.
Carior est illis homo quam sibi;"

and that the only sacrifices required of man would be, on the one hand,
the sacrifice of selfish desires, evil tendencies, sinful appetites;
and, on the other hand, the voluntary abnegation of comfortable and
desirable things, in the presence of a noble aim, a great idea, a
generous purpose.

Religion would then become a purely subjective thing; an intense desire
to put the human will in harmony with the Divine will, a hopeful,
generous, and trustful attitude of soul, a determination to receive
suffering and pain as a gift from the Father, as bravely and sincerely
as the gifts of happiness and joy, with a fervent faith that God did
indeed, by implanting in men so ardent a longing for strength and joy,
and so deeply rooted a terror of pain and weakness, imply that He
intended joy, of a purified and elevated kind, to be the ultimate
inheritance of His creatures; and the sacrifice of man would then be
the willing resignation of everything which could in any degree thwart
the ultimate purpose of God.

That I believe from the depths of my heart to be the meaning of the
Christian revelation; and I should look upon the thought of objective
sacrifice as being an unworthy survival from a time when men had little
true knowledge of the Fatherly Heart of God.

And thus, to my mind, the only possible theory of worship is that it is
a deliberate act, an opening of the door that leads to the Heavenly
presence. Any influence is religious which fills the mind with
gratitude and peace, which makes a man humble and patient and wise,
which teaches him that the only happiness possible is to attune and
harmonize his mind with the gracious purpose of God.

And so religion and worship grow to have a larger and wider
significance; for though the solemnities of religion are one of the
doors through which the soul can approach God, yet what is known as
religious worship is only as it were a postern by the side of the great
portals of beauty and nobility and truth. One whose heart is filled
with a yearning mystery at the sight of the starry heavens, who can
adore the splendour of noble actions, courageous deeds, patient
affections, who can see and love the beauty so abundantly shed abroad
in the world, who can be thrilled with ecstasy and joy by art and
music, can at all these moments draw near to God, and open his soul to
the influx of the Divine Spirit.

Religion can only be of avail so long as it