Grudge no expense - yield to no opposition - forget fatigue -

The words of Maria Weston Chapman fall like a trumpet call to the weary soul: “Grudge no expense—yield to no opposition—forget fatigue—till, by the strength of prayer and sacrifice, the spirit of love shall have overcome.” In these words burns the fire of an abolitionist, a woman who gave her life to the cause of freedom in nineteenth-century America. She speaks not as one who admired justice from afar, but as one who lived in its service. Her cry is not gentle counsel, but command: to pour out every drop of self, every treasure, every hour, until love has conquered cruelty and the bonds of oppression are broken.

To grudge no expense is to say that the pursuit of love and justice cannot be measured in coins or comfort. If truth demands, then silver and gold must be poured out like water. The work of the spirit is priceless, and to count its cost is to cheapen its value. Chapman and her companions in the abolitionist movement gave tirelessly of their wealth, their homes, their reputations, even their safety, to see slavery abolished. They knew that freedom required more than sympathy—it required sacrifice.

To yield to no opposition is the cry of steadfastness. For every great cause will summon enemies, and the greater the cause, the fiercer the opposition. In her time, Chapman faced ridicule, threats, and hostility from those who profited from slavery or feared the upheaval of its end. Yet she stood firm, like an oak against the storm. Her words remind us that the one who serves love must not bend to hatred, nor be silenced by resistance. Opposition is not a signal to retreat, but the very sign that one walks the right path.

To forget fatigue is to acknowledge that the struggle for justice is long and wearying, and yet to insist that weariness must not end the fight. Great works are never finished in a day, nor a year, nor even a lifetime. The abolitionists knew this well; some of them died before seeing the freedom they labored for. Yet their efforts bore fruit because they refused to let exhaustion break their resolve. In this, Chapman teaches that true love demands perseverance beyond comfort, beyond tiredness, beyond the natural limits of the body.

And yet, she does not point to human will alone. She speaks of the strength of prayer and sacrifice as the source of victory. For she knew that flesh alone cannot endure endlessly; the spirit must draw upon the eternal. Prayer lifts the heart to God, filling it with courage when all seems lost. Sacrifice strips away selfishness, binding the soul to the cause it serves. Together, prayer and sacrifice forge a strength beyond human measure, a strength that can withstand centuries of oppression and still believe in the dawn of freedom.

Her words culminate in the vision of the spirit of love overcoming. Not vengeance, not hatred, not the triumph of one people over another, but love conquering all. For true justice is not merely the breaking of chains, but the healing of souls. The abolitionists fought not only for freedom from slavery, but for the restoration of dignity, for reconciliation, for a world where love would reign instead of cruelty. Chapman’s cry was prophetic, echoing the ancient truth that love, though it seems frail, is the only force that can overcome the darkness of hatred.

The lesson for us is eternal: if you would see love triumph, do not count the cost, do not bow to opposition, do not yield to fatigue. Pour out your strength in prayer, empty yourself in sacrifice, and walk steadfastly in the path of love. In your home, in your community, in the world—let love be the force that drives you. For love, though patient and silent, is stronger than all the armies of hatred, and in the end, it alone shall overcome.

Practical action lies before you. Give generously where you see need. Stand firm when you face resistance for the sake of truth. Do not grow weary in kindness, even when it feels unnoticed. And anchor yourself in prayer, that your strength may not fail. In this way, you take up the banner Chapman carried, and you help bring nearer the day when the spirit of love shall indeed overcome.