Chapter 13. Other Considerations on Humility.

I NOW come to humility, which, like its other sisters, is hard to be acquired by the proud and the arrogant; but to those who attend the School of Christ and wish to learn of Him, it is very easy of attainment. .And first, we should humble ourselves - " under the powerful hand of God," as St. Peter admonishes us, and his co-apostle St. James confirms. But what difficulty can there be, in a mortal man humbling himself before his Immortal and Omnipo tent God? Secondly, we should choose the last place amongst men, because "each one should esteem others better than them selves/' as the apostle tells us in his Epistle to the Philippians. They who know themselves and are conscious of their own infirmities, and know not those of their neighbour, find no difficulty in esteeming all others before themselves, and conceding them a higher place. For as pride springs from ignorance, so does humility from a knowledge of one's-self. The heart of the proud man easily sees the vices which others have, because they are all outside him ; but his own vices, often very numerous, he sees not, because they are within him ; just as the eye does not behold what is

within, but only what is without. Of this the Pharisee is an example for us, who gave thanks to God, that he was not as the rest of men — a thief, unjust, an adulterer. He did not observe these vices in himself; but there were others concealed within ; pride, blindness of soul, and impenitence which he did not see ; therefore he preferred himself to the publican praying in the same temple. But the publican, who had better eyes, saw his own faults, and not his vir tues ; therefore he sat down in the lowest place, and standing afar off, struck his breast, imploring the mercy of God : by His j udgment, the one went home justified; the other condemned. Wherefore, if we seriously endeavour to know ourselves, we shall find no difficulty in entering the "gate" of the House of the Lord.

But to all this we must add, that the gate which appears so very narrow, and almost impenetrable, to those who are heavy and corpulent, or covered with many garments, or that attempt to enter with an erect body ; this same gate is broad and wide to those who enter unencumbered, naked, and lowly. Wherefore, we are to blame, if we cannot easily enter at the same gate, through which so many saints have before us, without any difficulty or trouble. Begin then, Christian soul, to cast aside the burden of riches : remember that your riches have been given you by God, as to a steward, not as to a master, in order that

you should distribute them amongst the poor, but not to hoard them up carefully for yourself alone ; and thus your soul being free from the love of riches, having thrown aside as it were a great burthen, will easily enter the " narrow gate." Cast away also a love of carnal pleasures, or rather cast out those noxious humours that produce wind, and inflate the body. In fine, reject the opinion of your own excellence ; put on the humility of Christ ; bow down your neck to the obedience of His commands, and then complain, if you cannot easily enter in at the gate of salvation.