HUMILITY by Wm. Treadwell

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · May 15, 1901

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 27, No. 20.

HUMILITY

By Wm. Treadwell

This is a grace that the human heart does not possess by nature, for the heart is proud, and desires the praise and glory of men.

The precious plant of humility is of divine origin, and only thrives where the sunshine and dews of God’s grace distil upon it. But it is highly prized by all the heavenly intelligences; for, like the sweet incense that by God’s direction Moses compounded, it has a fragrance peculiarly its own.

Humility is acquired by contact with sacred things, by learning of God. As he becomes acquainted with the wisdom, and power, and glory of the great Creator, man is enabled to see his own nothingness; and he will be led to exclaim, as did Job when the Lord revealed Himself to him, “Behold, I am vile.”

Some interesting and profitable thoughts are suggested by the history of Job. God said of him, “There is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God and escheweth evil.” But while Job was at the height of prosperity, God permitted him to be tried. He lost all that he had, property and children; his friends turned against him; his honor was laid in the dust. He complained, “They that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock.”

This experience was permitted to prove Job’s loyalty and integrity under all circumstances. But thru it all one precious grace was developing. Job had thought himself righteous; but the Lord addressed him: “Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou Me. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding.” After mentioning other ways in which His power is shown, the Lord tells Job that if he has the same power, “Then will I confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee.” But Job’s heart has been humbled, and he exclaims: “I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear; but now mine eye seeth Thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” In the story of Job there is a good lesson for the self-sufficient.

Satan hates a grace so opposed to his nature as is humility, and he inspires his followers to hate it, and to exalt self. An incident that took place in the wilderness of wandering is a good illustration. God had chosen and qualified Moses to be the visible leader of His people; but some rebelled. They said, “All the congregation are holy, every one of them.” They thought Moses was exalting himself to be a prince over them, and to this they would not submit. The terrible retribution that overtook them ought to be a sufficient warning to all who listen to the suggestions of pride. This incident was written for our admonition, and we all have to learn the same lesson of submission to God’s will.

When Daniel was brought before the king to interpret his dream, He did not exalt self, but ascribed all the glory to God. “There is a God in heaven,” he said, “that revealeth secrets.” It was a test for his humility when the king “fell upon his face, and worshiped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odors unto him.” But God had prepared His servant for this test, and so He is preparing His servants now for some of the severest tests that mortals have ever had to bear, tho they may be in a different line from those that came upon His prophet in Babylon.

It is important that we be clothed with humility; but this grace is often counterfeited, and how may we know the true from the false? The true has always the impress of its divine Author, “who, when He was reviled, reviled not again,” but committed His cause to “Him that judgeth righteously.”

In Gethsemane, when He could have resisted those who were sent to take Him, and could have called twelve legions of angels to His aid, He submitted to the jeers and insults of the mob, and even to death on

the cross, that He might exalt us to a seat with Him on His throne. “He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name that is above every name.”

Shall we study the Pattern, and, adorned with His heavenly grace, find a welcome where all will vie in glorifying their Redeemer?

WM. TREADWELL.