The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-06-06
MAN-S0OIAL AND RELIGIOUS.

is double throughout. He is consti-
tuted of matter and mind, body and
soul. He is material and immaterial,
natural and spiritual, earthly and
heavenly, human and divine, mortal
and immortal, he dies, vet lives for
ever. Man is constitutionally an in
habitant of two worlds; he belongs to
two empires, the empire of matter,
and the empire of spirit. He is under
the control of two sets of laws,-ma-
terial and spiritual laws; and suffers
from two classes of penalties, those
that fall on his body, and those that
fall on his soul. He has dual joys
and sorrows, pleasures and pains,
pleasures of the body and pleasures
of the mind, pleasures of the table
and pleasures of the intellect, joys of
reason and joys of conscience. He
enjoys a good dinner and enjoys
doing right, enjoys work and enjoys
rest.
The animal and the moral, the
earthly and the heavenly, the sensu-
GUS and the divine, alike contribute
to his enjoyment.
Hunger gives him pain, and re-
morse gives him pain. Poison kills,
and sin kills. He can make hell
of his body and he can make hell
of his soul. He has a pain in the
head, and pain in the heart. His
conscience aches, and his tooth aches.
He suffers from rheumatism and re-
morse.
The life of man is double life, and
his experience, history and character
are double. This makes it hard to
read and understand him. His re-
wards result from the faithful dis
charge of the duties which grow out
of his dual nature and relations.
Piety cannot be rewarded by good
crops, nor close application to bust
ness by the consultations of religion.
Benevolence will not fill his barns
with grain, nor hard ploughing fill
his mind with knowledge nor his
heart with love.
A big price for hogs does not come
of prayer, and sweetness of spirit
does not result from driving labor.
Athletic exercise will not develop a
strong mind nor strong character,
but it may develop strong back
Each class of duties will bring their
natural and special reward.
Man is also religious being. He
has been endowed with religious
nature, has religious faculties, feels
religious wants, has religious his
tory, has created a religious litera-
ture, and builded religious institu-
tons.
Religion of some form is universal.
No race of man has been found with
out it. Religion is a thought, a
feeling, and life. 1t embraces the
action of the intellect, the emotions,
and the will. 1t is divine knowledge,
divine love, and divine worship. tits
form of human experience, and a
power in human life. 1t is theoreti-
cal, experimental, and practical 1t
is duty, privilege, a service, and a
Joy. 1t requires faith, love, obedi-
ence, and conservation. 1t is the tie
that binds us in sacred union to God
and man.
AS law of human conduct, and
an inspiration to human action, it
becomes social in its character. By
its influence on the social and domes-
tic affections it enters into social
life. 1t advances social purity,
deepens and broadens the influence
we have on society, and increases our
social enjoyments.
The natural home of religion is the
human heart, the family and society.
The church itself has been builded
by religion as a social force. Its ex-
istence in the world is the outcome
of social religion. Its greatest victo-
ries have been won in the same way,
and by the same force. Associated
efforts, the union of heads, hearts,
and hands, have won the victories of
the cross and the Son of God over sin
and sorrow. The influence that
unites men, women and children in
this great work for the salvation of
the race is love-love for God and
man which is the very life and soul
OF social religion. In social worship
there is an increase of religious en-
thusiasm. The divine fire is kindled
into a fame that warns all hearts,
and cheers and gladdens all spirits.
The church is inspired with new