by true faith in Christ, the man comes to have Christ's
righteousness--that is, to be loving as Christ was. He believes that
Christ's loving character is perfect beauty; that he must be the Son
of God, if his character be like that. He believes that Christ can
and will fill him with the same spirit of love; and as he believes,
so is it with him, and in him those words are fulfilled, 'Whosoever
shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and
he in God;' and that 'If a man love me,' says the Lord, 'I and my
Father will come to him, and take up our abode with him.' Those are
wonderful words: but if you will recollect what I have just said,
you may understand a little of them. St. John puts the same thing
very simply, but very boldly. 'God is Love,' he says, 'and he that
dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him.' Strange as it
may seem, it must be so if God be love. Let us thank God that it is
true, and keep in mind what awful and wonderful creatures we are,
that God should dwell in us; what blessed and glorious creatures we
may become in time, if we will only listen to the voice of God who
speaks within our hearts.

And what does that voice say? The old commandment, my friends, which
was from the beginning, 'Love one another.' Whatever thoughts or
feeling in your hearts contradict that; whatever tempts you to
despise your neighbour, to be angry with him, to suspect him, to
fancy him shut out from God's love, that is not of God. No voice in
our hearts is God's voice, but what says in some shape or other,
'Love thy neighbour as thyself. Care for him, bear with him long,
and try to do him good.'

For love is of God, and every one that loveth is born of God, and
knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love.