February 17
Daily Gleanings of the Saintly LifeSaturday after Epiphany
God giveth grace to the humble. I S. PETER v. 5.
SEEK humility, and thou wilt find it; and when thou hast found it, thou wilt love it, and by God's grace wilt not part with it: with it thou shalt not perish. Yea, thou wilt reign for ever with Jesus, Who was humbled for thee, and with the choirs in the heavenly dwellings. For there too thou wilt be humbled, not as now, in the need of all things, but in the possession of all things, in glory, and honour, and power, and beauty, and knowledge, and wisdom, of which we have but the faintest shadow here; and all from God and in God. For there, if thou attain, thou shalt cast thy crown before the throne, saying, "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power;" and giving back all to God, thou shalt receive all from God in bliss everlasting, through His merits, Who humbled Himself to thee, that thou, being humbled with Him here, shouldest enter into His glory and His joy. There—
All thy old woes shall now smile upon thee, And thy pains sit bright upon thee; All thy sorrows there shall shine, All thy sufferings be divine. Tears shall take comfort and turn gems, And wrongs repent to diadems.
Thou shalt look round about, and see Thousands of crowned souls throng, to be Themselves thy crown; sons of thy vows, The virgin births with which thy Sovereign Spouse Made fruitful thy fair soul. Go now, And with them all about thee bow To Him.