The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-09-30
Sunday-SchOOI Lessons.
Tie Apologize Spirit.

Some men 90 through life in con-
slant exercise of self-assurance, amount
ING at times to positive impudence and
swayger. Their own opinions aud
doings are in their eyes above serious
criticism. or at least beyond need of eN-
cuse; and their unrutfled and ever
present confidence in themselves, des-
pite its disagreeable egotism, becomes
at length n source of power, in that it
persuades others to take them at their
own valuation, or something near it.
On the other hand, there are people at
the opposite extreme of natural dispo-
sition, whose whole lives are depreca-
tory and apologize, who never think
that their thoughts and actions are of
any particular account, and who, tar
from claiming any merit in their per-
formances. invariably seem to go on
the principle that their opinions and
deeds are all in need of excuse or OF
defense. Such persons are likely to be
taken at their own measurement, in
some degree at least, and to be ac-
counted the weak and mistaken and
clumsy creatures which in their hearts
they believe themselves to be.
1t seems hard that undue humility
should have to be reckoned as much
fault as Over-weening self-cOntidence,
and that it should be quite as deStruc-
tive of the excellence of ones life-wOrk,
and the value of ones reputation. 1t
seems so unselfish, so thoroughly in
keeping with that modest opinion of
ones ability and attainments which all
4 hot 70, rot q
insuherable egotism and Overbearing
personal pride appears a harsh and
cruel Judgment. But it is not to be
denied that the hiding of ones talent
behind constant sense of inferiOrity
and worthlessness is an eifectual man.
ner of destroying ones powers for
good. and so OF robbing ourselves, and
robbing God, of our proper inheritance,
We are creatures of the dust; our
knowledge is little; our strength is
weak; and our failures and sins are APP
palling. But we are also children of
God, made in His likeness, and for His
work; and we are not likely to
do Him, or the work, or our
selves, any better service because
of our perpetual dwelling upon
our shortcomings and dement's. Paul
accounted himself, in all honesty, the
chief of sinners, and less than the
least of all saints; but he did not, on
that account, refuse to claim for him.
self his whole possession of birth-right
and power, and to declare that he had
boldness in Christ to do the highest
works that could be assigned to mortal
man. If he had constantly dwelt upon
the poverty of his abilities, had ques-
toned whether he really had any right
to think his thoughts or to speak his
words, and if he had made his whole
manner through life one great apology
for existence, would ne have fought 4
good fight, flushed his course, kept the
faith and received a crown of righteous
ness? On the contrary, people would
have taken him for what he seemed to
be, and what he said he was; and so
his influence would have been crippled,
or destroyed outright; and he would
not even have received the poor re-
ward of being honored for his modesty.
The duty of having humble mind,
of not rating our powers above their
| true level, and, above all, OF sincere
ana ldSIlnS IepeutdilCS, 10 On0 "niNH
we cannot put aside without falling
into grievous sin. But this duty is a
very different thing from that unwhole-
some sense of unwcrthiness and incerti-
tude which deprives a life of its best
powers for action, while it does not
even strengthen the character in the
line of the contemplative virtues and
inward strength. A spirit of modesty
and true repentance is inseparable from
true Christian strength; spirit of dep
recation and timid apologizing makes a
Uriah Heep rather than a Martin Lu-
Their. Repentance in the dust is one
thing; a habit of excusing ones sell
and asking peoples pardon for the fact
that one lives and breathes and cum
bers the earth, is very different thing,