Humility in Christian Duty
By Mead
A NATURAL man prides himself in his duties. If he be much in duty, then he is much lifted up under duty. So did the Pharisee. "God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are;" and why? where lay the difference? Why, "I fast twice in the week: I give tithes of all," &c. But now take a gracious heart, a renewed conscience, and when his duties are at the highest, then is his heart at lowest. Thus it was with the apostle Paul; he was much in service, in season, and out of season, preaching up the Lord Jesus, with boldness and earnestness, and yet very humble, in a sense of his own unworthiness, under all: "I am not worthy to be called an Apostle." "To me who am less than the least of all saints is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ." And again, "Of sinners I am chief." Thus a believer, when he is highest in duties, then is the lowest in humility. Duty puffeth up a hypocrite, but a believer comes away humbled; and why? because the hypocrite hath had no visions of God: he hath seen only his own gifts and parts, and this exalteth him; but the believer hath seen God, and enjoyed communion with God, and this humbleth him. Communion with God, though it be very refreshing, is very humbling to the creature. Jerome observeth of Zeph. i, 1, where it is said that "Cushi was the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah," that "Amariah signifieth the word of the Lord." Gedaliah signifieth the greatness of the Lord; and Cushi is interpreted, 'humility,' or 'my Ethiopian.'" "So that," saith he, "from the word of the Lord cometh a sight of the greatness of the Lord; and from a sight of the greatness of the Lord cometh humility." Now then, if I pride myself in any duty, and am puffed up under my performances; then have I not seen or met with the Lord in any duty. But on the other hand, if when my gifts are at highest, my heart is at lowest; if when my spirit is most raised, my heart is most humbled; if in the midst of all my services I can maintain a sense of my own unworthiness; if Cushi be the son of Gedaliah in duty, my performances are from a renewed conscience.—Mead's Almost Christian.