Wherefore let the evil triumph, when the just and the right

are on thy side?

Such Humility is abject, it lacketh the life of sensibility,
And that resignation is but mock, where the burden is not

felt:

Suspect thyself and thy meekness: thou art mean and indifferent to sin;

And the heart that should grieve and forgive, is case-hardened and forgetteth.

HUMILITY mainly becometh the converse of man with his Maker,

But oftentimes it seemeth out of place in the intercourse of man with man:

Yea, it is the cringer to his equal, that is chiefly seen bold to

his God,

While a martyr, whom a world cannot browbeat, is humble as a child before Him.

Render unto all men their due, but remember thou also art a

man,

And cheat not thyself of the reverence which is owing to thy reasonable being.

Be courteous, and listen, and learn: but teach and answer if thou canst:

Serve thee of thy neighbor's wisdom, but be not enslaved as

to a master.

Where thou perceivest knowledge, bend the ear of attention and respect;

But yield not further to the teaching, than as thy mind is warranted by reasons.

Better is an obstinate disputant, that yieldeth inch by inch, Than the shallow traitor to himself, who surrendereth to half an argument.

MODESTY Winneth good report, but scorn cometh close upon servility,

Therefore use meekness with discretion, casting not pearls

before swine,

For a fool will tread upon thy neck, if he seeth thee lying in the dust;

And there be companies and seasons where resolute bearing is but duty.

If a good man discloseth his secret failings unto the view of the profane,

What doeth he but harm unto his brother, confirming him in his sin?

There is a concealment that is right, and an open-mouthed humility that erreth;

There is a candor near akin to folly, and a meekness looking like shame.

Masculine sentiments, vigorously holden, well become a man; But a weak mind hath a timorous grasp, and mistaketh it for tenderness of conscience.

Many are despised for their folly, who put it to the account of their religion,

And because men treat them with contempt, they look to their God for glory:

But contempt shall still be their reward, who betrayed their Master unto ridicule,

Reflecting on Him in themselves, meanness and ignorance and cowardice.

A Christian hath a royal spirit, and need not be ashamed but unto One.

L

Among just men walketh he softly, but the world should see him as a champion.

His humbleness is far unlike the shame that covereth the profligate and weak,

When the sober reproof of virtue hath touched their tingling

ears;

It is born of love and wisdom, and is worthy of all honor, And the sweet persuasion of its smile changeth contempt

into reverence.

A man of a haughty spirit is daily adding to his enemies: He standeth as the Arab in the desert, and the hands of all men are against him:

A man of a base mind daily subtracteth from his friends, For he holdeth himself so cheaply, that others learn to despise him:

But where the meekness of self-knowledge veileth the front of self-respect,

There look thou for the man, whom none can know but they will honor.

Humility is tho softening shadow before the stature of Ex

cellence,

And lieth lowly on the ground, beloved and lovely as the violet:

Humility is the fair-haired maid, that calleth Worth her brother,

The gentle silent nurse, that fostereth infant virtues :

Humility bringeth no excuse; she is welcome to God and

man:

Her countenance is needful unto all, who would prosper in either world;

And the mild light of her sweet face is mirrored in the eyes of her companions,

And straightway stand they accepted, children of penitence and love.

As when the blind man is nigh unto a rose, its sweetness is

the herald of its beauty,

So when thou savorest humility, be sure thou art nigh unto

merit.

A gift rejoiceth the covetous, and praise fatteneth the vain, And the pride of man delighteth in the humble bearing of

his fellow;

But to the tender benevolence of the unthanked Almoner of

good,

Humility is queen among the graces, for she giveth him occasion to bestow.

OF PRIDE.

DEEP is the sea, and deep is hell, but Pride mineth deeper; It is coiled as a poisonous worm about the foundations of the soul.

If thou expose it in thy motives, and track it in thy springs of thought,

Complacent in its own detection, it will seem indignant

virtue;

Smoothly will it gratulate thy skill, O subtle anatomist of self,

And spurn at its very being, while it nestleth the deeper in thy bosom.

Pride is a double traitor, and betrayeth itself to entrap thee, Making thee vain of thy self-knowledge; proud of thy discoveries of pride.

Fruitlessly thou strainest for humility, by darkly diving into self:

Rather look away from innate evil, and gaze upon extraneous good:

For in sounding the deep things of the heart, thou shalt learn to be vain of its capacities,

But in viewing the heights above thee, thou shalt be taught thy littleness:

Could an emmet pry into itself, it might marvel at its own

anatomy,

But let it look on eagles, to discern how mean a thing it is. And all things hang upon comparison; to the greater, great

is small:

Neither is there anything so vile, but somewhat yet is viler: On all sides is there an infinity: the culprit at the gallows

hath his worse,

And the virgin martyr at the stake need not look far for a better.

Therefore see thou that thine aim reacheth unto higher than

thyself:

Beware that the standard of thy soul wave from the loftiest battlement:

For pride is a pestilent meteor, flitting on the marshes of corruption,

That will lure thee forward to thy death, if thou seek to track it to its source:

Pride is a gloomy bow, arching the infernal firmament,

That will lead thee on, if thou wilt hunt it, even to the

dwelling of despair.

Deep calleth unto deep, and mountain overtoppeth mountain, And still shalt thou fathom to no end the depth and the

height of pride :

For it is the vast ambition of the soul, warped to an idol

object,

And nothing but a Deity in Self can quench its insatiable

thirst.

Be aware of the smiling enemy, that openly sheatheth his

weapon,

But mingleth poison in secret with the sacred salt of hospi

tality:

For pride will lie dormant in thy heart, to snatch its secret opportunity,

Watching, as a lion-ant, in the bottom of its toils.

Stay not to parley with thy foe, for his tongue is more potent

than his arm,

But be wiser, fighting against pride in the simple panoply of prayer.

As one also of the poets hath said, let not the Proteus escape

thee; (13)

For he will blaze forth as fire, and quench himself in likeness of water;

He will fright thee as a roaring beast, or charm thee as a subtle reptile.