,,humility ,,the ,,beauty ,,of          
,,holiness  ,,by ,,rev4 ,andrew ,murray 
,lord ,jesus6 may our ,holiness be      
perfect ,humility6 ,let ,thy perfect    
,humility be our ,holiness6   ,,new     
,,york ,,fleming ,h4 ,,revell ,,company 
,,london ,,glasgow    ,,preface4  ,there
 are three great motives that urge us to
 humility4 ,it becomes me as a creature1
 as a sinner1 as a saint4 ,the first we 
see in the heavenly hosts1 in unfallen  
man1 in ,jesus as ,son of ,man4 ,the    
second appeals to us in our fallen      
state1 and points out the only way      
through which we can return to our right
 place as creatures4 ,in the third we   
have the mystery of grace1 which teaches
 us that1 as we lose ourselves in the   
overwhelming greatness of redeeming     
love1 humility becomes to us the        
consummation of everlasting blessedness 
and adoration4  ,in our ordinary        
religious teaching1 the second aspect   
has been too exclusively put in the     
foreground1 so that some have even gone 

to the extreme of saying that we must   
keep sinning if we are indeed to keep   
humble4 ,others again have thought that 
the strength of self-condemnation is the
 secret of humility4 ,and the ,christian
 life has suffered loss1 where believers
 have not been distinctly guided to see 
that1 even in our relation as creatures1
 nothing is more natural and beautiful  
and blessed than to be nothing1 that    
,god may be all2 or where it has not    
been made clear that it is not sin that 
humbles most1 but grace1 and that it is 
the soul1 led through its sinfulness to 
be occupied with ,god in ,his wonderful 
glory as ,god1 as ,creator and          
,redeemer1 that will truly take the     
lowest place before ,him4  ,in these    
meditations ,i have1 for more than one  
reason1 almost exclusively directed     
attention to the humility that becomes  
us as creatures4 ,it is not only that   
the connection between humility and sin 
is so abundantly set forth in all our   
religious teaching1 but because ,i      

believe that for the fullness of the    
,christian life it is indispensable that
 prominence be given to the other       
aspect4 ,if ,jesus is indeed to be our  
example in ,his lowliness1 we need to   
understand the principles in which it   
was rooted1 and in which we find the    
common ground on which we stand with    
,him1 and in which our likeness to ,him 
is to be attained4 ,if we are indeed to 
be humble1 not only before ,god but     
towards men1 if humility is to be our   
joy1 we must see that it is not only the
 mark of shame1 because of sin1 but1    
apart from all sin1 a being clothed upon
 with the very beauty and blessedness of
 heaven and of ,jesus4 ,we shall see    
that just as ,jesus found ,his glory in 
taking the form of a servant1 so when   
,he said to us1 ',whosoever would be    
first among you1 shall be your servant1'
 ,he simply taught us the blessed truth 
that there is nothing so divine and     
heavenly as being the servant and helper
 of all4 ,the faithful servant1 who     

recognises his position1 finds a real   
pleasure in supplying the wants of the  
master or his guests4 ,when we see that 
humility is something infinitely deeper 
than contrition1 and accept it as our   
participation in the life of ,jesus1 we 
shall begin to learn that it is our true
 nobility1 and that to prove it in being
 servants of all is the highest         
fulfilment of our destiny1 as men       
created in the image of ,god4  ,when ,i 
look back upon my own religious         
experience1 or round upon the ,church of
 ,christ in the world1 ,i stand amazed  
at the thought of how little humility is
 sought after as the distinguishing     
feature of the discipleship of ,jesus4  
,in preaching and living1 in the daily  
intercourse of the home and social life1
 in the more special fellowship with    
,christians1 in the direction and       
performance of work for ,christ1--alas6 
how much proof there is that humility is
 not esteemed the cardinal virtue1 the  
only root from which the graces can     

grow1 the one indispensable condition of
 true fellowship with ,jesus4 ,that it  
should have been possible for men to say
 of those who claim to be seeking the   
higher holiness1 that the profession has
 not been accompanied with increasing   
humility1 is a loud call to all earnest 
,christians1 however much or little     
truth there be in the charge1 to prove  
that meekness and lowliness of heart are
 the chief mark by which they who follow
 the meek and lowly ,lamb of ,god are to
 be known4    ,contents  ,humility3 ,i4 
'' ,the ,glory of the ,creature ,,ii4   
'' ,the ,secret of ,redemption ,,iii4 ''
 ,in the ,life of ,jesus ,,iv4  '' ,in  
the ,teaching of ,jesus ,v4   '' ,in the
 ,disciples of ,jesus ,,vi4  '' ,in     
,daily ,life ,,vii4 '' ,and ,holiness   
,,viii4'' ,and ,sin ,,ix4  '' ,and      
,faith ,x4   '' ,and ,death to ,self    
,,xi4  '' ,and ,happiness ,,xii4 '' ,and
 ,exaltation ,notes    ,humility3 ,the  
,beauty of ,holiness4  ,i4  ,humility3  
,the ,glory of the ,creature  ',they    

shall cast their crowns before the      
throne1 saying3 ,worthy art ,thou1 our  
,lord and our ,god1 to receive the      
glory1 and the honour and the power3 for
 ,thou didst create all things1 and     
because of ,thy will they were1 and were
 created4 '--,,rev4 iv4 #aa4  ,,when    
,god created the universe1 it was with  
the one object of making the creature   
partaker of ,his perfection and         
blessedness1 and so showing forth in it 
the glory of ,his love and wisdom and   
power4 ,god wished to reveal ,himself in
 and through created beings by          
communicating to them as much of ,his   
own goodness and glory as they were     
capable of receiving4 ,but this         
communication was not a giving to the   
creature something which it could       
possess in itself1 a certain life or    
goodness1 of which it had the charge and
 disposal4 ,by no means4 ,but as ,god is
 the ever-living1 ever-present1         
ever-acting ,one1 who upholdeth all     
things by the word of ,his power1 and in

 whom all things exist1 the relation of 
the creature to ,god could only be one  
of unceasing1 absolute1 universal       
dependence4 ,as truly as ,god by ,his   
power once created1 so truly by that    
same power must ,god every moment       
maintain4 ,the creature has not only to 
look back to the origin and first       
beginning of existence1 and acknowledge 
that it there owes everything to ,god2  
its chief care1 its highest virtue1 its 
only happiness1 now and through all     
eternity1 is to present itself an empty 
vessel1 in which ,god can dwell and     
manifest ,his power and goodness4  ,the 
life ,god bestows is imparted not once  
for all1 but each moment continuously1  
by the unceasing operation of ,his      
mighty power4 ,humility1 the place of   
entire dependence on ,god1 is1 from the 
very nature of things1 the first duty   
and the highest virtue of the creature1 
and the root of every virtue4  ,and so  
pride1 or the loss of this humility1 is 
the root of every sin and evil4 ,it was 

when the now fallen angels began to look
 upon themselves with self-complacency  
that they were led to disobedience1 and 
were cast down from the light of heaven 
into outer darkness4 ,even so it was1   
when the serpent breathed the poison of 
his pride1 the desire to be as ,god1    
into the hearts of our first parents1   
that they too fell from their high      
estate into all the wretchedness in     
which man is now sunk4 ,in heaven and   
earth1 pride1 self-exaltation1 is the   
gate and the birth1 and the curse1 of   
hell4 7,see ,note ,a47  ,hence it       
follows that nothing can be our         
redemption1 but the restoration of the  
lost humility1 the original and only    
true relation of the creature to its    
,god4 ,and so ,jesus came to bring      
humility back to earth1 to make us      
partakers of it1 and by it to save us4  
,in heaven ,he humbled ,himself to      
become man4 ,the humility we see in ,him
 possessed ,him in heaven2 it brought   
,him1 ,he brought it1 from there4 ,here 

on earth ',he humbled ,himself1 and     
became obedient unto death'2 ,his       
humility gave ,his death its value1 and 
so became our redemption4 ,and now the  
salvation ,he imparts is nothing less   
and nothing else than a communication of
 ,his own life and death1 ,his own      
disposition and spirit1 ,his own        
humility1 as the ground and root of ,his
 relation to ,god and ,his redeeming    
work4 ,jesus ,christ took the place and 
fulfilled the destiny of man1 as a      
creature1 by ,his life of perfect       
humility4 ,his humility is our          
salvation4 ,his salvation is our        
humility4  ,and so the life of the saved
 ones1 of the saints1 must needs bear   
this stamp of deliverance from sin1 and 
full restoration to their original      
state2 their whole relation to ,god and 
man marked by an all-pervading humility4
 ,without this there can be no true     
abiding in ,god's presence1 or          
experience of ,his favour and the power 
of ,his ,spirit2 without this no abiding

 faith1 or love or joy or strength4     
,humility is the only soil in which the 
graces root2 the lack of humility is the
 sufficient explanation of every defect 
and failure4 ,humility is not so much a 
grace or virtue along with others2 it is
 the root of all1 because it alone takes
 the right attitude before ,god1 and    
allows ,him as ,god to do all4  ,god has
 so constituted us as reasonable beings1
 that the truer the insight into the    
real nature or the absolute need of a   
command1 the readier and fuller will be 
our obedience to it4 ,the call to       
humility has been too little regarded in
 the ,church because its true nature and
 importance has been too little         
apprehended4 ,it is not a something     
which we bring to ,god1 or ,he bestows2 
it is simply the sense of entire        
nothingness1 which comes when we see how
 truly ,god is all1 and in which we make
 way for ,god to be all4 ,when the      
creature realises that this is the true 
nobility1 and consents to be with his   

will1 his mind1 and his affections1 the 
form1 the vessel in which the life and  
glory of ,god are to work and manifest  
themselves1 he sees that humility is    
simply acknowledging the truth of his   
position as creature1 and yielding to   
,god ,his place4  ,in the life of       
earnest ,christians1 of those who pursue
 and profess holiness1 humility ought to
 be the chief mark of their uprightness4
 ,it is often said that it is not so4   
,may not one reason be that in the      
teaching and example of the ,church1 it 
has never had that place of supreme     
importance which belongs to it8 ,and    
that this1 again1 is owing to the       
neglect of this truth1 that strong as   
sin is as a motive to humility1 there is
 one of still wider and mightier        
influence1 that which makes the angels1 
that which made ,jesus1 that which makes
 the holiest of saints in heaven1 so    
humble2 that the first and chief mark of
 the relation of the creature1 the      
secret of his blessedness1 is the       

humility and nothingness which leaves   
,god free to be all8  ,i am sure there  
are many ,christians who will confess   
that their experience has been very much
 like my own in this1 that we had long  
known the ,lord without realising that  
meekness and lowliness of heart are to  
be the distinguishing feature of the    
disciple as they were of the ,master4   
,and further1 that this humility is not 
a thing that will come of itself1 but   
that it must be made the object of      
special desire and prayer and faith and 
practice4 ,as we study the word1 we     
shall see what very distinct and        
oft-repeated instructions ,jesus gave   
,his disciples on this point1 and how   
slow they were in understanding ,him4   
,let us1 at the very commencement of our
 meditations1 admit that there is       
nothing so natural to man1 nothing so   
insidious and hidden from our sight1    
nothing so difficult and dangerous1 as  
pride4 ,let us feel that nothing but a  
very determined and persevering waiting 

on ,god and ,christ will discover how   
lacking we are in the grace of humility1
 and how impotent to obtain what we     
seek4 ,let us study the character of    
,christ until our souls are filled with 
the love and admiration of ,his         
lowliness4 ,and let us believe that1    
when we are broken down under a sense of
 our pride1 and our impotence to cast it
 out1 ,jesus ,christ ,himself will come 
in to impart this grace too1 as a part  
of ,his wondrous life within us4        
,humility3 ,the ,beauty of ,holiness    
,,ii4  ,humility3 ,the ,secret of       
,redemption4  ',have this mind in you   
which was also in ,christ ,jesus3 who   
emptied ,himself2 taking the form of a  
servant2 and humbled ,himself2 becoming 
obedient even unto death4 ,wherefore    
,god also highly exalted ,him4'         
--,,phil4 ii4 #e-g4  ,,no tree can grow 
except on the root from which it sprang4
 ,through all its existence it can only 
live with the life that was in the seed 
that gave it being4 ,the full           

apprehension of this truth in its       
application to the first and the ,second
 ,adam cannot but help us greatly to    
understand both the need and the nature 
of the redemption there is in ,jesus4   
,the ,need4--,when the ,old ,serpent1 he
 who had been cast out from heaven for  
his pride1 whose whole nature as devil  
was pride1 spoke his words of temptation
 into the ear of ,eve1 these words      
carried with them the very poison of    
hell4 ,and when she listened1 and       
yielded her desire and her will to the  
prospect of being as ,god1 knowing good 
and evil1 the poison entered into her   
soul and blood and life1 destroying     
forever that blessed humility and       
dependence upon ,god which would have   
been our everlasting happiness4 ,and    
instead of this1 her life and the life  
of the race that sprang from her became 
corrupted to its very root with that    
most terrible of all sins and all       
curses1 the poison of ,satan's own      
pride4 ,all the wretchedness of which   

this world has been the scene1 all its  
wars and bloodshed among the nations1   
all its selfishness and suffering1 all  
its ambitions and jealousies1 all its   
broken hearts and embittered lives1 with
 all its daily unhappiness1 have their  
origin in what this cursed1 hellish     
pride1 either our own1 or that of       
others1 has brought us4 ,it is pride    
that made redemption needful2 it is from
 our pride we need above everything to  
be redeemed4 ,and our insight into the  
need of redemption will largely depend  
upon our knowledge of the terrible      
nature of the power that has entered our
 being4  ,no tree can grow except on the
 root from which it sprang4 ,the power  
that ,satan brought from hell1 and cast 
into man's life1 is working daily1      
hourly1 with mighty power throughout the
 world4 ,men suffer from it2 they fear  
and fight and flee it2 and yet they know
 not whence it comes1 whence it has its 
terrible supremacy4 ,no wonder they do  
not know where or how it is to be       

overcome4 ,pride has its root and       
strength in a terrible spiritual power1 
outside of us as well as within us2 as  
needful as it is that we confess and    
deplore it as our very own1 is to know  
it in its ,satanic origin4 ,if this     
leads us to utter despair of ever       
conquering or casting it out1 it will   
lead us all the sooner to that          
supernatural power in which alone our   
deliverance is to be found--the         
redemption of the ,lamb of ,god4 ,the   
hopeless struggle against the workings  
of self and pride within us may indeed  
become still more hopeless as we think  
of the power of darkness behind it all2 
the utter despair will fit us the better
 for realising and accepting a power and
 a life outside of ourselves too1 even  
the humility of heaven as brought down  
and brought nigh by the ,lamb of ,god1  
to cast out ,satan and his pride4  ,no  
tree can grow except on the root from   
which it sprang4 ,even as we need to    
look to the first ,adam and his fall to 

know the power of the sin within us1 we 
need to know well the ,second ,adam and 
,his power to give within us a life of  
humility as real and abiding and        
overmastering as has been that of pride4
 ,we have our life from and in ,christ1 
as truly1 yea more truly1 than from and 
in ,adam4 ,we are to walk 'rooted in    
,him1' 'holding fast the ,head from whom
 the whole body increaseth with the     
increase of ,god4' ,the life of ,god    
which in the incarnation entered human  
nature1 is the root in which we are to  
stand and grow2 it is the same almighty 
power that worked there1 and thence     
onward to the resurrection1 which works 
daily in us4 ,our one need is to study  
and know and trust the life that has    
been revealed in ,christ as the life    
that is now ours1 and waits for our     
consent to gain possession and mastery  
of our whole being4  ,in this view it is
 of inconceivable importance that we    
should have right thoughts of what      
,christ is1 of what really constitutes  

