The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1879-12-10
For the Central Presbyterian.
Humility, the Way to Glory.

lie numDleu QlllS6lI. Inc OuTlSUldn
must say with Paul God forbid that l
should glory save in the cross of Christ.
In seeking glory, Christ must be our ex-
amplar: looking unto Jesus, the habit
ual act of our souls. Christ has pointed
out way to glory, new and strange-the
wonder of angels. There is no glory
equal to Christ's, because there is no con-
demnation equal to His The divinity
assumes humanity The infinite God
takes the place of rebel creature, and
endures his deserved punishment Men,
proud because they are fallen creatures,
seek glory by advancing from lower to
higher station. They seek glory by
the way of exaltation, not by the way Of
humiliation. The weak seek to be strong;
the poor to be rich the servant to be
the ruler, Such are the ways in which
men seek to be glorious in their own eyes,
and in the eyes of their fellow-men. But
the peculiar glory of Christ is seen in
the fact that the strong becomes weak
the rich, poor; the ruler, the servant.
He who upholds the pillars Of the uni
verse is poured out like water" and,
His strength being dried up like pot
sherd, He staggered up the hill, Calvary,
under the load Of His cross.
Here is new way indeed to obtain
glory-a way which none Of the children
Of men can learn unless they are born in
the image of the meek and lowly One,
and which Gods children learn best in
the furnace of affection. Thus they be-
hold more clearly, by the word, 'the glory
of the Lord, and are changed into the
same image from glory to glory" 1t is
the same way to glory their Saviour trod.
Darkness shows them worlds of light
they never saw by day By sad but
sweet experience they learn the meaning
Of those inspired words-"He that hum
bleth himself shall be eyalted 10 him
/ that oyercometh VIII grant to SIT wish
me in nay throne. even as l also Overcame,
and am set down with my Father on His
throne"
1t is by the possession of the mind that
was in Christ that we become glorious
after His pattern of glory. When the
disciples, patterning after the god Of this
world, and his children, had a strife
among themselves, which of them should
be greatest, Jesus said unto them, 1.-The
kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship
over them, and they that exercise author
ity upon them are called benefactors; but
We shall not be so he that is greatest
among you, let him be as the younger,
and he that is chief, as he that doth serve
lam among you as He that serveth. y
Any other way to glory than this must
end in disappointment, misery and shame.
Earthly honor is puff of wind All
flesh is grass, and all the glory Of man as
the flower of grass. The honor which
cometh from God, and which is as lasting
as eternity, is by the path our Saviour
made through the valley Of humiliation
" Humble yourselves therefore under the
mighty hand of Cod that he may exalt
you in due time. In lowliness Of mind
let each esteem other better than them
selves. Look not every man on his own
things, but every man also on the things
of others
These clay tabernacles of ours are frail
and perishing. The heavens and earth
are to be consumed with fervent heat.
It is of vital Importance to know how, in
the day Of the great universal couAagra,
ton, we frail worms of the dust shall be-
able to endure that awful day, and rising
above the burning world and passing
beyond sun and moon and stars, reach
the highest heavens, and sit upon the
throne of the everlasting God If we
would dwell in the high and glorious
place where the light of the sun would
be as the light of candle at monday,
we must follow the track of the despised
Nazarene. By ever looking unto Jesus,
we will become assimilated to his char
acter, and learn Of Him who was meek
and lowly in mind. When we consider
ourselves, our goods, our liberties, ON
rights, orr property, our temporal life
we are considering things that are per
ishing and unsatisfactory. The grandest
events that have ever taken place on
earth occupy but a feeting moment III
the cycles Of eternity, but the deed that
was transacted on Calvary fills with its
splendor the boundless immensely O
space, pervades with its transcendant
light all the corners of the universe, and
calls forth from all Gods intelligent holy
creation the eternal anthems Of praise
Such was the view of the great apostle tc
the Gentiles when he said, unto me, who
am less than the least Of oil saints, is this
grace given, that I should preach among
the Gentiles the unsearohable riches O.
Christ; and to make all men see what is