How few listen to it, till the lusts of the flesh are worn out, and have worn them out likewise, and made them reap the fruit which they have sowed—­sowing to the selfish flesh, and of the selfish flesh reaping corruption.

The young man says—­I will be happy and do what I like; and runs after what he calls pleasure.  The middle-aged man, grown more prudent, says—­I will be happy yet, and runs after money, comfort, fame and power.  But what do they gain?  ‘The works of the flesh,’ the fruit of this selfish lusting after mere earthly happiness, ’are manifest, which are these:’—­not merely that open vice and immorality into which the young man falls when he craves after mere animal pleasure, but ’hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies’—­i.e., factions in Church or State—­’envyings, murders, and such like.’

Thus men put themselves under the law.  Not under Moses’ law, of course, but under some law or other.

For why has law been invented?  Why is it needed, with all its expense?  Law is meant to prevent, if possible, men harming each other by their own selfishness, by those lusts of the flesh which tempt every man to seek his own happiness, careless of his neighbour’s happiness, interest, morals; by all the passions which make men their own tormentors, and which make the history of every nation too often a history of crime, and folly, and faction, and war, sad and shameful to read; all those passions of which St. Paul says once and for ever, that those who do such things ’shall not inherit the kingdom of God.’

These are the sad consequences of giving way to the flesh, the selfish animal nature within us:  and most miserable would man be if that were all he had to look to.  Miserable, were there not a kingdom of God, into which he could enter all day long, and be at peace; and a Spirit of God, who would raise him up to the spiritual life of love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; and a Son of God, the King of that kingdom, the Giver of that Spirit, who cries for ever to every one of us—­’Come unto Me, ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke on you, and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly of heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls.’

Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; these are the fruits of the Spirit:  the spirit of unselfishness; the spirit of charity; the spirit of justice; the spirit of purity; the Spirit of God.  Against them there is no law.  He who is guided by this Spirit, and he only, may do what he would; for he will wish to do nought but what is right.  He is not under the law, but under grace; and full of grace will he be in all his words and works.  He has entered into the kingdom of God, and is living therein as God’s subject, obeying the royal law of liberty—­’Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.’