would have been
needed but the Curate's passive allowance of such tendencies to
embarrass and spoil the difficult work of the Vicar. But my dear young
friend was "found in Christ"; he knew his Lord's will in the matter, and
he strove to do it. By active discouragement he precluded the mischief
completely, and thus greatly strengthened his leader's hands for the
work of God before him.

"THE LOST GRACE, HUMILITY."

Surely few Christian men have wider and nobler opportunity than Curates
have for the practice of "that lost grace, humility," in its form of
unselfish dutifulness, "good fidelity in all things." [Tit. ii. 10.] My
Brethren know the sort of humility I mean; no artificial mannerism,
nothing in the least degree unworthy of the "adult in Christ." What I do
mean is that thing so scarce in our days, the noble opposite to that
individualistic spirit than which nothing is more narrow, more low, more
hostile to all true, genial development and greatness. I mean the
generous modesty which delights to recognize the claims of an elder, of
a leader; which loves the idea of trustworthy service, taking as its
motto a more than princely _Ich Dien_. I mean the temper of mind which
sees the happiness of siding against ourselves, of judging not others
but ourselves; the spirit which is much more anxious to vindicate a
superior's reputation than our own, more alert to ward criticism off
from him than to shield our own head from its arrow. I mean the life
which shows that so far from being ashamed of the idea of subjection,
the man has learnt at the feet of Jesus to think true service the
truest freedom.

Another day, very probably, the Curate will find himself an Incumbent,
and will have his own helping brother at his side. It will be a happy
thing then for both parties if he has thoroughly learnt that great
qualification for command, the experience of obedience; and has
cultivated the exercise of sympathy with his subordinate by having first
striven in honest loyalty to take his chief's part against himself.

TAKE PART AGAINST YOURSELF.

Few, very few, are the cases where a man who has accepted a Curacy _with
his eyes reasonably open_ finds that such is the friction of the
position that his first duty is to seek a release. There are such cases,
I am afraid. But, I say it again, they are very few; and in every case
which looks as if it were one of them, the Curate should _first_
exercise the severest scrutiny upon himself,