In approaching this part of my subject, I ask every reader of this paper to deal fairly, honestly, and reasonably with his soul. Dismiss from your mind the common idea,--that of course all is right if you go to church or to chapel. Cast away such vain notions for ever. You must look further, higher, deeper than this, if you would find out the truth. Listen to me, and I will give you a few hints. Believe me, it is no light matter. It is your life. (1) For one thing, if you would know whether your religion is real, try it by _the place which it occupies_ in your inner man. It is not enough that it is in your _head_. You may know the truth, and assent to the truth, and believe the truth, and yet be wrong in God's sight.--It is not enough that it is on your _lips_. You may repeat the creed daily. You may say "Amen" to public prayer in church, and yet have nothing more than an outward religion.--It is not enough that it is in your _feelings_. You may weep under preaching one day, and be lifted to the third heaven by joyous excitement another day, and yet be dead to God.--Your religion, if it is real, and given by the Holy Ghost, must be in your _heart_. It must occupy the citadel. It must hold the reins. It must sway the affections. It must lead the will. It must direct the tastes. It must influence the choices and decisions. It must fill the deepest, lowest, inmost seat in your soul. Is this your religion? If not, you may well doubt whether it is "_real_" and true. (Acts viii. 21; Rom. x. 10.) (2) In the next place, if you would know whether your religion is real, try it by the _feelings towards sin_ which it produces. The Christianity which is from the Holy Ghost will always have a very deep view of the sinfulness of sin. It will not merely regard sin as a blemish and misfortune, which makes men and women objects of pity and compassion. It will see in sin the abominable thing which God hates, the thing which makes man guilty and lost in his Maker's sight, the thing which deserves God's wrath and condemnation. It will look on sin as the cause of all sorrow and unhappiness, of strife and wars, of quarrels and contentions, of sickness and death,--the blight which has blighted God's fair creation, the cursed thing which makes the whole earth groan and travail in pain. Above all, it will see in sin the thing which will ruin us eternally, except we can find a ransom,--lead us captive, except we can get its chains broken,--and destroy our happiness, both here and hereafter, except we fight against it, even unto death. Is this your religion? Are these your feelings about sin? If not, you may well doubt whether your religion is "_real_."