Humility is that grace which enables us to put a just estimate upon ourselves. It is just what is requisite in order that we may know our place and keep it. It enables us to obey the injunction not to think of ourselves “more highly” than we ought to think (Romans 12:3). It opens our eyes to our own defects. It gives us a sense of our own failure to imitate the heavenly pattern. Without it we could not hunger and thirst after righteousness, for we should think ourselves good enough already. We learn lessons of humility with much pain; yet nothing is sweeter and more divinely peaceful than this excellent grace. The pain which we experience in taking lessons in humility is because our nature is entirely averse to this lowly disposition. Vanity and pride fill the hearts of the sons of men. The grace of God alone can effect this wondrous change. Dying to pride is a painful process. The change, when wrought, is one of heavenly serenity and blessedness. It is our business to humble ourselves. If we leave this work to be done for us by the Lord, we shall infallibly bring upon ourselves His afflicting hand; for it is by this that He humbles the children of men. God humbles men as Gideon “taught the men of Succoth,” with “thorns of the wilderness and briers” (Judges 8:16). Better learn humility this way than not at all. But far better would it be to make it a business to humble our own hearts daily and continually before the Lord. We can abase ourselves or we can have the Lord abase us. The valley of humiliation is in itself the sweetest, and, what is of greater consequence, the safest part of the heavenly journey. John Bunyan tells us that in this valley our Lord, in the days of His earthly sojourn, had His country house. One thing is certain, that whoever walks in this valley will have the Saviour for his companion.
FALSE HUMILITY
This is one of the worst forms of pride. Persons under this deception suppose themselves very humble and lowly in heart. In fact, they really believe that they are far in advance of their brethren in all that renders men acceptable in the sight of God. Under this impression, people become proud of their humility. If there were one particle of honesty or frankness to sin, we should not so often fall into it. But sin deceives us. That is its very nature. The deceitfulness of sin is that which makes it so dangerous an adversary. Sin is the eldest born of Satan. He is the arch-deceiver. Deception is his business. Cheating is an art which he has carried to the highest perfection. Nothing but fraud and guile can proceed from such a source. Though the prince of darkness, he can transform himself into an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). And such is his skill in beguiling men that he is able to give to pride the outward form of humility, and to make it, many times, pass for this excellent grace.
This kind of humility is often manifested in acts of austerity or apparent self-denial for the purpose of attention or securing the approval of others. Sometimes it is shown in the wearing of mean and slovenly apparel, that thereby one’s humility may be declared. But all these acts of apparent humility are performed to gratify the pride of a self-righteous heart, or to receive the approval of those whose good opinion is specially desired. One test generally if not invariably distinguishes false humility from that which is genuine. One can bear reproof, the other cannot. One is grateful for correction; the other is altogether too holy to allow of any such treatment of its exalted piety. Another almost universal test is found in the fact that spurious humility seeks by word and act to draw men’s attention to itself; but that which is genuine would hide from every eye but God’s. “Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find” (Proverbs 20:6)? Reader, have you genuine or spurious humility?
MODERATION
This becomes the Christian at all times, when in prosperity or adversity. Overmuch joy at any earthly blessing is entirely out of place. Our mountain does not stand so strong that it shall certainly continue even one day. Our griefs are not so great that we should abandon ourselves to unrestrained sorrow. Our case might be worse. This will always be true until among the lost. Let us restrain both joy and sorrow so far as earthly blessings and calamities are concerned, within the bounds of moderation. An eastern monarch asked one of his wise men for some saying that would moderate his joy in great prosperity, and his grief in deep affliction. The sage replied: “Remember this too shall pass away.” This is an admirable saying, but it is not equal to this one from Paul: “Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand” (Philippians 4:5). If we walk in the presence of God and of the great day of account, prosperity and adversity will alike seem small to us in the presence of eternal realities.
SOWING AND REAPING
“Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7). Men cannot sow thistles and reap grain. They cannot do evil deeds and receive the reward of well doing. Every act on our part is one whereby we sow something; and everything sown shall bear its own proper fruit. Could we realize that every act of wrong doing shall be followed by its own natural consequences, and that everything thus sown by us shall bear a plentiful harvest of evil, how circumspect should we be in walking in the fear of the Lord. What a fatal error on the part of parents to allow the young to “sow their wild oats.” Such a crop once sown needs no care in order to have it bear a plentiful harvest, and nothing is more certain than that they who sow the seed shall themselves reap the harvest in the very kind which they sow. Beware of wrong doing. You must meet it again, and with it all the evil which it has caused in the world.
A PROMISE
“If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him: if we deny Him, He also will deny us” (2 Timothy 2:12). Our Lord proposes to do great things for those who are worthy to receive them. Reigning with Christ will be no less than actually sitting down with Him upon His throne, and wearing a crown which His own hand shall place upon our heads. But none shall show in this exaltation who do not prove themselves worthy by enduring the proper test. Everyone who reigns with Jesus shall first suffer with Him. The anguish of the cross shall precede the triumph of the saved. No man who shuns the cross shall ever sit down upon our Lord’s throne of glory.
He is to confess His people before the Father and the angels. But everyone thus confessed has first been proved worthy of this great honor. Those who now deny Christ before men shall then be denied by Him.
How wise it would be in us to make the last day our ever-present companion. Then every act would be wrought in God, and all our work such as we would willingly meet in the Judgment.
