But it is only those who learn the lesson of humility that Jesus will dwell with.  He says himself, “If any man love me, he will keep my words; and My Father will love him; and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”  St. John xiv:  23.  And among the words of Christ which we must keep, if we wish him to dwell in our hearts, are those in which he commands the lesson of humility.  It is only the humble with whom he will dwell.  For “every one that is proud in heart is an abomination unto the Lord.”  Prov. xvi:  5.

The reason why so many people are unhappy in this world is that they do not learn the lesson of humility.

“Learn to Stoop.”  The story is told of some celebrated man—­I think it was Dr. Franklin—­who had a friend visiting him on one occasion.  When the gentleman was about to leave, the doctor accompanied him to the front door.  In going through the entry there was a low beam across it, which made it necessary to stoop, in order to avoid being struck by it.  As they approached it the doctor stooped himself, and called out to his friend to do the same.  He did not heed the caution, and received a severe thump on his head as the result of his neglect.  In bidding him good-bye, the doctor said—­“Learn to stoop, my friend; and it will save you from many a hard knock, as you go on through life.”  This illustrates the comfort which comes from learning the lesson of humility.  It is those who are unwilling to stoop; or to be anything, or nothing, as God wants them to be, who have no comfort.

“The Fable of the Oak and the Violet.”  In a large garden there grew a fine oak tree, with its wide-spreading branches, and at its foot there grew a sweet and modest violet.  The oak one day looked down in scorn upon the violet, and said:  “You, poor little thing, will soon be dead and withered; for you have no strength, no size, and are of no good to anyone.  But I am large and strong; I shall still live for ages, and then I shall be made into a large ship to sail on the ocean, or into coffins to hold the dust of princes.”

“Yes,” answered the violet, in its humility, “God has given you strength, and me sweetness.  I offer him back my fragrance, and am thankful.  I hope to die fragrantly, as I have lived fragrantly, but we are both only what God made us, and both where God placed us.”

Not long after the oak was struck by lightning and shivered to splinters.  Its end was to be burned.  But the violet was gently gathered by the hand of a Christian lady, who carefully pressed it, and kept it for years, in the leaves of her Bible to refresh herself with its fragrance.  Here we see illustrated the difference between pride and humility.

“The Secret of Comfort.”  Some years ago there was a boy who had been lame from his birth.  He was a bright intelligent boy, but he was not a Christian.  As he grew up, with no other prospect before him but that of being a cripple all his days, he was very unhappy.  As he sat by his window, propped up in his chair, and saw the boys playing in the street, he would say to himself:  “Why has God made me thus?  Why have I not limbs to run and jump with like other boys?”