He is neither graceful
or gracious. He is only contemptible, and he punishes himself. He
spoils his own game. He defeats his own purpose. For men despise him,
and use him, and throw him away when they have done with him, as they
throw away a dirty worn-out tool.
Not him do I mean by the humble man, the modest man. I mean the man who,
like a good soldier, knows his place and keeps it, knows his duty, and
does it; who expects to be treated as a man should be, with fairness,
consideration, respect, kindness--and God will always treat him so,
whether man does or not: but who, beyond that, does not trouble his mind
with whether he be private or sergeant, lieutenant or colonel, but with
whether he can do his duty as private, his duty as sergeant, his duty as
lieutenant, his duty as colonel; who has learnt the golden lesson, which
so few learn in these struggling, envious, covetous, ambitious days,
namely, to abide in the calling to which he is called, and in whatsoever
state he is, therewith to be content. To be sure that in God's world,
the only safe way to become ruler over many things is to be a good ruler
over a few things; that if he is fit for better work than he is doing
now, God will find that out, sooner and more surely than he, or any man
will, and will set him about it; and that, meanwhile, God has set him
about work which he can do, and that the true wisdom is to do that and do
it well, and so approve himself alike to man and God, humbling himself
under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt him in good time, by
giving him grace and strength to do great things, as He has given him
grace and strength to do small things.
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