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BAPTIST MAGAZINE.

NOVEMBER, 1827.

THE NATURE, EVIDENCES, AND AD-
VANTAGES OF HUMILITY. BY THE
Late Rev. Dr. JoHN RYLAND, OF

BRISTOL.

sure, though they have begun to return to him. Indeed, if a sinner is once brought, by a realizing sight of the divine glory, to a true HUMILITY, or lowliness of mind, sense of the natural distance ne"radically consists in a sense of cessarily subsisting between the comparative lowness and littleness Great Supreme and every finite before God, or the great distance being, this must immediately probetween God and the subject of duce a conviction that sin is infithis grace." Or it is that dispo- nitely evil: he must view it as the sition which inclines a person rea- most heinous crime, for one so dily to take as low a place as be- little, low and mean, so dependent longs to him, and to think no and obligated as himself, to forget, higher of himself than he ought, despise, and disobey his great and but to think and act as knowing glorious Maker: thus being conhis own place, and keeping his scious of the infinite criminality of proper distance from the high and his own moral distance from God, lofty One who inhabits eternity; he must condemn and abhor himand consequently, not to exalt self for his want of conformity to himself unduly among his fellow-the divine law and the divine

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Humility must, doubtless, origi- As all true humility among men nate in a deep and abiding sense of is founded in a sense of our disthe infinite natural distance which tance from God, (both our natural necessarily subsists between God distance as creatures, which will and every creature, even the most never be removed; and our moral exalted in dignity, and the most distance, as sinners, which we perfectly free from sin. The one should deplore, and long to have only self-existent and supreme removed,) so it includes a sense Being, who is possessed of abso- of our real relation to our fellowlute and infinite perfection, must creatures. It will teach us readily be infinitely above all finite beings, to admit the superiority of all those who derive their all from him, and who in any respect excel us; or to are totally dependent upon him. know the proper distance between The humility of the angels chiefly us and our superiors, freely acconsists in their thorough sense of knowledging that to be as great as this truth, with an answerable it really is; it will induce us by frame of heart. In imperfect no means to exalt ourselves above creatures, such as saints on earth, our equals, but to treat them as humility must also include a deep fully on a level with ourselves; and pungent sense of that moral and will incline us not to magnify distance from God, to which they the distance between us and those have wickedly wandered, and who in some respects are our infewhich still remains in great mea-riors, not to make that more than VOL. II. 3d Series.

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it really is, but willingly owning the only general foundation for all how near they are to us, and how the genuine exercises of humility inconsiderable the distance is that toward our fellow-creatures; we are raised above them. though there may be some partial In order to a sinner's being pos- semblances of it, among such as sessed of true humility, it is re-know not God, arising from mere quisite that he be the subject of natural timidity and bashfulness, spiritual humiliation. The term or the effect of custom, education, humiliation is used in two senses: and artificial complaisance and, 1. As referring to real antecedent on the other hand, we must allow dignity, in which sense we speak that remaining depravity in true of Christ's humiliation, who though Christians, especially when its efhe was rich, for our sakes became fects are heightened by a bad napoor; though he thought it no tural temper, and various external robbery to be equal with God, temptations, may greatly obstruct because he was in the form of God, the exercise of this and other yet he took on him the likeness of graces; and in some cases, ignoman, and the form of a servant, &c. rance, rusticity, and a contracted Or, 2. Humiliation may refer to roughness of manners, may obformer pride and undue self-exal- scure a little of its beauty; yet tation, in which sense we speak of humility before God will ever prothe humiliation of sinners, who by portionably influence the temper grace are brought down from their and conduct towards men. high and lofty imaginations, and The first original source of true made willing to take their own humility, is a sight of the divine place. glory. "Now mine eye seeth This humiliation is absolutely thee," said Job, "wherefore I necessary, and can only be effect-abhor myself, and repent in dust ed by the power and grace of the and ashes." When Isaiah beheld Holy Spirit, for every sinner is by nature full of pride and self-exaltation, to such a degree that God alone can pull it down and mortify it. True humility is an eminent part of that right spirit which is produced in regeneration: no man can be a Christian without it; and it is never to be found in our world but in real saints. Others may be so partially humbled, as through the greatness of the Almighty's power, feignedly to submit to him; but, however they are overawed or terrified for a season, they are still enemies to God in their minds; and as great enemies to the real scriptural idea of grace, as they are to the justice and holiness of God.

