The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-02-18
For the Central Presbyterian.
The Beatibudes.

l hope that / will not be considered
destitute of all modesty because / ven
ture to criticise the exposition given by
Dr. B. M. Palmer, of the first Sabbath
School lesson for February. l shall offer
different Interpretation from the one
he has given on what I consider an i'm
portant point in Theology, with the hope
that If | am mistaken, I may be led to
see and correct the mistake.
To my view, each of the three first Be
attitudes, equally with the subsequent
ones, describes a condition of the soul
pertaining only to believers IN Christ and
consequently only to Christians. And
this also seems to be the opinion of DR..
Palmer, if only the first part of his ex-
position is considered He says 1.-THE
qualities described are not the virtues of
the natural man, and the promised bless
ings are strictly spiritual" In his expo
sition of the first Beatitude, he says,
This humility found in those who are
poor in spirit "is characteristic of such
as are in state of grace, the beginning
of that holiness which belongs to the
kingdom of Christ, whether on earth or
hereafter in heaven" He describes the
second Beatitude as consisting in that
"penitential sorrow for sin which "dis-
tlnguishes repentance from remorse." OF
the third Beatitude he says that it has
reference to the meekness which is FUSED
almost technically in the Scriptures for
true piety;' and represents the entire
breaking down of the sinners will. y
After thus describing, as I think, a gen.
ulaae Christian, | was truly surprised to
find him saying in his exposition Of the
fourth Beatitude, that it "naarks the
transition into a state Of justification be-
fore God" If, by these words he simply
means that the qualities of the soul de
scribed by the first three Beatitudes pre-
cede the qualities described by the last
five, in the order Of cause and effect and
not by any means in the order of time
the question might admit of debate. but
this article would not have been written
for the purpose of debating it. But the
words will not admit Of any such mean
ing. They seem to teach that person
may be possessed of the virtues indicated
by the first three Beatitudes, and vet not
be in "a state Of justification before God -
that is, not believer in Christ. He saws
that the fourth Beatitude marks the
transition into a state Of justification be-
fore God and then goes on Immediately
to say that " 1t lies midway between the
two classes Of blessings, a0hich diu;de re-
spectiUely the sinner and the saint" And
be says that "The three first benedictions
cover the whole process Of conviction for
sin until we are brought to the point Of
surrender" Indicated by the fourth.)
Now, if a person can have the poverty
of spirit indicated by the first Beatitude
and at the same time be an unbeliever
10ho IS IN state of condemnation. our
Saviour would not have called him
BLESSED. Neither would He have de
clared such person to be already in DOS.
session Of the kindgom Of heaven.
1t is only by the new birth that a sin
ner enters the kingdom of heaven-thC
invisible, spiritual Church Of Christ. Anc
there is no appreciate interval Of time
between a sinners regeneration, and his
ceasing to be an unbeliever, in an unius
Titled state. Although the sinner is pas