that the end of religion is to save your soul, and go to heaven.

But experience shows, my friends, in all religions and in all ages,
that those who make it their first object in life to save their
souls, are but too likely to lose them; as our Lord says, He that
saveth his soul, or life--for the words are the same in Scripture--
shall lose it.

And experience shows that in all religions, and in all ages, those
who make it their first object in life to get to heaven, are but too
likely never to get there: because in their haste, they forget what
heaven is, and what is the only way of arriving at it.

Good works, as they call the likeness of God and the Divine life, are
in too many persons' eyes only fruits of faith, or proofs of faith,
and not the very end of faith, and of religion--ay, of their very
existence here on earth; and therefore they naturally begin to ask,--
How few good works will be enough to prove their faith? And when a
man has once set that question before himself, he is sure to find a
comfortable answer, and to discover that very few good works indeed,-
-a very little sanctification (as it is called), a very little
righteousness, and a very little holiness,--will be enough to save
his soul, as far at least as he wishes his soul to be saved. My
friends, all this springs from that selfish view of religion which is
gaining power among us more and more. Christ came to deliver us from
our selfishness; from being slaves to our selfish prudence and
selfish interest. But we make religion a question of profit and
loss, as we make everything else. We ask--What shall I get by being
good? What shall I get by worshipping God? Is it not prudent, and
self-interested, and business-like to give up a little pleasure on