Jehovah's glory, he said, "Wo is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, for mine eyes have seen the king, the Lord of Hosts!" When Daniel saw that great vision, his comeliness was turned in him into corruption. Paul, when he had seen that Just One, and heard the words of his mouth, thought himself the chief of sinners, and desired to "be found in him, having on his righteousness, and not his own." Every part of divine truth, when once we are brought to a spiritual understanding, tends to promote humility. The law requires the whole heart for God, and threatens the least deviation from the line of duty with death; plainly pre-supWe defined humility as radically posing the divine excellency, maconsisting in a sense of compara-jesty, and dominion: and that we tive littleness before God. This is are dependent and accountable

creatures, wholly the property of compared with the eternal, selfour Maker, and altogether at his existent first cause :--will realize righteous disposal. Hence, pro- his constant dependence on God, found humility appears essential to for the continuance of his being, perfect obedience; nor dare sinless and every thing conducive to his angels indulge the least idea of well-being;-confessing himself proper merit, conscious they have insufficient to preserve, independbarely done their duty, and can ently of his Maker, that which he have no claim upon the Deity, un-originally derived from him alone. less on the footing of a free pro- He will readily acknowledge the mise; while sinful men cannot necessity of the divine favour to look into this perfect law, without his happiness, and the necessity of viewing their crimes as infinitely divine influence to secure the preodious, and perceiving that salva-servation of his moral qualities, tion can only originate in free and and keep him from defection, sovereign grace. The Gospel con- apostacy, and ruin. He will corfirms all the law asserts, implying dially confess his obligations to most clearly that all its demands the sovereign favour of Jehovah, were equitable, and all its threat- and fully acquiesce in the absolute enings just; and shews the sin-impossibility of proper merit in ner's inexcusable guilt more fully any creature with respect to God; than the flames of hell. Every accounting himself his Maker's doctrine conspires to abase our property, he will consider it as his pride, and those truths which are duty, honour, and happiness, to the most essential foundation of love him supremely, delight in him our hopes, are most wisely calcu- superlatively, and make the divine lated to stain all human glory; glory the ultimate end of every nor can you realize them, so as to action. An humbled sinner will enter into their real import and view himself as infinitely vile and design, without feeling their hum- hateful on account of sin; -will bling tendency. While, in like justify all the demands, and even manner, an humble disposition the awful threatenings of the divine tends naturally to render us sus-law; -will abhor the idea of seekceptive of divine truth; as there ing acceptance with God upon the is a sweet harmony between this foot of his own imperfect righlowly temper and the blessed doc-teousness; and, with sweet detrines of grace. Beware, brethren, light and thankfulness, embrace lest unmortified pride discover, the humbling method of salvation that, notwithstanding your pro- revealed in the Gospel. His forfessed attachment to these humbling sentiments, you have only learnt the terms by rote, without entering into the genuine spirit of the truths you profess. If you are not humble, you are not orthodox at heart.

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mer pride and self-righteousness will appear unspeakably odious; and however low he may be brought at present, he will be sensible that he is still not near come down to his own place; he will, therefore, instead of thinking highWe would earnestly solicit your ly of his present humility, be attention, beloved brethren, while abased under a sense of his rewe point out some of the principal maining pride; longing to lie lower evidences of true humility. An still in sweet abasement before the humble creature will ever look footstool of reigning grace. Huupon himself as nothing, when mility will lead the Christian to

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