And thus, unless these affections beset us by reason of our weakness, we should never, for the most part, yield to them unwillingly through grieving or weeping. But we feel them to be necessary to this life precisely because, in this mortal state, we cannot live rightly without them at all. For if a man does not fear or take care lest, as long as he lives in mortal flesh, either he himself or another whom he loves in Christ should fall away from his faith; if he is not saddened over his own sin or his neighbor's, nor grieves over it, nor rejoices and is glad at another's progress, if he wishes or desires nothing good; then not only does he not live rightly, but he even loses the very feeling of his own humanity.
But in that blessed life, to which—once all corruptibility and mortality have been consumed—all who are to be there will come, where there can be no weeping nor any groaning, all the saints will have perfect love, no fear, and everlasting joy. There their will shall be right and their desire none, for in enjoying the heavenly goods to which they had longed to attain, nothing will be lacking to them that they might further covet; and in that region of perpetual security and peace, being perfectly blessed, they shall suffer neither the goads of fear nor of grief.
But that fear which charity does not cast out, but rather nourishes, will perhaps remain forever and ever, because those things to which that very fear has led will remain forever and ever.