THE DESIRE.

Two believers were one evening walking and talking together, and they were talking as believers should, about their own personal experience of divine things. The one was full of doubts, fears, and misgivings, and the other was trying to comfort him. This is lifting up the hands that hang down, and confirming the feeble knees. O that there was more of this! When they came to the end of their walk, Master Diffidence, concluded by saying, "I don't want to be anything great: I want to be a humble Christian." I have no doubt but the feelings of friend Thomas were right, but I am not so sure as to his knowledge of what a humble Christian is. I shall take no notice of the negative part of his wish, but only of the positive, for there is a sense in which we should not seek great things for ourselves, though there is another in which we should aspire to be great. But let us look at our friend's wish a little carefully. "I want to be a humble Christian.' To be a Christian is a great thing, for a Christian is the noblest work of God. Every Christian is humble, but all are not alike humble; though all are exhorted to be clothed with humility," and are re

minded that "God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble."

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The

I want to be a humble Christian." Very good, then you want to be converted, and to become as a little child. You want to be stripped of all self-importance, to be emptied of all self-consequence, and to be nothing in your own estimation. This is very hard to nature, and it takes much grace, and much discipline to bring us to this. humble Christian has many severe conflicts with the pride and other evils of his heart, and has often to carry them to the cross, to confess them before God, and to mourn over them as he lies prostrate before the mercyseat. The humble Christian believes as a child, who takes his father's word as the ground of his faith. He believes, because his father says it. So the humble Christian, being persuaded that the Bible is God's book, believes all that he finds there, whether he understands it or no. He admits that God is wiser and knows better than he does; and expects that he shall be wise and know better by and bye. He therefore receives doctrinal statements, with implicit faith; admits historical relations, without gainsaying; places confidence in the promises; and allows all the precepts to be right. The humble Christian obeys like a child. God commands it, that is enough. ask, "What will man say ?" look around to see what is the usual custom.

He does not

Nor does he

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True he may at times distrust his own judg ment, and will therefore consult others; but he will wait upon God most, and seek divine teaching on the point. When he is fully persuaded that he knows what God intends and requires, he does not ask, “What will it cost ?" But says, My father requires it, and I will obey him." Or, with David, "I made haste, and delayed not, to keep thy precepts." The humble Christian expects like a child. He does not dwell on his own unworthiness, so much as on the grace, love, and kindness of his heavenly Father's heart. He naturally expects, that God will give good and great things unto his children; not on account of what they do, though he will not be unmindful of their conduct, but out of his large and loving heart. He may think heaven and eternal glory too good for such a sinner as he is to receive, but then he will not think it either too good or too great, for the God of all grace to bestow; and as eternal life is the gift of God, he expects it to be freely conferred on him. Just so, in reference to all that God has promised, he expects it, not because he deserves it, for he knows that he does not, but because God has promised, and takes pleasure in bestowing it. The humble Christian feels like a child, there is even a chiidishness about his feelings at times, which are in general childlike. He feels confidence in God as his Father, reliance on

Jesus, as his elder brother, who has become his Saviour, and reverence and affection toward the Holy Spirit as his Comforter. Toward sinners he feels pity, as his brethren after the flesh; and grief, when he views them as their own enemies, and the enemies of God. Toward believers he feels love, notwithstanding all their imperfections, and is always ready to forgive an injury when repentance is shown. But I must stay my pen, the humble Christian has sweet joys, hallowed pleasures, and precious foretastes of glory; and with these, experiences much self-loathing, self-abhorrence, and wishing to be wholly like Christ, desires to be entirely devoted to Christ. For the humblest Christian aspires to say with Paul, I live, and yet not I; but Christ liveth in

"I desire to be a humble Christian." Do you? Then seek the Spirit, as the Spirit of Christ. Set your heart upon this. Pray incessantly for it, believing that as God has promised it, he will assuredly bestow it. You cannot believe this too firmly. Nor can you seek this blessing with too much fervour or importunity. All true humility flows from the Spirit's work in the heart, who while he humbles us on account of what we are in ourselves, fills us with joy and peace on account of what we are in Christ. While you thus seek for the gift of the promised Spirit, expressly with the view that he

may make you a humble Christian, let your mind dwell much on the greatness, freeness, and sovereignty of God's love. Few things have a greater tendency to humble us and lay us low in the dust, than a sense of God's free, undeserved, and everlasting love to us. Think also of the sufferings of Jesus, in the garden, before his unjust judges, and on the cross, and think of these habitually.

Nor

think of him as suffering these things for somebody, but as suffering them for youfor you a sinner-an ungodly sinner-a hard, unfeeling, ungrateful sinner. View him as wounded for your transgressions, and bruised for your iniquities, and as bearing your sins, all the guilt of them, in his own body on the tree. Dwell also on the freeness of divine. grace, as free for the vilest, therefore as free for you; and also on the distinguishing nature of divine grace, as shown to you, and not to every one in the same way, or in the same degree. And then, think of the greatness of the glory which is to be revealed in us. Glory provided for us by the Father, given to us by the Son, and now made known to us by the Spirit. Glory, so great, so grand, so magnificent, that the sufferings of: the present time, however great, or long continued, are not worthy to be compared with it. Dwell, daily dwell on these things, and pray the Holy Spirit to apply them to your mind, and to seal to you your interest in them; and if you do not become a humble