Human Physiology. 307 



of the departed, must have a more powerful and pervading in- 

 fluence. No one who really believes in the existence of a 

 Supreme Being: no one who is strongly impressed with the 

 reality of a Spiritual life, can go on doing what he knows to be 

 wrong. A religious faith is therefore the most powerful of all 

 restraints from evil, and incitements to good. 



It has also to be understood that every sin, every wrong 

 action, is a violation of the law of God, written in the physical 

 or moral nature of man. It is a sin, a wrong, an evil, because 

 it is contrary to the nature of man because it is, in one word, 

 unnatural. Every sin is therefore a sin against nature. Every 

 law of God for man is founded upon the fact that to do other- 

 wise than it commands is an injury to himself. We are to do 

 justice, and avoid injustice to others, because in hurting them 

 we do ourselves an injury. We are to love ourselves this 

 feeling is implanted in us; and we are to love our neighbour as 

 ourselves, because his well-being and happiness are bound up 

 with ours. Our higher nature requires that we love God, as 

 the condition of our own peace and happiness. The law of 

 nature, written in our minds and hearts the law of judgment 

 and conscience is the one constantly appealed to, and it is 

 necessarily the only one we can comprehend or be influenced 

 by. This principle is embodied in the great rule of conduct 

 " Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even 

 so to them." This rule is based upon the fact that the law of 

 God is written in the constitution of man. It is impossible for 

 a man to do any wrong to another which is not a great wrong 

 and evil to himself. Therefore, it is better to suffer wrong 

 than to do wrong. A fraud upon us, a theft, or a calumny, 

 may be a very slight injury to us one of which we may be 

 almost or quite unconscious, but not so to the evil doer. 



We have therefore the powerful motive of self love given to 

 urge us to right action, and to restrain us from wrong action. 

 And when men can clearly see what is right, and therefore best 



