1898.] ESSAYS. 107 



nobler ends. Tin's i-escntfulness, resentfulness at first of mere 

 attack upon himself, became a resentfulness of injury to others 

 and hatred of injustice and oppression. This strength of will 

 became a will for righteousness. 



Thus in that old conflict there was wrought out that steel-like 

 temper of character, that iron will, that force of soul, which 

 God wanted in his making of a man. We see it yet in a Luther, 

 a Paul, a Jesus Christ, men with capacity for holy anger, men 

 who could fight, fight a life and death battle if need be. Now, 

 in our own day, I think there dawns at last the time of our 

 divine completing. Take this old, fierce, wild passion and 

 assertiveness, and sweeten and sanctify it, leaving all the splen- 

 did strength of old, but putting it to holier uses ; glorify the 

 old skill, by leading it out of cunning into wisdom and gener- 

 osity ; make god-like the old strenuousness, by making it 

 instead of self-assertive a mighty will for righteousness and 

 others' welfare, and you will render this King of Beasts the 

 King of Souls. That is the task the roses teach me. It is no 

 easy one. Still there is the old need of self-defense and self- 

 assertion. I do not wonder that the old selfishness survives, 

 that men still look out for number one, that still they practice 

 cunning. We have to root ourselves as firmly as ever in this 

 old mother earth of ours. We have the same old cold and 

 storm and hunger to do battle with ; and still there is a need of 

 splendid wrath against oppressive cruelty, against cowardly 

 infamy whenever we find it. I think we still ought to know 

 how to fight, if fighting is to be done. With Thomas Hughes, 

 I am dead against crying " Peace I " when there is no peace, and 

 is not meant to be any. But better than that, I think, is the 

 great task to-day of learning to be master of the old Adam. 

 There is nothing to be destroyed. Remember the vision of the 

 old prophet that "instead of the thorn will come up the fir tree, 

 and instead of the brair will come up the myrtle tree." 



We have a happier sight than that old prophetic vision. We 

 have the thorns and briars not exterminated, but bearinjj leaf 

 and flower and fruit, turning back to twig and leafy branch 

 again ; and that is better than exterminating the old briar and 