,him the ,christ1 and specially of what 
may be counted ,his chief               
characteristic1 the root and essence of 
all ,his character as our ,redeemer4    
,there can be but one answer3 it is ,his
 humility4 ,what is the incarnation but 
,his heavenly humility1 ,his emptying   
,himself and becoming man8 ,what is ,his
 life on earth but humility2 ,his taking
 the form of a servant8 ,and what is    
,his atonement but humility8 ',he       
humbled ,himself and became obedient    
unto death4' ,and what is ,his ascension
 and ,his glory1 but humility exalted to
 the throne and crowned with glory8 ',he
 humbled ,himself1 therefore ,god highly
 exalted ,him4' ,in heaven1 where ,he   
was with the ,father1 in ,his birth1 in 
,his life1 in ,his death1 in ,his       
sitting on the throne1 it is all1 it is 
nothing but humility4 ,christ is the    
humility of ,god embodied in human      
nature2 the ,eternal ,love humbling     
itself1 clothing itself in the garb of  
meekness and gentleness1 to win and     

serve and save us4 ,as the love and     
condescension of ,god makes ,him the    
benefactor and helper and servant of    
all1 so ,jesus of necessity was the     
,incarnate ,humility4 ,and so ,he is    
still in the midst of the throne1 the   
meek and lowly ,lamb of ,god4  ,if this 
be the root of the tree1 its nature must
 be seen in every branch and leaf and   
fruit4 ,if humility be the first1 the   
all-including grace of the life of      
,jesus1--if humility be the secret of   
,his atonement1--then the health and    
strength of our spiritual life will     
entirely depend upon our putting this   
grace first too1 and making humility the
 chief thing we admire in ,him1 the     
chief thing we ask of ,him1 the one     
thing for which we sacrifice all else4  
7,see ,note ,b47  ,is it any wonder that
 the ,christian life is so often feeble 
and fruitless1 when the very root of the
 ,christ life is neglected1 is unknown8 
,is it any wonder that the joy of       
salvation is so little felt1 when that  

in which ,christ found it and brings it1
 is so little sought8 ,until a humility 
which will rest in nothing less than the
 end and death of self2 which gives up  
all the honour of men as ,jesus did1 to 
seek the honour that comes from ,god    
alone2 which absolutely makes and counts
 itself nothing1 that ,god may be all1  
that the ,lord alone may be             
exalted1--until such a humility be what 
we seek in ,christ above our chief joy1 
and welcome at any price1 there is very 
little hope of a religion that will     
conquer the world4  ,i cannot too       
earnestly plead with my reader1 if      
possibly his attention has never yet    
been specially directed to the want     
there is of humility within him or      
around him1 to pause and ask whether he 
sees much of the spirit of the meek and 
lowly ,lamb of ,god in those who are    
called by ,his name4 ,let him consider  
how all want of love1 all indifference  
to the needs1 the feelings1 the weakness
 of others2 all sharp and hasty         

judgments and utterances1 so often      
excused under the plea of being outright
 and honest2 all manifestations of      
temper and touchiness and irritation2   
all feelings of bitterness and          
estrangement1 have their root in nothing
 but pride1 that ever seeks itself1 and 
his eyes will be opened to see how a    
dark1 shall ,i not say a devilish pride1
 creeps in almost everywhere1 the       
assemblies of the saints not excepted4  
,let him begin to ask what would be the 
effect1 if in himself and around him1 if
 towards fellow-saints and the world1   
believers were really permanently guided
 by the humility of ,jesus2 and let him 
say if the cry of our whole heart1 night
 and day1 ought not to be1 ,oh for the  
humility of ,jesus in myself and all    
around me6 ,let him honestly fix his    
heart on his own lack of the humility   
which has been revealed in the likeness 
of ,christ's life1 and in the whole     
character of ,his redemption1 and he    
will begin to feel as if he had never   

yet really known what ,christ and ,his  
salvation is4  ,believer6 study the     
humility of ,jesus4 ,this is the secret1
 the hidden root of thy redemption4     
,sink down into it deeper day by day4   
,believe with thy whole heart that this 
,christ1 whom ,god has given thee1 even 
as ,his divine humility wrought the work
 for thee1 will enter in to dwell and   
work within thee too1 and make thee what
 the ,father would have thee be4        
,humility3 ,the ,beauty of ,holiness    
,,iii4  ,the ,humility of ,jesus4  ',i  
am in the midst of you as he that       
serveth4'--,,luke xxii4 #bf4  ,,in the  
,gospel of ,john we have the inner life 
of our ,lord laid open to us4 ,jesus    
speaks frequently of ,his relation to   
the ,father1 of the motives by which ,he
 is guided1 of ,his consciousness of the
 power and spirit in which ,he acts4    
,though the word humble does not occur1 
we shall nowhere in ,scripture see so   
clearly wherein ,his humility consisted4
 ,we have already said that this grace  

is in truth nothing but that simple     
consent of the creature to let ,god be  
all1 in virtue of which it surrenders   
itself to ,his working alone4 ,in ,jesus
 we shall see how both as the ,son of   
,god in heaven1 and as man upon earth1  
,he took the place of entire            
subordination1 and gave ,god the honour 
and the glory which is due to ,him4 ,and
 what ,he taught so often was made true 
to ,himself3 ',he that humbleth him3    
shall be exalted4' ,as it is written1   
',he humbled ,himself1 therefore ,god   
highly exalted ,him4'  ,listen to the   
words in which our ,lord speaks of ,his 
relation to the ,father1 and how        
unceasingly ,he uses the words not1 and 
nothing1 of ,himself4 ,the not ,i1 in   
which ,paul expresses his relation to   
,christ1 is the very spirit of what     
,christ says of ,his relation the       
,father4  ',the ,son can do nothing of  
,himself' 7,john v4 #ai74  ',i can of   
,my own self do nothing2 ,my judgment is
 just1 because ,i seek not ,mine own    

will' 7,john v #cj74  ',i receive not   
glory from men' 7,john v4 #da74  ',i am 
come not to do ,mine own will' 7,john   
vi4 #ch74  ',my teaching is not ,mine'  
7,john vii4 #af74  ',i am not come of   
,myself' 7,john vii4 #bh74  ',i do      
nothing of ,myself' 7,john vii4 #bh74   
',i have not come of ,myself1 but ,he   
sent ,me' 7,john viii4 #db74  ',i seek  
not ,mine own glory' 7,john viii4 #ej74 
',the words that ,i say1 ,i speak not   
from ,myself' 7,john xiv4 #aj74  ',the  
word which ye hear is not ,mine' 7,john 
xiv4 #bd74  ,these words open to us the 
deepest roots of ,christ's life and     
work4 ,they tell us how it was that the 
,almighty ,god was able to work ,his    
mighty redemptive work through ,him4    
,they show what ,christ counted the     
state of heart which became ,him as the 
,son of the ,father4 ,they teach us what
 the essential nature and life is of    
that redemption which ,christ           
accomplished and now communicates4 ,it  
is this3 ,he was nothing1 that ,god     

might be all4 ,he resigned ,himself with
 ,his will and ,his powers entirely for 
the ,father to work in ,him4 ,of ,his   
own power1 ,his own will1 and ,his own  
glory1 of ,his whole mission with all   
,his works and ,his teaching1--of all   
this ,he said1 ,it is not ,i2 ,i am     
nothing2 ,i have given ,myself to the   
,father to work2 ,i am nothing1 the     
,father is all4  ,this life of entire   
self-abnegation1 of absolute submission 
and dependence upon the ,father's will1 
,christ found to be one of perfect peace
 and joy4 ,he lost nothing by giving all
 to ,god4 ,god honoured ,his trust1 and 
did all for ,him1 and then exalted ,him 
to ,his own right hand in glory4 ,and   
because ,christ had thus humbled        
,himself before ,god1 and ,god was ever 
before ,him1 ,he found it possible to   
humble ,himself before men too1 and to  
be the ,servant of all4 ,his humility   
was simply the surrender of ,himself to 
,god1 to allow ,him to do in ,him what  
,he pleased1 whatever men around might  

say of ,him1 or do to ,him4  ,it is in  
this state of mind1 in this spirit and  
disposition1 that the redemption of     
,christ has its virtue and efficacy4 ,it
 is to bring us to this disposition that
 we are made partakers of ,christ4 ,this
 is the true self-denial to which our   
,saviour calls us1 the acknowledgment   
that self has nothing good in it1 except
 as an empty vessel which ,god must     
fill1 and that its claim to be or do    
anything may not for a moment be        
allowed4 ,it is in this1 above and      
before everything1 in which the         
conformity to ,jesus consists1 the being
 and doing nothing of ourselves1 that   
,god may be all4  ,here we have the root
 and nature of true humility4 ,it is    
because this is not understood or sought
 after1 that our humility is so         
superficial and so feeble4 ,we must     
learn of ,jesus1 how ,he is meek and    
lowly of heart4 ,he teaches us where    
true humility takes its rise and finds  
its strength--in the knowledge that it  

is ,god who worketh all in all1 that our
 place is to yield to ,him in perfect   
resignation and dependence1 in full     
consent to be and to do nothing of      
ourselves4 ,this is the life ,christ    
came to reveal and to impart--a life to 
,god that came through death to sin and 
self4 ,if we feel that this life is too 
high for us and beyond our reach1 it    
must but the more urge us to seek it in 
,him2 it is the indwelling ,christ who  
will live in us this life1 meek and     
lowly4 ,if we long for this1 let us1    
meantime1 above everything1 seek the    
holy secret of the knowledge of the     
nature of ,god1 as ,he every moment     
works all in all2 the secret1 of which  
all nature and every creature1 and above
 all1 every child of ,god1 is to be the 
witness1--that it is nothing but a      
vessel1 a channel1 through which the    
living ,god can manifest the riches of  
,his wisdom1 power1 and goodness4 ,the  
root of all virtue and grace1 of all    
faith and acceptable worship1 is that we

 know that we have nothing but what we  
receive1 and bow in deepest humility to 
wait upon ,god for it4  ,it was because 
this humility was not only a temporary  
sentiment1 wakened up and brought into  
exercise when ,he thought of ,god1 but  
the very spirit of ,his whole life1 that
 ,jesus was just as humble in ,his      
intercourse with men as with ,god4 ,he  
felt ,himself the ,servant of ,god for  
the men whom ,god made and loved2 as a  
natural consequence1 ,he counted        
,himself the ,servant of men1 that      
through ,him ,god might do ,his work of 
love4 ,he never for a moment thought of 
seeking ,his honour1 or asserting ,his  
power to vindicate ,himself4 ,his whole 
spirit was that of a life yielded to    
,god to work in4 ,it is not until       
,christians study the humility of ,jesus
 as the very essence of ,his redemption1
 as the very blessedness of the life of 
the ,son of ,god1 as the only true      
relation to the ,father1 and therefore  
as that which ,jesus must give us if we 

are to have any part with ,him1 that the
 terrible lack of actual1 heavenly1     
manifest humility will become a burden  
and a sorrow1 and our ordinary religion 
be set aside to secure this1 the first  
and the chief of the marks of the       
,christ within us4  ,brother1 are you   
clothed with humility8 ,ask your daily  
life4 ,ask ,jesus4 ,ask your friends4   
,ask the world4 ,and begin to praise    
,god that there is opened up to you in  
,jesus a heavenly humility of which you 
have hardly known1 and through which a  
heavenly blessedness you possibly have  
never yet tasted can come in to you4    
,humility3 ,the ,beauty of ,holiness    
,,iv4  ,humility in the ,teaching of    
,jesus4  ',learn of ,me1 for ,i am meek 
and lowly of heart4'--,,matt4 xi4 #bi4  
',whosoever will be chief among you1 let
 him be your servant1 even as the ,son  
of ,man came to serve4'--,,matt4 xx4    
#bg4  ,,we have seen humility in the    
life of ,christ1 as ,he laid open ,his  
heart to us3 let us listen to ,his      

teaching4 ,there we shall hear how ,he  
speaks of it1 and how far ,he expects   
men1 and specially ,his disciples1 to be
 humble as ,he was4 ,let us carefully   
study the passages1 which ,i can scarce 
do more than quote1 to receive the full 
impression of how often and how         
earnestly ,he taught it3 it may help us 
to realise what ,he asks of us4  #a4    
,look at the commencement of ,his       
ministry4 ,in the ,beatitudes with which
 the ,sermon on the ,mount opens1 ,he   
speaks3 ',blessed are the poor in       
spirit2 for theirs is the kingdom of    
heaven4 ,blessed are the meek2 for they 
shall inherit the earth4' ,the very     
first words of ,his proclamation of the 
kingdom of heaven reveal the open gate  
through which alone we enter4 ,the poor1
 who have nothing in themselves1 to them
 the kingdom comes4 ,the meek1 who seek 
nothing in themselves1 theirs the earth 
shall be4 ,the blessings of heaven and  
earth are for the lowly4 ,for the       
heavenly and the earthly life1 humility 

