Page:The Story of Joseph and His Brethren.djvu/113

110 own thoughts, you will also know that your natural or worldly thoughts sometimes hate and oppose your spiritual or heavenly thoughts. For instance, when your spiritual thoughts tell you that you ought to be kind and forgiving to others, your natural thoughts will suggest to you that others do not deserve your kindness and forgiveness, and that you ought to be severe and revengeful. Also, when your spiritual thoughts tell you that you ought always to obey the demands of duty, your natural thoughts will tell you that it is better to follow the calls of inclination. There is, indeed, in every mind that has any religion a conflict between the natural and the spiritual thoughts; for as the Scriptures say—"The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh." Now this conflict was represented by the brethren of Joseph hating and persecuting him. But as Joseph did not hate his brethren, but endured his trials and sufferings meekly, so the spiritual thoughts never hate, but endure temptations meekly, hoping the best, thinking the best, and doing the best