But, my brother, why should you thus think of God, and so fear to think of the future? Read only what the Bible says of Him, and learn what true Christians know of Him, and listen honestly to how your own conscience responds to all you hear about Him, and then consider whether you can conceive of one more glorious in his character, or more worthy of your love. Peruse the history of Jesus Christ, and tell me anything He ever said or did calculated to fill your heart with fear or hate towards Him,--and remember, that he who sees Him sees the Father. Think of all Jesus suffered as our atoning Saviour, and all "to bring us to God." Think of all God has promised to those who will only trust Him through Jesus,--the pardon of all sin, and the gift of a new heart; with everything which can do them good, or make them happy; and say, How can this make you dislike God? Think of all He has given you since you were born,--friends and relations, health of body, powers of mind, much time, many happy days, innumerable mercies and sources of enjoyment; think how liberally, ungrudgingly, He has opened His hand; think what patience, forbearance, kindness, He has shewn, and what the eternal future has in store for all who love Him; and tell me, What has _He_ done to make you dislike Him? Reflect on what He _could_ have done and could do, if He disliked you as you dislike Him, and say, How can you continue in your enmity? O my brother, "Only believe!" Believe that "God _is_ love." Believe that "in this is manifested the love of God, that He gave His Son to be a propitiation for our sins." Believe that He willeth not that any should perish,--that He has no pleasure in the death of sinners,--that He is ready to forgive,--that this is the record, that "God hath given eternal life." Believe--trust in God for the good, the whole good, the most perfect good, that of a child's heart and sincere love towards Him, which He seeks in you--trust God for this through faith in Christ, and in the mighty power of that Spirit who is love; and depend upon it, when you _know God_, and see how excellent He is, and understand His love to you, and what He is willing to make you, and to give you, and, above all, when you know what _He himself will be to you_ for ever, you surely cannot choose but Him! and "_there is no fear in love; because fear hath torment!_" MOMENTS IN LIFE. By moments in life, I mean certain periods which occur more or less frequently in our history,--when the spirit in which we then live, the step we then take, the word we then utter, or what we at that moment think, resolve, accept, reject, do, or do not, may give a complexion to our whole future being both here and hereafter. Let me notice one or two features which characterise those moments.