(2) our conception of hie absolute holinese. These grounds are unassailable, and admit of no exo.ggero.tion, so tho.t we cannot fear God too much, though we may fear him in a wrong wo.y. If God's charo.cter be misconcei~ed, if he be viewed as malignant or even as revengeful, then our fear of him, being based upon a wron~ ground, may lead us astray. Such was the 6.. o-,6,11µovl1& of too many in the ancient world, whose deities were objects of feo.r, but not of love., II. IN THEIR RESULTS. 'lne fear of man has no good effect except upon evil-doers, and upon those who but for such fear might become evil-doers. These it may in some degree restrain. But if, so far, it may have a good result, it is apt in other ways tc have results that a.re anything but good. 1. Fear of man causes the m1Jrally weak to follow the bad example of the wicked, who would otherwise ridicule or even persecute them. 2. Fear of man makes feeble and oppressed classes servile, untruthful, cowardly. 3. Fear• of man induces many to keep back their honest convictions, and even applaud the evil courses which in their heart they condemn and dislike. 4. Fear of man bas in some cases led to an abR<1 11;te denial of God and of Christ, making men renegades to their religion, and p:rofessor- of a creed which they detest. 5. On the other band, fear of man may sometimes cause.men to be hypocrites, to pretend to a faith and a piety which they do not possess, if those who have power over them require it. Hence the fear of man is so often condemned in Scripture (eh. xxxv. 4; Ii. 7; Jer. i. 8; Ezek. iii. 9; :Katt. x. 28; Luke xii. 4; 1 Pet. iii. 14, etc.). 'l'he fear of God, if it be of the kind called above 6E1u161&,µ011la, may harden men in sin, or lead them to despair of God's mercy; but if it be the true fear of God, that is to say, if it have an element of love in it, -the reslllts cannot but be excellent. 1. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Ps.-cxi. 10); it restrains from evil in early life (Prov. xvi. 6); it deepens into awe as time goes on; it produces hatred of sin (Prov. viii. 13); it becomes "a fountain of life" (Prov. xiv. 27). 2. They who grow up in the fear of God acquire a solidity and strength of character that nothing else can give; they have a firm foun- dation on which to rest; they" do not fear what flesh can do unto them" (Ps. lvi. 4); they are truthful, manly, brave. And, further, they are reverent. The fear of God checks over-familiarity, begets reserve, produces silence. "Keep thy foot when thou goest into the,.house of God," etc. (Eccles. v. 1, 2). 3. Though" perfect love casteth out fear" (1 John iv. 18), yet" the fear of the •Lord endureth for ever" (Ps. xix. 9). There is no age, however. advanced, that can dispense with it; for no man in this life is ever " perfect in. love." The beloved apostle even represents the fear of God as con- tinuing in heaven. They ,that stood on the sea of glass, having the harps of God, and sang the song of Moses the servant .of God, and the song of the Lamb, before God's throne, exclaimed, "Who shall not/ear thee, 0 Lord, and glorify thy Name?" (Rev. xv. 2-4); and again, when the "great voice of much people was beard fn heaven, saying, Salvation, and glory, .and honour, ,11.nd power, unto-the Lord our God, and tbe four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen, Alleluia, 11. voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye saints, o.nd ye that/ear him, both small o.nd great" (Rev. xix. 1--5).
V~r.11.-Waitingfor God. "Waiting for God" is submitting ourselves to his good· pleasure in respect of time, being content tbo.t he should settle the question, "How long?" and looking still to him from first to last, however extended the term during which our "waiting" has to continue. It is important that we wait- I. PATIENTLY. "I waited patiently for the Lord," says holy Davi<l, "and he incline<l unto me,'and heard my calling" (Ps. xl. 1). A tho:isand years a.re with God as one day, and one day a.a a thousand years-" our age is even as nothing in respect of him" (Ps. :t:xti:x. 6). It is, no doubt, hard for man to be patient, not to weary in well-doing, not to fret at what seems to him useless and unnecessary delay, not to desire to expedite matters and bring about the accomplishment of any end which seems to him good at once. But God's ways are not as our ways. God is never in a hurry. God tri~s· his people by delay, nn<I forms in them the temper of patience, aad "lets it have its perfect work'' (,Jas. i. 4). Goel knows that we "have need of patience" (Heb. :x. 36), o.nd makes our life a discipline of patience, that so we may be the more conl\mnc,l to hia image. II. OHEEBFULLY, It is not enough to wait patiently, unless we also wait cheerfully, 152 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. [on. vnL 1-22,