not
succeed: for how can a man win happiness, save by doing right?
Every one shall 'receive the things done in his body, according to
that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.' So says Scripture;
and so say men's own hearts, by the inspiration of God's Holy
Spirit. And therefore such men's fear of death continues. And why?
The text tells us the secret. As long as we do not love God, we
shall be tormented with fear of death. And as long as we do not
love our neighbour, we shall not love God. We may try, as thousands
have tried, and as thousands try still, to love God without loving
their neighbour; to be very religious, and worship God, and sing His
praises, and think over all His mercy to them, and all that he has
done for them, by the death of His blessed Son Jesus Christ; and so
to persuade themselves and God that they love Him, while they keep
in their hearts selfishness, pride, spite, uncharitableness: but
they do not succeed. If they think they succeed, they are only
deceiving themselves. So says St. John. 'He who loveth not his
brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not
seen?' But they cannot deceive themselves long. You will see, if
you watch such people, and still more if you watch yourselves, that
if you do not love your neighbours in spirit and in truth, then
those tormenting fears soon come back again, worse than ever. Ay,
whenever we indulge ourselves in hard words and cruel judgments, the
thought of God seems darkened to us there and then; the face of God
seems turned from us; and peace of mind and brightness of spirit,
and lightness of soul, do not come back to us, till we have
confessed our sins, and have let the kindly, the charitable, the
merciful thoughts rise up in us once more, as, by the grace of
Christ, they will rise up.

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