into this vigour of business the fervent spirit serving God, so
that, whilst the hand of diligence maketh rich, the heart and its
treasures have no earthliness in them ! How easy might it be
to be strong in religion, in the devotion of our souls to holiness
and truth, if duty centred in the private thoughts and could be
carried on in solitude ; if it required no struggle with conflicting
things, no trained wisdom to discern our way amid a thousand
complications ; if asceticism were strength ; if the anchorite might
go to his cell, and had finished his Christian work when prayers,
aspirations, and unearthly desires had floated in ghostly array
through the uninterrupted meditations of his spirit! All that
is easy to any one who chooses to give himself to it. But how
difficult is it to be strong in a real devotedness to goodness,
purity, and truth, amid the contradiction of circumstance, and
the opposing ways of men; to shape the forms of life after
models in the soul ; to transfer unmutilated our own sentiments
into our own demeanour ; to live with men as they are and part
with no ideal; to lose no vision, disturb no fountain of peace;
to be strong in Christ's interpretation of strength; a physician
among the sick ; whole among the unsound ; spiritual among the
worldly; living with God in the midst of crowds; fui of love
and thought for the world when alone with God
i CORINTHIANS xvi. 13, 14 513
(1) Strength of body. — There is not, perhaps, much tendency in the present day to return to that utter despising of our body which was so marked a characteristic of some schools of mediaeval asceticism. It is enough therefore to observe that the only word in the New Testament which could seem to give countenance to such a thought is that expression, " our vile body," which is a painful and unfortunate mistranslation of the Greek. The word is really, " this body of our humiliation," as contrasted with that glorified body in which we shall exist when the Church militant is past, and we join the completed Church triumphant in heaven. Purity and (where God gives health) strength of body seemed ever to St. Paul one ingredient in his estimate of true manliness. What can exceed the fervour of that prayer that "your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ " ?
(2) Strength of mind. — Be strong also in soul, or intellect; for in this sense, and not in our more modern and less accurate sense, does St. Paul use this word " soul," distinguishing it from our "spirit." "Be not children in understanding," says the Apostle, "but in understanding be men." If the religion of Christ teaches us to be brave in body, so also it teaches us to be brave and strong in intellect.
(3) Strength of spirit. — It is through the higher spiritual life that God acts upon the other parts of man's nature ; and it is by that spiritual power that the whole man will be purified and exalted. The influence of the spirit of the man, acted on and illuminated by the Holy Spirit of God, will raise him to the true dignity of manhood in all his nature. There is nothing " manly " — quite the contrary — in being irreligious or indifferent. If there be one word of truth in all the Gospel story of what Christ has done for us, surely it is the meanest, most unmanly thing on earth to treat that heroic self-sacrifice with active scorn, or with still more wounding chilling indifference.
T[ Like many others, I imagined a man was some one who would shine in all athletic games, and make for himself a body that should be so strong that people would point to him and say: "That's a man." Therefore when a sufficient measure of success came to me, in a financial way, I gave myself to athletics. I longed for the day when my name should be quoted in the paper as a successful athlete. How I worked at it, and how hard 1 cor.— 33
514 THE CHRISTIAN KNIGHT
I trained ! At last a measure of success came my way, and with the glamour of the laurel wreath upon my brow, I cut the account out of the paper and sent it home. I thought, now my father and mother will know that their son is a man ! How hungrily I waited for the answering letter of congratulation, and with what eagerness I broke the seal when at last it came ! Imagine my chagrin when I read: "Your mother and I are very glad that you have attained to such success as an athlete. We are very proud of you, but remember that if you were to become the finest athlete that ever lived, you would only be a Third of a Man."
There was nothing for it but for me at once to tackle my brain, whilst keeping up my athletics. From that moment I began to study, in fact almost to go to school again. I devoured books, I studied deep subjects, I tried to become an intellectual person. At last I read a paper before some society, which was reported in one of the papers, with some flattering criticisms, which were sent home. Another letter came in which my father said : " Your mother and I are much pleased that you are letting our prayers be answered, and that you are looking after your mind as well as your body. Eemember, however, that supposing you become physically perfect, and so educate yourself that you shall have a well-stored and well-equipped brain, you will then only be Two- Thirds of a Man" l