Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul… There are two kinds of fear. 1. A fear of solicitous anxiety, such as makes us let go our confidence in God's providence, causing our thoughts so to dwell upon the dreadfulness of the thing feared as to despair of a deliverance. And with such a kind of fear Christ absolutely forbids us to fear those that kill the body; it being very derogatory to God, as if His mercy did not afford as great arguments for our hope as the cruelty of man for our fear. 2. The second kind of fear is a prudential caution, whereby a man, from the due estimate of an approaching evil, endeavours his own security. And this kind of fear is not only lawful, but also laudable. For, to what purpose should God have naturally implanted in the heart of man a passion of fear, if it might not be exercised and affected with suitable objects — that is, things to be feared? Now under this sort of fear we may reckon that to which Christ advises His disciples in these expressions — "Beware of men," and " Flee from one city into another. (R. South, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. |
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