The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-11-05
THE TRUE HUMILITY.
Attainabls Only by Comparison With
ChristIy Stature.


Cbris1y Stature.
But let us see, 81 we can, what the
change was that Christianity accomplish
ed. and how It came about The quality
that Christianity rescued and glorifed was
humility. Humility means low estimate
or value OF ones self. But all values are
relative. The estimate we set on anything
depends, of course. on the stanard with
which we compare It. You cannot tell
how big anything is unless you compare
Il with something else. and 50 values are
always varying as the standards or the
objects with which you compare the
thing that you are valuing change.
Your boy Of twelve plays with his little
brothers OF three or four, and seems 10
them a giant and a says; then he goes
and sits among his teachers, and is forth
with a child again. Everything depends
for its value on the standards with which
you compare II. The silver is precious
till you find the gold. the gold until you
fnd the diamond.
Now Christanity's great primary reye-
lation from God. Much about him it
showed men; but first Of all it showed
them him. He. the Creator, the Cover
nor. became a presence clear and plain
before mems hearts. His greatness, his
holiness, his love-nay, We cannot describe
him by his qualities, for he is greater
than them all-he, by the marvellous
method OF the incarnation, showed him
self TO man. He stood beside man s
work. He lowered above and folded HIM
self about mans life. He entered into
mems closets and took possession Of
mems hearts. And what then? God in
the world must be the standard of the
world. Greatness meant something diff
ferent when men had seen how great
he was, and the manhood which had
compared itself with lesser men and
grown proud now had a chance 10
match itself with God, and to see how
small II was, and TO grow humble about
itself.
We are not dealing only with history;
we are not talking only about what hap
pened eighteen hundred years ago. A man
Is living n pagan life here now among as.
Wherever he goes he meets men whom
ne measures himself against. and finds
that he surpasses them. He is the stron-
gest man In the wrestle Of business, the
quickest man at a bargain, the wittiest
man at an argument Now that man
cannot be humble. He oyertops his little
world, and he must think himself high
The White Mountains have never seen
Mount Jefferson, looking down on their
lower peaks, must think they are the
SUBMITS Of the world il is strange
how small men can make their world so
that the petty supremacy Of a school
room or a shop-counter IS enough TO
kill out humility. Now If such a man
comes among other men better and great
err than himself, he does, perhaps
learn what Il IS TO be humble
Only our pride is very ingenious.
ana we are very quick to find
some point I'm which the greatest OF our
superiors IS worse off than we are, and 10
hide our imperiied self-satisfaction there.
"Yes," we gay, "he knows a hundred
times as much. and Is a hundred times
az generous as /. but he has not my
good taste. or he cannot coin money as
j can" II Is wonderful how the small
est man can keep his self-complacency
IN the presence Of the largest, so many
OF us have some one pet point In which
we really believe that we surpass almost
every one we meet. But let that
small man become a Christian That
means let the narrow walls Of his life
be broken down and let him see God,
present here by Christ. At once, then. IS
al chlnged. 1t is as If YOU took the brown,
rugged hill, and lowered up into the
sky above II the white. straight topless
Alpine mountain. Al question Of feet
and inches disappears, and in the con-
sciousness OF its littleness that which
had counted itself great does homage
90 the truly great which it has found
Phillips Brooks.