Page:The Praises of Amida, 1907.djvu/81

 the contrary, the world praises it as a form of modesty, as a grace that becomes a man. But there is no grace in it, and no modesty. Modesty lies in the true acknowledgement of sin when it exists, and of virtue when it is found, and this form of lying, which itself partakes of the nature of sin, cannot possibly be a grace. Nay, if we could look right into the heart of the man who puts on this outward show of mock-modesty, we should find it full of arrogance and pride, and actuated by self-seeking motives. The heart of the mock-modest man is never clear and bright as a cloudless sky: there is always something that he is holding back, some "hidden root of bitterness" laid up within. It is true that the Suffering caused by this mock-modesty is not so conspicuous as that caused by the deceit of which I spoke before. There is always something of dimness and uncertainty about it; but, for that very reason, it is more difficult to do away: the Suffering which it causes always lies deep down in the hidden recesses of the heart,