True Christianity Part 31

2. Now, in order that we might perfectly learn how to practise this virtue of humility, he taught it not only by words, but also by deeds and by his holy example, forasmuch as he humbled himself unto death, even the death of the cross. Phil. 2:8. Behold, then, O Christian, how this gracious virtue has its foundation, and its highest and most excellent ground, not in any angel, not in any apostle or eminent saint, but in Jesus Christ himself. And therefore he saith: "Learn of me" (Matt. 11:29), which is as if he had said: "Look ye upon me how I abase myself under all, who yet am above all. Behold, as much higher as my majesty is, so much lower is my humility: and so much dearer should this virtue be to you, as I your Lord and your G.o.d have described and delineated it in my whole life." Observe, he saith, "Learn of me." But what? Not to do mighty wonders, not to work signs and miracles, or show any great work of creation, but to be _meek_ and _lowly_. "And if I did not teach you this with mine own example,"

saith the meek Lamb of G.o.d, "ye would not believe that this virtue is so high and so n.o.ble."

3. The humble Jesus chose to exemplify this as his concluding work: after his last supper, he took a towel and girded himself, and then "washed his disciples' feet;" that so he might by such example implant this virtue in all that should be ever called by his name, and might most sensibly imprint it on the heart of every one to whom this Gospel should come.

Wherefore he also saith: "Know ye what I have done to you?" John 13:4, 5, 12. "Do ye indeed consider what it is that I have done? Will ye remember this that I have now done to you? Will ye be ready to serve one another in the same manner? And will ye humble yourselves one to the other, and submit gladly even to the meanest offices of charity? O learn of me, by what you have at this time seen me do: for I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Whosoever then shall forget my humility, the same shall forget a princ.i.p.al part both of my doctrine and my example, and shall never find rest unto his soul. Therefore let this my example be a rule for your whole lives, and let my life evermore be set before your eyes as a representation of humility."

4. And now let us show that without humility all prayer to G.o.d is utterly vain. Humility is a bright light in the heart, in which there is at once discovered to us our own nothingness, and the high majesty and overflowing goodness of G.o.d. Hence the more any man knows himself, the more he must needs come to the knowledge of his own nothingness. For when a man sees his own emptiness, and learns that he is dest.i.tute in himself of everything that is good, he begins to pray the more earnestly for the grace and mercy of G.o.d. He pants after, and betakes himself to G.o.d, as to the origin and fountain of all good things; desiring to know him aright, to praise him, and to honor him as he should. This desire being thus begotten in him, he pours out his heart by himself, and says, "When shall I come and appear before G.o.d?" In this humility he looks at G.o.d's majesty and greatness, as also at his superabundant love and grace. And hereupon the streams of grace flow down into such a faithful, humble soul, by prayer. And divine grace being thus communicated to the thirsty soul, there is hereby begotten in it a spirit of prayer, which ceases not to ascend in holy aspirations, and to bring down the blessings of peace and righteousness. Through such grace of G.o.d there is a descent of the Holy Spirit into the soul, whose influences thereby grow continually stronger and stronger: and the "love of G.o.d" is by this means "shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost" (Rom. 5:5), which is given to us through the prayer of humility. For when the believing soul, conscious of her own vileness, reflects upon the humiliation of the Son of G.o.d, and beholds him humbling himself so as not only to put off the form of _G.o.d_, that he might appear in that of _man_, but even to suffer the greatest of evils in this vile form, for the vilest of his creatures; by this reflection and consideration, he is not only made humble, but hence, also, in this his humility, there springs up a most n.o.ble flame of love to G.o.d, which burns more and more day by day. And in this divine flame of love, the soul, being attracted by faith to G.o.d, is hence made to love all men in G.o.d, and in Christ; as calling to mind the exceeding great love of the G.o.dhead towards mankind; and particularly how her Heavenly Father has in Christ loved her, and called her to the partic.i.p.ation of his goodness. When thus the soul is drawn to G.o.d, and included in his love, the consequence is this, that as to all those who are beloved by G.o.d, the soul also cannot but love in like manner as G.o.d loveth them.

