Let the fear of danger be a spur to prevent it he that fears not, gives advantage to the danger.

Quarles contrasts prudent fear with reckless bravado. “Fear of danger” is not presented as cowardice but as a useful stimulus—an internal alarm that prompts foresight, preparation, and restraint. When fear functions as a “spur,” it helps one anticipate hazards and take preventive action before harm occurs. By contrast, the person who “fears not” is not necessarily courageous; Quarles implies that heedlessness creates openings for misfortune, effectively granting “advantage” to danger. The aphorism reflects a moralizing, practical strain in early modern devotional and emblematic writing: passions are to be governed and redirected toward virtue, and even negative emotions can be instrumentally valuable when disciplined by reason.