natural order of things. That which we need ourselves to learn more perfectly and to teach others (for if through his own disciples our Lord cannot teach others, through whom can he teach them?) is this, that religion is not a mere fringe added to the garment of life; that it is not a mere ornament, pretty but practically useless; but that, as Browning puts it, it is everything or nothing. It is what the spirit in man is to this outer body, this "body of our humiliation," as Paul styles it. It is the vitalizing principle. When the spirit of man leaves the body, the spirit is not destroyed. It recognizes itself immediately as in a spirit-world which at once becomes objective to it as this world is to our physical sight. The spirit is not destroyed. It finds other and higher embodiment according to its necessities, but the body itself immediately becomes disorganized. It is no longer capable of any uses and we are compelled to say: "Bury my dead out of my sight." And so, I repeat, and this is the thought for which I would get clear and distinct recognition, that to attack religion is not to destroy religion, but it is to attack and disorganize everything else -personal life, domestic life, civil life, political life. It is to take the regenerating element out of them all and thus inevitably they become corrupt. XVIII' LAW AND GRACE The word "grace" we got from the French. The French got it from the Old Romans. The Greek form of the word is Χάρις, connected with Χαίρω, I rejoice. So that the word in its etymology means that which gives joy and pleasure, that which is delightful. Hence at a very early period of its career as a word, it was applied to that which was beautiful. Beauty is delightful. A beautiful movement of the body is graceful. If a dress is beautiful in its fabric and if it fits beautifully, it is graceful. But there is beauty of character, beauty of moral feeling and acting, and this beauty is fitted to give delight and joy. Hence Greeks, Latins, French, and English called it grace. Kindness and loving-kindness is grace. There is still another application of the word, as when we say grace before meals. The very same word stands for gratitude. Gratitude is graceful. It is grace. Gratitude is a grace delightful to God. 1 Under the caption of this sermon, Dr. Thomas wrote, “Suggestion from Jowett." How the suggestion came, whether by personal conversation or by reading, the editor is not able to say. It would seem that Dr. Thomas would wish to have this credit published with the sermon. |