is the secret of blessing4  #b4 ',learn 
of ,me2 for ,i am meek and lowly of     
heart1 and ye shall find rest for your  
souls4' ,jesus offers ,himself as       
,teacher4 ,he tells what the spirit both
 is1 which we shall find ,him as        
,teacher1 and which we can learn and    
receive from ,him4 ,meekness and        
lowliness the one thing ,he offers us2  
in it we shall find perfect rest of     
soul4 ,humility is to be a salvation4   
#c4 ,the disciples had been disputing   
who would be the greatest in the        
kingdom1 and had agreed to ask the      
,master 7,luke #i3df2 ,matt4 #ah3c74 ,he
 set a child in their midst and said1   
',whosoever shall humble himself as this
 little child1 shall be exalted4' ',who 
the greatest in the kingdom of heaven8' 
,the question is indeed a far-reaching  
one4 ,what will be the chief distinction
 in the heavenly kingdom8 ,the answer1  
none but ,jesus would have given4 ,the  
chief glory of heaven1 the true         
heavenly-mindedness1 the chief of the   

graces1 is humility4 ',he that is least 
among you1 the same shall be great4'    
#d4 ,the sons of ,zebedee had asked     
,jesus to sit on ,his right and left1   
the highest place in the kingdom4 ,jesus
 said it was not ,his to give1 but the  
,father's1 who would give it to those   
for whom it was prepared4 ,they must not
 look or ask for it4 ,their thought must
 be of the cup and the baptism of       
humiliation4 ,and then ,he added1       
',whosoever will be chief among you1 let
 him be your servant4 ,even as the ,son 
of ,man came to serve4' ,humility1 as it
 is the mark of ,christ the heavenly1   
will be the one standard of glory in    
heaven3 the lowliest is the nearest to  
,god4 ,the primacy in the ,church is    
promised to the humblest4  #e4 ,speaking
 to the multitude and the disciples1 of 
the ,pharisees and their love of the    
chief seats1 ,christ said once again    
7,matt4 xxxiii4 #aa71 ',he that is      
greatest among you shall be your        
servant4' ,humiliation is the only      

ladder to honour in ,god's kingdom4  #f4
 ,on another occasion1 in the house of a
 ,pharisee1 ,he spoke the parable of the
 guest who would be invited to come up  
higher 7,luke xiv4 #a-aa71 and added1   
',for whosoever exalteth himself shall  
be abased2 and he that humbleth himself 
shall be exalted4' ,the demand is       
inexorable2 there is no other way4      
,self-abasement alone will be exalted4  
#g4 ,after the parable of the ,pharisee 
and the ,publican1 ,christ spake again  
7,luke xviii4 #ad71 ',everyone that     
exalteth himself shall be abased2 and he
 that humbleth himself shall be         
exalted4' ,in the temple and presence   
and worship of ,god1 everything is      
worthless that is not pervaded by deep1 
true humility towards ,god and men4  #h4
 ,after washing the disciples' feet1    
,jesus said 7,john xiii4 #ad71 ',if ,i  
then1 the ,lord and ,master1 have washed
 your feet1 ye also ought to wash one   
another's feet4' ,the authority of      
command1 and example1 every thought1    

either of obedience or conformity1 make 
humility the first and most essential   
element of discipleship4  #i4 ,at the   
,holy ,supper table1 the disciples still
 disputed who should be greatest 7,luke 
xxii4 #bf74 ,jesus said1 ',he that is   
greatest among you1 let him be as the   
younger2 and he that is chief1 as he    
that doth serve4 ,i am among you as he  
that serveth4' ,the path in which ,jesus
 walked1 and which ,he opened up for us1
 the power and spirit in which ,he      
wrought out salvation1 and to which ,he 
saves us1 is ever the humility that     
makes me the servant of all4  ,how      
little this is preached4 ,how little it 
is practised4 ,how little the lack of it
 is felt or confessed4 ,i do not say1   
how few attain to it1 some recognisable 
measure of likeness to ,jesus in ,his   
humility4 ,but how few ever think1 of   
making it a distinct object of continual
 desire or prayer4 ,how little the world
 has seen it4 ,how little has it been   
seen even in the inner circle of the    

,church4  ',whosoever will be chief     
among you1 let him be your servant4'    
,would ,god that it might be given us to
 believe that ,jesus means this6 ,we all
 know what the character of a faithful  
servant or slave implies4 ,devotion to  
the master's interests1 thoughtful study
 and care to please him1 delight in his 
prosperity and honour and happiness4    
,there are servants on earth in whom    
these dispositions have been seen1 and  
to whom the name of servant has never   
been anything but a glory4 ,to how many 
of us has it not been a new joy in the  
,christian life to know that we may     
yield ourselves as servants1 as slaves  
to ,god1 and to find that ,his service  
is our highest liberty1--the liberty    
from sin and self8 ,we need now to learn
 another lesson1--that ,jesus calls us  
to be servants of one another1 and that1
 as we accept it heartily1 this service 
too will be a most blessed one1 a new   
and fuller liberty too from sin and     
self4 ,at first it may appear hard2 this

 is only because of the pride which     
still counts itself something4 ,if once 
we learn that to be nothing before ,god 
is the glory of the creature1 the spirit
 of ,jesus1 the joy of heaven1 we shall 
welcome with our whole heart the        
discipline we may have in serving even  
those who try to vex us4 ,when our own  
heart is set upon this1 the true        
sanctification1 we shall study each word
 of ,jesus on self-abasement with new   
zest1 and no place will be too low1 and 
no stooping too deep1 and no service too
 mean or too long continued1 if we may  
but share and prove the fellowship with 
,him who spake1 ',i am among you as he  
that serveth4'  ,brethren1 here is the  
path to the higher life4 ,down1 lower   
down6 ,this was what ,jesus ever said to
 the disciples who were thinking of     
being great in the kingdom1 and of      
sitting on ,his right hand and ,his     
left4 ,seek not1 ask not for exaltation2
 that is ,god's work4 ,look to it that  
you abase and humble yourselves1 and    

take no place before ,god or man but    
that of servant2 that is your work2 let 
that be your one purpose and prayer4    
,god is faithful4 ,just as water ever   
seeks and fills the lowest place1 so the
 moment ,god finds the creature abased  
and empty1 ,his glory and power flow in 
to exalt and to bless4 ,he that humbleth
 himself--that must be our one          
care--shall be exalted2 that is ,god's  
care2 by ,his mighty power and in ,his  
great love ,he will do it4  ,men        
sometimes speak as if humility and      
meekness would rob us of what is noble  
and bold and manlike4 ,oh that all would
 believe that this is the nobility of   
the kingdom of heaven1 that this is the 
royal spirit that the ,king of heaven   
displayed1 that this is ,godlike1 to    
humble oneself1 to become the servant of
 all6 ,this is the path to the gladness 
and the glory of ,christ's presence ever
 in us1 ,his power ever resting on us4  
,jesus1 the meek and lowly ,one1 calls  
us to learn of ,him the path to ,god4   

,let us study the words we have been    
reading1 until our heart is filled with 
the thought3 ,my one need is humility4  
,and let us believe that what ,he shows1
 ,he gives2 what ,he is1 ,he imparts4   
,as the meek and lowly ,one1 ,he will   
come in and dwell in the longing heart4 
,humility3 ,the ,beauty of ,holiness    
,v4  ,humility in the ,disciples of     
,jesus  ',let him that is chief among   
you be as he that doth serve4' --,,luke 
xxii4 #bf  ,,we have studied humility in
 the person and teaching of ,jesus2 let 
us now look for it in the circle of ,his
 chosen companions--the twelve apostles4
 ,if1 in the lack of it we find in them1
 the contrast between ,christ and men is
 brought out more clearly1 it will help 
us to appreciate the mighty change which
 ,pentecost wrought in them1 and prove  
how real our participation can be in the
 perfect triumph of ,christ's humility  
over the pride ,satan had breathed into 
man4  ,in the texts quoted from the     
teaching of ,jesus1 we have already seen

 what the occasions were on which the   
disciples had proved how entirely       
wanting they were in the grace of       
humility4 ,once1 they had been disputing
 the way which of them should be the    
greatest ,another time1 the sons of     
,zebedee with their mother had asked for
 the first places--the seat on the right
 hand and the left4 ,and1 later on1 at  
the ,supper table on the last night1    
there was again a contention which      
should be accounted the greatest4 ,not  
that there were not moments when they   
indeed humbled themselves before their  
,lord4 ,so it was with ,peter when he   
cried out1 ',depart from me1 ,lord1 for 
,i am a sinful man4' ,so1 too1 with the 
disciples when they fell down and       
worshipped ,him who had stilled the     
storm4 ,but such occasional expressions 
of humility only bring out into stronger
 relief what was the habitual tone of   
their mind1 as shown in the natural and 
spontaneous revelation given at other   
times of the place and the power of     

self4 ,the study of the meaning of all  
this will teach us most important       
lessons4  ,first1 ,how much there may be
 of earnest and active1 religion while  
humility is still sadly wanting4--,see  
it in the disciples4 ,there was in them 
fervent attachment to ,jesus4 ,they had 
forsaken all for ,him4 ,the ,father had 
revealed to them that ,he was the       
,christ of ,god4 ,they believed in ,him1
 they loved ,him1 they obeyed ,his      
commandments4 ,they had forsaken all to 
follow ,him4 ,when others went back1    
they clave to ,him4 ,they were ready to 
die with ,him4 ,but deeper down than all
 this there was a dark power1 of the    
existence and the hideousness of which  
they were hardly conscious1 which had to
 be slain and cast out1 ere they could  
be the witnesses of the power of ,jesus 
to save4 ,it is even so still4 ,we may  
find professors and ministers1          
evangelists and workers1 missionaries   
and teachers1 in whom the gifts of the  
,spirit are many and manifest1 and who  

are the channels of blessing to         
multitudes1 but of whom1 when the       
testing time comes1 or closer           
intercourse gives fuller knowledge1 it  
is only too painfully manifest that the 
grace of humility1 as an abiding        
characteristic1 is scarce to be seen4   
,all tends to confirm the lesson that   
humility is one of the chief and the    
highest graces2 one of the most         
difficult of attainment2 one to which   
our first and chiefest efforts ought to 
be directed2 one that only comes in     
power1 when the fullness of the ,spirit 
makes us partakers of the indwelling    
,christ1 and ,he lives within us4       
,second1 ,how impotent all external     
teaching and all personal effort is1 to 
conquer pride or give the meek and lowly
 heart4--,for three years the disciples 
had been in the training school of      
,jesus4 ,he had told them what the chief
 lesson was ,he wished to teach them3   
',learn of ,me1 for ,i am meek and lowly
 in heart4' ,time after time ,he had    

spoken to them1 to the ,pharisees1 to   
the multitude1 of humility as the only  
path to the glory of ,god4 ,he had not  
only lived before them as the ,lamb of  
,god in ,his divine humility1 ,he had   
more than once unfolded to them the     
inmost secret of ,his life3 ',the ,son  
of ,man came not to be served1 but to   
serve'2 ',i am among you as one that    
serveth4' ,he had washed their feet1 and
 told them they were to follow ,his     
example4 ,and yet all had availed but   
little4 ,at the ,holy ,supper there was 
still the contention as to who should be
 greatest4 ,they had doubtless often    
tried to learn ,his lessons1 and firmly 
resolved not again to grieve ,him4 ,but 
all in vain4 ,to teach them and us the  
much needed lesson1 that no outward     
instruction1 not even of ,christ        
,himself2 no argument however           
convincing2 no sense of the beauty of   
humility1 however deep2 no personal     
resolve or effort1 however sincere and  
earnest1--can cast out the devil of     

pride4 ,when ,satan casts out ,satan1 it
 is only to enter afresh in a mightier1 
though more hidden power4 ,nothing can  
avail but this1 that the new nature in  
its divine humility be revealed in power
 to take the place of the old1 to become
 as truly our very nature as that ever  
was4  ,third1 ,it is only by the        
indwelling of ,christ in ,his divine    
humility that we become truly           
humble4--,we have our pride from        
another1 from ,adam2 we must have our   
humility from ,another too4 ,pride is   
ours1 and rules in us with such terrible
 power1 because it is ourself1 our very 
nature4 ,humility must be ours in the   
same way2 it must be our very self1 our 
very nature4 ,as natural and easy as it 
has been to be proud1 it must be1 it    
will be1 to be humble4 ,the promise is1 
',where1' even in the heart1 'sin       
abounded1 grace did abound more         
exceedingly4' ,all ,christ's teaching of
 ,his disciples1 and all their vain     
efforts1 were the needful preparation   

for ,his entering into them in divine   
power1 to give and be in them what ,he  
had taught them to desire4 ,in ,his     
death ,he destroyed the power of the    
devil1 ,he put away sin1 and effected an
 everlasting redemption4 ,in ,his       
resurrection ,he received from the      
,father an entirely new life1 the life  
of man in the power of ,god1 capable of 
being communicated to men1 and entering 
and renewing and filling their lives    
with ,his divine power4 ,in ,his        
ascension ,he received the ,spirit of   
the ,father1 through whom ,he might do  
what ,he could not do while upon earth1 
make ,himself one with those ,he loved1 
actually live their life for them1 so   
that they could live before the ,father 
in a humility like ,his1 because it was 
,himself who lived and breathed in them4
 ,and on ,pentecost ,he came and took   
possession4 ,the work of preparation and
 conviction1 the awakening of desire and
 hope which ,his teaching had effected1 
was perfected by the mighty change that 

