The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-04-06

THE REVEREND JOHN c. HORSING.
Pastor of Maple Avenue Reformed Church.
THE Savior's triumphaI entry into Jeru-
salem was a simple, no Tern triumph. sub
lime In its simplicity and divine in It's mean
ing. 1t was the triumph Of meekness, the vic
tory OF l~OHltneSs. the crOwning OF humility,
and that IL the distinctive mark Of the
kindly one. Strange as ii may seem. il is
mark Of the true king. If. then. lOwliness,
which Is humility. is the distinctive mark
Of the King. it Is also the mark Of the
kingdom, which We are. If ye believe on
him. Like king, Xix people. Even as he
said: Learn OF me. for l am meek and
-logly in heart Or, as Paul. the greatest
of his subjects, urges: Let this mind be in
you, which was also in Christ Jesus Our
one thought and theme is lowliness. the
spirit that was in Christ and ought also
with the coming Of Christ this word
received a new meaning. In the ancient
classics 1t is used in a bad sense. as mean
ness of condition. loTness OF rank and
baseness of character. Occasionally II IL
used IN q better sense, foreshadowing its
higher meaning. Plato declares that man
will be happy who holds fast and follows
IN all humility the law of Gcd. As also
Aristotle: He that Is worthy Of small
these humility was an element of wisdom
and in no way opposed to s~elf-righteous-
ness. But with Christ It receives a new
meaning and becomes a distinctive Chris
in Christ We have a new sense of God
Elto q A4tH SGALEt u AdAl d ttuAS h@AtA
of the heart Of God and the heart OF man.
He was the revealer Of God to man and Of
man to God. Out of this grows the true
spirit OF humility. Expanding the thought.
humility grows out of a consciousness OF
Gods providence and mans dependence
out of a sense OF Gods true greatness and
mans actual littleneSs. out of a feeling of
Gods goodness and mans sinfulness. In a
word, it Is that spirit which Is b2gotten
majesty on the one hand and of human
weaknes and unworJhines on the other.
Can you in your heart think on these facts
Of God and man as revealed in Christ and
not feel a sense Of your true attitude to-
ward God?
but how can this meaning of humility
be applied by the Savior to himself? With
man II involves the acknowledgment Of sin.
which marks his actual condition. With
the sinless Christ It is not the acknowledge
ment OF sin. for in him was no sin. but il
is the acknowledgment of that condition
OF creaturely dependence, OF receiving al
things from the Heavenly Father. The
words that ] say unto you l speak not from
myself; but the Father abiding in me
'sThi grace of humility belongs 10 the
angels before the throne, and also TO the
Son. who. clothed IN humanity. constantly
lived on the fullness OF the Fathers love
and ever takes the place that belongs to
the creature In the presence of the Creator.
In this sense of loving dependence upon
heart.
"ou of this mind he took the form of a
servant, and being found in fashion as a
man, he humblod himself. and In perfect
devotion to the Father ne became obedient
unto death. even the death of the cross.
Being without Gin. ne identified himself with
the sinful race and. fulfilling the perfect
law of love. bore the sin of the world.
Here We have the perfect spirit OF the
meek and lowly one. and because he SO
humbled himself God hath highly exalted
him and given him n name which is above
every name-that in the name of Jesus
every knee should bow and every
tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord
TO the glory OF God the Father
This spirit Of the iowly. kingly one. we
his loyal subjects are to learn of him.
That mird which was in him should also be
in Us. that heart which was in him should
also be IN US. and as We are meek and
1ogly in heart. we shall by his power be ex'
allied. even as he said: He that humbleth
himself shall be exalted When We lose
sight OF ourselves and humble ourselves be-
souls, like flowers I'm blooming. open their
petals to the light of life, and we are filled
BY his spirit and uplifted by his power. by
humility we rise to higher and better
things.
"All the world knows that never-to-be'
forgotten act Of that flower of her race
Mary of Bethany. In the village they
made a supper to Jesus. Martha served
but Mary. who 50 oft sat at the feet oi
Jesus, and drank in his spirit of love, tax
ing a pound of ointment. a very costly
nard. poured II upon the Savior's. feet anC
wiped them with the flowing tresses OF hel
hair. Costly ointment. bounifully bestowed
and all bestowed upon his feet. The ONT
ment filled the house with the fragrance
of humility. the humility OF her love"