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follow public news； and sympathize with other people's affairs。
He can cultivate cheerful manners； and be silent about his
miseries。 He can contemplate whatever ideal aspects of existence
his philosophy is able to present to him； and practice whatever
duties； such as patience； resignation； trust； his ethical system
requires。 Such a man lives on his loftiest； largest plane。 He
is a high…hearted freeman and no pining slave。 And yet he lacks
something which the Christian par excellence； the mystic and
ascetic saint； for example； has in abundant measure； and which
makes of him a human being of an altogether different
denomination。
The Christian also spurns the pinched and mumping sick…room
attitude； and the lives of saints are full of a kind of
callousness to diseased conditions of body which probably no
other human records show。 But whereas the merely moralistic
spurning takes an effort of volition； the Christian spurning is
the result of the excitement of a higher kind of emotion； in the
presence of which no exertion of volition is required。 The
moralist must hold his breath and keep his muscles tense； and so
long as this athletic attitude is possible all goes
wellmorality suffices。 But the athletic attitude tends ever to
break down； and it inevitably does break down even in the most
stalwart when the organism begins to decay； or when morbid fears
invade the mind。 To suggest personal will and effort to one all
sicklied o'er with the sense of irremediable impotence is to
suggest the most impossible of things。 What he craves is to be
consoled in his very powerlessness； to feel that the spirit of
the universe recognizes and secures him； all decaying and
failing as he is。 Well； we are all such helpless failures in the
last resort。 The sanest and best of us are of one clay with
lunatics and prison inmates； and death finally runs the robustest
of us down。 And whenever we feel this； such a sense of the
vanity and provisionality of our voluntary career comes over us
that all our morality appears but as a plaster hiding a sore it
can never cure； and all our well…doing as the hollowest
substitute for that well…BEING that our lives ought to be
grounded in； but； alas！ are not。
And here religion comes to our rescue and takes our fate into her
hands。 There is a state of mind； known to religious men； but to
no others； in which the will to assert ourselves and hold our own
has been displaced by a willingness to close our mouths and be as
nothing in the floods and waterspouts of God。 In this state of
mind； what we most dreaded has become the habitation of our
safety； and the hour of our moral death has turned into our
spiritual birthday。 The time for tension in our soul is over；
and that of happy relaxation； of calm deep breathing； of an
eternal present； with no discordant future to be anxious about；
has arrived。 Fear is not held in abeyance as it is by mere
morality； it is positively expunged and washed away。
We shall see abundant examples of this happy state of mind in
later lectures of this course。 We shall see how infinitely
passionate a thing religion at its highest flights can be。 Like
love； like wrath； like hope； ambition； jealousy； like every other
instinctive eagerness and impulse； it adds to life an enchantment
which is not rationally or logically deducible from anything
else。 This enchantment； coming as a gift when it does comea
gift of our organism； the physiologists will tell us； a gift of
God's grace； the theologians say is either there or not there
for us； and there are persons who can no more become possessed by
it than they can fall in love with a given woman by mere word of
command。 Religious feeling is thus an absolute addition to the
Subject's range of life。 It gives him a new sphere of power。
When the outward battle is lost； and the outer world disowns him；
it redeems and vivifies an interior world which otherwise would
be an empty waste。
If religion is to mean anything definite for us； it seems to me
that we ought to take it as meaning this added dimension of
emotion； this enthusiastic temper of espousal； in regions where
morality strictly so called can at best but bow its head and
acquiesce。 It ought to mean nothing short of this new reach of
freedom for us； with the struggle over； the keynote of the
universe sounding in our ears； and everlasting possession spread
before our eyes。＇18＇
＇18＇ Once more； there are plenty of men； constitutionally sombre
men； in whose religious life this rapturousness is lacking。 They
are religious in the wider sense； yet in this acutest of all
senses they are not so； and it is religion in the acutest sense
that I wish； without disputing about words； to study first； so as
to get at its typical differentia。
This sort of happiness in the absolute and everlasting is what we
find nowhere but in religion。 It is parted off from all mere
animal happiness； all mere enjoyment of the present； by that
element of solemnity of which I have already made so much
account。 Solemnity is a hard thing to define abstractly； but
certain of its marks are patent enough。 A solemn state of mind is
never crude or simpleit seems to contain a certain measure of
its own opposite in solution。 A solemn joy preserves a sort of
bitter in its sweetness； a solemn sorrow is one to which we
intimately consent。 But there are writers who； realizing that
happiness of a supreme sort is the prerogative of religion；
forget this complication； and call all happiness； as such；
religious。 Mr。 Havelock Ellis； for example； identifies religion
with the entire field of the soul's liberation from oppressive
moods。
〃The simplest functions of physiological life；〃 he writes may be
its ministers。 Every one who is at all acquainted with the
Persian mystics knows how wine may be regarded as an instrument
of religion。 Indeed； in all countries and in all ages some form
of physical enlargementsinging； dancing； drinking； sexual
excitementhas been intimately associated with worship。 Even the
momentary expansion of the soul in laughter is； to however slight
an extent； a religious exercise。 。 。 。 Whenever an impulse from
the world strikes against the organism； and the resultant is not
discomfort or pain； not even the muscular contraction of
strenuous manhood； but a joyous expansion or aspiration of the
whole soulthere is religion。 It is the infinite for which we
hunger； and we ride gladly on every little wave that promises to