Fortitude founded upon the fear of God.

GUARDIAN, No. 167.

1.  Looking over the late edition of Monsieur Boileau’s works, I was very much pleased with the article which he has added to his notes on the translation of Longinus.  He there tells us, that the sublime in writing rises either from the nobleness of the thought, the magnificence of the words, or the harmonious and lively turn of the phrase, and that the perfect sublime rises from all these three in conjunction together.  He produces an instance of this perfect sublime in four verses from the Athalia of Monsieur Racine.

2.  When Abner, one of the chief officers of the court, represents to Joad the high priest, that the queen was incensed against him, the high priest, not in the least terrified at the news, returns this answer: 

Celui que met un frein a la fureur des flots, Scait aussi des mechans arreter les complots; Soumis avecs respect a sa volutte sainte, Je crains Dieu, cher Abner, & n’ai point d’autre crainte.

3.  ’He who ruleth the raging of the sea, knows also how to check the designs of the ungodly.  I submit myself with reverence to his holy will.  O Abner!  I fear my God, and I fear none but him.’  Such a thought gives no less a solemnity to human nature, than it does to good writing.

4.  This religious fear, when it is produced by just apprehensions of a divine power, naturally overlooks all human greatness that stands in competition with it, and extinguishes every other terror that can settle itself in the heart of a man:  it lessens and contracts the figure of the most exalted person:  it disarms the tyrant and executioner, and represents to our minds the most enraged and the most powerful as altogether harmless and impotent.

5.  There is no true fortitude which is not founded upon this fear, as there is no other principle of so settled and fixed a nature.  Courage that grows from constitution, very often forsakes a man when he has occasion for it; and when it is only a kind of instinct in the soul, breaks out on all occasions without judgment or discretion.  That courage which proceeds from a sense of our duty, and from a fear of offending him that made us, acts always in an uniform manner, and according to the dictates of right reason.

6.  What can a man fear who takes care in all his actions to please a Being that is omnipotent; a Being who is able to crush all his adversaries; a Being that can divert any misfortune from befalling him, or turn any such misfortune to his advantage?  The person who lives with this constant and habitual regard to the great superintendant of the world, is indeed sure that no real evil can come into his lot.

7.  Blessings may appear under the shape of pains, losses and disappointments, but let him have patience, and he will see them in their proper figures.  Dangers may threaten him, but he may rest satisfied that they will either not reach him, or that if they do, they will be the instruments of good to him.  In short, he may lock upon all crosses and accidents, sufferings and afflictions, as means which are made use of to bring him to happiness.