The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1910-01-20
TRUE
BLESSEDNESS
Sunday School Lesson for Jan. %, 1910
Specially Arranged for This Paper

pure in heart; for they shall see God"
Matt. SIS.
TlME.-The summer OF A. d. 2s, near
the middle OF Christ's ministry.
PLACE.-The traditional site is the
Horns OF Hattin. two or three miles west
Of the Sea Of Galilee, where Saladn de-
feated the Crusaders and destroyed all
hope Of Christian rule in Palestine.
Suggestion and Practical Thought.
We now come to some of the dis
tinguishing marks Of Matthews pre-
sentation of the life of our Lord, and
to distinct eras in the work Of Jesus.
The Beatitudes. The Text of the
Sermon. with the Inspiration, the
Motor Power, to Living in Accordance
with Them.
The Beatitudes are the Gate Beau
tiful to the Temple of Holiness.
First Beatitude-V. 3.
1. Who are the poor in spirit?
blessed are the poor In spirit" This
is not poverty Of mental faculties and
gifts. It is no mean, abject feeling;
no Uriah Heep humbleness, no want
of self-respect.
2. How does the blessing grow out
of this spirit? Because it is the same
spirit that is required when we are
told that we must become as little
children II we would enter into the
kingdom.
3. What is the blessing? For theirs
is the kingdom of Heaven" They be-
long to that kingdom. they are ruled
by its laws and principles.
4. What part has this Beatitude In
forming the perfect man, and hence
the perfect world? Ii is the spirit
and atmosphere in which all virtues
flourish.
Second Beatitude.-V. 4.
1. Who are described by the term
they that mourn? "The mourners
whom Christ pronounces blessed
are those who are poor in spirit
Maclaren.
2. Why are those that mourn
blessed? For they shall be COM
forted."
God comforts those who are mourn.
ing on account of sickness, sorrows,
troubles and losses, by causing them
to work "for US more and more ex-
ceedingly an eternal weight of glory
q Cor. 4:17.
5. How do these blessings grow out
OF the mourning? Because to sin
full beings there seems TO be no other
way. There is no way TO the bless
ings OF forgiven sin save by the
mourning that leads to repentance.
4. This is also the answer to the
question What part has this Beati-
tude in making the perfect man and
the perfect world? "a high ideal Of
life lies beneath all. No man is beg
CARED who has a vision Of mans chief
end and chief good."-Exp. Greek
Test.
5. How is this Beatitude illustrated
in the life OF Christ? The cvnsola-
ton that came to him after the prayer
In Gethsemane. His whole life is ex-
pressed in Heb. 1872.
Third Beatitude.-V. 8.
1. Who are the meek that snail IN
herit the earth? Weakness is a dispo-
sition of the soul in reference to the
wrongs. or seeming wrongs, which
come TO us from others. Its basis is
the control of all earthly tempers by
the spirit.
2. What is the reward Of the meek?
"They shall inherit the earth" from
their king. They do not earn It, but
inherit It.
Fourth Beatitude.-V. 6.
1. Who are they who hunger and
thirst after righteousness? Hunger
and thirst express the most intense
of all desires.
In this Beatitude are included those
who have this intense desire TO be
good. TO be righteous; everything else
success, riches, pleasure, knowledge
must be as nothing in comparison
with righteousness.
2. What Is their reward. They
shall be filled" with the righteousness
they desire.
Fifth Beatitude.-V Z.
!. Who are described as the merci.
full? Mercy is near OF kin TO love- II
is love to the needy. the troubled, the
sinful. even those who have wronged
us. II relieves spiritual want and
darkness as we'll as temporal; would
give the Gospel to the heather as we'll
as food to the hungry.
3 What is their reward? For they
shall obtain mercy" From man and
from God. Like begets like.
g. How was this illustrated by
Christ? Christ's coming TO save men,
his miracles of mercy. his beginning,
his death on the cross.
Sixth Beatitude.-V. 8.
l. What is 1t to be pure in heart?
Real purity as in the heart, the seat
OF thought, desire, motive, not in the |
outward act"
2. What blessing comes to the pure
In heart? For they shall see God"
Seventh Beatitude-V. 9.
l. Who are included in the term |
peacemakers? "Peacemakers are Gre !
ated by having passed through all the
previous experiences which the pre-
ceding verses bring out"
The Work and Power OF SALTY.
IL. We are the salt Of the earth. Salt |
seasons food, and preserves II from |