"Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit."

It is a heavenly grace

(Maria Sandberg, "Glimpses of Heaven!" 1880)

"All the angels stood around the throne
and the elders and the four living creatures,
and fell on their faces before the throne
and worshiped GOD!" Revelation 7:11

What a view do we here obtain

of the humility of those glorious

and sinless beings, the angels

of GOD!

They "fall on their faces

before the throne" when

they worship GOD.

How humble, then, ought

we to be, who are not pure

and sinless creatures--

but vile and sinful dust and

ashes, who have forgotten GOD,

and insulted HIM times without number!

Humble, indeed, we ought to be--

yet we are proud, we dislike humility,

except so far as GOD graciously

teaches us. Oh! it is HE alone

who can humble our proud hearts,

and thus prepare us for the worship

of Heaven. This HE does by means

of providential chastenings and afflictions.

HIS design in them is to humble us,

and prepare us for glory.

And shall we shrink from the process?

No, let us lay our proud souls at HIS

feet, imploring HIM to undertake

the gracious work of teaching

them humility. Let us not fear

the needful discipline.

GOD is a tender FATHER--

HE only wants to make his

creatures truly happy. We shall

taste real happiness, only as we

possess in any degree this heavenly

grace of humility. It is a heavenly grace, 

for it is, as we see here, the disposition 

of the inhabitants of Heaven. It is 

a heavenly grace, for it brings 

into our souls a portion of 

the happiness of Heaven.

Oh! let us not be afraid to lie 

low at the foot of the cross! 

The valley of humiliation is 

a pleasant and a fruitful place:

  there the smiles of the reconciled 

countenance of our GOD are seen;

  there fellowship with JESUS is felt;

  there love to man flourishes;

  there the painful and trembling 

feelings of pride and selfishness 

are mortified.

It is, however, only in Heaven 

that we shall attain to the perfection 

of this grace of humility, when we 

shall fully know ourselves, our 

vileness, our unworthiness, and 

what we owe to redeeming grace 

and love. Then only shall we be 

truly humble; then only shall 

we be truly happy. 

Then shall we bid farewell to the misery 

of sin, and taste the enjoyment of full 

conformity to the Divine image of JESUS!

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, 
for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven." 
Matthew 5:3

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GraceGems has published Timothy Shay Arthur's short story,
"Marrying a Count".