5. Hence it follows, that if any good befall our neighbor, charity will rejoice; but if any evil happen to him, it will sorrow. And the humble and the charitable person, behaving himself courteously and lovingly towards his neighbor on all occasions, does not rashly judge him, if he behold his misery; much less does he behave himself haughtily and superciliously towards him, or treat him with contempt. 1 Cor. 13:4. For the soul that is truly humble, can never so put off the sense of her own misery and vileness, as to despise another, or to esteem herself better than any; for she remembers the mire out of which she herself has been delivered. And while she stands, she knows well enough that she does not stand by her own strength, but solely by the help of divine grace.

6. Humble charity judges itself in the first place, examines itself before all, and influences us to condemn ourselves rather than others: and a neighbor's calamity will cause the soul to descend into herself, and deplore herself before G.o.d. In another's fall, the lowly and loving soul reads her own defaults, her own sins and transgressions, her own calamity and misery.

7. Moreover, by humility a man is confirmed in the knowledge of G.o.d, and established in hope. Having a consciousness of his own ignorance, blindness, and folly, in divine matters, he gives thanks to G.o.d for the revelation of his word, and imprints it more diligently on his heart. But considering also, that as he has no knowledge of G.o.d and divine things in himself, so likewise all his own abilities are nothing before G.o.d: he is hence established in a G.o.dly hope, placing his confidence in nothing but G.o.d only.

8. Another fruit of humility is, that it renders a man acceptable to others, even in the very outward course of his life. For it avoids contentions and quarrels, and composes the whole man to gentleness and benignity. Yea, a man is conformed by means of it even to Christ himself, who says in one of the Psalms: "But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth. Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs." Ps. 38:13, 14. Such a faithful and humble man as this is a living member of Christ, in whom Christ liveth.

9. Besides, humility brings with it true inward peace of the mind; so that he who is the possessor of it can by no miseries and calamities whatever be unduly distressed or disquieted, but may with St. Paul say: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" Romans 8:35. And he is mindful always of that saying: "My grace is sufficient for thee." 2 Cor. 12:9.

10. True humility also begets silence. He who is endued therewith, as he is sensible of his own ignorance and foolishness, will beware of speaking a great deal, or of being over-forward to teach others.

11. In short, it is impossible to enumerate how many spiritual benefits and fruits, how many heavenly treasures of virtues and graces, are comprehended in, and flow from, this most n.o.ble virtue; so that it may deservedly be regarded as a spiritual treasury. It is, therefore, not without reason, that the Son of G.o.d, our light, life, salvation, and treasure, would have us to learn it even of _himself_. O that this holy wish of our Lord might be fulfilled by all Christians; and that they would with all diligence learn from Him this most excellent virtue!

12. If it be asked, What is the means for acquiring this virtue, and by what way may one arrive at so great a treasure, which abounds so richly in the gifts of celestial grace? I answer, that there are two: first, ardent and devout prayer; and secondly, constant meditation on Christ crucified.

Let us look earnestly to the pa.s.sion and death of Christ, and let us meditate on it, as on a holy Book of life, till this root of the Christian virtues, with all which accompany it, grow up day by day in our hearts, as in a fruitful and well-cultivated soul.

Chapter XXII.

All The Works Of A True Christian Must Be Done In Humility, Or They Will, Otherwise, Become An Abomination And Idolatry.

_That which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of G.o.d._-LUKE 16:15.

