Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-11-12
HUMILITY,
Erssaesssness Of the Popular Ides Of M
Meaning.

ing his opinions; but right under
standing of the relation between what
he can do and say and the rest of the
worlds sayings and doings. All great
men not only know their business, but
usually know that they know It; only
do not think any better of them
selves on that account" There is a
good deal Of self-depreciation in this
world that is very far from true humili-
ty. To be humble in Ruskin's sense is
to be conscious of ones limitations; to
know that one can do something, and
do it well, but to remember that ones
one. Humility is positive, not mega
tive; an expression of legitimate self
confidence, not of self-distrust. When
viewed in this light, much of the nat
ural repugnance to the misunderstood
virtue disappears. Since the rays of
Uriah Heep, whenever we hear a man
proclaim that he desires to be humble
especially if he pronounces it 'um-
ble"-we have most unrighteous de-
sire to kick him, just as any healthy
minded person would take pleasure in
kicking Uriah. Not that the persons
who express the wish to become humble
are usually deserving of any such treat
ment; but the associations of the word,
and the weak, cringing quality which it
has most unfairly been used to desig-
nate, are well calculated to excite
wrath. A man who has no other virtue
can possess the false humility to which
we refer; when he is down, all he has to
do is to stay down and let people wall.
over him. Then he thinks he is hum
BILE.
Nowhere in the Bible is such an atti-
tude of mind prescribed. Moses was
humble-his meekness has passed into
a proverb. But there is no suggestion
in the story of the exodus of any weak.
ness or unmanliness on the part of thet
great leader. He walked before the peo-
pie and ruled over them as one whose
lofty mission was always present in
his consciousness, and forbade self-dis-
trust. He trusted himself because God
had trusted him. He held his head up
because he had beheld the glory of God,
and talked with Him on Mount Sinai.
No Israelite, we may be sure, ever dared
to presume on the humility of Moses
without a rebuke. Only once, accord
ing to the Scripture, did his humility
fail-when he claimed for himself the
power that belonged only 70 Jehovah,
and the sad penalty we all remember.
David was humble before God, and, so
far as his station gave opportunity,
humble in the. presence of his fellow
men; but his humility was never weak
ness. The meekness that so sadly
marred his life grew not from humility
but from pride. jeremiah was hum
BILE. He is sometimes called the weep
ing prophet, and in the minds of many
who have not studied his book he was
rather too lachrymose and mournful
to be much of a man. But even super
fetal acquaintance with the actual work
which he did as statesman and as a
citizen is sufficient to show that he
was no weak or unmanly character,
nor one who bore insults and maltreat-
ment quietly merely from lack of spirit.
Rather was he true follower of that
divine Master who came centuries later
into the world, enduring all things for
righteousness sake. Jesus Himself,
the one perfect example of true humil-
ity, showed the world more than once
humility, alone of all beings who have
lived on earth, could not be defined in
Ruskin's words; for whatever limita-
tions He may have imposed upon Him
self when He humbled Himself unto
death, even the death of the cross, He
cannot have had any sense of inferior
ity as must come to every one of US
when we consider "the relation be-
tween what we can do and say and the
rest of the worlds sayings and do
ings."
And thus we come to see that Rus
kin's definition, after all, is imperfect,
for it cannot be applied to the only case
of perfect humility. A consciousness
of our true relative Importance in the
world will indeed keep us from foolish
exhibitions of pride; but it will not
keep our hearts pure and acceptable in
the sight of God. Such outward humil-
ity as the great critic describes may
exist along with proud and defiant
attitude towards the Most High. A
far deeper quality it is which Christ
meant when He said BLESSED are the
meek" 1t is virtue that can be learned
only from Him, from the example of
His Life. When we behold Him, Lord
of Heaven and King of Angels, descend
ing to PEASANTS home to redeem man;
when we find Him serving fishermen
and mechanics, opening the riches of
divine wisdom to sinful men and wom-
en-, bearing all pains and death itself
at the hands of mob, then we know
what it is to be humble. A sublime
lowliness, a splendid modesty, a stern
sweetness, strong tenderness-that
is humility. Love vaunteth not it.
self, is not pulled up, seeketh not it's
own; beareth all things, believeth all
things, hopeth all things, endureth all
things" He that kneels before God
needs not to kneel to any man; let
him stand upright, and honor God by
respecting himself and his fel.owmen.