,pentecost wrought4 ,and the lives and  
the epistles of ,james and ,peter and   
,john bear witness that all was changed1
 and that the spirit of the meek and    
suffering ,jesus had indeed possession  
of them4  ,what shall we say to these   
things8 ,among my readers ,i am sure    
there is more than one class4 ,there may
 be some who have never yet thought very
 specially of the matter1 and cannot at 
once realise its immense importance as a
 life question for the ,church and its  
every member4 ,there are others who have
 felt condemned for their shortcomings1 
and have put forth very earnest efforts1
 only to fail and be discouraged4       
,others1 again1 may be able to give     
joyful testimony of spiritual blessing  
and power1 and yet there has never been 
the needed conviction of what those     
around them still see as wanting4 ,and  
still others may be able to witness that
 in regard to this grace too the ,lord  
has given deliverance and victory1 while
 ,he has taught them how much they still

 need and may expect out of the fullness
 of ,jesus4 ,to whichever class we      
belong1 may ,i urge the pressing need   
there is for our all seeking a still    
deeper conviction of the unique place   
that humility holds in the religion of  
,christ1 and the utter impossibility of 
the ,church or the believer being what  
,christ would have them be1 as long as  
,his humility is not recognised as ,his 
chief glory1 ,his first command1 and our
 highest blessedness4 ,let us consider  
deeply how far the disciples were       
advanced while this grace was still so  
terribly lacking1 and let us pray to    
,god that other gifts may not so satisfy
 us1 that we never grasp the fact that  
the absence of this grace is the secret 
cause why the power of ,god cannot do   
its mighty work4 ,it is only where we1  
like the ,son1 truly know and show that 
we can do nothing of ourselves1 that    
,god will do all4  ,it is when the truth
 of an indwelling ,christ takes the     
place it claims in the experience of    

believers1 that the ,church will put on 
her beautiful garments and humility be  
seen in her teachers and members as the 
beauty of holiness4    ,humility3 ,the  
,beauty of ,holiness4  ,,vi4  ,humility 
in ,daily ,life  ',he that loveth not   
his brother whom he hath seen1 how can  
he love ,god whom he hath not seen8'--#a
 ,,john iv4 #bj4  ,,what a solemn       
thought1 that our love to ,god will be  
measured by our everyday intercourse    
with men and the love it displays2 and  
that our love to ,god will be found to  
be a delusion1 except was its truth is  
proved in standing the test of daily    
life with our fellowmen4 ,it is even so 
with our humility4 ,it is easy to think 
we humble ourselves before ,god3        
humility towards men will be the only   
sufficient proof that our humility      
before ,god is real2 that humility has  
taken up its abode in us2 and become our
 very nature2 that we actually1 like    
,christ1 have made ourselves of no      
reputation4 ,when in the presence of    

,god lowliness of heart has become1 not 
a posture we pray to ,him1 but the very 
spirit of our life1 it will manifest    
itself in all our bearing towards our   
brethren4 ,the lesson is one of deep    
import3 the only humility that is really
 ours is not that which we try to show  
before ,god in prayer1 but that which we
 carry with us1 and carry out1 in our   
ordinary conduct2 the insignificances of
 daily life are the importances and the 
tests of eternity1 because they prove   
what really is the spirit that possesses
 us4 ,it is in our most unguarded       
moments that we really show and see what
 we are4 ,to know the humble man1 to    
know how the humble man behaves1 you    
must follow him in the common course of 
daily life4  ,is not this what ,jesus   
taught8 ,it was when the disciples      
disputed who should be greatest2 when   
,he saw how the ,pharisees loved the    
chief place at feasts and the chief     
seats in the synagogues2 when ,he had   
given them the example of washing their 

feet1--that ,he taught ,his lessons of  
humility4 ,humility before ,god is      
nothing if not proved in humility before
 men4  ,it is even so in the teaching of
 ,paul4 ,to the ,romans ,he writes3 ',in
 honour preferring one another'2 ',set  
not your mind on high things1 but       
condescend to those that are lowly4'    
',be not wise in your own conceit4' ,to 
the ,corinthians3 ',love1' and there is 
no love without humility as its root1   
'vaunteth not itself1 is not puffed up1 
seeketh not its own1 is not provoked4'  
,to the ,galatians3 ',through love be   
servants one of another4 ,let us not be 
desirous of vainglory1 provoking one    
another1 envying one another4' ,to the  
,ephesians1 immediately after the three 
wonderful chapters on the heavenly life3
 ',therefore1 walk with all lowliness   
and meekness1 with long-suffering1      
forbearing one another in love'2        
',giving thanks always1 subjecting      
yourselves one to another in the fear of
 ,christ4' ,to the ,philippians3 ',doing

 nothing through faction or vainglory1  
but in lowliness of mind1 each counting 
other better than himself4 ,have the    
mind in you which was also in ,christ   
,jesus1 who emptied ,himself1 taking the
 form of a servant1 and humbled         
,himself4' ,and to the ,colossians3     
',put on a heart of compassion1         
kindness1 humility1 meekness1           
long-suffering1 forebearing one another1
 and forgiving each other1 even as the  
,lord forgave you4' ,it is in our       
relation to one another1 in our         
treatment of one another1 that the true 
lowliness of mind and the heart of      
humility are to be seen4 ,our humility  
before ,god has no value1 but as it     
prepares us to reveal the humility of   
,jesus to our fellow-men4 ,let us study 
humility in daily life in the light of  
these words4  ,the humble man seeks at  
all times to act up to the rule1 ',in   
honour preferring one another2 ,servants
 one of another2 ,each counting others  
better than himself2 ,subjecting        

yourselves one to another4' ,the        
question is often asked1 how we can     
count others better than ourselves1 when
 we see that they are far below us in   
wisdom and in holiness1 in natural      
gifts1 or in grace received4 ,the       
question proves at once how little we   
understand what real lowliness of mind  
is4 ,true humility comes when1 in the   
light of ,god1 we have seen ourselves to
 be nothing1 have consented to part with
 and cast away self1 to let ,god be all4
 ,the soul that has done this1 and can  
say1 ,so have ,i lost myself in finding 
,thee1 no longer compares itself with   
others4 ,it has given up forever every  
thought of self in ,god's presence2 it  
meets its fellow-men as one who is      
nothing1 and seeks nothing for itself2  
who is a servant of ,god1 and for ,his  
sake a servant of all4 ,a faithful      
servant may be wiser than the master1   
and yet retain the true spirit and      
posture of the servant4 ,the humble man 
looks upon every1 the feeblest and      

unworthiest1 child of ,god1 and honours 
him and prefers him in honour as the son
 of a ,king4 ,the spirit of ,him who    
washed the disciples' feet1 makes it a  
joy to us to be indeed the least1 to be 
servants one of another4  ,the humble   
man feels no jealousy or envy4 ,he can  
praise ,god when others are preferred   
and blessed before him4 ,he can bear to 
hear others praised and himself         
forgotten1 because in ,god's presence he
 has learnt to say with ,paul1 ',i am   
nothing4' ,he has received the spirit of
 ,jesus1 who pleased not ,himself1 and  
sought not ,his own honour1 as the      
spirit of his life4  ,amid what are     
considered the temptations to impatience
 and touchiness1 to hard thoughts and   
sharp words1 which come from the        
failings and sins of fellow-,christians1
 the humble man carries the oft-repeated
 injunction in his heart1 and shows it  
in his life1 ',forbearing one another1  
and forgiving one another1 even as the  
,lord forgave you4' ,he has learnt that 

in putting on the ,lord ,jesus he has   
put on the heart of compassion1         
kindness1 humility1 meekness1 and       
long-suffering4 ,jesus has taken the    
place of self1 and it is not an         
impossibility to forgive as ,jesus      
forgave4 ,his humility does not consist 
merely in thoughts or words of          
self-depreciation1 but1 as ,paul puts   
it1 in 'a heart of humility1'           
encompassed by compassion and kindness1 
meekness and long-suffering1--the sweet 
and lowly gentleness recognised as the  
mark of the ,lamb of ,god4  ,in striving
 after the higher experiences of the    
,christian life1 the believer is often  
in danger of aiming at and rejoicing in 
what one might call the more human1 the 
manly1 virtues1 such as boldness1 joy1  
contempt of the world1 zeal1            
self-sacrifice1--even the old ,stoics   
taught and practised these1--while the  
deeper and gentler1 the diviner and more
 heavenly graces1 those which ,jesus    
first taught upon earth1 because ,he    

brought them from heaven2 those which   
are more distinctly connected with ,his 
cross and the death of self1--poverty of
 spirit1 meekness1 humility1            
lowliness1--are scarcely thought of or  
valued4 ,therefore1 let us put on a     
heart of compassion1 kindness1 humility1
 meekness1 long-suffering2 and let us   
prove our ,christlikeness1 not only in  
our zeal for saving the lost1 but before
 all in our intercourse with the        
brethren1 forbearing and forgiving one  
another1 even as the ,lord forgave us4  
,fellow-,christians1 do let us study the
 ,bible portrait of the humble man4 ,and
 let us ask our brethren1 and ask the   
world1 whether they recognise in us the 
likeness to the original4 ,let us be    
content with nothing less than taking   
each of these texts as the promise of   
what ,god will work in us1 as the       
revelation in words of what the ,spirit 
of ,jesus will give as a birth within   
us4 ,and let each failure and           
shortcoming simply urge us to turn      

humbly and meekly to the meek and lowly 
,lamb of ,god1 in the assurance that    
where ,he is enthroned in the heart1    
,his humility and gentleness will be one
 of the streams of living water that    
flow from within us4 ,footnote3 ,i knew 
,jesus1 and ,he was very precious to my 
soul3 but ,i found something in me that 
would not keep sweet and patient and    
kind4 ,i did what ,i could to keep it   
down1 but it was there4 ,i besought     
,jesus to do something for me1 and when 
,i gave ,him my will1 ,he came to my    
heart1 and took out all that would not  
be sweet1 all that would not be kind1   
all that would not be patient1 and then 
,he shut the door4'--,,george ,,foxe4   
,once again ,i repeat what ,i have said 
before4 ,i feel deeply that we have very
 little conception of what the ,church  
suffers from the lack of this divine    
humility1--the nothingness that makes   
room for ,god to prove ,his power4 ,it  
is not long since a ,christian1 of an   
humble1 loving spirit1 acquainted with  

not a few mission stations of various   
societies1 expressed his deep sorrow    
that in some cases the spirit of love   
and forbearance was sadly lacking4 ,men 
and women1 who in ,europe could each    
choose their own circle of friends1     
brought close together with others of   
uncongenial minds1 find it hard to bear1
 and to love1 and to keep the unity of  
the ,spirit in the bond of peace4 ,and  
those who should have been              
fellow-helpers of each other's joy1     
became a hindrance and a weariness4 ,and
 all for the one reason1 the lack of the
 humility which counts itself nothing1  
which rejoices in becoming and being    
counted the least1 and only seeks1 like 
,jesus1 to be the servant1 the helper   
and comforter of others1 even the lowest
 and unworthiest4  ,and whence comes it 
that men who have joyfully given up     
themselves for ,christ1 find it so hard 
to give up themselves for their         
brethren8 ,is not the blame with the    
,church8 ,it has so little taught its   

sons that the humility of ,christ is the
 first of the virtues1 the best of all  
the graces and powers of the ,spirit4   
,it has so little proved that a         
,christlike humility is what it1 like   
,christ1 places and preaches first1 as  
what is in very deed needed1 and        
possible too4 ,but let us not be        
discouraged4 ,let the discovery of the  
lack of this grace stir us to larger    
expectation from ,god4 ,let us look upon
 every brother who tries or vexes us1 as
 ,god's means of grace1 ,god's          
instrument for our purification1 for our
 exercise of the humility ,jesus our    
,life breathes within us4 ,and let us   
have such faith in the ,all of ,god1 and
 the nothing of self1 that1 as nothing  
in our own eyes1 we may1 in ,god's      
power1 only seek to serve one another in
 love4    ,humility3 ,the ,beauty of    
,holiness  ,,vii4  ,humility and        
,holiness  ',which say1 ,stand by       
thyself2 for ,i am holier than thou4'   
--,,isaiah lxv4 #e4  ,,we speak of the  

,holiness movement in our times1 and    
praise ,god for it4 ,we hear a great    
deal of seekers after holiness and      
professors of holiness1 of holiness     
teaching and holiness meetings4 ,the    
blessed truths of holiness in ,christ1  
and holiness by faith1 are being        
emphasised as never before4 ,the great  
test of whether the holiness we profess 
to seek or to attain1 is truth and life1
 will be whether it be manifest in the  
increasing humility it produces4 ,in the
 creature1 humility is the one thing    
needed to allow ,god's holiness to dwell
 in him and shine through him4 ,in      
,jesus1 the ,holy ,one of ,god who makes
 us holy1 a divine humility was the     
secret of ,his life and ,his death and  
,his exaltation2 the one infallible test
 of our holiness will be the humility   
before ,god and men which marks us4     
,humility is the bloom and the beauty of
 holiness4  ,the chief mark of          
counterfeit holiness is its lack of     
humility4 ,every seeker after holiness  

needs to be on his guard1 lest          
unconsciously what was begun in the     
spirit be perfected in the flesh1 and   
pride creep in where its presence is    
least expected4 ,two men went up into   
the temple to pray3 the one a ,pharisee1
 the other a publican4 ,there is no     
place or position so sacred but the     
,pharisee can enter there4 ,pride can   
lift its head in the very temple of     
,god1 and make ,his worship the scene of
 its self exaltation4 ,since the time   
,christ so exposed his pride1 the       
,pharisee has put on the garb of the    
publican1 and the confessor of deep     
sinfulness equally with the professor of
 the highest holiness1 must be on the   
watch4 ,just when ,we are most anxious  
to have our heart the temple of ,god1 we
 shall find the two men coming up to    
pray4 ,and the publican will find that  
his danger is not from the ,pharisee    
beside him1 who despises him1 but the   
,pharisee within who commends and       
exalts4 ,in ,god's temple1 when we think

 we are in the holiest of all1 in the   
presence of ,his holiness1 let us beware
 of pride4 ',now there was a day when   
the sons of ,god came to present        
themselves before the ,lord1 and ,satan 
came also among them4'  ',god1 ,i thank 
thee1 ,i am not as the rest of men1 or  
even as this publican4' ,it is in that  
which is just cause for thanksgiving1 it
 is in the very thanksgiving which we   
render to ,god1 it may be in the very   
confession that ,god has done it all1   
that self finds its cause of            
complacency4 ,yes1 even when in the     
temple the language of penitence and    
trust in ,god's mercy alone is heard1   
the ,pharisee may take up the note of   
praise1 and in thanking ,god be         
congratulating himself4 ,pride can      
clothe itself in the garments of praise 
or of penitence4 ,even though the words1
 ',i am not as the rest of men' are     
rejected and condemned1 their spirit may
 too often be found in our feelings and 
language towards our fellow-worshippers 

and fellow-men4 ,would you know if this 
really is so1 just listen to the way in 
which ,churches and ,christians often   
speak of one another4 ,how little of the
 meekness and gentleness of ,jesus is to
 be seen4 ,it is so little remembered   
that deep humility must be the keynote  
of what the servants of ,jesus say of   
themselves or each other4 ,is there not 
many a ,church or assembly of the       
saints1 many a mission or convention1   
many a society or committee1 even many a
 mission away in heathendom1 where the  
harmony has been disturbed and the work 
of ,god hindered1 because men who are   
counted saints have proved in touchiness
 and haste and impatience1 in           
self-defence and self-assertion1 in     
sharp judgments and unkind words1 that  
they did not each reckon others better  
than themselves1 and that their holiness
 has but little in it of the meekness of
 the saints8,footnote#a3 ,,me is a most 
exacting personage1 requiring the best  
seat and the highest place for itself1  

