202 The Spiritual Life.
belong,andthearmbecomesasrigidasastone
orapiece of wood; it has lost the muscular
powerforwant of exercise, because it hasre-
mained quiet and stagnant, and therefore the
power of motion has disappeared. But if a
man wants to develop his muscleswhat does
he do? He takes a club which has weight,
he takes a dumb-bell which has weight, he
lakes any object which has weight, and then
sets muscle againstweight and pulls againstit,
whirls it round, but always puts the muscle
against the opposing forceintheweight. He
lifts it from the ground; and the weighttries
todrag him down and he triesto dragit up.
The effect of this conflict is the development
of muscularenergy, the development of force
in the muscle. Muscularityis drawn out and
developed by working against the opposing
weight; it becomesstrongerand becomesable
toovercomeopposing forces, andsothemuscle
grows and develops the more the more it is
exercised, and becomes more powerful than
before. This development arises entirely be-
causeithasbeen used in opposingweight,and
byexercise has overcometheopposition; from
thisithasgathered lifeandstrength,forasthe
muscle increases its capacity for holding life,