This is a great mystery, and hard to learn. Flesh and blood, our
animal nature, will never compass it all; for it belongs, not to the
flesh, but to the spirit. But our spirits, our immortal souls, may
learn the lesson at last, if we feed them continually with the
thought of Christ; if we meditate upon whatsoever things are true,
whatsoever things are honourable, just, pure, lovely, and of good
report. Then we may learn, at last, after many failures, and many
sorrows of heart, that the spirit is stronger than the flesh; that
meekness is stronger than wrath, silence stronger than shouting,
peace stronger than war, forgiveness stronger than vengeance, just as
Christ hanging on his cross was stronger--exercising a more vast and
miraculous effect on the hearts of men--than if he had called whole
armies of angels to destroy his enemies, like one of the old kings
and conquerors of the earth, whose works have perished with
themselves.
Yes, gradually we must learn that our strength is to sit still; that
to do well and suffer for it, instead of returning evil for evil, and
railing for railing, is to show forth the spirit of Christ, and to
enter into the joy of our Lord.
The statesman debating in Parliament; the conqueror changing the fate
of nations on bloody battle-fields; these all do their work; and are
needful, doubtless, in a sinful, piecemeal world like this.
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