All works that are a well-pleasing and acceptable sacrifice to G.o.d, can proceed from true faith alone; this will not fail to beget Christian humility in the heart. The effect of this will be meekly to acknowledge that with regard to any good that may be found in us, it is wholly and solely to be ascribed to the grace of G.o.d: "Not I, but the grace of G.o.d which was with me." 1 Cor. 15:10. He who does not do this, commits two sins: the first is, apostasy from G.o.d, by turning himself from G.o.d towards himself, that is, from the Supreme Being, towards that which is in itself nothing. The second is sacrilege, by taking to himself that honor which is due to none but G.o.d; to whom, and not to man, everything that may be called good belongs. He, therefore, that doeth not all things in humility, steals from G.o.d the glory due to him. For when G.o.d says: "I will not give my glory to another, neither my praise to graven images" (Isaiah 42:8); he shows that all glory and praise are due to him alone.

2. If, therefore, any man applaud himself, either for knowing or doing anything, verily that man takes to himself the glory which is due to G.o.d only, and is thereby an idolater of himself. For this reason, ambition is abominable idolatry: and self-love, and self-esteem, are no less than having another G.o.d before him whose name is Jehovah. For this very reason also, the devil seeks to be honored and wors.h.i.+pped in the world.

3. Such a vainglorious devil, covetous of honor and wors.h.i.+p from the world, every proud and arrogant person, by thinking highly of himself, cherishes in his heart. If thou be wise, see that thou break down and destroy this idol, which is set up in thy heart. Many persons are so holy that they will not even look upon any outward images, lest they should happen to be defiled by them; not observing, at the same time, that great idol which they carry about with them in their hearts, and by which they are to such a degree defiled as to become an abomination before G.o.d. For all that is most highly esteemed by men (through self-love and ambition) is an abomination before G.o.d. Whence all who seek only their own honor, or power, or ascribe aught to themselves as their own, are idolaters. Thus the whole world lieth in idolatry; and every house has its living idols.

4. That idolatry which defiles thee, proceeds from within, even from the heart. To whatsoever thy heart inclines, in whatsoever it acquiesces and rests, and unto whatsoever it cleaves by love and inclination, whether it be good fortune, wealth, honor, power, or long life; that very thing immediately becomes an idol, and has seduced thee into the sin of idolatry. Idolatry is not any outward pollution; but that which is internal, spiritual, and springing up within. It is so that G.o.d considers it; He judges all things according to the heart; and it is so only that he looks, trying the hearts and reins (Ps. 7:9), and judging of all things according to the faith or unbelief there found by him. Whence Christ has also plainly told thee, "Where thy treasure is, there will thy heart be also" (Matt. 6:21); that is, thy G.o.d, thy rest, thy peace, thy trust will be there; and there will be thy paradise, yea, there will heaven and all things be to thee. Observe closely what that object is on which thy heart loves to dwell, for it is surely thy G.o.d, whatever its nature may be. If thy heart cleave fast to G.o.d only, then is _He_ thy G.o.d, and blessed art thou: according as it is written: "Happy are the people whose G.o.d is the Lord." Ps. 144:15. And again, "Delight thyself also in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desire of thy heart." Ps. 37: 4. But if thy mind cleave to the world, then the world is thy G.o.d. And so of the rest.

5. It hence appears that there are really in the world no other idols but such as the heart of man makes for him. The devil himself is called "the G.o.d of this world" (2 Cor. 4:4), because the unG.o.dly follow him, do his deeds, love darkness, and take pleasure in the works of the devil. And thus men make a G.o.d even of Satan.

6. Idols of wood are easily avoided, but take heed of the idols of gold.

See that thou be not ensnared by these. It is no hard matter to keep from dead idols; but take heed that thou wors.h.i.+p not living ones, and especially thyself. As soon as thou ascribest honor, skill, or power to thyself, thou settest up thyself in the place of G.o.d. This idolatry is properly struck at by G.o.d, when he says that he "will not give his glory to another." Isa. 42:8. For whatsoever is, or is called by the name of honor and glory, is due to none but him, who is the Most High, and the most Holy One, and the sovereign and everlasting Good. Whosoever, therefore, thou art, that wouldest not make an idol of thyself, nor pollute thy works with the foulest of abominations before G.o.d, learn hence, not to ascribe to thyself honor, or glory, or praise; knowing that it is true humility to shun honor, and to account one's self unworthy of all glory. When thou shalt do this, and shalt have mortified all ambition and self-esteem, then thou shalt be known to be dead to the world indeed.

