Church of England -- Sermons; Sermons, English -- 19th century
Now, go home with God's blessing. Remember that such as the Son is,
such is the Father, and such is the Holy Ghost. Pray to be made
good fathers, after the likeness of The Father, from whom every
fatherhood in heaven and earth is named; good sons, after the
likeness of God The Son; and good and holy spirits, after the
likeness of The Holy Spirit; and you will be such at last, in God's
good time, as far as man can become like God; for you will be
praying for the Holy Spirit himself, and he will hear you, and come
to you, and abide with you, and all will be well.
SERMON XXII. THE TORMENT OF FEAR
(First Sunday after Trinity.)
1 John iv. 16, 18. And we have known and believed the love that God
hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in
God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may
have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we
in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth
out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made
perfect in love.
The text tells us how to get one of the greatest blessings; a
blessing which all long for, but all do not find; and that is a
happy death. All wish to die happily; even bad men. Like Balaam
when he was committing a great sin, they can say, 'Let me die the
death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his.' But
meanwhile, like Balaam, they find it too hard to live the life of
the righteous, which is the only way to die the death of the
righteous. But something within them (if false preachers will but
leave them alone) tells them that they will not succeed. Reason and
common sense tell them so: for how can a man expect to get to a
place without travelling the road which leads to it? And the Spirit
of God, the Spirit of truth and right, tells them that they will 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
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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