and feeling grievously wounded if its   
claim is not recognised4 ,most of the   
quarrels among ,christian workers arise 
from the clamouring of this gigantic    
,,me4 ,how few of us understand the true
 secret of taking our seats in the      
lowest rooms4'--,,mrs ,,smith1 ,everyday
 ,religion4 ,in their spiritual history 
men may have had times of great humbling
 and brokenness1 but what a different   
thing this is from being clothed with   
humility1 from having an humble spirit1 
from having that lowliness of mind in   
which each counts himself the servant of
 others1 and so shows forth the very    
mind which was also in ,jesus ,christ4  
',stand by2 for ,i am holier than thou6'
 ,what a parody on holiness6 ,jesus the 
,holy ,one is the humble ,one3 the      
holiest will ever be the humblest4      
,there is none holy but ,god3 we have as
 much of holiness as we have of ,god4   
,and according to what we have of ,god  
will be our real humility1 because      
humility is nothing but the             

disappearance of self in the vision that
 ,god is all4 ,the holiest will be the  
humblest4 ,alas6 though the barefaced   
boasting ,jew of the days of ,isaiah is 
not often to be found1--even our manners
 have taught us not to speak thus1 how  
often his spirit is still seen1 whether 
in the treatment of fellow-saints or of 
the children of the world4 ,in the      
spirit in which opinions are given1 and 
work is undertaken1 and faults are      
exposed1 how often1 though the garb be  
that of the publican1 the voice is still
 that of the ,pharisee3 ',oh ,god1 ,i   
thank ,thee that ,i am not as other     
men4'  ,and is there1 then1 such        
humility to be found1 that men shall    
indeed still count themselves 'less than
 the least of all saints1' the servants 
of all8 ,there is4 ',love vaunteth not  
itself1 is not puffed up1 seeketh not   
its own4' ,where the spirit of love is  
shed abroad in the heart1 where the     
divine nature comes to a full birth     
where ,christ the meek and lowly ,lamb  

of ,god is truly formed within1 there is
 given the power of a perfect love that 
forgets itself and finds its blessedness
 in blessing others1 in bearing with    
them and honouring them1 however feeble 
they be4 ,where this love enters1 there 
,god enters4 ,and where ,god has entered
 in ,his power1 and reveals ,himself as 
,all1 there the creature becomes        
nothing4 ,and where the creature becomes
 nothing before ,god2 it cannot be      
anything but humble towards the         
fellow-creature4 ,the presence of ,god  
becomes not a thing of times and        
seasons1 but the covering under which   
the soul ever dwells1 and its deep      
abasement before ,god becomes the holy  
place of ,his presence whence all its   
words and works proceed4  ,may ,god     
teach us that our thoughts and words and
 feelings concerning our fellowmen are  
,his test of our humility towards ,him1 
and that our humility before ,him is the
 only power that can enable us to be    
always humble with our fellow-men4 ,our 

humility must be the life of ,christ1   
the ,lamb of ,god1 within us4  ,let all 
teachers of holiness1 whether in the    
pulpit or on the platform1 and all      
seekers after holiness1 whether in the  
closet or the convention1 take warning4 
,there is no pride so dangerous1 because
 none so subtle and insidious1 as the   
pride of holiness4 ,it is not that a man
 ever says1 or even thinks1 ',stand by2 
,i am holier than thou4' ,no1 indeed1   
the thought would be regarded with      
abhorrence4 ,but there grows up1 all    
unconsciously1 a hidden habit of soul1  
which feels complacency its attainments1
 and cannot help seeing how far it is in
 advance of others4 ,it can be          
recognised1 not always in any special   
self-assertion or self-laudation1 but   
simply in the absence of that deep      
self-abasement which cannot but be the  
mark of the soul that has seen the glory
 of ,god 7,job xlii4 #e1 #f2 ,isa4 vi4  
#e74 ,it reveals itself1 not only in    
words or thoughts1 but in a tone1 a way 

of speaking of others1 in which those   
who have the gift of spiritual          
discernment cannot but recognise the    
power of self4 ,even the world with its 
keen eyes notices it1 and points to it  
as a proof that the profession of a     
heavenly life does not bear any         
specially heavenly fruits4 ,o brethren6 
let us beware4 ,unless we make1 with    
each advance in what we think holiness1 
the increase of humility our study1 we  
may find that we have been delighting in
 beautiful thoughts and feelings1 in    
solemn acts of consecration and faith1  
while the only sure mark of the presence
 of ,god1 the disappearance of self1 was
 all the time wanting4 ,come and let us 
flee to ,jesus1 and hide ourselves in   
,him until we be clothed upon with ,his 
humility4 ,that alone is our holiness4  
,humility3 ,the ,beauty of ,holiness    
,,viii4  ,humility and ,sin  ',sinners1 
of whom ,i am chief4'--#a ,,tim4 i4 #ae 
,,humility is often identified with     
penitence and contrition4 ,as a         

consequence1 there appears to be no way 
of fostering humility but by keeping the
 soul occupied with its sin4 ,we have   
learned1 ,i think1 that humility is     
something else and something more4 ,we  
have seen in the teaching of our ,lord  
,jesus and the ,epistles how often the  
virtue is inculcated without any        
reference to sin4 ,in the very nature of
 things1 in the whole relation of the   
creature to the ,creator1 in the life of
 ,jesus as ,he lived it and imparts it  
to us1 humility is the very essence of  
holiness as of blessedness4 ,it is the  
displacement of self by the enthronement
 of ,god4 ,where ,god is all1 self is   
nothing4  ,but though it is this aspect 
of the truth ,i have felt it specially  
needful to press1 ,i need scarce say    
what new depth and intensity man's sin  
and ,god's grace give to the humility of
 the saints4 ,we have only to look at a 
man like the ,apostle ,paul1 to see how1
 through his life as a ransomed and a   
holy man1 the deep consciousness of     

having been a sinner lives              
inextinguishably4 ,we all know the      
passages in which he refers to his life 
as a persecutor and blasphemer4 ',i am  
the least of the apostles1 that am not  
worthy to be called an apostle1 because 
,i persecuted the ,church of ,god4 444,i
 laboured more abundantly than they all2
 yet not ,i1 but the grace of ,god which
 was with me' 7#a ,cor4 xv4 #i1aj74     
',unto me1 who am less than the least of
 all saints1 was this grace given1 to   
preach to the heathen' 7,eph4 iii4 #h74 
',i was before a blasphemer1 and a      
persecutor1 and injurious2 howbeit ,i   
obtained mercy1 because ,i did it       
ignorantly in unbelief4 444,christ      
,jesus came into the world to save      
sinners1 of whom ,i am chief' 7#a ,tim4 
i4 #ac1 #ae74 ,god's grace had saved    
him2 ,god remembered his sins no more   
for ever2 but never1 never could he     
forget how terribly he had sinned4 ,the 
more he rejoiced in ,god's salvation1   
and the more his experience of ,god's   

grace filled him with joy unspeakable1  
the clearer was his consciousness that  
he was a saved sinner1 and that         
salvation had no meaning or sweetness   
except as the sense of his being a      
sinner made it precious and real to him4
 ,never for a moment could he forget    
that it was a sinner ,god had taken up  
in ,his arms and crowned with ,his love4
  ,the texts we have just quoted are    
often appealed to as ,paul's confession 
of daily sinning4 ,one has only to read 
them carefully in their connection1 to  
see how little this is the case4 ,they  
have a far deeper meaning1 they refer to
 that which lasts throughout eternity1  
and which will give its deep undertone  
of amazement and adoration to the       
humility with which the ransomed bow    
before the throne1 as those who have    
been washed from their sins in the blood
 of the ,lamb4 ,never1 never1 even in1  
glory1 can they be other than ransomed  
sinners2 never for a moment in this life
 can ,god's child live in the full light

 of ,his love1 but as he feels that the 
sin1 out of which he has been saved1 is 
his one only right and title to all that
 grace has promised to do4 ,the humility
 with which first he came as a sinner1  
acquires a new meaning when he learns   
how it becomes him as a creature4 ,and  
then ever again1 the humility1 in which 
he was born as a creature1 has its      
deepest1 richest tones of adoration1 in 
the memory of what it is to be a        
monument of ,god's wondrous redeeming   
love4  ,the true import of what these   
expressions of ,st4 ,paul teach us comes
 out all the more strongly when we      
notice the remarkable fact that1 through
 his whole ,christian course1 we never  
find from his pen1 even in those        
epistles in which we have the most      
intensely personal unbosomings1 anything
 like confession of sin4 ,nowhere is    
there any mention of shortcoming or     
defect1 nowhere any suggestion to his   
readers that he has failed in duty1 or  
sinned against the law of perfect love4 

,on the contrary1 there are passages not
 a few in which he vindicates himself in
 language that means nothing if it does 
not appeal to a faultless life before   
,god and men4 ',ye are witnesses1 and   
,god also1 how holily1 and righteously1 
and unblameably we behaved ourselves    
toward you' 7#a ,thess4 ii4 #aj74 ',our 
glorying is this1 the testimony of our  
conscience1 that in holiness and        
sincerity of ,god we behaved ourselves  
in the world1 and more abundantly to you
 ward' 7#b ,cor4 i4 #ab74 ,this is not  
an ideal or an aspiration2 it is an     
appeal to what his actual life had been4
 ,however we may account for this       
absence of confession of sin1 all will  
admit that it must point to a life in   
the power of the ,holy ,ghost1 such as  
is but seldom realised or expected in   
these our days4  ,the point which ,i    
wish to emphasise is this--that the very
 fact of the absence of such confession 
of sinning only gives the more force to 
the truth that it is not in daily       

sinning that the secret of the deeper   
humility will be found1 but in the      
habitual1 never for a moment to be      
forgotten position1 which just the more 
abundant grace will keep more distinctly
 alive1 that our only place1 the only   
place of blessing1 our one abiding      
position before ,god1 must be that of   
those whose highest joy it is to confess
 that they are sinners saved by grace4  
,with ,paul's deep remembrance of having
 sinned so terribly in the past1 ere    
grace had met him1 and the consciousness
 of being kept from present sinning1    
there was ever coupled the abiding      
remembrance of the dark hidden power of 
sin ever ready to come in1 and only kept
 out by the presence and power of the   
indwelling ,christ4 ',in me1 that is1 in
 my flesh1 dwelleth no good             
thing2'--these words of ,rom4 vii4      
describe the flesh as it is to the end4 
,the glorious deliverance of ,rom4      
viii4--',the law of the ,spirit of life 
in ,christ ,jesus hath now made me free 

from the law of sin1 which once led me  
captive'--is neither the annihilation   
nor the sanctification of the flesh1 but
 a continuous victory given by the      
,spirit as ,he mortifies the deeds of   
the body4 ,as health expels disease1 and
 light swallows up darkness1 and life   
conquers death1 the indwelling of       
,christ through the ,spirit is the      
health and light and life of the soul4  
,but with this1 the conviction of       
helplessness and danger ever tempers the
 faith in the momentary and unbroken    
action of the ,holy ,spirit into that   
chastened sense of dependence which     
makes the highest faith and joy the     
handmaids of a humility that only lives 
by the grace of ,god4  ,the three       
passages above quoted all show that it  
was the wonderful grace bestowed upon   
,paul1 and of which he felt the need    
every moment1 that humbled him so       
deeply4 ,the grace of ,god that was with
 him1 and enabled him to labor more     
abundantly than they all2 the grace to  

preach to the heathen the unsearchable  
riches of ,christ2 the grace that was   
exceeding abundant with faith and love  
which is in ,christ ,jesus1--it was this
 grace of which it is the very nature   
and glory that it is for sinners1 that  
kept the consciousness of his having    
once sinned1 and being liable to sin1 so
 intensely alive4 ',where sin abounded1 
grace did abound more exceedingly4'     
,this reveals how the very essence of   
grace is to deal with and take away sin1
 and how it must ever be the more       
abundant the experience of grace1 the   
more intense the consciousness of being 
a sinner4 ,it is not sin1 but ,god's    
grace showing a man and ever reminding  
him what a sinner he was1 that1 will    
keep him truly humble4 ,it is not sin1  
but grace1 that will make me indeed know
 myself a sinner1 and make the sinner's 
place of deepest self-abasement the     
place ,i never leave4  ,i fear that     
there are not a few who1 by strong      
expressions of self-condemnation and    

self-denunciation1 have sought to humble
 themselves1 and have to confess with   
sorrow that a humble spirit1 a 'heart of
 humility1' with its accompaniments of  
kindness and compassion1 of meekness and
 forbearance1 is still as far off as    
ever4 ,being occupied with self1 even   
amid the deepest self-abhorrence1 can   
never free us from self4 ,it is the     
revelation of ,god1 not only by the law 
condemning sin but by ,his grace        
delivering from it1 that will make us   
humble4 ,the law may break the heart    
with fear2 it is only grace that works  
that sweet humility which becomes a joy 
to the soul as its second nature4 ,it   
was the revelation of ,god in ,his      
holiness1 drawing nigh to make ,himself 
known in ,his grace1 that made ,abraham 
and ,jacob1 ,job and ,isaiah1 bow so    
low4 ,it is the soul in which ,god the  
,creator1 as the ,all of the creature in
 its nothingness1 ,god the ,redeemer in 
,his grace1 as the ,all of the sinner in
 his sinfulness1 is waited for and      

trusted and worshipped1 that will find  
itself so filled with ,his presence1    
that there will be no place for self4   
,so alone can the promise be fulfilled3 
',the haughtiness of man shall be       
brought low1 and the ,lord alone be     
exalted in that day4'  ,it is the sinner
 dwelling in the full light of ,god's   
holy1 redeeming love1 in the experience 
of that full indwelling of divine love1 
which comes through ,christ and the     
,holy ,spirit1 who cannot but be humble4
 ,not to be occupied with thy sin1 but  
to be occupied with ,god1 brings        
deliverance from self4    ,humility3    
,the ,beauty of ,holiness  ,,ix4        
,humility and ,faith  ',how can ye      
believe1 which receive glory from one   
another1 and the glory that cometh from 
the only ,god ye seek not8' ,,john v4   
#dd4  ,in an address ,i lately heard1   
the speaker said that the blessings of  
the higher ,christian life were often   
like the objects exposed in a shop      
window1--one could see them clearly and 