From this springs up the new man, in whom is found the most n.o.ble life of Christ; which life, he himself has described as being meekness and lowliness of heart. Matt. 11:29. He, on the contrary, is still carnal, and lives after the flesh, according to the old birth, who would be honored and greatly esteemed: because it is the nature of the carnal man to endeavor to be, or to be accounted above all others. But if any man seek to be accounted nothing of, he has a heart truly spiritual and Christian.

But alas! where shall we now find the true Christians, that is, such as are willing to be slighted, and to be reputed as nothing? For, as hath been said before, it is the property of the true followers of Christ, to deny themselves, to hate themselves, to despise themselves, and to renounce all that is theirs, for his sake. Matt. 10:38; Luke 9:23. Such are indeed genuine Christians.

7. If any one should here ask of me, What then is a Christian to do, if it please G.o.d so to honor him as to give him grace and glory before the world (Ps. 84:11), as in the case of Daniel: and, since G.o.d has appointed certain distinctions among men, several orders, states, and offices; and has for that end variously distributed his gifts among them, What is the duty of a Christian, if he be advanced to some post of dignity? I answer, If this be thy lot, then render all the honor which is conferred upon thee to G.o.d again; and ascribe nothing to thyself which is the right of another, or take that to be thine which is G.o.d's only.

8. As soon, therefore, as any honor is given thee, see that, being mindful of thy low estate, thou transfer it all to G.o.d, and keep nothing thereof to thyself. If thou neglectest to do this, and shouldest be induced to attribute anything to thyself, it is certain that thou must thereby lose divine grace, while, with a sacrilegious impiety, thou invadest that which of right belongs to G.o.d. So if thou excel others in spiritual or natural gifts, in wisdom or skill, wealth or dignity, be watchful not to take this honor to thyself; yea, let it be thy joy and delight to offer all up to G.o.d again, from a most deep and intimate devotion of thy heart. This thou wilt not fail to do, and to give that glory to Him which is due, when thou shalt glory in nothing but in Him only, according to the words of the Prophet: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom; neither let the mighty man glory in his might; let not the rich man glory in his riches: but let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth; for in these things I delight, saith the Lord." Jer. 9:23, 24.

Chapter XXIII.

A Man Who Does Not Perceive His Own Emptiness, And Does Not Give All The Honor To G.o.d, Commits The Greatest Of Sins, And Falls Like Satan.

_Verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity._-PS.

39:5.

To the end that man may acknowledge his own vanity, he is compared by the Psalmist (Ps. 39; 144:4), to a shadow; and again in another place (Ps.

90:5), to a dream. Now what is a shadow? It is a lifeless resemblance of that thing on which it depends; and has in itself neither substance nor life, but is nothing. In like manner, man of himself has neither substance, life, strength, nor indeed any ability whatsoever; but depends on G.o.d, even as a shadow on the body, or as light on the sun.

2. Whosoever, therefore, so forgets himself as not to depend on G.o.d, who alone is all in all, "thinking himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself." Gal. 6:3. He falls from the true eternal and Sovereign Being into his own nothingness; from the unchangeable Good into vanity; from truth itself into a lie.

3. This is not only the greatest of sins, but of punishments also. For the more man turns from G.o.d to himself, the more he approaches extreme misery and calamity. And man by this means, even by turning himself away from G.o.d, towards his own faculties and powers, in truth punishes thereby the very sin which he commits. He is then accounted to turn himself away from G.o.d, and to forsake "the rock of his salvation" (Deut. 32:15), whenever he ascribes to himself any degree of power or strength, art or skill, wisdom, or honor, or merit, so as to be willing to be thought somebody, and to be much accounted of; when, in very deed, all these in no wise belong to man, or to any creature, but to G.o.d only. Every creature is but a mere shadow, and of itself merely nothing; even so as the life, substance, faculty, wisdom, powers, and strength which it seems to have, are not properly its own, but are G.o.d's only.

