The Exaltation of Humility
“He that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” — Matt, xxiii. 12.
I DO not understand the words to mean that if we begin by having a low opinion of ourselves, God will ultimately give us a high one. If humility is not to be a permanent virtue it is hard to see why it should exist at all. But I take the words to mean that if a man becomes perfectly humble his humility itself will become his greatness. Have you ever felt what a compliment it is, when a man is possessed of any special virtue, to be able to say of him, “It is no merit; he cannot help it! “To my mind, it is the climax of all compliment. In the world of intellect every man would deem it so. What do we mean by the word *’ genius “? Is it not simply that a man cannot help being great? He sings or paints, not because he can, but because he must, because there is within him a breath of inspiration which will not let him go until he has blessed the world. That is genius — the thing which all men reverence. They reverence
45 the man because he cannot help it, because he is dominated by a power higher than his own. His greatness is his prostration; his glory is his dependence; his crown is the fact of being conquered; he is exalted by humility.
O Thou Divine Love, Thou art the genius of the heart. The moment Thou comest, I say, “I cannot help it.” Before Thou comest, I have power to do good or to do bad as I like. But when Thou enterest, my own will dies; it becomes Thine. And I feel that when this happens I am not poorer but richer, that I have not lost but gained. I never really prevail until my own power is lamed in the fight; I never conquer till I can fight no more. Come and conquer me, Thou overmastering Love! It is the wrestling of my will against Thee that makes me small. My independence of Thee is my night; I shall cease to wrestle when the day breaks. I must wrestle when I have only duty and conscience; and when I win I am proud of myself, for I feel how difficult it has been. But when Thou comest, O Love, there will be no difficulty. I shall no longer have strength to strive. I shall lie passive upon Thy bosom; I shall lean helpless on Thine arm; I shall be borne resistless in Thy chariot. My pride shall be that I have no will; my soul shall make
its boast in the Lord; my charm shall be my chain; my peace shall be my prison; my faith shall be my fetters; my beauty shall be my binding; my courage shall be my constraint; my strength shall be my subduing; my grace shall be Thy grasp upon my hand. Truly I am only exalted in the deepest vale.