eople who have either
never felt or have long lost their power and inspiration, then too it is
deadly dull. When a sharp line, moreover, is made between all the
various influences that elevate us, and place us in presence of the
ideal and spiritual world; when the common relations of life, when art,
poetry, criticism, science; when educated and refining intercourse and
conversation, and all that occupies us on our intellectual sides is
classed as secular, and the only helps to religion that are recognized
are services and creeds and traditions of our particular church, then
such religion cuts itself off from many of its springs, and from most of
its fairest fields, and _is_ barren, and unprofitable, and dull.

You are not likely to make this error. You are perhaps more likely to
make the opposite error, by a natural reaction from this. Because, when
all the world of interest and beauty and human life is opening before
you, you cannot believe that religion is confined to the narrow sphere
of ideas in which it was once thought to consist, and is still sometimes
declared to consist, you may think that you can dispense with that
narrow but central sphere of ideas; and there you are wrong. I am quite
sure that there is no inspiring and sustaining force, which shall make
your lives worthy, comparable to the faith which Christ taught the
world, that we are verily the children of God, and sharers of His Divine
life, heirs of an eternal life in Christ towards which we may press, and
the appointed path to which lies in the highest duties that our daily
life presents and consecrates. On this inspiring power of faith in
Christ I shall not speak to-day. I mean to speak on one only of the
duties which form the path to the higher life, which you may overlook,
and yet which is inherent in religion.

The duty which I shall speak of is the necessity of entering into the
life and needs and sympathies of others; of living not with an eye
exclusively on yourself, but with the constant thought for others. It
is the law of our being that admits of no exception. You may hope that
the law of gravitation will be suspended in your case, and leap out of
the window; but you will suffer for your mistake; and you will be
equally mistaken and equally maim your life, if you think that somehow
the law of the spiritual world would admit of exception, and that you
can win happiness, goodness, and the full tide of life; become the best
that you are capabl