For that man would say to himself: "I, sinner
as I am; I, who know that I do so many wrong things daily; things so
wrong that it required the blood of the Son of God to wash out the
guilt of them--who am I to set myself up? I cannot be faithful in a
little--why should I try to be ruler over much? I cannot use
properly the blessings and the power which God does give me--must I
not take for granted that, if I had more riches, more power, I should
use them still worse? I know well enough of a thousand sins, and
weaknesses and ignorances in myself which my neighbours never see. I
believe, therefore, my neighbours have much too good an opinion of
me, and not too bad a one; and therefore I am not going to boast or
puff myself to them. I can only thank God they do not see the inside
of this foolish heart of mine as well as He does! In short, I am not
going to set myself up, and try to get a higher place among men than
I have already, because I am certain that I have already a ten times
better one than I deserve."
Or again, if a man really believed in the Holy Ghost, which is much
the same as really believing in the kingdom of God; if he really
believed that God was the King and Master of his heart and soul; if
he really believed that everything good, and right, and wise in him
came from God's Holy Spirit, and that everything wrong and foolish in
him came from himself and the devil; then he would surely say to
himself: "Who am I to try to set myself up above my neighbours, and
get power over them; what have I that I did not receive? Whatever
money, or station, or cleverness, or power of mind I have, God has
given me, and without Him I should be nothing.
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