judgment, namely the judgment of *blinding*, which is figured in the book of Judges, where it is said that the Philistines, when they had taken Samson, put out his eyes and made him grind at the mill. For by sin a man has darkness in his mind, so that he reckons sin as nothing; he thinks light to be darkness and darkness light, because he has his spiritual eyes blinded.

11. The third judgment of God is the judgment of *obstinacy*, namely when a man's heart can be softened neither by promises nor by threats nor by scourges nor by torments. Of such a one it is said: *His heart shall be hardened as a stone.* Lot's wife was turned into stone. I would rather that my heart were turned into stone than that it should be so hardened. — The fourth judgment of God is the judgment of *abandonment*, namely when God abandons a man and exposes him to every temptation and sin. The Psalm: *When my strength shall fail, do not thou forsake me,* O Lord. *Depart not from me.* It is a great danger when a father exposes his son in the midst of wolves. — The fifth judgment of God is the judgment of *scattering*, when all that a man does is scattered. He says nothing aright, does nothing prosperous, nothing well-ordered; nay, all that he does is wicked.

12. The sixth judgment of God is the judgment of *despair*, namely when the Lord takes hope away from a man, and the man believes himself to be deprived of eternal glory. Of such it is said: *Despairing, they have given themselves up to lasciviousness, unto the working of all uncleanness, unto covetousness.* This is the most horrible judgment. Into this judgment Judas fell; and this judgment is the greatest, so that in the present life no greater can be given. — The seventh judgment is in death, namely the judgment of *condemnation*. When a man dies in mortal sin, he is separated for ever from eternal glory, and the soul is condemned to eternal fire until the end of the world, and then he will be punished in the body as well. Hence the Apostle says: *Dreadful is the expectation of judgment.* Habakkuk feared *that* judgment, but David feared *all* the judgments of God; whence he said: *For I am afraid of thy judgments.*

13. Gather up, then, these three considerations, namely the consideration of *the loftiness of the divine power*, the consideration of *the penetration of the divine wisdom* and the consideration of *the severity of the divine vengeance*. And who will there be who will not fear? Hence Job says: *I have always feared God as waves swelling over me, and I could not bear his weight.* If you were in a small boat, when the waves were coming over the boat on every side, you could not *flee*, because the waves would be everywhere; you could not *hide*, because you could not conceal yourself, as a man hides himself from lightning; nor could you *resist*, because you would have nothing that *you could set against the wave.* Gather up these three; if it were so with you, you would fear greatly. And Job says: *I have always feared God as waves swelling over me.* And why? I cannot *flee*, because of the loftiness of the divine power; for *if I ascend into heaven, thou art there; if I descend into hell, thou art present; if I take my wings early in the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me*. Likewise, I cannot *hide*, because of the penetration of the divine wisdom, since God sees all. Likewise, I cannot *resist*, because of the severity of the divine vengeance, since he who sins is punished by an eternal judgment. Hence in the Gospel: *Fear not them that kill the body and after that have no more that they can do; but I will show you whom you shall fear; fear him who, after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell.* It is necessary, therefore, that we fear God. I would rather be for seven thousand years in the greatest pain there is in the world than bear the least eternal pain; the Apostle: *It is a fearful thing*

*to fall into the hands of the living God,* because God afflicts for ever. — Behold, the *origin* of the fear of God. Consider the loftiness of the divine power, the penetration of the divine wisdom and the severity of the divine vengeance, that you may fear God.

14. But what *usefulness* is there in fearing God? Tobias says: *Fear not, my son; we lead indeed a poor life, but we shall have many good things, if we fear God.* The fear of God avails for three things, namely for obtaining the *inflowing* of the divine *grace*, for bringing in the *rectitude* of the divine *justice* and for gaining the *illumination* of the divine *wisdom.* In these three *all good things* are comprehended.

