omething to be ashamed of, more or less, which no one but himself
and God knows of; and which, perhaps, it is better that no one but
he and God should know.

I do not mean any great sin, or great shame--God forbid; but some
weak point, as we call it. Something which he had better not say or
do; and yet which he is in the habit of saying and doing. I do not
ask what it is. With some it may be a mere pardonable weakness;
with others it may be a very serious and dangerous fault. All I ask
now is, that each and every one of us should try and find it out,
and feel it, and keep it in mind; that we may be of a humble spirit
with the lowly, which is better than dividing the spoil with the
proud.

But why better?

The world and human nature look up to the proud successful man. One
is apt to say, 'Happy is the man who has plenty to be proud of.
Happy is the man who can divide the spoil of this world with the
successful of this world. Happy is the man who can look down on his
fellow-men, and stand over them, and manage them, and make use of
them, and get his profit out of them.'

But that is a mistake. That is the high-mindedness which goes
before a fall, which comes not from above, but is always earthly,
often sensual, and sometimes devilish. The true and safe high-
mindedness, which comes from above, is none other than humility.
For, if you will look at it aright, the humble man is really more
high-minded than the proud man. Think. Suppose two men equal in
understanding, in rank, in wealth, in what else you like, one of
them proud, the other humble. The proud man thinks--'How much
better, wiser, richer, more highly born, more religious, more
orthodox, am I than other people round me.' Not, of course, than
all round him, but than those whom he thinks beneath him. Therefore
he is always comparing himself with those below himself; always
watching those things in them in which he thinks them worse, meaner
than himself; he is always looking down on his neighbours.

Now, which is more high-minded; which is nobler; which is more fit
for a man; to look down, or to look up? At all events the humble
man _looks up_. He thinks, 'How much worse, not how much better, am
I than other people.' He looks at their good points, and compares
them with his own bad ones. He admires them for those things in
which they surpass him. He thinks of--perhaps he loves to read of--
men superior to himself in goodness, wisdom, courage.