The whole tenor of the New Testament inculcates the principle of
resignation under adverse conditions, and more. For the follower of
Jesus Christ must not be merely a passive sufferer but a strenuous and
persevering combatant against opposing force.
Tourists along the shores of the Mediterranean express their
surprize at the insipidity of the fishes served up for food.
This flavorless quality is easily accounted for. The fish around
the shores of Spain, Italy, Greece, and Asia Minor are mostly
caught in the quiet lagoons or calm waters of protected bays and
gulfs, where they swim lazily and slowly, or bask indolently in
the quietude. How different is the life of battling with storm
and tempest on the part of the creatures that inhabit the rough
waters around the Orkneys, the Shetlands, and the Hebrides of
Scotland! Fish caught there is always delicious. (Text.)
(35)
See AFFLICTION PRODUCING VIRTUE.