Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 1533
Delivered on Tuesday Evening, March 9, 1880
“Fear not.” Revelation 1:17.
“FEAR not” is a plant which grows very plentifully in God’s garden. If you look through the lily beds of Scripture you will continually find, by the side of other flowers, the sweet, “Fear nots” peering out from doctrines and precepts even as violets look up from their hiding among places of green leaves. “Fear nots” bloomed in the old times at the feet of Abraham when he returned from fighting with the kings. Melchisedec blessed him and the Lord comforted him. The Patriarch might have been half afraid that he would always lead a troubled life, now that he had once drawn the sword. But the Lord came to him in vision and said, “Fear not, Abram. I am your shield and your exceedingly great reward.” If he had to undergo a soldier’s toils, he should have a soldier’s shield and a soldier’s pay and both should be exceedingly great, for he should find them both in God!
After you have been fighting battles for Christ you may feel weary and worried and then your great Melchisedec will refresh you with bread and wine and whisper in your ear, “Fear not.” A “Fear not” was spoken to Isaac when he had dug wells and the Philistines fought for them and he, like the meek soul that he was, gave them up, one by one, to avoid a conflict. At last he settled down at Beersheba and there the Lord appeared unto him and said, “Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you.” He was a feeble man and, therefore, the Lord dealt tenderly with him. If any of you are meek and quiet spirits and rather apt to tremble exceedingly, may the Lord often give you a blessed, “Fear not” to wear in your bosoms that its fragrance may comfort your hearts.
Then there was Jacob. You know how troubled his life was, but when he heard that his beloved son whom he thought was dead was alive in Egypt and was clothed with glory and that he had sent for him to go down to see him, he was afraid to go till the Lord said to him, “Fear not to go down into Egypt,” and gave him this encouraging promise, “I will go down with you into Egypt.” If any of you are making a great change in life and moving, perhaps, to the very ends of the earth, “fear not to go down into Egypt!” Should God command you to go to the utmost edge of the green earth, to rivers unknown to you, yet if He bids you go, fear not to go down into Egypt, for certainly He will be with you!
The Israelites at the Red Sea were afraid of Pharaoh and then the Lord said to them, “Fear not, stand still and see the salvation of God.” If you are brought to a pass tonight and know not what to do, take the advice of Holy Scripture and, “Fear not”—“stand still and see the salvation of God.” As we observe the Scriptures we perceive that “Fear nots” are scattered throughout the Bible as the stars are sprinkled over the whole of the sky. But when we come to Isaiah, we find constellations of them! When I was a boy I learned Dr. Watts’ Catechism and I am glad I did. One of its questions runs thus, “Who was Isaiah?” And the answer is, “He was that Prophet who spoke more of Jesus Christ than all the rest.”
Very well and for that very reason—that he spoke more of Jesus Christ than all the rest—he is richest in comfort to the people of God and continually he is saying, “Fear not.” Here are a few of his antidotes for the fever of fear—“Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not.” “Fear you not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God.” “Fear not, I will help you.” “Fear not, you worm Jacob.” “Fear not, I have redeemed you.” “Fear not, for you shall not be ashamed; neither be you confounded, for you shall not be put to shame” and so on. I was going to say, “world without end.” So abundant are these, “Fear nots,” that they grow like the king-cups and the daisies and other sweet flowers of the meadows among which the little children in the springtime delight themselves. As to gathering them all, no one would attempt the task. The bank that is fullest of these beautiful flowers is that which Isaiah has cast up—go there and pluck them for yourselves.
Now I gather from the plentifulness of “Fear nots,” even in the Old Testament, that the Lord does not wish His people to be afraid. I gather that He is glad to see His people full of courage and especially that He does not love them to be afraid of Him. He would have His children treat Him with confidence. Slavish fear may be thought to be congenial to the Old Testament and yet it is not so, for there the Lord cries to His chosen, “Fear not.” When we come into the New Testament, there we see God coming more familiarly to men than ever before—not descending upon Paran with 10,000 flaming chariots, setting the mountain on a blaze—but coming down to Bethlehem in an Infant’s form with angels chanting the joyful words, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.”