The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1910-01-22
Sabbath School
NOTES BY R. S. HOLMES.
Lesson Nv. ia nuary 20. 1910
THE BENEDICTIONS.
Matthew s: LOO


Golden Text: Blessed are the pure
in heart for they shall see God" Matt.
5:8.
The ministry OF Jesus began with the
message. "'rhe Kingdom of Heaven is
at hand" "The Sermon on the Mount
contains the law and the principles OF
that kingdom The virtues which its
members were to cultivate are given in
the opening verses, called "The Beati-
tudes," or "The Benedictions." They
who are in the kingdom will OF course
be blessed. and the blessedness will
grow out of their characters.
The first blessing tells who are to be
citizens of the new Kingdom. Then
when once in the kingdom, comfort,
and inheritance, and satisfaction, and
consideration, and spiritual vision, and
adoption, and reward after struggle,
and coronation. That sequence of Dene-
dictions is the most wonderful thing in
all literature, not because the separate
ones were new and unusual. but be-
cause gathered as they we're from a
thorough knowledge of the Old Tesla
ment, they were grouped as standard
for the lives OF the members OF the
Kingdom Of God.
The life of the world now moves on
a far different scheme. Blessed are the
rich, blessed are the canny. blessed are
the undisturbed by sorrow. blessed are
the potentates. blessed are they who
struggle up to recognition, by society,"
blessed are they TO whom come honors
and preferments from men.
But if the sincere hearts of the world
could all be assembled, the fact that
the real Christianity OF its Founder
still is a power would be marvelously
manifest. Our salvation'is indeed near
ed than when we first believed
THE VERSES.
Vss. I-2 The mutitudes" are easy
10 account for The previous chapter
tells OF the throngs brought out to fol
low because of his miracles. The won
derful brings a crowd. A trolev wire
coated with sleet from storm on
Christmas night made vivid lightning
IS a car passed, and people rushed to
their house windows t. see what was
the strange sight. Two people playing
they are ancient Greeks. and taking
themselves seriously while the world
laughs, have caused curiosity-loving
crowds to watch them in an eastern
city recently. The crowd does not care
for the significance OF the unusual. 1t
wants to see It. That is all. Men fol-
lowed after Jesus then as they do after
evangelists now.
Into a mountain" Don't be foolish
enough to ask where that mountain
commentaries do that They are the
Il r..
what happened in the mountain that is
oi interest
His disciples came That is where
interest begins. How MANY? Surely
six. Andrew. Peter. James John,
Philin Nathaniel. Perhaps many more
Enough So that what the teacher said
was noted and repeated. and ages have
read the record Here is the wonderful
thing. What he said as he taught will
never be FORGOTTEN The world can
never become old enough to have
these sayings forgotten
And taught them" SO there is Our
pattern This so-cal'ed Sermon was
Just lesson by Teacher to his class.
Ever since the world has been trying
to find what he miqnt. We can do no
better What did he mean?
Nss. 3-I2. These are The Beati-
tudes," or "The Benedictions' There
are nine OF them. Seven OF them be-
gin. Blessed are the One reads.
Blessed are they The last one be-
gins, Blessed are ye." Evidently
Jesus expected that those whom he
called I'VE were already members of
the Kingdom of Heaven The charac-
tiers which must be theirs If they we're
To be blessed" in that kingdom are de-
scrIbed in the first eight bcatitudes.
Here then is question that we must
earn how to answer. What did Jesus
rhen expect members OF his kingdom to
be?
I. He expected them to be poor in
spirit
> To understand SORROW anl know
its power.
). To know how to restrain passion
/. To year.. after the things that
make life good.
:. To be iull OF all compassion and
foreivinpncss.
o. To be sweet, true. clear and clean
within.
I. To influence life toward sauvtv
ard accord.