Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-12-03
Reading fur the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
HUMILITY.

[orlgnal.]
HUMILITY.
There are some things that all men cannot
be. Every man cannot be poet, neither
can every man be an orator. Some men are
"cut out" it is said, for farming, others tor
merchandising Nature has not bestowed
her gifts as a whole upon all men, In the
bestowment of gracious gifts, God deals i'll a
similar way with his people, All men cannot
preach. Not because they have not a suffi-
cient amount of piety; but because the gift
or grace to preach is not given to every one
who is quickened by the spirit. Piety is ab-
solutely necessary in order to preach the gos-
pei but many other things are also absolute.
ly necessary in order to make successful
minister of the new covenant. Being called
by the spirit to be an heir and joint heir with
Jesus to an inheritance which is incorruptible,
unde6led and fadeth not away, is one thing,
and being called to preach Christ to others, is
another thing, and in many respects very
different thing. The latter includes the form
er and many other things besides. Every
man who is truly called by the spirit, possesses
missionary spirit; but every man cannot
be missionary. Every man should study
the Scriptures and make every effort, and use
all the means within his reach to understand
them; but every man cannot be all expositor
Of the sacred Scriptures any more than every
man can preach or be a missionary. Every
man cannot write religious books, neither
can any man read all the religious books that
are written, any more than any man can hear
all the sermons that are preached.
1t would be easy to multiply to any extent,
examples Of things which every man cannot
be. There is one thing, however, which all
men must be, or they will never see the king
dom Of heaven. That thing is humble. 1t
is not said all men can be humble; but all
must be humble or there is for them no hope
Of heaven.
Humility is grace. God, by the use of
the means of his own appointment, bestows
it, Pride is the work of Satan but humility
is the gift Of God, just as faith and repent
ance are gifts or graces bestowed by kind
and gracious God. We are apt to form an
erroneous notion of humility. The regarding
ourselves as possessed of less piety than some
others, and being greater sinners than some
others, is often thought to be piety. The man
who does this is not necessarily an humble
mau. He may have very correct notion
of the merit and demerit of others, and still
be very proud. Just as man may think
that he is much poorer than some men, and
not near so rich as other men, and still not
regard himself as poor. We may conclude
that because we are, as it were, instinctively,
averse to taking prominent part in religion,
that we are humble. This is not an infalli-
ble conclusion. Our aversion to taking an
active part in things which pertain to the
spread of the gospel, is not necessarily an evil
dence of our modesty or humility. 1t may
be an evidence of our want of the grace of faith
in lively and vigorous exercise Bashfuness
and modesty have some characteristics which
make it possible to mistake either of them or
both of them for humility; but humility is
not modesty, neither is it bashfulness 1t is
an error to suppose that the princip pie feature
of humility is an under-e estimate of ourselves.
Were this the case, by similar mode of
reasoning, we would be forced to conclude
that the fundamental principle of honesty and
Justice consists in man cheating and de-
frauding himself Such a conclusion is dia-
metrically opposed to the dictates of common
sense, and the principles of equity as laid
down in the Scriptures Justice consists in
giving to others what is due them, and in re.
ceiving from others what is due to ourselves.
Humility is a grace Of God This, howev-
er, does not distinguish it from any other
grace Everything we have and are is
grace. God gave it to us, and hence it is
grace The distinguishing feature of humility
is that it is the grace by which we properly
estimate ourselves. By it we are enabled to
Judge of ourselves correctly. The humble
man regards himself what he really is, sim
ner. He does not compare himself with some
fellow creature, and draw conclusion &C.
cordingly respecting his moral character; ;
but without any reference to any one else, he
regards himself sinner because such he in
fact is. He would regard himself sinner
were he the only human being in existence.
Humility is a leading grace. 1t was the
prominent feature in the pety of all the saint
ed servants of God during Old Testament
dispensation; it is the prominent feature of
the piety of all Gods people to-day in all
parts of the world. 1t always will be the
prominent feature of piety. 1t is seen in the
prayer of the poor publican. God be merci-
full to me a sinner, is the prayer of every
good man. 1t is the prayer of humility. 1t
is always acceptable to God, and if it be
prayed without fainting, God will surely au-
swer it.
APPEARANCE OF EVIL.
Some things are sinful in themselves con-
sidered others are sinful only when carried