15. The first, I say, usefulness of the fear of God is that the fear of God avails for obtaining the *inflowing of the divine grace.* Hence Isaiah: *To whom shall I have respect but to the poor little one and to him that is contrite in spirit and trembleth at my words?* However powerful, rich, learned and strong a man may be, unless he fears God, it avails him nothing. Hence the Psalm: *He shall not take pleasure in the strength of the horse, nor will he be well pleased with the legs of a man; the Lord is well pleased with them that fear him, and with them that hope in his mercy;* and the Apostle to the Philippians: *With fear and trembling work out your salvation. For it is God who worketh in you both to will and to accomplish, according to his good will.* We cannot have the grace of God save through the fear of God, since *the mercy of the Lord is from eternity and unto eternity upon them that fear him*. No one receives the grace of God save he who fears God. Bernard: "In truth I have learned that nothing is so effective for deserving, keeping and multiplying the grace of God as that you should at all times be found before God not to be high-minded, but to fear. Fear, then, when grace has smiled upon you; fear, when it has gone away; fear, when it returns again." He who has not grace ought greatly to fear for himself; likewise, if the Lord gives a man back the grace he has lost, he ought greatly to fear for himself, lest he lose it and become ungrateful, and *the last state of that man become worse than the first*. — The fear of God, then, avails for obtaining the *inflowing of the divine grace.*

16. Secondly the fear of God avails for bringing in the *rectitude of the divine justice.* Hence Ecclesiasticus: *The fear of the Lord driveth out sin. For he that is without fear cannot be justified.* Injustice does not enter the soul save through sin; but the first justification of the soul is that it be subject to the divine loftiness. When that fear is destroyed, it must be that what comes after is destroyed too. For this reason it is said in Ecclesiasticus: *Son, when thou comest to the service of God, stand in justice and in fear and prepare thy soul for temptation;* and Ecclesiasticus says: *If thou dost not hold thyself diligently in the fear of the Lord, thy house shall quickly be overthrown.* Consider David, who says: *Serve ye the Lord in fear, and rejoice unto him with trembling.*

17. Thirdly the fear of God avails for gaining the *illumination of the divine wisdom*, since *the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord*. For the fear of the Lord is the *extrinsic beginning* and the *intrinsic beginning* of wisdom, and the *completion* of wisdom; because there is a *servile* fear, and this is what initiates wisdom, since, as the bristle draws in the thread and does not remain with the thread, so servile fear draws in wisdom and does not remain with wisdom. Another is the fear of vengeance and of offending God; and this is the *intrinsic* beginning of wisdom and the *root of wisdom.* The third is the fear of filial reverence; and this is the *completion* of wisdom, since *the fullness of wisdom is to fear God.*

18. These three things fear works in us, since *the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord;* and *the root of wisdom is to fear God,* and *the fullness of wisdom is to fear God;* Job: *Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom.* He who does not fear God knows nothing. And because the fear of the Lord avails for these three things, namely for obtaining the inflowing of the divine wisdom, for bringing in the rectitude of the divine justice and for gaining the illumination of the divine wisdom; therefore Ecclesiasticus says: *The fear of the Lord is like a paradise of blessing.* And Solomon in Proverbs: *The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to turn men away from the ruin of death;* Jeremiah: *Know thou and see that it is an evil and a bitter thing for thee to have left the Lord thy God, and that my fear is not with thee.* If you do not fear God, you have lost grace, you have lost justice and you have lost true wisdom. *See*, then, *how evil and bitter a thing it is for thee to have left the Lord thy God.* Where there is no fear, there is no wisdom nor justice nor grace. The Psalm: *Their throat is an open sepulchre, the venom of asps is under their lips, with their tongues they acted deceitfully, their feet are swift to shed blood; whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness, destruction and unhappiness are in their ways* etc.*; there is no*

