Yes, my friends, as far as I can see, people are filled with the
peace of God just in as far as they are at peace with their fellow-
men. They are bright, calm, and content, looking forward with
cheerfulness to death, and with a humble and holy boldness to
judgment, just in as far as their hearts are filled with love,
gentleness, kindness, to all that God has made. They dwell in God,
and God in them, and perfect love has cast out fear.
But if a man does not live in love, then sooner or later he will
hear a voice within him, which whispers, Thou art going wrong; and,
if thou art going wrong, how canst thou end at the right place?
None but the right road can end there. The wrong road must lead to
the wrong place.
Then the man gets disturbed and terrified in his mind, and tormented
with fears, as the text says. He knows that the day of judgment is
coming, and he has no boldness to meet it. He shrinks from the
thought of death, of judgment, of God. He thinks--How shall I meet
my God? I do not love my neighbour. I do not love God; and God
does not love me. The truth is, that the man cannot love God even
if he will. He looks on God as his enemy, whom he has offended, who
is coming to take vengeance on him. And, as long as we are afraid
of any one, and fancy that they hate us, and are going to hurt us,
we cannot love them.
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