ed for the lowliest service. Cut it, and it springs
up again. The cattle feed upon it, and yet how beautiful it is.

The showers fall upon the mountain peaks, and very often leave them
barren because they rush down into the meadows and valleys and make
the lowly places fertile. If a man is proud and lifted up, rivers of
grace may flow over him and yet leave him barren and unfruitful, while
they bring blessing to the man who has been brought low by the grace
of God.

A man can counterfeit love, he can counterfeit faith, he can
counterfeit hope and all the other graces, but it is very difficult to
counterfeit humility. You soon detect mock humility. They have a
saying in the East among the Arabs, that as the tares and the wheat
grow they show which God has blessed. The ears that God has blessed
bow their heads and acknowledge every grain, and the more fruitful
they are the lower their heads are bowed. The tares which God has sent
as a curse, lift up their heads erect, high above the wheat, but they
are only fruitful of evil. I have a pear tree on my farm which is very
beautiful; it appears to be one of the most beautiful trees on my
place. Every branch seems to be reaching up to the light and stands
almost like a wax candle, but I never get any fruit from it. I have
another tree, which was so full of fruit last year that the branches
almost touched the ground. If we only get down low enough, my friends,
God will use every one of us to His glory.

"As the lark that soars the highest builds her nest the lowest; as the
nightingale that sings so sweetly, sings in the shade when all things
rest; as the branches that are most laden with fruit, bend lowest; as
the ship most laden, sinks deepest in the water;--so the holiest
Christians are the humblest."

The _London Times_ some years ago told the story of a petition that
was being circulated for signatures. It was a time of great
excitement, and this petition was intended to have great influence in
the House of Lords; but there was one word left out. Instead of
reading, "We humbly beseech thee," it read, "We beseech thee." So it
was ruled out. My friends, if we want to make an appeal to the God of
Heaven, we must humble ourselves; and if we do humble ourselves before
the Lord, we shall not be disappointed.

As I have been studying some Bible characters that illustrate
humility, I have been ashamed of myself. If you have any regard for
me, pray that I may have humility. Whe