And I trembled in myself.
Horror of God
I. It is an abnormal state of mind. The benevolent character of God, and the moral constitution of the soul are sufficient to show that it was never intended that man should ever dread his Maker or be touched with any servile feelings in relation to Him. Unbounded confidence, cheerful trust, loyal love, these are the normal states of mind in relation to the Creator. How has the abnormal state arisen? The history of the Fall shows this. “I heard Thy voice in the garden and was afraid.”
II. It is an unnecessary state of mind. God is not terrible. There is nothing in Him to dread. His voice to man--
1. In all nature is, “Be not afraid.”
2. In all true philosophy. Things show benevolence of intention.
3. In all true Christianity. The Christianity of Christ reveals Him as love, and love only.
III. It is a pernicious state of mind. It is pernicious to the body. Horrific feeling is inimical to physical health. But dread of God is even more pernicious to the soul.
1. It destroys its peace.
2. It depresses its powers.
3. It distorts its view.
It is fear that has given men that Calvinian Deity which frightens the millions away from the glorious Gospel of the blessed God. (Homilist.).
I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble.
Trembling into rest
We know things which do tremble that they may rest--the magnet, the planet, the bird, the heart. Do not regard this text as any melancholy and prophetic foreboding. It is a wise repression of a too vehement self-consciousness--the assurance that our labour is not guaranteed by our present exuberance, but by a wise and thoughtful fear. Wise fear is forethought and safety. This prayer of Habakkuk grounds the hope of future mercy on the remembrance of the past; it is the history of a state of humbled feeling, and a hope from this to rest in the day of trouble.
I. The principle of fear is excited by the sense of God. Job said, “When I consider, I am afraid of Him.” When we think wisely and thoughtfully of God we may well tremble. It is the dictate of natural religion.
II. There is a use in this trembling which the Holy Spirit recognises. The apostle says, “Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men”; and this is ever the effect of this. Fear not to paralyse. There is a wise and healthy trembling. We are often shaken by undefined terrors. There seems nothing to make us afraid; but the spirit is overwhelmed--all within us sinks. You may tremble beneath some highly wrought sermon; but this is different to trembling beneath the Spirit’s touch of power.
III. What is the issue? Rest in the day of trouble. Holy fear is the guardian of the soul; it bears us into real life, into a soothed life. This trembling is a sense of the soul, the vision and knowledge of the soul,--it is all the soul,--it is within, it is ourselves. And as we tremble so we rest. Rest in the day of trouble means that a kingdom of peace is set up in our soul (E. Paxton Hood.)
The prayer of Habakkuk
1. Unfold the maxim which these words contain. Fear, excited by the threatenings of God, issues in “rest,” followed by the mercies of God. As a moral proverb only this maxim is susceptible of much powerful and practical illustration. The maxim presents itself in accordance with the whole Gospel of Christ.
2. The use which the Holy Spirit makes of the threatenings of the Word--the sinner is brought to tremble in himself. It was never designed that the threatenings of the Word should seize on a man with a paralysing grasp. They were intended to subserve the purpose of solemn and salutary warning. Threatening preaching is not in general effective preaching. He who trembles beneath the Spirit’s teaching, trembles in himself. It is an internal shock. There may be no outward sign. The converted man is one who must have trembled in himself.
3. The state into which such trembling conducts a sinner. There is a close connection between the “ trembling” and the “resting.” Let the empire of Satan be overthrown, and the empire of Christ is instantly set up. “The kingdom of God is righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” And must there not be resting then? (Henry Melvill, B. D.)