Volume II, Treatise III, Chapter XV

Of the Fourth Step, Which Is to Wish to be Despised and to ‘Rejoice Thereat

Tax fourth step to arrive at the perfection of humility, ia, to desire to be despised by men, and to take pleasure in being injured and reproached. ‘He who is truly humble,” says St. Bernard, “desires to pass for a despicable person, and not for an humble one, and he rejoices at the contempt he is treated with.”—(Bern. Serm. xvi. sup. Cant.) This is that which is most excellent in the second degree of humility; and therefore it is, as he adds, that the spikenard, which is a very small herb, but a very fragrant one, is taken for the symbol of humility, according to the words of Solomon’s song, “‘ My spikenard {sends forth its odour.” —(Canticle of Canticles 1:11) For when you have not only a contempt for yourself, but would have others contemn you also, then is your humility asa kind of spikenard, whose odour spreads itself all round.

St. Bernard observes, that there are two aorts of humility; one in the understanding, whereby man, considering his misery and lowliness, is so convinced thereof, that he despises himself, and believes that he deserves to be altogether contemned; the other in the will, which makes him desire to be depised and disesteemed by allthe world. Jesus Christ could not have humility of the first description, which is that of the understanding; because, says the

saint, “he knew himself, and thinking it no robbery to be equal to God,” (Philippians 2:6), he could not despise himself, nor believe himself worthy of contempt But he had the second sort of humility, which is that of the will and heart; “when he made himself of no reputation, taking upon him the form of a servant,” (Philippians 2:7), and when for the love he bore to men he was pleased to humble himself, and appear contemptible in their eyes, and therefore he says to us, “Learn of me, who am meek and humble of heart.”—(Mat. xi. 29.) But as for us, we ought to have humility of both kinds; for the first without the second is false and deceitful, there being nothing more unjust than to desire to pass for what we are not. He therefore who is truly humble, and has a real disesteem of himself, ought to be pleased that others disesteem bim also,

It is this that our Saviour bas taught us by his own example.

Consider with what affection and ardour he embraced contempt and reproach for the love of us. He, the Lord of heaven and earth, was not content with humbling himself so far as to make himself man, and take the form of a servant, but, even clothed himself with the form of a sinner, and appeared, as the apostle says, “in the likeness of sinful flesh.” (Romans 8:3) He took not sin upon him; because sin is incompatible with God, but he took the mark and character of sinners; being pleased to be circumcised as 8 sinner; to be baptized among sinners and publicans, as if he had been one of them; to be put in competition with Barabbas, and judged more wicked and more unworthy to live than he. In fine, the eagerness which he had to suffer all sorts of affronts and reproaches for the love of us, was so excessively great, that he thought it long till he saw the time, wherein, inebriated with love, he was, like another Noah, exposed all naked to the raillery and insolence of men.—‘ TI have,” says he, “a baptism of blood to be baptized with, and how am I straitened till it be accomplished.” (Luke 12:50) “With desire have I desired to eat this passover with you.” (Luke 22:15) He thought it long, I say, to see the hour wherein he was to be abandoned to all sorts of indignities—to be buffeted as a slave—to be spit upon as a blasphemer—to be clothed in white, as a fool; and with purple, as a mock-king; and more than all this, to be cruelly scourged like a public highwayman; and in fine, to suffer between two thieves, the most shameful and ignominious death, This is what the divine Saviour of our souls desired so earnestly, and what made him say by the mouth of David, “reproach has broken my heart, and I am full of misery.”— (Ps. Ixviii. 21.) He loves reproach and ignominy so much, that he longs for them with the same impatience as others do for things which are the most pleasing. And therefore Jeremiah, speaking of of him, says, ‘ he shall be satiated with reproaches,” (Thren. iii. 80,) to shew us by this expression the violent hunger and thirst which he had, to endure all sorts of contempt and affronts, for love of us. Now, if for love of us, the Son of God, so worthy of all veneration, has desired so ardently, and received with so much joy, scorns and affronts,; shall we think we do much, who deserve all manner of contempt, when we shall desire, for the love of him, to pass at least for what we really are, and to suffer with pleasure the reproaches and affronts we deserve? It was that which the apostle practised, when he said, ‘therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, _in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake.” (2 Corinthians 12:10) And it is in the same spirit, that writing from the place of his imprisonment to the Philippians, and not being able to contain the satisfaction he had to suffer for Jesus Christ, he-tells them that it is just that they should share in his joy. It is with this milk that the Saviour of the world nourished his apostles, and it was the cause, that when they were beaten with rods by the command of the synagogue, ‘‘ they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were accounted worthy to suffer contempt for his name.” (Acts 5:41) And it is this, which several martyrs have imitated; and among others St. Ignatius, when being brought to Rome to be exposed there to the wild beasts, and seeing himself loaded with all manner of affronts and reproaches by those who led him along, he cried out joyfully, “I begin now to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.”—(In ejus vita. cap. 4.) In fine, it is this our holy founder would have us imitate, and what he recommends to us in express terms, and in the most pressing manner possible. They, says he, who shall enter into the society, or who are already of it, ought to examine carefully before God, how important and useful it is for a spiritual life, to abhor wholly, and not in part, whatever the world loves, and to embrace and seek ardently whatever Jesus Christ had loved and embraced. For as worldlings, who follow the maxims of the world, seek earnestly-after the honour, glory, and reputation which the world gives; so they who have renounced the world, and truly follow Jesus Christ, ought fervently to desire whatever is opposite to the spirit of the world, and ought to take delight to wear the livery of their divine Master, out of the love they bear him; so that to become in a manner like unto him, they ought to wish themselves to be overwhelmed with injuries, affronts, false testimonies, and all sorts of ignominy, soGod were not thereby offended, and if the inflicting them were no sin in their neighbour.—(Examen. xliv. & Reg. xi. sum.) All that can be said of humility is comprised in this rule. A true renouncing of the world, is to renounce what is most excellent in the world, which is reputation and glory; to wish for ignominy and affronts, as eagerly as worldlings wish for honour and praise, is to be truly religious, and to be dead to the world. To be truly of the society of Jesus, and to become indeed his companions, is to desire to keep him company in affronts and reproaches, to put on his livery, to seek after, and receive injuries and contempt with joy for the love of him. Thou, O Lord, hast been looked upon by all the world as a wicked person, and thou wert placed as a criminal between two thieves——-suffer not, therefore, that I should pass fora good man in the opinion of men; for it is not just that the servant should be thought better than the master, and that the scholar should be preferred to his teacher. But since the world has persecuted and despised thee, let the world persecute and despise me; so that I may imitate thee in all things, and be truly thy companion and disciple. St. Francis Xaverius thought it very unworthy, that 3 Christian, for whom Jesus Christ has suffered so many reproaches, and who ought always to have the remembrance thereof present in in his mind, should be pleased in being honoured and respected by men.:

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