Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-03-31
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON /, SECOND QUARTER, INTER
NATIONAL SERIES, APRIL Z.
Text of the Lesson. Math. Nv. Is. 20 ",
Memory Verses, 40 - Golden
- 49,. v, S-Commentnry Pre-
pared by the Rev.

tCopyrisht, 1900 by D. N. stearns.l
iv, %, to v, ?. Ii Matthew has the or
der of events herc-and 1t is proaabl
that he has. though he does not always
state events in the order of their occur
rence-then the sermon on the mount was
delivered while our Lord was making His
first general circuit OF Galilee and before
the events which we have studied in the
last two lessons. The great aim of the
Holy Spirit in either of the gospels does
not seem to be TO set forth all the events
of our Lords life in their historical order,
but rather to select and set forth the do
ings and sayings which best prove the
point in hand. The aim In Matthew
seems to be primarily to set forth the
Lord Jesus as Son OF David and Son of
Abraham Il, II or the Messiah Of Israel
so long expected.
g. Blessed are the poor in spirit. for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven" Gods
two dwelling places, heaven and the hum
BILE heart, are set forth in lisa. lvii, 10.
Xvi, 2. And where God dwells there Is
a foretaste OF the kingdom. The poor In
spirit are not necessarily the same as
1.-THE poor of this world, rich in faith and
heirs of the kingdom" (Jas. Ii, 81. They
are the opposite OF the proud, for God
ressteth the proud. but giveth grace unto
the humble" (Jas. iv, %. They are such
as have the spirit OF Him who became
poor for our sakes III Cor. viii, 81, and
they only can truly say, "Hallowed be
Thy name"
4. blessed are they that mourn, for
they shall be comforted." We must bear
in mind that He is speaking to His dis
ciples verses /. p in the hearing of the
multitude. The whole teaching of the
sermon is for the saved, not for the I'M
saved. He could not say to the unsaved:
"Ye are the salt Of the earth" we are
the light of the world" verses 10, 14).
Who. then, are these that mourn but the
redeemed who know that when the king
dom comes the days of their mourning
shall be ended Elsa. TX, 20; Xvi, 13; xl, i,
.. And such truly and continually pray,
''Thy kingdom come"
5. BLESSED are the meek, for they shall
inherit the earth" So said the Spirit
through David. The meek shall inherit
the earth tps. xxxvii. III. This again
is the spirit of the King. for He said: II
am meek and lowly In heart. Take My
yoke upon you and learn of Me" (Math.
XII. 29). 1t is also written that "The or
nament of a meek and quiet spirit is in
the sight of God of great price" q Pet.
iii, ~. The meek do not live unto them
selves nor seek their own will, but de-
light in the will of God, and, knowing
the blessedness Of that will, they long and
pray for the time when 1t shall be done
ON earth as it is done in heaven wi, 10).
g. BLESSED are they which do hunger
and thirst after righteousness, for they
shall be filed" Righteousness is essen
tial to our entrance into the kingdom, for
the unrighteous shall not inherit the
kingdom q Cor vi, 81, but Christ is the
end of the law for righteousness to every
one that believeth (Rom. X, ~. He Is
made unto us righteousness Q Cor. j,
80; ii Cor. v, 21). Then as we yield to
Him He fulfills the righteousness Of the
law in us from. viii. A. and points us to
the time when "A King shall reign In
righteousness, and the work Of righteous
ness shall be peace, and the effect Tor
service) of righteousness quietness and
assurance forever Elsa. xxi, /, 10. 1t
is this hunger which enables us to pray
from the heart, Give US this day our
daily bread" for we do not live by bread
only, but by every word of God.
Z. BLESSED are the merciful, for they
shall obtain mercy The Lord is merci-
full and gracious Dps. Gill, 8; Elk. xxxiv,
6; Deut. iv, 81. The true Christian life
is Christ living in us Gal. Ii, 20; III Cor.
iv, IL, and all these beatitudes are just
different features of the Christ life,
whether in Him or in us. 1t is written,
with the merciful thou wilt show thy
self merciful."
S. Blessed are the pure in heart, for
they shall see God" Who shall ascend
into the hill of the Lord or who shall
stand in His holy place? He that hath
clean hands and pure heart Ops. xiv,
3, ~. 1t is Christ Himself who is our
purity, our holiness, our wisdom, right
eousness, sanctifcation and redemption
q Cor. i, 30). We have nothing good ex-
cept in Him, and only in Him do we see
God. Some are continually seeing and
imagining evil; some see God in Christ,
and Christ in all things and have neither
eyes nor heart for the evil.
o. blessed are the peacemakers, for
they shall be called the children of God"
1t is nowhere said, Blessed are the peace
breakers, but there are many such even
among Christians, who either thought
lessly or willfully are continually break
ing the peace of some person or family.
10 not look uFouHu 10 uiu SuCn people,
but ask. honestly, Is it /? Our Lord is
the Prince of Peace. He made peace by
the blood of His cross; He proclaimed
peace Qsa. tx, 6; Col j. 20; Eph. ii. ~.
We are commissioned as His representa-
tives to publish peace, the peace made by
His blood to all creatures that all who
will may have peace with God and enjoy
the peace Of God CRom. V, l. Phil. iy. g.
y. The devil is the great author of con-
fusion and of all that is not peaceful,
therefore the peacemakers pray. Deliver
us from the evil one" (revised version)
1912. Having glanced at the seven
blesseds which are parallel, as we have
seen, with the seven petitions in the
prayer of chapter vi, 9-13, we now come
to a double eighth for the prosecuted and
the suffering for Christs sake. Such are
taught that the sufferings of this present
time are not worthy to be compared with
the glory which shall be revealed (Rom.
viii, 49,, and they find comfort in the con-
clusion of the prayer: For Thine is the
kingdom and the power and the glory