a
minister of God. All are priests. All are kings. The truth makes us
free: free from all authorities, but the authority of God,--God in the
soul. Christ is our brother, not our master. He is a helper, not a
ruler. And all are helpers of each other. All are saviours. All are
Christs. Inspiration is not a matter of time, or place, or person. It is
eternal and universal. It is in all, and it endures forever. Every good
book is a Bible. Every good hymn or song is a holy psalm. Purity of body
is holiness, as well as purity of mind. Every day is a sabbath, a holy
day. Every place is holy ground. The Church of God is the human race.
All are God's disciples, under training by nature's operations, and by
the events of daily life. The earth is God's great school-house; mankind
are one great school; God is our chief Master; the universe is our
lesson book, and all we are ushers and under teachers. All things are
our helpers, not masters;--our servants, not lords. They are made for
us, not we for them; and must be used so as to make them answer their
ends. The Sabbath was made for man; not man for the Sabbath. Bibles are
for men, not men for Bibles. Governments, churches, authorities, laws,
institutions, customs, events, suns, moons, stars, systems, atoms,
elements, all are made for man, and to man's interest and pleasure they
must be subordinated. All must be changed to meet man's changing wants.
Nothing is entitled to be permanent, but that which answers beneficently
to something permanent in man. Man is lord of the universe. Man is lord
of himself. Man is his own rightful governor. Man is his own law. His
nature is his law. Each individual man is his own law. Individualities
are divine, and must be respected; respected by laws and governments.
Law must yield to individuality; not individuality to law. Individuality
is sacred. The individuality of the individual is his life, and must be
fostered. It is a new manifestation of God. As to means of grace,--all
expressions and interchanges of kind feeling are means of grace. Shaking
hands is a means of grace. Free, friendly talk, a concert or a song, a
social ride, a family feast, a social gathering, a pleasant chat, a game
at whist, all are means of grace. All are holy to holy souls. All are
pure to pure minds. Eating, drinking, sleeping are all divine
ordinances. Religion, in its higher and more enlightened form, raises
our views of all things; makes all things beautiful; all things