The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1906-02-21
DAILY HOME READINGS.
S.-Luke vi. 2O-26.

son. Jesus has been very busy. Great crowds are
following him. 1t seems to be crisis in his work
lie goes into mountains spends the night in prayer
and i'll the morning he calls his disciples around him.
and chooses and Ordains the Twelve Apostles. Then
to them and to the collected crowd he breaches this
sermon. Most of memorzed the Beattudes when
100 young or too careless to ponder them. We
rattle them off easy to repeat and it is of
ten hard for us to quietly mediate the rich
ness OF their teaching. And he opened his mouth
solemn way of preparing us for something weighty
and taught them, saying, BLESSED, etc.-The word
points to our inward state, and might be rendered
happy. There are eight of these Beatitudes but
there are distinct features of character At
entlon Is called to the sevenfold character and the
seven-fod blessedness attached to depicting
plete character and perfect blessedness. The eighth
one denotes the possesors of the preceding fea
lures on account of which they prosecuted and
the distinct promise to this class in the as
the frst-for theirs is the kingdom of heaven
Attention is also called to the fact that the langu-
age i'll which these beatitudes couched is purpose
ly drawn from the Old Testament, to show that the
new kingdom is but the old in a form. Also,
that the things promised not arbitrary rewards,
but grow out of the characters to which they
attached Again 1.-The kingdom of heaven which is
the first and the last thing here promised, has two
stages-a present and future-a partial and a per-
feet stage.
BLESSED the poor in Spirit" and blessed
they that mourn closely related.
Poor in spirit is a self-emptyng conviction that be-
fore God we void of anything. 1t is the poverty
of Spirit which says: 81 undone' and the mourn
ing which this makes it break forth into 'Woe
is me, for L Observation-Disclosures convictions
give birth to emotional feelings Such mOurners
shall be comfored In the present they get the gar
ment of praise for the spirit of heaviness in the end
God shall wipe away all tears from eyes.
From being poor in spirit and mourning, should
expect meekness to follow. The appeal comes to
Put them in mind to be subject to principalites and
10 Ohio Io
good work. to speak evil of man, to be brawers
bat gentle, showing all meekness unto all men; for
we ourselves were once foolish etc But He who
had no such reason to be weak said of Himself Take
my yoke upon YOU and learn of Me; for | meek
and lowy in heart; and We shall find rest unto your
souls" We told what God thinks of it "a meek
and quiet spirit which in the sight of God is of great
price. The blessing promised to the meek is, they
shall inherit the earth-have Gods favor resting upon
them-whch is the real JOY of living. Whether the
world life, death, things present things to
Gomez all theirs. Il Cor. iii. 81, 22.)
Hunger and thirst keen appetites. Satisac
ton is what they call for When deepest craving
is for spiritual blessings there is nothing arbitrary
in the blessing promised they shall be filed" or
shall be saturated-partly now, perfectly hereafter.
Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain
mercy. The Christian stands i'm a middle point says
Trcnch) between a mercy received and mercy need
ed. Because you have received mercy. show mercy
"forgving one another as Christ forgave YOU" Re
it, Forgive and We shall be forgiven.
The converse of Blessed the pure in heart for
they shall God is, "Follow holiness without
which no man shall see the Lord" We can join in
the Psalmists exclamation "As for me. / shall behold
thy face in righteousness; ! shall be satisfied when
1 awake in thy likeness" Blessed are the peace
makers-those who study peace among men and who
lead men to Christ who is peace. "Persecuted
for righteousness sake? show that the characters
which it can be said, "theirs is the kingdom of
heaven all in the teeth of the spirit of the world
pnvertu of anrt r1ns cnnnfer To the nride Of mems