Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-08-28
For the Rutland Herald.l
sEsieSSed are the Poor i'm Spirii.1
BY REV. H. @. FARRAR.

For the Rutland Herald.l
ssfsiessed are the Poor i'm Spirii.1
BY REV. H. @. FARRAR.
These are the words of the Master.
How precious they are to the spiritual
minded. What words of hope and COM
fort. Sweeter to the taste than honey
More precious than silver. They are in
stinct, with all the life of divine love.
They pledge the wealth of heaven.
Precious words There are those who
answer to the character here blessed;
they are poor in spirit They keenly re-
alize their need of the Holy Spirit, who
alone can give life, and light, and peace.
They are just the opposite of that char
acterportrayed in Revelations, who boast
ingly affirmed, II am rich, and have need
of nothing"
Spiritual poverty is by no means syn
onymous with worldly poverty, Many
pervert this beatitudo and make it read,
blessed be We poor" One may bepOor
and yet comparatively contented with
his poverty, through sheer Incidence.
The gospel prohibits a lazy spirit. One
may he poor through desire, living the
life of a recluse. Against such a spirit
Christ arrays His gospel, ''Ye are the
light of the no, ET'-not of a monastery.
Humility is an essential and inscpara-
ble characteristic of true poverty of
soul.
Take a soul deeply convicted of its
sins before God, and what is its feeling?
You have it portrayed in the Scriptures.
1t is the case of the publican, shifting
upon his breast andsaying, 'God he mer-
ciful to me a sinner" There is . deep,
aIl-pervadng feeling of a0ant The first
cOnvicting thought Of the prOdigal was
want. This alone moved him. So of
the truly spiritually poor there is spir-
| itual want:
Poor and vile in my own eyes,
with selt-ahasiug shame;
Still ! would myself despise,
And magnify Thy name"
This is the poverty-stricken ones true
/ language. The whole soul is craving a
good that it has not, and by nature can
never have-the whole soul becomes
progress whose waited answer is the
''Kingdom of Heaven" 1t was the
vision of this Kingdom, in its splendors
of wealth, that made sensible its utter
destitution-its honors and glory nat
made real its own degrcdation-its heav-
enliness made unbearable-its earthli-
ness. Such visions caused it to cry
out:
81 loathe myself when God I see,
And into nothing fall"
This IS no fancied state or condition !;
it is the genuine experience of every
soul beginning the Christian life. Was
it not so of Bunvan's Pilgrim ? of Saul
during those three dark days of peni-
tence PRAYER in Damascus? We could
quote the experience of a large number
verifying this; but it were needless be-
cause the facts are sopatent and the feel
ings are so universal.
Now, just such character Jesus pro-
nounced ''blessed." This spirit-pOor
one this self-consciously destitute one,
this humbled one, this one is blessed, in
deed, according to the Divine estimate.
How differently mans estimate This
character, in the opinion of the world,
is iostled aside and ill-treated and de-
spised, while the opposite is applauded
and laureled.
But Christ's truth is a sword. Society
must be revOlutiOnized and men regener-
ated. Life is based upon spiritual values.
The hereafter is more than the here
eternity than time.
Spiritual poverty felt is repentance
wrought. 1t is heart preparation for the
incoming and enthronement of Christ
the King. Theirs is the kingdom OF
heaven.
1t is the kingdom resulting from
Christ's indwelling. 1t is within. So
the King immortal says, II am the
high and lofty one that inhabiteth Eter-
nifty, whose name is Holy. I dwell in
the high and holy place, with him also
that is of contrite and humble spirit.
What a kingdom is this, ''withir
you!" Strange language and stranger
experience A kingdom within. A
king ruling laws obeyed and subjects
loyal A microcosm of heaven! Aye
so it is; and blessed, thrice blessed it is
Then there is peace and rest. Want
has it's full and perfect satisfaction.
2 Aspiration has reached its highest altl
! tude. Every spirited necessity is glori
ously met by an indwelling Christ.
Christ is all and in all
Does the eye of one trace these lines
whose heart has never felt the thrill Of
! Jesus love?-in whose spiritual being
{ this Kingdom of righteousness and peace
9 and Joy in the Holy Ghost has never beer
, established? ? o, make haste to repent
for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand
D 1t is nigh thee. Bow before the Kin!
7 and wait the coronation of Loves ap
, provaL Soul poverty is spiritual riches
Have the one, and the power and tn
;. glory of the other shall be your eterna
: rejoicing.