*fear of God before their eyes.* When a man has not the fear of God, then his *sense* is turned to malice and goes forth like the venom of asps. Hence he says: *Their throat is an open sepulchre, the venom of asps is under their tongue.* Iniquity *in deed* follows; whence he says: *With their tongues they acted deceitfully, their feet are swift to shed blood.* When a man is disordered in *affection* as regards his thinking, in *speech* as regards his talking and in *deed* as regards his doing, then he has nothing good. Hence he says: *Their feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and unhappiness are in their ways, and the way of peace they have not known,* namely the way of the grace of the Holy Spirit. And why? Because *there is no fear of God before their eyes.* — Let us make a demonstration by way of the impossible. If you wish to strive to have grace, justice and wisdom, and these cannot be had without fear: therefore the fear of God is necessary for you. Again, where there is no fear, there is folly, malice and iniquity, *destruction and unhappiness;* but these are to be fled from as the worst of things: therefore etc. — Having considered, then, the *origin* and the *usefulness* of the fear of the Lord, you ought to strive to have the fear of God.

19. The third part of the fear of the Lord concerns the *perfection* of the fear of God. Now the perfection of the fear of God consists in three things, namely in the perfect *sanctification* and cleansing *of the conscience*, in the perfect *readiness of obedience* and in the perfect *firmness of confidence.* — First, I say, the perfection of the fear of God consists in the perfect *sanctification* or cleansing *of the conscience*. Hence the Apostle to the Corinthians: *Let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of the flesh and of the spirit, perfecting sanctification in the fear of God.* And how shall we perfect sanctification? It is said in Ecclesiasticus: *They that fear the Lord will prepare their hearts and in his sight will sanctify their souls; saying: if we do not penance, we shall fall into the hands of the Lord and not into the hands of men.* The Apostle to the Romans: *Knowest thou not that the benignity of God leadeth thee to penance? But according to thy hardness and impenitent heart thou treasurest up to thyself wrath in the day of wrath and of the revelation of the just judgment of God.* — *They that fear the Lord will prepare their hearts,* that is, they will hold back and cease from sins. Let us come, then, to the cleansing of the conscience. It is a wonder how a man can stand in mortal sin. When a man gets into his bed, he gets into a grave. I do not believe that a man gets into his bed unless he hopes that, if he should die, God will have mercy on his soul. I have seen it in spiritual men, that when they had some slight venial sin, they could hardly sleep. If I had a lion bound to me, how could I sleep? The enemy holds you bound, if you are in mortal sin. Rise up, then, and sanctify your soul. Do not halve your confession, but confess most perfectly and most completely. Let the fear of the Lord lead you to this.

20. Another part of the perfection of the fear of the Lord consists in the perfect *readiness of obedience.* Hence in the book of Paralipomenon: *Let the fear of the Lord be with you, and do all things with diligence;* as if to say: do not be slack or negligent, since it is written in Ecclesiastes: *He that feareth God neglecteth nothing.* If I believed that a thief was going to get into my chamber and carry off the treasure, I would not leave the window open. You ought always to fear God, since *whosoever shall keep the whole law, but offend in one point, is become guilty of all*. And in Deuteronomy it is said: *And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but that thou fear him and keep all his commandments and walk in his ways?* And Solomon says: *Fear God and keep his commandments; this is all man,* that is, the perfect man. Therefore if you wish to be perfect, fear God.

21. The third part of the perfection of the fear of the Lord consists in the perfect *firmness of confidence;* since the fear of the Lord is a tower of firmness and confidence, because it makes a man secure from every other fear. The Psalm: *His truth shall compass thee with a shield; thou shalt not be afraid of the terror of the night, of the arrow that flieth in the day, of the business that walketh about in the dark, of invasion or of the noonday devil.* And in Proverbs: *The fear of the Lord is a tower of strength.* He who does not fear God must fear everywhere; and he who truly fears God has what no one can take from him. But he who fears something other than God has what must be taken from him. He who fears God cannot lose God. It is not so with money. If a man has money, he fears to lose it, and he is sure that he will lose it. But he who fears God is secure everywhere. *How great is the multitude of thy sweetness, O Lord, which thou hast hidden for them that fear thee*; and there follows: *Thou hast perfected it for them that hope in thee.* Therefore the fear of God ought to be perfect, since *it shall be well with them that fear God,* because they will come to the blessing of glory, to which may he lead us who with the Father etc.

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