The Tupelo journal., 1906-03-02

director Biblical Department Of the
Moody Bible Institute, Chicago; Off,
cial Lecturer Of the Cook County
(Chicago) Sunday School Asso-
citation on the International
S. s. Lessons.)
Copyright, 1901, by Joseph B. Bowles.)
Theme: Jesus tells us the secret of
happiness.
Scripture lesson: Matthew 5:1-16.
Golden Tex: BLESSED are the pure
in heart for they shall see God"
Jesus a Preacher of Happiness.
The theme of Christ's first sermon
was happiness. He began His mis-
sion with h benediction. Thoroughly
understanding the needs of the hu-
man heart, He set about answering it's
supreme question, What is Happiness,
and, Where can 1t be found? To-day,
as in the days of Christ's earthly mis-
sion, the supreme quest of man is the
quest of happiness.
Happiness Hard to Define.
1t is clear that Jesus attempted to
define happiness. Indeed, it is a ques-
ton whether it can or cannot be de-
fined. Happiness is a relative term.
What would make one person happy,
might not bring about the same result
in the life of another. Jesus deals
with the essential conditions of happi-
ness-conditions which are not pecu-
liar or limited to any one class OF So
ciety, but which may be characteristic
of them all. These conditions are not
social and physical, but moral and
spiritual, and thus are within the reach
of all men.
Who May Be HappyP
What surprises us as we read the
Sermon on the Mount, is the fact that
Jesus makes happiness to spring from
such an unexpected source. The very
persons whose names we would natur-
ally expect to find in a catalogue OF
happy people are not mentioned here.
The great Teacher did not say:
Blessed are the rich, the noble, the
mighty, the famous, the gifted, the
crowned, the titled" Jesus did not
pronounce these people happy for the
simple reason that a great part OF the
time these things bring much misery
in their trail, and there is abundant
evidence to prove that myriads of peo-
pie are happy who possess none OF
these so-called dignities. Christ STRUCK
at the very root of blessedness.
The True Secret Of Happiness.
In the first place, Jesus speaks OF
His people as being blessed" not
happy. Blessedness is a deeper word
than happiness. Usually we, who are
sh%ortsighted, speak of people as being
happy when the world goes well with
them. Yet even we would hesitate
very often before %pronouncing such
people blessed" Happiness is out
ward and transitory; blessedness is in
ward and abiding. Outward condi-
tions, such as prosperity or adversely
cannot take it away. Good fortune Is
not blessedness; but good character is
Happiness Consists in Being, Not
Having.
What a man is, not what he has;
what he is in himself, not what he
does; his character, not his possessions
determines his happiness. Blessedness
the kingdom of Heaven, is founded
upon character. The good man is the
happy and blessed man.
The Poor in Spirit Are Blessed.
Jesus did O say, BLESSED are the
poor, poverty in itself, no
more than riches, is a bless
ing. Indeed, it may be a curse and
the source Of much unhappiness. No
benediction is here placed upon pow
erty as such. 1t is not the beggar that
is blessed. 1t is the poor in spirit"
The humble man; the nan who places
no confidence in his own good works,
but pleads spiritual poverty; the mar
who comes to Christ for salvation with
this plea upon his lips:
Nothing in my hands I bring,
Simply to Thy cross / cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress,
Helpless, look to Thee for grace"
Those who mourn" because of their
spiritual poverty are blessed. Such
mourning shall find comfort from God.
This does not mean, Blessed is every
one that weeps. The blessing is for
those who weep over their sins. OF
course, God comforts His people when
they mourn for other causes, too.
The meek" too, are blessed. The
man submissive to the will and pur-
pose of God for Him in the world will
always be happy. Indeed, unhappiness
comes because we rebel against that
will. The meek man is the mar
who is ''broken-in" to do the will of
God.
The man who is pure in heart as
we'll as in life will find happiness in
that condition. Purity in thought and
in secret, as well as in act and in pub
lie, is demanded for happiness. The
impure man is never the happy man.
Impurity is hell, and no man is happy
in hell.