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II.
The Powee of Good.
" Overcome evil with good " — is this possible and practicable ? Certainly. And no other method of overcoming evil is either possible or practicable. We may suppress it by force, but it remains evil still ; it is not overcome. We may deprive it of its power of action, but it still exists ; it is not overcome. We may frighten or flatter it into submission, but we do not thereby conquer it. We may shut our eyes to its presence, and imagine that it has ceased to be, but for all that it is powerful still, as we may soon find to our cost. Evil is overcome only when he who has been overcome by it renounces it and allies himself with good.
i. Good must win.
1. God is the perfect goodness, and every good influence comes from God, therefore, however great the force of evil, good is always stronger than evil. But this is not all. The idea of God as the embodiment of abstract goodness will not materially help us in the battle of life. Sin is evil, and we feel its presence ; and we need more than a mere ideal of abstract goodness to overcome the evil. But God has not left us thus blindly to feel after the good. " Where sin abounded, grace did abound more exceed- ingly." We shall be able to lay hold of the power of goodness by recognizing that the peculiar self -utterance of God is Jesus Christ, and that Jesus Christ is the embodiment of a universal sonship, and therefore that the overcoming principle is in us and in all men, and, being Divine, is ultimately irresistible.
2. It is not enough to rely on the good within ourselves ; we must look to the good without ourselves. What that highest good is, we all know. But do we sufficiently remember how in the thought of that highest good, in the communion with God in Christ, lies not only our peace and safety, but our victory over evil ? In earthly warfare, we know well that, however courageous may be the host, they must have a leader in whom to trust. And 80 it is in our spiritual warfare ; we must have the example and the encouragement of the just and good who have gone before us. But, above all, we must look to Him who is called " Jesus " — that
332 THE POLEMICS OF CHRISTIANITY
is, our " Joshua," our Conqueror, our victorious Leader, the Captain of our salvation, the Lion of the tribe of Judah.
^ It is told of the Emperor Constantino, that he, the founder of the first Christian Empire, the first of Christian sovereigns, was converted to the faith of Christ by a vision which appeared to him at the head of his armies — a vision of a flaming cross, in the centre of which was written, in almost the very same Greek words as the Apostle here uses : " In this conquer," or " By this conquer." The story itself is encompassed with doubt, but in a figure it conveys to us a true lesson. " In this conquer " should still be our motto. " In this," in the Cross of Christ, the highest "good" which God has revealed to man, "in this conquer." Conquer, because the Cross of Christ shows us what is God's love to His creatures. Conquer, because it shows us what is the highest call of man. Conquer, because it shows us the strength and the firmness, the gentleness and mercy, the suffering and the victory in which, and through which, we too are to be victorious.*
Else, 0 my soul, with thy desires to heaven,
And with divinest contemplation use Thy time where time's eternity is given.
And let vain thoughts no more thy thoughts abuse; But down in darkness let them lie : So live thy better, let thy worse thoughts die!
And thou, my soul, inspired with holy flame,
View and review with most regardful eye That holy cross, whence thy salvation came. On which thy Saviour and thy sin did die! For in that sacred object is much pleasure, And in that Saviour is my life, my treasure.
To thee, 0 Jesu ! I direct mine eyes,
To thee my hands, to thee my humble knees; To thee my heart shall offer sacrifice,
To thee my thoughts, who my thoughts only sees. To thee my self, my self and all I give; To thee I die, to thee I only live I ^
3. The greatest force in the world is good influence. It is encouraging to the weak and erring to know that they may overcome their weaknesses, that there is a power which may be instilled into their lives, giving them strength to resist all the
1 A. P. Stanley. » Sir Walter Raleigh.
ROMANS XII. 21 333
overtures of the Evil One, and to battle against all his assaults. To all those who will let good influence be their guardian angei victoTj is secured. Eight always wins — first, last, and always right is victorious.
^ Blessed influence of one true loving human soul on another ! Not calculable by algebra, not dedacible by logic, but mysterious, effectual, mighty as the hidden process by which the tiny seed is quickened, and bursts forth into tall stem and broad leaf, and glowing tasseled flower. Ideas are often poor ghosts ; our sun- filled eyes cannot discern them; they pass athwart us in thin vapour, and cannot make themselves felt. But sometimes they are made flesh; they breathe upon us with warm breath, they touch us with soft responsive hands, they look at us with sad sincere eyes, and speak to us in appealing tones ; they are clothed in a living human soul, with all its conflicts, its faith, and its love. Then their presence is a power, then they shake us like a passion, and we are drawn after them with gentle compulsion, as flame is drawn to flame.^