yet could not reach them4 ,if told to   
stretch out his hand and take1 a man    
would answer1 ,i cannot2 there is a     
thick pane of plate-glass between me and
 them4 ,and even so ,christians may see 
clearly the blessed promises of perfect 
peace and rest1 of overflowing love and 
joy1 of abiding communion and           
fruitfulness1 and yet feel that there   
was something between hindering the true
 possession4 ,and what might that be8   
,nothing but pride4 ,the promises made  
to faith are so free and sure2 the      
invitations and encouragements so       
strong2 the mighty power of ,god on     
which it may count is so near and       
free1--that it can only be something    
that hinders faith that hinders the     
blessing being ours4 ,in our text ,jesus
 discovers to us that it is indeed pride
 that makes faith impossible4 ',how can 
ye believe1 which receive glory from one
 another8' ,as we see how in their very 
nature pride and faith are              
irreconcilably at variance1 we shall    

learn that faith and humility are at    
root one1 and that we never can have    
more of true faith than we have of true 
humility2 we shall see that we may      
indeed have strong intellectual         
conviction and assurance of the truth   
while pride is kept in the heart1 but   
that it makes the living faith1 which   
has power with ,god1 an impossibility4  
,we need only think for a moment what   
faith is4 ,is it not the confession of  
nothingness and helplessness1 the       
surrender and the waiting to let ,god   
work8 ,is it not in itself the most     
humbling thing there can be1--the       
acceptance of our place as dependents1  
who can claim or get or do nothing but  
what grace bestows8 ,humility is 'simply
 the disposition which prepares the soul
 for living on trust4 ,and every1 even  
the most secret breathing of pride1 in  
self-seeking1 self-will1                
self-confidence1 or self-exaltation1 is 
just the strengthening of that self     
which cannot enter the kingdom1 or      

possess the things of the kingdom1      
because it refuses to allow ,god to be  
what ,he is and must be there--the ,all 
in ,all4  ,faith is the organ or sense  
for the perception and apprehension of  
the heavenly world and its blessings4   
,faith seeks the glory that comes from  
,god1 that only comes where ,god is     
,all4 ,as long as we take glory from one
 another1 as long as ever we seek and   
love and jealously guard the glory of   
this life1 the honour and reputation    
that comes from men1 we do not seek1 and
 cannot receive the glory that comes    
from ,god4 ,pride renders faith         
impossible4 ,salvation comes through a  
cross and a crucified ,christ4          
,salvation is the fellowship with the   
crucified ,christ in the ,spirit of ,his
 cross4 ,salvation is union with and    
delight in1 salvation is participation  
in1 the humility of ,jesus4 ,is it      
wonder that our faith is so feeble when 
pride still reigns so much1 and we have 
scarce learnt even to long or pray for  

humility as the most needful and blessed
 part of salvation8  ,humility and faith
 are more nearly allied in ,scripture   
than many know4 ,see it in the life of  
,christ4 ,there are two cases in which  
,he spoke of a great faith4 ,had not the
 centurion1 at whose faith ,he          
marvelled1 saying1 ',i have not found so
 great faith1 no1 not in ,israel6'      
spoken1 ',i am not worthy that ,thou    
shouldst come under my roof'8 ,and had  
not the mother to whom ,he spoke1 ',o   
woman1 great is thy faith6' accepted the
 name of dog1 and said1 ',yea1 ,lord1   
yet the dogs eat of the crumbs'8 ,it is 
the humility that brings a soul to be   
nothing before ,god1 that also removes  
every hindrance to faith1 and makes it  
only fear lest it should dishonour ,him 
by not trusting ,him wholly4  ,brother1 
have we not here the cause of failure in
 the pursuit of holiness8 ,is it not    
this1 though we knew it not1 that made  
our consecration and our faith so       
superficial and so short-lived8 ,we had 

no idea to what an extent pride and self
 were still secretly working within us1 
and how alone ,god by ,his incoming and 
,his mighty power could cast them out4  
,we understood not how nothing but the  
new and divine nature1 taking entirely  
the place of the old self1 could make us
 really humble4 ,we knew not that       
absolute1 unceasing1 universal humility 
must be the root-disposition of every   
prayer and every approach to ,god as    
well as of every dealing with man2 and  
that we might as well attempt to see    
without eyes1 or live without breath1 as
 believe or draw nigh to ,god or dwell  
in ,his love1 without an all-pervading  
humility and lowliness of heart4        
,brother1 have we not been making a     
mistake in taking so much trouble to    
believe1 while all the time there was   
the old self in its pride seeking to    
possess itself of ,god's blessing and   
riches8 ,no wonder we could not believe4
 ,let us change our course4 ,let us seek
 first of all to humble ourselves under 

the mighty hand of ,god3 ,he will exalt 
us4 ,the cross1 and the death1 and the  
grave1 into which ,jesus humbled        
,himself1 were ,his path to the glory of
 ,god4 ,and they are our path4 ,let our 
one desire and our fervent prayer be1 to
 be humbled with ,him and like ,him2 let
 us accept gladly whatever can humble us
 before ,god or men2--this alone is the 
path to the glory of ,god4  ,you perhaps
 feel inclined to ask a question4 ,i    
have spoken of some who have blessed    
experiences1 or are the means of        
bringing blessing to others1 and yet are
 lacking in humility4 ,you ask whether  
these do not prove that they have true1 
even strong faith1 though they show too 
clearly that they still seek too much   
the honour that cometh from men4 ,there 
is more than one answer can be given4   
,but the principal answer in our present
 connection is this3 ,they indeed have a
 measure of faith1 in proportion to     
which1 with the special gifts bestowed  
upon them1 is the blessing they bring to

 others4 ,but in that very blessing the 
work of their faith is hindered1 through
 the lack of humility4 ,the blessing is 
often superficial or transitory1 just   
because they are not the nothing that   
opens the way for ,god to be all4 ,a    
deeper humility would without doubt     
bring a deeper and fuller blessing4 ,the
 ,holy ,spirit not only working in them 
as a ,spirit of power1 but dwelling in  
them in the fullness of ,his grace1 and 
specially that of humility1 would       
through them communicate ,himself to    
these converts for a life of power and  
holiness and steadfastness now all too  
little seen4  ',how can ye believe1     
which receive glory from one another8'  
,brother6 nothing can cure you of the   
desire of receiving glory from men1 or  
of the sensitiveness and pain and anger 
which come when it is not given1 but    
giving yourself to seek only the glory  
that comes from ,god4 ,let the glory of 
the ,all-glorious ,god be everything to 
you4 ,you will be freed from the glory  

of men and of self1 and be content and  
glad to be nothing4 ,out of this        
nothingness you will grow strong in     
faith1 giving glory to ,god1 and you    
will find that the deeper you sink in   
humility before ,him1 the nearer ,he is 
to fulfil the every desire of your      
faith4    ,humility3 ,the ,beauty of    
,holiness4  ,x4  ,humility and ,death to
 ,self4  ',he humbled ,himself and      
became obedient unto death4'--,,phil4   
ii4 #h4  ,,humility is the path to      
death1 because in death it gives the    
highest proof of its perfection4        
,humility is the blossom of which death 
to self is the perfect fruit4 ,jesus    
humbled ,himself unto death1 and opened 
the path in which we too must walk4 ,as 
there was no way for ,him to prove ,his 
surrender to ,god to the very uttermost1
 or to give up and rise out of our human
 nature to the glory of the ,father but 
through death1 so with us too4 ,humility
 must lead us to die to self3 so we     
prove how wholly we have given ourselves

 up to it and to ,god2 so alone we are  
freed from fallen nature1 and find the  
path that leads to life in ,god1 to that
 full birth of the new nature1 of which 
humility is the breath and the joy4  ,we
 have spoken of what ,jesus did for ,his
 disciples when ,he communicated ,his   
resurrection life to them1 when in the  
descent of the ,holy ,spirit ,he1 the   
glorified and enthroned ,meekness1      
actually came from heaven ,himself to   
dwell in them4 ,he won the power to do  
this through death3 in its inmost nature
 the life ,he imparted was a life out of
 death1 a life that had been surrendered
 to death1 and been won through death4  
,he who came to dwell in them was       
,himself ,one who had been dead and now 
lives for evermore4 ,his life1 ,his     
person1 ,his presence1 bears the marks  
of death1 of being a life begotten out  
of death4 ,that life in ,his disciples  
ever bears the death-marks too2 it is   
only as the ,spirit of the death1 of the
 dying ,one1 dwells and works in the    

soul1 that the power of ,his life can be
 known4 ,the first and chief of the     
marks of the dying of the ,lord ,jesus1 
of the death-marks that show the true   
follower of ,jesus1 is humility4 ,for   
these two reasons3 ,only humility leads 
to perfect death2 ,only death perfects  
humility4 ,humility and death are in    
their very nature one3 humility is the  
bud2 in death the fruit is ripened to   
perfection4  ,humility leads to perfect 
death4--,humility means the giving up of
 self and the taking of the place of    
perfect nothingness before ,god4 ,jesus 
humbled ,himself1 and became obedient   
unto death4 ,in death ,he gave the      
highest1 the perfect proof of having    
given up ,his will to the will of ,god4 
,in death ,he gave up ,his self1 with   
its natural reluctance to drink the cup2
 ,he gave up the life ,he had in union  
with our human nature2 ,he died to self1
 and the sin that tempted ,him2 so1 as  
man1 ,he entered into the perfect life  
of ,god4 ,if it had not been for ,his   

boundless humility1 counting ,himself as
 nothing except as a servant to do and  
suffer the will of ,god1 ,he never would
 have died4  ,this gives us the answer  
to the question so often asked1 and of  
which the meaning is so seldom clearly  
apprehended3 ,how can ,i die to self8   
,the death to self is not your work1 it 
is ,god's work4 ,in ,christ you are dead
 to sin the life there is in you has    
gone through the process of death and   
resurrection2 you may be sure you are   
indeed dead to sin4 ,but the full       
manifestation of the power of this death
 in your disposition and conduct1       
depends upon the measure in which the   
,holy ,spirit imparts the power of the  
death of ,christ ,and here it is that   
the teaching is needed3 if you would    
enter into full fellowship with ,christ 
in ,his death1 and know the full        
deliverance from self1 humble yourself4 
,this is your one duty4 ,place yourself 
before ,god in your utter helplessness2 
consent heartily to the fact of your    

impotence to slay or make alive         
yourself2 sink down into your own       
nothingness1 in the spirit of meek and  
patient and trustful surrender to ,god4 
,accept every humiliation1 look upon    
every fellow-man who tries or vexes you1
 as a means of grace to humble you4 ,use
 every opportunity of humbling yourself 
before your fellow-men as a help to     
abide humble before ,god4 ,god will     
accept such humbling of yourself as the 
proof that your whole heart desires it1 
as the very best prayer for it1 as your 
preparation for ,his mighty work of     
grace1 when1 by the mighty strengthening
 of ,his ,holy ,spirit1 ,he reveals     
,christ fully in you1 so that ,he1 in   
,his form of a servant1 is truly formed 
in you1 and dwells in your heart4 ,it is
 the path of humility which leads to    
perfect death1 the full and perfect     
experience that we are dead in ,christ4 
,then follows3 ,only this death leads to
 perfect humility4 ,oh1 beware of the   
mistake so many make1 who would fain be 

humble1 but are afraid to be too humble4
 ,they have so many qualifications and  
limitations1 so many reasonings and     
questionings1 as to what true humility  
is to be and to do1 that they never     
unreservedly yield themselves to it4    
,beware of this4 ,humble yourself unto  
the death4 ,it is in the death to self  
that humility is perfected4 ,be sure    
that at the root of all real experience 
of more grace1 of all true advance in   
consecration1 of all actually increasing
 conformity to the likeness of ,jesus1  
there must be a deadness to self that   
proves itself to ,god and men in our    
dispositions and habits4 ,it is sadly   
possible to speak of the death-life and 
the ,spirit-walk1 while even the        
tenderest love cannot but see how much  
there is of self4 ,the death to self has
 no surer death-mark than a humility    
which makes itself of no reputation1    
which empties out itself1 and takes the 
form of a servant4 ,it is possible to   
speak much and honestly of fellowship   

with a despised and rejected ,jesus1 and
 of bearing ,his cross1 while the meek  
and lowly1 the kind and gentle humility 
of the ,lamb of ,god is not seen1 is    
scarcely sought4 ,the ,lamb of ,god     
means to two things--meekness and death4
 ,let us seek to receive ,him in both   
forms4 ,in ,him they are inseparable3   
they must be in us too4  ,what a        
hopeless task if we had to do the work6 
,nature never can overcome nature1 not  
even with the help of grace4 ,self can  
never cast out self1 even in the        
regenerate man4 ,praise ,god6 the work  
has been done1 and finished and         
perfected for ever4 ,the death of       
,jesus1 once and forever1 is our death  
to self4 ,and the ascension of ,jesus1  
,his entering once and for ever into the
 ,holiest1 has given us the ,holy       
,spirit to communicate to us in power1  
and make our very own1 the power of the 
death-life4 ,as the soul1 in the pursuit
 and practice of humility1 follows in   
the steps of ,jesus1 its consciousness  

of the need of something more is        
awakened1 its desire and hope is        
quickened1 its faith is strengthened1   
and it learns to look up and claim and  
receive that true fullness of the       
,spirit of ,jesus1 which can daily      
maintain ,his death to self and sin in  
its full power1 and make humility the   
all pervading spirit of our life4 7,see 
,note ,c47  ',are ye ignorant that all  
we who were baptised into ,jesus ,christ
 were baptised into ,his death8 ,reckon 
yourselves to be dead unto sin1 but     
alive unto ,god in ,christ ,jesus4      
,present yourself unto ,god1 as alive   
from the dead4' ,the whole self         
consciousness of the ,christian is to be
 imbued and characterised by the spirit 
that animated the death of ,christ4 ,he 
has ever to present himself to ,god as  
one who has died in ,christ1 and in     
,christ is alive from the dead1 bearing 
about in his body the dying of the ,lord
 ,jesus4 ,his life ever bears the       
two-fold mark3 its roots striking in    

