The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-21
Religion Not an Appendix to
Life, But Life Itself
LIFE NOT INTERMITTENT
There Is No Duty that Engages the
Human Heart, Hand and Brain
That is Not Religious
Matter.

terday morning on the subject of "Glorl-
flying God in All Things" taking his text
from the thirty-frst verse of the tenth
chapter of I. Corinthians as follows;
Whether, therefore, ye eat or drink, or
whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory
of God"
DIR. Culver spoke in part as follows:
| Whether. therefore, we eat or drink, or
whatsoever We do do all to the glory of
God.-L Corinthians x. 81.
The tendency of the past has been to
narrow the influence and range of rellg-
ION Boundaries have been marked off
beyond which it's influence was not ex-
pected to go. It's right to enter certain
spheres has been stoutly denied That
it rules on the Sabbath and in matters di-
rectly related to the church no one has
questioned, but outside of this its au-
thority has been of doubtful tenure.
Against such a false conception Paul sets
the truth of the text. With it, he would
strike the letters of such a false no
ton from religion and send 1t out upon
an all-pervasive and universal mission.
Religion Not an Appendix to Life.
Some one has said concerning a certain
cardinal that he was covetous. avaricious
and malicious but full of religion. The
notion that religion is something apart
from the daily affairs of life is common.
But how far it is from the truth is seen,
when we remember that religion is life
not a profession to be made in the house
of God on Sunday, but life to be lived
amid the burdens and cares of daily TOLL
1t is not an appendix to life, but life itself,
expressing itself in all you say or do
or think.
Religion is not what you think about
religion, 1t is not the form in which you
give expression to it, nor is 1t the mere
fringe on the garment, but it is the
orb of living it Is the life of the whole
man. This being true, it will express itself
in all you do or think, it will project
itself into your business into your poll
tics and into your social relations. 1t is
impossible to be one whit more religious
on Sunday in the house of God than you
are on week days in the office, in the
forum, or in the social circle.
To say that you will live one life on
Sundays in the church and another on
week days in business in politics, in So
ciety is to talk nonsense. Religion is life,
and life cannot be laid down and taken
up at will. Life is not intermittent. 1t is
not series of individual units. but a
unity. It is not made up of pieces and
patches like a crazy quilt-it is whole
All Done With One Purpose.
The text is not exclusive but inclu-
sve; If you eat or drink, II you work
or play, If you sing or pray, or what
soever you do, do it all to the glory
of God. All that you do is to be done
with this purpose, that good may come OF
it-such a purpose glorifies God.
Some are ready to declare it impos-
sible, but is not the same principle IL
Illustrated in other things? For instance,
does not the misery man, in whose veins
tlirobs the greed for gold, do all for the
sake of gain? Take the mother in whose
arms nestles the helpless babe, does she
no. do all things for the baby's sake? Even
IL she is not hungry she tries to eat
that she may gain sufficient nourishment
for her child. Why, then, should this be
expected of the Christian more than of
the miser or mother?
Misconstruction of Religious Duty.
1t is a common mistake to think that
you are doing religious work only when
engaged in so-called religious duties All
duties are religious. There are duties of
worship and duties of work, duties of the
Sabbath and duties of the week, and all
are religious if performed in the right
spirit. If thing ought to be done it is
religious to do it. Some say that religion
is religion and business is business. 1t Is
monstrous to teach they belong to diff
ferent spheres of duty. If man cannot
take his religion into his business. then
he must have either bad business or a
poor article of religion.
There are not two great hemispheres of
duty in the circle of a human life-secu-
lar and sacred. The text makes all work
II rightly done, sacred. 1t Is a part too
often overlooked that work does not have
reference simply to the accomplishment
of certain things, but also to the de-
velopment of character. The results OF
work are moral and, therefore, must be
sacred. 1t is as Drummond says, Work
is the incarnation OF the unseen, lnat
is it is the lifting of the elements of
character up into life. Work is the loom
in which mans character Is woven, the
process by which it is developed, and
brought to perfection. Men do not dream
patience or fidelity into their character
they work it in The office, the palace OF
trade, the workshop are not simply places
for making money or machinery, but also
for the building of character. the max
ing of men.
IdIeness lsolates Life.
The idle man is dead; it is only the
toiling man who lives Idleness isolates,
separates a life from those forces and
influences which sweep outward and up
ward Labor is the only means by which
you can come into vital touch with man.
kind, or call into your service those mas
terful forces which lift men to thrones
of power and influence. For instance
here are the sublime thoughts and
achievements of the past stored in the
countless volumes of the great library
but these vast riches lie there in vain
until you, by intellectual toll, relate your
self to them and by this method make
them your own.
Every occupation, however humble
every pursuit, however secular so-called
is glorified, is made sacred by its in
fluence upon character and conduct II
is not that which you do that degrades
but the mind you convey with you tc