This is marked with very peculiar force in the passage before us. In the preceding verses, where the Apostle had exhorted the Roman converts to piety in a general view, he had addressed them as " Brethren" and used the language of entreaty ; but in the text, where he particularizes the duty of hu- mility, he assumes the authority of an Apostle, and in a most solemn way lays the strictest injunctions upon every individual amongst them6. And the very terms he uses are so strong, so marked, so peculiar, as scarcely to be capable of being translated into any other language, and such as were admirably calculated to make the deepest impression on their minds f.
Attend, then, carefully to this injunction,
1. For your own honour —
[Nothing renders a man more contemptible than vanity : it invariably defeats its own ends, and sinks us in the estima- tion of all whose applause we covet. But, independent of that, the more we arrogate to ourselves, the less will people be disposed to concede to us : and, if they cannot refuse us some degree of credit on those points wherein we excel, they will be sure to search out some faults to put into the balance against it ; so that, on the whole, we shall be gainers to as small an amount as possible. On the other hand, modesty gives effect to all our other excellencies : and the more meekly we bear our honours, the more liberal will even the most envious of our rivals be in the bestowment of them. To " prefer others in honour before ourselves g," is the way to disarm their hostility, to allay their jealousies, to conciliate their regard : so that, even if we had no better object in view than the advancement of ourselves in the estimation of man, we should seek it, not by self-conceit and self-preference, but by sobriety in self-estimation, and by modesty in our whole deportment. To this effect, the wisest of men has taught us, " To seek our own glory, is not glory h :" on the contrary, " when pride cometh, then cometh shame : but with the lowly is wisdom1."]
2. For the honour of God —
e When he says, " Through the grace that is given unto me," he refers to his apostolic office : Rom. i. 5.
f Mark the repetition of the word fpoi'sl)'. /u»/ vnep^pnyur Trap' o hei <ppovE~iv' «\\o (ppovsiv tic, to auxppovelp.
e ver. 10. and Phil. ii. 3. h Prov. xxv. 27.
1 Prov. xi. 2.