Then he takes to superstition; he runs from preacher to preacher; and what not?—­There is no folly men have not committed, and do not commit still, to rid themselves of that tormenting fear.  But they do not rid themselves of it.  Sermons, church-goings, almsgivings; leaving the Church and turning Dissenters or Roman Catholics; joining this sect and that sect; nothing will rid a man of his superstitious fear:  nothing but believing the blessed message of the text.

And what does the text say?  It says this,—­’God is love.’  God does not hate thee, He loves thee.  He willeth not thy death, O sinner, but rather that thou shouldest turn from thy wickedness and live.  Thy sins have not made Him hate thee:  but only pity thee; pity thy folly, which will lead on the road to death, when He wishes to put thee on the road to life, that thou mayest have boldness in the day of judgment, instead of shrinking from God like a guilty coward.  And what is the way of life?  Surely the way of Christ, who is the life.  Live like Him, and thou wilt not need to fear to die.  So says the text.  We are to have boldness in the day of judgment, because as Christ is, so are we in this world.  And how was, and is, and ever will be, Christ in this world?  Full of love; of brotherly-kindness, charity, forgiveness, peace, and good will to men.  That, says St. John, is the life which brings a joyful death; for God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

Oh consider this, my good friends.  Consider this; lest when you come to die the ghosts of all your sins should rise up at your bedside, and torment you with fear—­the ghosts of every cruel word which you ever spoke against your fellow men; of every kind action which you neglected; as well as of every unjust one which you ever committed.  And, if they do rise up in judgment against you, what must you do?

Cast yourself upon the love of God, and remember that God is love, and so loved us that He sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  Ask Him to forgive you your sins, for the sake of that precious blood which was shed on the cross:  but not that you may keep your sins, and may escape the punishment of them.  God forbid.  What use in having your past sins forgiven, if the sinful heart still remains to run up fresh sins for the future?  No.  Ask Him not merely to forgive the past, but to mend the future; to create in you a new heart, which wishes no ill to any human being, and a right spirit, which desires first and utterly to do right, and is filled with the Holy Spirit of God, the Spirit of love, by which God made and redeemed the world, and all that therein is.

So will all tormenting fears cease.  You will feel yourself in the right way, the way of charity, the way in which Christ walked in this world, and have boldness in the day of judgment, facing death without conceit, indeed, but also without superstitious fear.