AC 3718 - Two Kinds of Fear

AC 3718

Speaking generally, "fear" is of two kinds --
fear in what is not sacred,
and fear in what is sacred;
fear in what is not sacred
is the fear in which are the wicked;
but fear in what is sacred
is the fear in which are the good.
This latter fear (to wit that in which are the good)
is called reverential or sacred fear,
and is the result of
our wonder at and longing for
what is Divine,
and also of our love.
Love that is devoid of reverential or sacred fear
is as it were devoid of savor,
or is like food unseasoned with salt,
and consequently insipid;
but love that is attended with fear
is like food that is seasoned,
but yet does not taste of salt.
The fear of love is a fear of
injuring the Lord in any way,
or of injuring the neighbor in any way,
thus of injuring what is good and true in any way,
and consequently
of injuring the sacred things of love and faith
and the consequent worship.
But this fear is various,
and is not the same
with one person as with another.
Speaking generally,
the greater the amount of the love of good and truth,
the greater the fear of injuring them;
and yet in the same proportion
this fear does not appear to be fear;
whereas the less the amount
of the love of good and truth,
the less the fear on their account,
and the less this fear appears to be love,
but appears to be fear;
consequently, with such the fear of hell.
And where there is nothing
of the love of good and truth,
there is nothing of reverential or sacred fear;
but only fear of the loss
of honor, of gain, of reputation for the sake of these,
and also of penalties and death;
which fear is external,
and chiefly affects the body
and the natural person and its thoughts;
whereas the former fear,
that is, reverential or sacred fear,
chiefly affects the spirit,
that is, the internal person, and its conscience.