Volume II, Treatise III, Chapter XVIII

Of Some Means Which May be Made Use of to Attain This Second Degree of Humility, and Particularly of the Ecample of Jesus Christ

Tere are ordinarily two ways pointed out for acquiring moral virtues. One directs us to the reasons which may excite us thereunto; the other to the practice of the acts which may make us contract the habit thereof. To begin with the first, I say, that the example of Jesus Christ is one of the principal and most efficacious considerations which we can make use of to become humble, or, in better terms, it is the principal and most efficacious of all. All the life of the Saviour of the world, from his very birth to his death, has been a perfect model of humility; but among so many examples which he has given us of his virtue, St. Austin fixes particularly upon the consideration of that he has given us, by washing the feet of his apostles upon the eve of his passion. He was not contented, says he, with the examples he had given during the whole course of his life, nor with those which he was quickly going to give further, and which were to make him be looked upon as the meanest of men,” as Isaias says, and according to the royal prophet, “the reproach of men, and the refuse of the people;” but “‘ knowing that his hour was come that he should pass out of this world to his Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end” (John xiii, [), and would give them yet a further mark thereof. Wherefore, “supper being ended, he rises from the table, lays aside his garments, and girds a towel about him, pours water into a basin, and begins ta wash his disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded,” (John 13:4,5) What a mystery of humility was this, which the apostles themselves did not yet comprehend. ‘ How, O Lord, dost thou wash my feet,” says St. Peter tohim? Jesus answered, “What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter.” (John 13:6,7) After that he returns to his place, and to explain this mystery to them, he told then—“Ye call me master and Lord, and ye say well, forsol am. If then your Lord and master has washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet, for I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.” (John 13:18-15) What he means by this mystery is to teach us to humble ourselves as he has humbled himself. And doubtless humility must be a virtue of great importance and difficult to practice, since Jesus Christ is not content with so many examples which he had already given us, nor with so many others which he was about to give; but that knowing well our infirmity, and the malignity of the humour of pride, which is predominant in us, he does so many things to cure it; and that in fine, to make a stronger impression of humility on our hearts, he yet recommends it to us, as it were, by a declaration of his last

St. Austin, explaining these words of our Saviour, “learn of me who am meek and humble,” cries out: “‘O wholesome doctrine, O master and Lord of men, who hast swallowed death in a cup full

of the poison of pride, what wouldst thou have us learn of thee? That I am meek and humble of-heart. What! are all the treasures of the wisdom and knowledge which are lodged in thee, reduced to this? To teach us, that thou art meek and humble of heart. Is it so great a thing to be little, that nobody can teach it us except thon, who art so great, takest care thereof? Yea,” adds the saint, “30 great and difficult a thing it is to humble and makes one’s self little, that men could not have arrived thereto, if the great God himself had not set them the example;” (De Sanct. virg. ca. lii.), because nothing is more deeply rooted in the heart, than the desire of the glory and esteem of the world; so that no less was required to humble us; and no less remedy than this was requisite to cure the pride of which we were all sick. “And if this remedy” he made use of in making himself man, and of no account, for the love of us, ‘cures if not, I know not what else can ever be able to do it.” If the sight of a God humbled and despised, is not sufficient to make us ashamed of desiring to be honoured and esteemed, and to make us wish to be despised with him and for him, I know not what can be sufficient. Wherefore Guerry the abbot finding himself forced to admire and follow so great an example of humility, cries out, addressing himself to God in’these words, in which we all ought to address ourselves to him:—‘ Thou hast overcome, O Lord, thou hast overcome my pride. Lo! I voluntarily put on again thy chains, receive me for thy slave.”——(Serm. i. de Adventn. )

St. Bernard’s thoughts upon this subject, are admirable-—The Son of God, says he, considered, that two sorts of creatures, who had been created capable of eternal happiness, had destroyed themselves by having a mind to be like him. God no sooner created the angels, but Lucifer would be equal tohim. “I will ascend,” says he, “into heaven—lI will exalt my throne above the stars of God, I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, on the side of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, and I will be like the most High.”—-(Isa. xiv. 14.) At the same time he draws several others to his party, but God throws them down headlong into hell. “Thou shalt be thrown to hell,” says he to him “to the bottom of the pit;” (Isa. xiv. 15), and so angels of light, as they were, they become spirits of darkness, After this, God creates man; and the infernal serpent having forthwith conveyed his poison into him by these words: “Ye shall be gods, knowing good and evil;” (Genesis 3:5), man receives this proposal greedily, breaks the commandments of his God; and for endeavouring to make himself like unto him, becomes like the devil. Eliseus’ servant having run after Naaman the leper, to take the presents of him, which his master had refused: “You would have had share of the riches of Naaman,” says the prophet to him, “you shall also have share of his leprosy, even you and all your posterity.”—-(4 Kings v. 26.) God’s judgment against man is — like this. Thou wouldst, 0 man, partake of the riches of the devil, that is to say, of his pride; thou shalt also partake of his punishment. So that you see man is lost as well as the devil, and made like unto him, because he endeavoured to become like unto God. What will the Son of God do now?—“I see,” says he, “how jealous my Father is of my honour;” (Serm. i. de Adventu.) -I see that he destroys his most noble creatures on my account—the destruction of the angels came from their endeavouring to be like me; man lost himself also for the same reason; every one, in fine, envies me, and would be like me—‘ Well then, I will appear to ‘Men under so mean a figure, that whoever shall envy me, and aspire to be like me, shall thereby find his salvation.” 0, the excessive greatness of the infinite mercy and goodness of God, who has been pleased to come down from heaven, and make himself man, in order to satisfy the ardent desire we have of resembling him. It is henceforward, indeed, we may, not falsely, and through a punishable pride; but truly, and in holy humility, flatter ourselves with the hopes of being like unto him.

The same St. Bernard, interpreting these words, ‘ unto us a child is born,” (Isa. ix. 6); “let us endeavour all we can,” says he, “to become like this little child; let us learn of him who is meek and humble of heart, so that it may not be to no purpose for us, that the great God is become a little child. For if you become not as this little child, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”— - (Hom. iii. sup. Missusest.)

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