true humility deep into the grave of    
,jesus1 the death to sin and self2 its  
head lifted up in resurrection power to 
the heaven where ,jesus is4  ,believer1 
claim in faith the death and the life of
 ,jesus as thine4 ,enter in ,his grave  
into the rest from self and its         
work--the rest of ,god4 ,with ,christ1  
who committed ,his spirit into the      
,father's hands1 humble thyself and     
descend each day into that perfect1     
helpless dependence upon ,god4 ,god will
 raise thee up and exalt thee4 ,sink    
every morning in deep1 deep nothingness 
into the grave of ,jesus2 every day the 
life of ,jesus will be manifest in thee1
 ,let a willing1 loving1 restful1 happy 
humility be the mark that thou hast     
indeed claimed thy birthright--the      
baptism into the death of ,christ4 ',by 
one offering ,he has perfected for ever 
them that are sanctified4',the souls    
that enter into ,his humiliation will   
find in ,him the power to see and count 
self dead1 and1 as those who have       

learned and received of ,him1 to walk   
with all lowliness and meekness1        
forbearing one another in love4 ,the    
death-life is seen in a meekness and    
lowliness like that of ,christ4         
,humility3 ,the ,beauty of ,holiness    
,,xi4  ,humility and ,happiness4  ',most
 gladly therefore will ,i rather glory  
in my weaknesses1 that the strength of  
,christ may rest upon me4 ,wherefore ,i 
take pleasure in weakness3 for when ,i  
am weak then am ,i strong4'--#b ,,cor4  
xii4 #i4 #aj4  ,,lest ,paul should exalt
 himself1 by reason of the exceeding    
greatness of the revelations1 a thorn in
 the flesh was sent him to keep him     
humble4 ,paul's first desire was to have
 it removed1 and he besought the ,lord  
thrice that it might depart4 ,the answer
 came that the trial was a blessing2    
that1 in the weakness and humiliation it
 brought1 the grace and strength of the 
,lord could be the better manifested4   
,paul at once entered upon a new stage  
in his relation to the trial3 instead of

 simply enduring it1 he most gladly     
gloried in it2 instead of asking for    
deliverance1 he took pleasure in it4 ,he
 had learned that the place of          
humiliation is the place of blessing1 of
 power1 of joy4  ,every ,christian      
virtually passes through these two      
stages in his pursuit of humility4 ,in  
the first he fears and flees and seeks  
deliverance from all that can humble    
him4 ,he has not yet learnt to seek     
humility at any cost4 ,he has accepted  
the command to be humble1 and seeks to  
obey it1 though only to find how utterly
 he fails4 ,he prays for humility1 at   
times very earnestly2 but in his secret 
heart he prays more1 if not in word1    
then in wish1 to be kept from the very  
things that will make him humble4 ,he is
 not yet so in love with humility as the
 beauty of the ,lamb of ,god1 and the   
joy of heaven1 that he would sell all to
 procure it4 ,in his pursuit of it1 and 
his prayer for it1 there is still       
somewhat of a sense of burden and of    

bondage2 to humble himself has not yet  
become the spontaneous expression of a  
life and a nature that is essentially   
humble4 ,it has not yet become his joy  
and only pleasure4 ,he cannot yet say1  
',most gladly do ,i glory in weakness1  
,i take pleasure in whatever humbles    
me4'  ,but can we hope to reach the     
stage in which this will be the case8   
,undoubtedly4 ,and what will it be that 
brings us there8 ,that which brought    
,paul there--a new revelation of the    
,lord ,jesus4 ,nothing but the presence 
of ,god can reveal and expel self4 ,a   
clearer insight was to be given to ,paul
 into the deep truth that the presence  
of ,jesus will banish every desire to   
seek anything in ourselves1 and will    
make us delight in every humiliation    
that prepares us for ,his fuller        
manifestation4 ,our humiliations lead   
us1 in the experience of the presence   
and power of ,jesus1 to choose humility 
as our highest blessing4 ,let us try to 
learn the lessons the story of ,paul    

teaches us4  ,we may have advanced      
believers1 eminent teachers1 men of     
heavenly experiences1 who have not yet  
fully learnt the lesson of perfect      
humility1 gladly glorying in weakness4  
,we see this in ,paul4 ,the danger of   
exalting himself was coming very near4  
,he knew not yet perfectly what it was  
to be nothing2 to die1 that ,christ     
alone might live in him2 to take        
pleasure in all that brought him low4   
,it appears as if this were the highest 
lesson that he had to learn1 full       
conformity to his ,lord in that         
self-emptying where he gloried in       
weakness that ,god might be all4  ,the  
highest lesson a believer has to learn  
is humility4 ,oh that every ,christian  
who seek to advance in holiness may     
remember this well6 ,there may be       
intense consecration1 and fervent zeal  
and heavenly experience1 and yet1 if it 
is not prevented by very special        
dealings of the ,lord1 there may be an  
unconscious self-exaltation with it all4

 ,let us learn the lesson1--the highest 
holiness is the deepest humility2 and   
let us remember that comes not of       
itself1 but only as it is made matter of
 special dealing on the part of our     
faithful ,lord and ,his faithful        
servant4  ,let us look at our lives in  
the light of this experience1 and see   
whether we gladly glory in weakness1    
whether we take pleasure1 as ,paul did1 
in injuries1 in necessities1 in         
distresses4 ,yes1 let us ask whether we 
have learnt to regard a reproof1 just or
 unjust1 a reproach from friend or      
enemy1 an injury1 or trouble1 or        
difficulty into which others bring us1  
as above all an opportunity of proving  
,jesus is all to us1 how our own        
pleasure or honour are nothing1 and how 
humiliation is in very truth what we    
take pleasure in4 ,it is indeed blessed1
 the deep happiness of heaven1 to be so 
free from self that whatever is said of 
us or done to us is lost and swallowed  
up1 in the thought that ,jesus is all4  

,let us trust ,him who took charge of   
,paul to take charge of us too4 ,paul   
needed special discipline1 and with it  
special instruction1 to learn1 what was 
more precious than even the unutterable 
things he had heard in heaven--what it  
is to glory in weakness and lowliness4  
,we need it1 too1 oh so much4 ,he who   
cared for him will care for us too4 ,he 
watches over us with a jealous1 loving  
care1 'lest we exalt ourselves'4 ,when  
we are doing so1 ,he seeks to discover  
to us the evil1 and deliver us from it4 
,in trial and weakness and trouble ,he  
seeks to bring us low1 until we so learn
 that ,his grace is all1 as to take     
pleasure in the very thing that brings  
us and keeps us low4 ,his strength made 
perfect in our weakness1 ,his presence  
filling and satisfying our emptiness1   
becomes the secret of a humility that   
need never fail4 ,it can1 as ,paul1 in  
full sight of what ,god works in us1 and
 through us1 ever say1 ',in nothing was 
,i behind the chiefest apostles1 though 

,i am nothing4' ,his humiliations had   
led him to true humility1 with its      
wonderful gladness and glorying and     
pleasure in all that humbles4  ',most   
gladly will ,i glory in my weaknesses1  
that the power of ,christ may rest upon 
me2 wherefore ,i take pleasure in       
weaknesses4 ',the humble man has learnt 
the secret of abiding gladness4 ,the    
weaker he feels1 the lower he sinks2 the
 greater his humiliations appear1 the   
more the power and the presence of      
,christ are his portion1 until1 as he   
says1 ',i am nothing1' the word of his  
,lord brings ever deeper joy3 ',my grace
 is sufficient for thee4'  ,i feel as if
 ,i must once again gather up all in the
 two lessons3 the danger of pride is    
greater and nearer than we think1 and   
the grace for humility too4  ,the danger
 of pride is greater and nearer than we 
think1 and that especially at the time  
of our highest experiences4 ,the        
preacher of spiritual truth with an     
admiring congregation hanging on his    

lips1 the gifted speaker on a ,holiness 
platform expounding the secrets of the  
heavenly life1 the ,christian giving    
testimony to a blessed experience1 the  
evangelist moving on as in triumph1 and 
made a blessing to rejoicing            
multitudes1--no man knows the hidden1   
the unconscious danger to which these   
are exposed4 ,paul was in danger without
 knowing it2 what ,jesus did for him is 
written for our admonition1 that we may 
know our danger and know our only       
safety4 ,if ever it has been said of a  
teacher or professor of holiness1--he is
 so full of self2 or1 he does not       
practise what he preaches2 or1 his      
blessing has not made him humbler or    
gentler1--let it be said no more4       
,jesus1 in whom we trust1 can make us   
humble4  ,yes1 the grace for humility is
 greater and nearer1 too1 than we think4
 ,the humility of ,jesus is our         
salvation3 ,jesus ,himself is our       
humility4 ,our humility is ,his care and
 ,his work4 ,his grace is sufficient for

 us1 to meet the temptation of pride    
too4 ,his strength will be perfected in 
our weakness4 ,let us choose to be weak1
 to be low1 to be nothing4 ,let humility
 be to us joy and gladness4 ,let us     
gladly glory and take pleasure in       
weakness1 in all that can humble us and 
keep us low2 the power of ,christ will  
rest upon us4 ,christ humbled ,himself1 
therefore ,god exalted ,him4 ,christ    
will humble us1 and keep us humble2 let 
us heartily consent1 let us trustfully  
and joyfully accept all that humbles2   
the power of ,christ will rest upon us4 
,we shall find that the deepest humility
 is the secret of the truest happiness1 
of a joy that nothing can destroy4      
,humility3 ,the ,beauty of ,holiness    
,,xii4  ,humility and ,exaltation  ',he 
that humbleth himself shall be exalted4'
 --,,luke xiv4 #aa1 xviii4 #ac4  ',god  
giveth grace to the humble4 ,humble     
yourself in the sight of the ,lord1 and 
,he shall exalt you4'--,,jas4 iv4 #aj4  
',humble yourselves therefore under the 

mighty hand of ,god1 that ,he may exalt 
you in due time4'--#a ,,pet4 v4 #f4     
,,just yesterday ,i was asked the       
question1 ,how am ,i to conquer this    
pride8 ,the answer2 was simple4 ,two    
things are needed4 ,do what2 ,god says  
is your work3 humble yourself4 ,trust   
,him to do what ,he says is ,his work3  
,he will exalt you4  ,the command is    
clear3 humble yourself4 ,that does not  
mean that it is your work to conquer and
 cast out the pride of your nature1 and 
to form within yourself the lowliness of
 the holy ,jesus4 ,no1 this is ,god's   
work2 the very essence of that          
exaltation1 wherein ,he lifts you up    
into the real likeness of the beloved   
,son4 ,what the command does mean is    
this3 take every opportunity of humbling
 yourself before ,god and man4 ,in the  
faith of the grace that is already      
working in you2 in the assurance of the 
more grace for victory that is coming2  
up to the light that conscience each    
time flashes upon the pride of the heart

 and its workings2 notwithstanding all  
there may be of failure and falling1    
stand persistently as under the         
unchanging command3 humble yourself4    
,accept with gratitude everything that  
,god allows from within or without1 from
 friend or enemy1 in nature or in grace1
 to remind you of your need of humbling1
 and to help you to it4 ,reckon humility
 to be indeed the mother-virtue1 your   
very first duty before ,god1 the one    
perpetual safeguard of the soul1 and set
 your heart upon it as the source of all
 blessing4 ,the promise is divine and   
sure3 ,he that humbleth himself shall be
 exalted4 ,see that you do the one thing
 ,god asks3 humble yourself4 ,god will  
see that does the one thing ,he has     
promised4 ,he will give more grace2 ,he 
will exalt you in due time4  ,all ,god's
 dealings with man are characterised by 
two stages4 ,there is the time of       
preparation1 when command and promise1  
with the mingled experience of effort   
and impotence1 of failure and partial   

success1 with the holy expectancy of    
something better which these waken1     
train and discipline men for a higher   
stage4 ,then comes the time of          
fulfilment1 when faith inherits the     
promise1 and enjoys what it had so often
 struggled for in vain4 ,this law holds 
good in every part of the ,christian    
life1 and in the pursuit of every       
separate virtue4 ,and that because it is
 grounded in the very nature of things4 
,in all that concerns our redemption1   
,god must needs take the initiative4    
,when that has been done1 man's turn    
comes4 ,in the effort after obedience   
and attainment1 he must learn to know   
his impotence1 in self-despair to die to
 himself1 and so be fitted voluntarily  
and intelligently to receive from ,god  
the end1 the completion of that of which
 he had accepted the beginning in       
ignorance4 ,so1 ,god who had been the   
,beginning1 ere man rightly knew ,him1  
or fully understood what ,his purpose   
was1 is longed for and welcomed as the  

