" He
put down his spectacles after he had read these words, for he never
used a note, and said: "If your religion doesn't help you, it is no
religion for you; you had better be without it. I don't mean if it
doesn't help you to a knowledge of a future life or of the way to
heaven. Everybody will say his religion does that. What I do mean
is, that the sign of a true religion--true for YOU, is this--Does it
assist you to bear your own private difficulties?--does it really?--
not the difficulties of the schools and theology, but those of the
parlour and countinghouse; ay, difficulties most difficult, those
with persons nearest to you? . . . Everybody ought to have his OWN
religion. In one sense we are all disciples of Christ, but
nevertheless each man has troubles peculiar to himself, and it is
absurd to expect that any book system will be sufficient for each one
of us at all points. You must make your own religion, and it is only
what you make yourself which will be of any use to you. Don't be
disturbed if you find it is not of much use to other persons. Stick
to it yourself if it is really your own, a bit of yourself. There
are, however, in the Book of God universal truths, and the wonderful
thing about them is, that they are at the same time more particularly
adapted to you and me and all our innermost wants than anything we
can discover for ourselves.
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