4. Wherefore, as soon as a man ascribes all or any of these to himself, he becomes guilty of apostasy from G.o.d. Nor indeed was the devil's apostasy aught else, but the not abiding within the bounds, duties, and properties of a creature, which has all its life, substance, and ability in G.o.d, and ought to hold the same from him, as the shadow does with respect to the body and the motion thereof. For any one, therefore, to ascribe those things to himself which are G.o.d's; or to challenge to himself honor, glory, wisdom, or esteem (forasmuch as none of these suit a creature, but are all to be transferred to G.o.d alone, to whom they really appertain), is properly to fall like Satan. Hence G.o.d permitted him to fall, not sustaining him any longer with his grace, which was by him disowned. The same thing must befall all men who, through pride and ambition, presume to arrogate to themselves any of those things which are G.o.d's. They are not upheld by the grace of G.o.d, who arrogantly turn themselves away from G.o.d, affecting to be as G.o.d. G.o.d alone being All in all, and moreover being the only Good, or the _one Good_, and the _all-Good_ essentially; it would be most unreasonable for any creature to claim to itself aught of that which is good. Hence our blessed Lord saith, "There is none good but one, that is G.o.d" (Matt. 19:17); meaning, that he is the essential Good, and he alone is all that is good. This property of G.o.d, our Saviour was not willing to take unto himself in his state of humiliation, forasmuch as he was then held to be no more than a mere man; that thus, by his most bright example, he might instruct us that man ought not to ascribe to himself the things which are G.o.d's.

5. When man does otherwise, he commits the greatest of all sins, and, aiming at divinity, stains himself thereby with a most nefarious sacrilege, being turned from G.o.d to himself. And as many as are in this condition, seek help, counsel, and comfort, not from G.o.d only, as they ought, but from creatures, and sometimes even from the devil himself. But what greater madness, or what worse blindness is there, than to expect good from evil, life from death, blessedness from the d.a.m.ned, help from the helpless, blessedness from the accursed, and light from darkness?

Whereas, on the other hand, it is the highest wisdom to look for good from the source of all good, to seek life from the fountain of life, to expect blessedness from the spring of salvation, and to go for help to him who can do all things, and "with whom nothing is impossible." Luke 1:37.

Chapter XXIV.

Of The n.o.ble Virtue Of Love, And Of Its Power, Soundness, And Purity.

_He that loveth not, knoweth not G.o.d; for G.o.d is love._-1 JOHN 4:8.

Love, says St. Paul, is the greatest of all virtues, and without it all gifts are unprofitable (1 Cor. 13:13); therefore he admonishes us, saying, "Let all your things be done with charity." 1 Cor. 16:14. Accordingly we are to pray with charity, as our Lord says: "If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee; go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother." Matt. 5:23, 24. And in the Lord's Prayer, our forgiving our neighbor's debts, or trespa.s.ses, is strictly joined to G.o.d's forgiving ours. Matt. 6:12, 14, 15.

2. Love is, however, so singular a virtue, that a man may mistake therein as easily as in anything else. Therefore nothing ought to be looked upon with a more suspicious eye than love; for there is nothing which can so powerfully incline, force, or restrain, and so thoroughly penetrate the mind, as love. Therefore, if love be not ruled by the true light, the Holy Ghost, it precipitates the soul into a thousand calamities.

3. And this I do not say with respect to the love of evil; for this, as a diabolical thing, is by all Christians to be avoided; but I speak of that love which is betwixt G.o.d, and man, and his neighbor. Love, when not regulated by divine wisdom, can easily be deceived, misled, and thrust out of its due order, so as not to reach the true end. Many think they have the love of G.o.d in their souls, and yet have the love of the world, or their own love, nay, it may be the love of Satan.