REPROOF
It is often painful to give reproof, yet it is a duty which cannot be neglected. Some persons, from lack of experience, or from error in judgment, may be incapable of administering reproof by word of mouth. Let such do it by their example, or if some word must be spoken let them do it with real humility and reserve. Many of this class have done great harm by their utter lack of heavenly wisdom. Observe Nathan’s course with David. A terrible crime had been committed by David. A most severe and cutting reproof was called for. But only witness the wisdom of Nathan. It was not merely to rebuke David, it was also to save him from utter ruin, upon the brink of which he stood, that Nathan labored. Few persons could have given to such a man, in such a snare of Satan, a reproof so wisely directed that it should lead him to genuine repentance. The 51st Psalm is the language of that repentance which does not need to be repented of. Let those who are reproved by the testimonies of the Spirit of God read that Psalm again and again. Drink deep into its spirit. It is infinitely wiser than to yield to the stubborn hardness of our natural heart, and to the sorrow of the world that worketh death.
DAVID’S SPIRIT WHEN REPROVED
“Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which Thou hast broken may rejoice” (Psalm 51:8).
Language can hardly be found to express with greater force the effect of the terrible rebuke upon David. The blow had broken his bones. Now what did David do? Did he say I am utterly disheartened; it is no use to make further efforts? This would be the language of most persons. They would say with Cain, “My punishment is greater than I can bear” (Genesis 4:13). It was not the sin but the punishment that troubled Cain. Instead of seeking the face of the Lord he went out from His presence, and to drown his reflections built a city. Not like this did David. He is anxious about his sin. So anxious that he makes a public confession which he puts on record for all coming time. And so zealous to return to God that he prays to be purged with hyssop, and washed till he is whiter than snow. He knows the joys of God’s salvation, and he never could be satisfied till these were returned to him. How admirable is this spirit in David. Why not do we manifest it when crushing reproof breaks our own bones?
UNJUST GAINS
“He that sacrificeth of a thing wrongfully gotten, his offering is ridiculous; and the gifts of unjust men are not accepted.” This is from the Apocrypha, [Ecclesiasties 34:18] but it is worthy of serious attention. We cannot divide with the Lord things wrongfully obtained and so bribe Him to allow us to retain our unjust gains by giving Him a part. What can we do with such money? Use it to make restitution, and remember to add something to it when you restore. (See Luke 19:8, 9.)
THE LAST TRUMPET
The righteous dead shall be raised to immortality at the sound of the last trump (1 Corinthians 15:52). This trumpet is sounded at the descent of the Lord from Heaven (1 Thessalonians 4:16). It is called the trump of God. It is the signal by which Christ sends the angels after His saints (Matthew 24:31). Zechariah says the Lord God shall blow the trumpet (Zechariah 9:14). Isaiah calls on all the inhabitants to hear when the Lord blows the trumpet (Isaiah 18:3, 4). When the great trumpet is blown then those who are ready to perish shall come and worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem (Isaiah 27:13).
This is not the trump of the seventh angel. This is a literal trump and shall be literally heard. That is a symbolical trump like the six which precede it. They have not been literally heard. This one will not be. The fulfillment of predicted events has marked their sounding. So of the seventh trumpet. One is blown by the Son of God, the other by an angel. Therefore the trump of God is not the same as the trump of the seventh angel. The trump of the angel begins to sound before the close of human probation (Revelation 10:7). A period of time denominated days, i.e., years at the commencement of His voice is occupied in the finishing the mystery of God. But not so with the trump of God. When that sounds in an instant all the righteous are changed to immortality. But if this be not the seventh trumpet why is it called “the last trump?” The answer I think is this: The trump of God has been heard upon the earth before. When God spoke the ten commandments His trumpet was literally heard (Exodus 19:16; 20:18). It shall be heard again when the Son of God descends. That will be the last trump. The one event was the Father’s descent, the other the descent of the Son in the Father’s glory (Matthew 16:27). There is an intimate connection between the two events (Hebrews 12:26).
REPENTANCE
This always involves the ceasing to do evil. Whatever passes for repentance that allows a man to retain any of his sinful ways, or to continue any of his sinful acts, or to return to any of his old sins after a time, is a repentance that needs to be repented of. How forcible are the words of the Apocrypha, Ecclesiastics 34:25, 26: “He that washeth himself after the touching of a dead body, if he touch it again, what availeth his washing? So is it with a man that fasteth for his sins, and goeth again, and doeth the same; who will hear his prayer? or what doth his humility profit him?”
WHAT GOD GAVE MAN AT CREATION
“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7). Observe it does not say that the breath of life became a living soul, but that the man formed of the dust of the ground became a living soul. In other words, the man became a living person. What was it, then, which God gave to the man He had formed? The language of Job 33:4, clearly states the answer: “The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.”
This, then, is what God gave to man, even life. Not unconditional life; the man was created to answer the pleasure of his wise Creator (Revelation 4:11). If he fulfill this gracious purpose of his Maker he shall continue to live, and when his probation is accomplished, and his fidelity proved, he shall have life with no condition. A life like this is as certain never to end as the life of Him who made him. But if he fails in his probation, his right to live is forfeited.
Mankind have been favored with a second probation. Their first was, in a state of innocence, that they might become confirmed in virtue. They failed in their probation, and their innocence was lost. They have a second probation in which to recover their lost innocence, and to become established in virtue. The angels that sinned, did this against greater light than man, and hence can have no further probation. Man sinned being tempted by their chief, and God gives to men a second trial. But they must in it meet and overcome the temptations of the evil angels. The failure in our first probation brought death upon all our race. The life that we now have, has no immortality to it. “What is your life?” says James. “It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (James 4:14). Yet such as ourselves may live forever. This life is long enough for the recovery of our lost innocence, and for our establishment in virtue. Life eternal, which is ours now by promise, shall at the close of our trial be our infinite reward.
The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, December 22, 1868.