Eleventh Day. Of meekness and humility

1. Learn of me for I am meek and lowly of heart/' Matt, xi. 29. If any other than Jesus had taught this lesson, the imperfection of the teacher would have furnished us with objections to the doctrine. He therefore taught it himself, and that too by his own example, which is such as should silence all objections: such as should make us adore, be confounded, and imitate. What! the Son of God descends from heaven to earth, takes a corruptible body and dies upon the cross, to shame US out of our pride! He who is All, annihilates himself; and T, who am nothing, would be, at least would have others think me, otherwise than what I am! — What an impudent vanity and diaholical presumption is this! our Lord saith not, Be ye meek and lowly; hut he saith, * I am meek and lowly of heart/' It is enough to know that he is liumhle. to conclude that we ou;;ht to he so. His example is such an authority, as none may find a dispensation for, much less the sinner, who may well choose liumility, when he has deserved condemnation.

II. Our Lord joins meekness with humility, hecause humility is the source of true meekness. Pride is ever haughty, impatient, and captious; hut he who despises himself is content to be despised. He who thinks nothing due to him, will not think himself neglected. I'he true virtue of meekness is never the effect of constitution; JiU appearances of it; that are the product of mere nature, arise from weakness, indolence, or artifice. To be meek towards others, we must reuounce ourselves. To meekness, our Lord adds, lowliness of heart. It is no speculative conviction he requires, but the real bent and inclination of the heart; it is a lowliness to which the will consents, and which it loves for the glory of God; it is an entire distrust of ourselves, our own abilities, and natural strength, that we may owe our cure to God alone. To despair at the sight of our own wretchedness is not humility, but a most abominable kind of pride.