,end1 as the ,all in ,all4  ,it is even 
thus1 too1 in the pursuit of humility4  
,to every ,christian the command comes  
from the throne of ,god ,himself3 humble
 yourself4 ,the earnest attempt to      
listen and obey will be rewarded--yes1  
rewarded--with the painful discovery of 
two things4 ,the one1 what depth of     
pride1 that is of unwillingness to count
 oneself and to be counted nothing1 to  
submit absolutely to ,god1 there was1   
that one never knew4 ,the other1 what   
utter impotence there is in all our     
efforts1 and in all our prayers too for 
,god's help1 to destroy the hideous     
monster4 ,blessed the man who now learns
 to put his hope in ,god1 and to        
persevere1 notwithstanding all the power
 of pride within him1 in acts of        
humiliation before ,god and ,men4 ,we   
know the law of human nature3 acts      
produce habits1 habits breed            
dispositions1 dispositions form the     
will1 and the rightly-formed will is    
character4 ,it is no otherwise in the   

work of grace4 ,as acts1 persistently   
repeated1 beget habits and dispositions1
 and these strengthened the will1 ,he   
who works both to will and to do comes  
with ,his mighty power and ,spirit2 and 
the humbling of the proud heart with    
which the' penitent saint cast himself  
so often before ,god1 is rewarded with  
the 'more grace' of the humble heart1 in
 which the ,spirit of ,jesus has        
conquered1 and brought the new nature to
 its maturity1 and ,he the meek and     
lowly ,one now dwells for ever4  ,humble
 yourselves in the sight of the ,lord1  
and ,he will exalt you4 ,and wherein    
does the exaltation consist8 ,the       
highest glory of the creature is in     
being only a vessel1 to receive and     
enjoy and show forth the glory of ,god4 
,it can do this only as it is willing to
 be nothing in itself1 that ,god may be 
all4 ,water always fills first the      
lowest places4 ,the lower1 the emptier a
 man lies before ,god1 the speedier and 
the fuller will be the inflow of the    

divine glory4 ,the exaltation ,god      
promises is not1 cannot be1 any external
 thing apart from ,himself3 all that ,he
 has to give or can give is only more of
 ,himself1 ,himself to take more        
complete possession4 ,the exaltation is 
not1 like an earthly prize1 something   
arbitrary1 in no necessary connection   
with the conduct to be rewarded4 ,no1   
but it is in its very nature the effect 
and result of the humbling of ourselves4
 ,it is nothing but the gift of such a  
divine indwelling humility1 such a      
conformity to and possession of the     
humility of the ,lamb of ,god1 as fits  
us for receiving fully the indwelling of
 ,god4  ,he that humbleth himself shall 
be exalted4 ,of the truth of these words
 ,jesus ,himself is the proof2 of the   
certainty of their fulfilment to us ,he 
is the pledge4 ,let us take ,his yoke   
upon us and learn of ,him1 for ,he is   
meek and lowly of heart4 ,if we are but 
willing to stoop to ,him1 as ,he has    
stooped to us1 ,he will yet stoop to    

each one of us again1 and we shall find 
ourselves not unequally yoked with ,him4
 ,as we enter deeper into the fellowship
 of ,his humiliation1 and either humble 
ourselves or bear the humbling of men1  
we can count upon it that the ,spirit of
 ,his exaltation1 'the ,spirit of ,god  
and of glory1' will rest upon us4 ,the  
presence and the power of the glorified 
,christ will come to them that are of an
 humble spirit4 ,when ,god can again    
have ,his rightful place in us1 ,he will
 lift us up4 ,make ,his glory thy care  
in humbling thyself2 ,he will make thy  
glory ,his care in perfecting thy       
humility1 and breathing into thee1 as   
thy abiding life1 the very ,spirit of   
,his ,son4 ,as the all-pervading life of
 ,god possesses thee1 there will be     
nothing so natural1 and nothing so      
sweet1 as to be nothing1 with not a     
thought or wish for self1 because all is
 occupied with ,him who filleth all4    
',most gladly will ,i glory in my       
weakness1 that the strength of ,christ  

may rest upon me4'  ,brother1 have we   
not here the reason that our            
consecration and our faith have availed 
so little in the pursuit of holiness8   
,it was by self and its strength that   
the work was done under the name of     
faith2 it was for self and its happiness
 that ,god was called in2 it was1       
unconsciously1 but still truly1 in self 
and its holiness that the soul rejoiced4
 ,we never knew that humility1 absolute1
 abiding1 ,christlike humility and      
self-effacement1 pervading and marking  
our whole life with ,god and man1 was   
the most essential element of the life  
of the holiness we sought for4  ,it is  
only in the possession of ,god that ,i  
lose myself4 ,as it is in the height and
 breadth and glory of the sunshine that 
the littleness of the mote playing in   
its beams is seen1 even so humility is  
the taking our place in ,god's presence 
to be nothing but a mote dwelling in the
 sunlight of ,his love4  ',how great is 
,god6 how small am ,i6 ,lost1 swallowed 

up in ,love's immensity6 ,god only      
there1 not ,i4'  ,may ,god teach us to  
believe that to be humble1 to be nothing
 in ,his presence1 is the highest       
attainment1 and the fullest blessing of 
the ,christian life4 ,he speaks to us3  
',i dwell in the high and holy place1   
and with him the is of a contrite and   
humble spirit4' ,be this our portion6   
',oh1 to be emptier1 lowlier1 ,mean1    
unnoticed1 and unknown1 ,and to ,god a  
vessel holier1 ,filled with ,christ1 and
 ,christ alone6'    ,notes4  ,,note     
,a--',all this is to make it known the  
region of eternity that pride can       
degrade the highest angels into devils1 
and humility raise fallen flesh and     
blood to the thrones of angels4 ,thus1  
this is the great end of ,god raising a 
new creation out of a fallen kingdom of 
angels3 for this end it stands in its   
state of war betwixt the fire and pride 
of fallen angels1 and the humility of   
the ,lamb of ,god1 that the last trumpet
 may sound the great truth through the  

depths of eternity1 that evil can have  
no beginning but from pride1 and no end 
but from humility4 ,the truth is this3  
,pride may die in you1 or nothing of    
heaven can live in you4 ,under the      
banner of the truth1 give yourself up to
 the meek and humble spirit of the holy 
,jesus4 ,humility must sow seed1 or     
there can be no reaping in ,heaven4     
,look not at pride only as an unbecoming
 temper1 nor at humility only as a      
decent virtue3 for the one is death1 and
 the other is life2 the one is all hell1
 the other is all heaven4 ,so much as   
you have of pride within you1 you have  
of the fallen angels alive in you2 so   
much as you have of true humility1 so   
much you have of the ,lamb of ,god      
within you4 ,could you see what every   
stirring of pride does to your soul1 you
 would beg of everything you meet to    
tear the viper from you1 though with the
 loss of a hand or an eye4 ,could you   
see what a sweet1 divine1 transforming  
power there is in humility1 how it      

expels the poison of your nature1 and   
makes room for the ,spirit of ,god to   
live in you1 you would rather wish to be
 the footstool of all the world than    
want the smallest degree of             
it4'--,spirit of ,prayer1 ,pt4 ,,ii4 p4 
#gc1 ,edition of ,moreton1 ,canterbury1 
#ahic4   ,note ,b4--',we need to know   
two things3 #a4 ,that our salvation     
consists wholly in being saved from     
ourselves1 or that which we are by      
nature2 #b4 ,that in the whole nature of
 things nothing could be this salvation 
or saviour to us but such a humility of 
,god as is beyond all expression4 ,hence
 the first unalterable term of the      
,saviour to fallen man3 ,except a man   
denies himself1 he cannot be ,my        
disciple4 ,self is the whole evil of    
fallen nature2 self-denial is our       
capacity of being saved2 humility is our
 saviour4 444,self is the root1 the     
branches1 the tree1 of all the evil of  
our fallen state4 ,all the evils of     
fallen angels and men have their birth  

in the pride of self4 ,on the other     
hand1 all the virtues of the heavenly   
life are the virtues of humility4 ,it is
 humility alone that makes the          
unpassable gulf between heaven and hell4
 ,what is then1 or in what lies1 the    
great struggle for eternal life8 ,it all
 lies in the strife between pride and   
humility3 pride and humility are the two
 master powers1 the two kingdoms in     
strife for the eternal possession of    
man4 ,there never was1 nor ever will be1
 but one humility1 and that is the one  
humility of ,christ4 ,pride and self    
have the all of man1 till man has his   
all from ,christ4 ,he therefore only    
fights the good fight whose strife is   
that the self-idolatrous nature which he
 hath from ,adam may be brought to death
 by the supernatural humility of ,christ
 brought to life in him4'--,w4 ,law1    
,address to the ,clergy1 p4 #eb4 ,i hope
 that this book of ,law on the ,holy    
,spirit may be issued by my publisher in
 the course of the year4   ,note        

,c--',to die to self1 or come from under
 its power1 is not1 cannot be done1 by  
any active resistance we can make to it 
by the powers of nature4 ,the one true  
way of dying to self is the way of      
patience1 meekness1 humility1 and       
resignation to ,god4 ,this is the truth 
and perfection of dying to self4 444,for
 if ,i ask you what the ,lamb of ,god   
means1 must you not tell me that it is  
and means the perfection of patience1   
meekness1 humility1 and resignation to  
,god8 ,must you not therefore say that a
 desire and faith of these virtues is an
 application to ,christ1 is a giving up 
yourself to ,him and the perfection of  
faith in ,him8 ,and then1 because this  
inclination of your heart to sink down  
in patience1 meekness1 humility1 and    
resignation to ,god1 is truly giving up 
all that you are and all that you have  
from fallen ,adam1 it is perfectly      
leaving all you have to follow ,christ2 
it is your highest act of faith in ,him4
 ,christ is nowhere but in these        

virtues2 when they are there1 ,he is in 
,his own kingdom4 ,let this be the      
,christ you follow4  ',the ,spirit of   
divine love can have no birth in any    
fallen creature1 till it wills and      
chooses to be dead to all self1 in a    
patient1 humble resignation to the power
 and mercy of ,god4  ',i seek for all my
 salvation through the merits and       
mediation of the meek1 humble1 patient1 
suffering ,lamb of ,god1 who alone hath 
power to bring forth the blessed birth  
of these heavenly virtues in my soul4   
,there is no possibility of salvation   
but in and by the birth of the meek1    
humble1 patient1 resigned ,lamb of ,god 
in our souls4 ,when the ,lamb of ,god   
hath brought forth a real birth of ,his 
own meekness1 humility1 and full        
resignation to ,god in our souls1 then  
it is the birthday of the ,spirit of    
love in our souls1 which1 whenever we   
attain1 will feast our souls with such  
peace and joy in ,god as will blot out  
the remembrance of everything that we   

called peace or joy before4  ',this way 
to ,god is infallible4 ,this            
infallibility is grounded in the twofold
 character of our ,saviour3 #a4 ,as ,he 
is the ,lamb of ,god1 a principle of all
 meekness and humility in the soul2 #b4 
,as ,he is the ,light of heaven1 and    
blesses eternal nature1 and turns it    
into a kingdom of heaven1--when we are  
willing to get rest to our souls in     
meek1 humble resignation to ,god1 then  
it is that ,he1 as the ,light of ,god   
and heaven1 joyfully breaks in upon us1 
turns our darkness into light1 and      
begins that kingdom of ,god and of love 
within us1 which will never have an     
end4'--,see ,wholly ,for ,god1 pp       
#hd-ajb4 ,the whole passage deserves    
careful study1 showing most remarkably  
how the continual sinking down in       
humility before ,god is1 from man's     
side1 the only way to die to            
self4,footnote3 ,the whole dialogue has 
been published separately under the     
title ,dying to ,self3 ,a ,golden       

,dialogue4 ,by ,william ,law4 ,with     
,notes by ,a4,m4 7,nisbet  ,co41 #as7   
,every one who would study and practise 
humility will find in this golden       
dialogue what it is that hinders our    
humility1 how we are to be delivered    
from it1 and what the blessing of the   
,spirit of ,love is that comes to the   
humble from ,christ1 the meek and lowly 
,lamb of ,god4   ,note ,d4--,a ,secret  
of ,secrets3 ,humility the ,soul of     
,true ,prayer4--,till the spirit of the 
heart be renewed1 till it is emptied of 
all earthly desires1 and stands in an   
habitual hunger and thirst after ,god1  
which is the true spirit of prayer2 till
 then1 all our prayer will be1 more or  
less1 but too much like lessons given to
 scholars2 and we shall mostly say them1
 only because we dare not neglect them4 
,but be not discouraged2 take the       
following advice1 and then you may go to
 church without any danger of mere      
lip-labor or hypocrisy1 although there  
should be a hymn or a prayer1 whose     

language is higher than that of your    
heart4 ,do this3 go to the church as the
 publican went to the temple2 stand     
inwardly in the spirit of your mind in  
that form which he outwardly expressed1 
when he cast down his eyes1 and could   
only say1 ',god be merciful to me1 a    
sinner4' ,stand unchangeably1 at least  
in your desire1 in this form or state of
 heart2 it will sanctify every petition 
that comes out of your mouth2 and when  
anything is read or sung or prayed1 that
 is more exalted than your heart is1 if 
you make this an occasion of further    
sinking down in the spirit of the       
publican1 you will then be helped1 and  
highly blessed1 by those prayers and    
praises which seem only to belong to a  
heart better than yours4  ,this1 my     
friend1 is a secret of secrets2 it will 
help you to reap where you have not     
sown1 and be a continual source of grace
 in your soul2 for everything that      
inwardly stirs in you1 or outwardly     
happens to you1 becomes a real good to  

you1 if it finds or excites in you this 
humble state of mind4 ,for nothing is in
 vain1 or without profit to the humble  
soul2 it stands always in a state of    
divine growth2 everything that falls    
upon it is like a dew of heaven to it4  
,shut up yourself1 therefore1 in this   
form of ,humility2 all good is enclosed 
in it2 it is a water of heaven1 that    
turns the fire of the fallen soul into  
the meekness of the divine life1 and    
creates that oil1 out of which the love 
to ,god and man gets its flame4 ,be     
enclosed1 therefore1 always in it2 let  
it be as a garment wherewith you are    
always covered1 and a girdle with which 
you are girt2 breathe nothing but in and
 from its spirit2 see nothing but with  
its eyes2 hear nothing but with its     
ears4 ,and then1 whether you are in the 
church or out of the church1 hearing the
 praises of ,god or receiving wrongs    
from men and the world1 all will be     
edification1 and everything will help   
forward your growth in the life of      

,god4--,the ,spirit of ,prayer1 ,pt4    
,,ii4 p4 #aba4   ,a ,,prayer ,,for      
,,humility  ,i will here give you an    
infallible touchstone1 that will try all
 to the truth4 ,it is this3 retire from 
the world and all conversation1 only for
 one month2 neither write1 nor read1 nor
 debate anything with yourself2 stop all
 the former workings of your heart and  
mind3 and1 with all the strength of your
 heart1 stand all this month1 as        
continually as you can1 in the following
 form of prayer to ,god4 ,offer it      
frequently on your knees2 but whether   
sitting1 walking1 or standing1 be always
 inwardly longing1 and earnestly praying
 this one prayer to ,god3 ',that of ,his
 great goodness ,he would make known to 
you1 and take from your heart1 every    
kind and form and degree of ,pride1     
whether it be from evil spirits1 or your
 own corrupt nature2 and that ,he would 
awaken in you the deepest depth and     
truth of that ,humility1 which can make 
you capable of ,his light and ,holy     

,spirit4' ,reject every thought1 but    
that of waiting and praying in this     
matter from the bottom of your heart1   
with such truth and earnestness1 as     
people in torment wish to pray and be   
delivered from it4 444,if you can and   
will give yourself up in truth and      
sincerity to this spirit of prayer1 ,i  
will venture to affirm that1 if you had 
twice as many evil spirits in you as    
,mary ,magdalene had1 they will all be  
cast out of you1 and you will be forced 
with her to weep tears of love at the   
feet of the holy ,jesus4--,ibid4 p4     
#abd4