 | Jones Very : The Complete Poems |  |
Outward Conquests Not Enough
'Tis not enough to overcome with arms,—These may the body, not the mind subdue;
A mightier foe, within, the spirit harms,
Than that the armed warrior ever knew.
Here Ignorance and Error still prolong
Their ancient rule, and dread the coming light;
And, joined with them, Ambition, Pride, and Wrong
Muster their hosts, and, leagued with darkness, fight.
These not by carnal weapons are o'erthrown,
But by the power of light, and truth, and love;
Weapons the warrior's hands have never known,
Sent from the armory of God above;
Boldness to speak, the quick and powerful Word,
That sharper is than his two-edged sword!
Poem No. 729; c. July 1862
| Jones Very : The Complete Poems | |