The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-01-12
The
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM.
MENTS FOR JANUARY %.
Subject: True Blessedness, Matt 3:
1.16-Commit to Memory
Verses 20.

NOLbEtN 1c%Al.- DlCooCu ok IhS
pure in heart, for they shall see God"
Matt. SIS.
TIME.-Midsummer A. D. %.
PIACE.-Horns of Hattin.
EXPOSITION.-I. How to Be
Happy, liz. In this lesson Jesus
answers the great question that nan
is ever asking, How to be happy.
Jesus points out eight classes whom
God pronounces happy. They are not
those whom the world esteems happy.
Indeed they are in part those whom
the world esteems most unfortunate.
But time has justified, and eternity
will more abundantly justify, the
declarations of Christ. ID The first
class are "'the poor in spirit" i. e., the
lowly in heart, those who recognize
their need and are contrite and hum
BILE in spirit Comp. Ps. 34:1S; 81:
II; Prov. 1928; lisa. 57:15; 66:2;
Phil. $3.50. Theirs Is. the kingdom OF
heaven. The good of this present
evil age belongs to the self-assertiye
and self-esteeming; the good of the
coming age belongs to the self-re-
nouncing and self-abhorring. The
door of the kingdom is only open to
those who realize their utter moral
poverty and humble themselves in
the dust GAS. 40, 10; 1 Pet. 5:6;
Luke 1914; 1850. The spirit of
the twentieth century Is utterly OPP
posed to the poverty in spirit here de-
scribed. (2) The second beatitude
+ sounds equally strange. The worlds
estimate is blessed are those who
are not called to mourn; those who
have no bereavements and no sor-
| rows" mot So" says Jesus, deep
sorrow is one of the greatest blessings
of the life that now is" All who
have learned to know the deeper joys
that are in Christ, have been led into
them through great h~eart-aches. The
reason why those who mourn are
| happy is because ''they shall be COM
forted." 1t is "the God of all COM
fort" Himself who comforts them
G. Cor. 1:3, A.. CO The third class
who are happy are the meek" i. e.,
the humble, gentle and mild as dis
tinguished from the .self-assertive
and contentious and harsh q Cor.
4:21; 81; Eph. Az; 2 Tim. 1923;
Tit. 1922. The worlds thought Is
that there is no chance for tie meek
man in a selfish, hustling age like
this; and that his gentle voice
! never be heard amid the universal
| cramor. Jesus says, "they shall in
herit the earth" Comp. Ps. 37:11;
lisa. 57:13). Certainly they are the
most fit, and it will be a happy day
for the earth when they do. Even
now the words Of the meek travel
farthest and are remembered longest.
Many a mar who has had a message
has failed to get the world to listen
to it, because of his self-assertive and
%censorious manner in declaring 1t.
How we cry to God for something
more, something higher, deeper,
more perfect! How we long to be
perfectly like Him, between whom
and ourselves we see so wide a diff
ference! Jesus says, "you shall be
filled" But If one Is satisfied with
present attainment, there is nothing
! more for him (Luke 1850. 60
"The merciful." Mercy Is that genu-
inc loving kindness toward the needy
that leads to helpful action in their
behalf. The man who helps others in
their distress. will be helped of God
in his own distress (Luke 1858; Ps.
AID. On the other hand, he who
has a deaf ear to the cry of the
needy will find that God has a deaf
ear when he cries to Him (Prov. 81:
10; Matt. N8:23-35). CO. The next
happy ones, "the pure In heart
Theirs in the supreme b~lessedness.
they shall see God" God is infinite
beauty and infinite glory in personal
manifestation. The joy of beholding
the greatest masterpiece of art, the
most wondrous landscape, the face OF
most matchless beauty, is nothing TO
the JOY Of gazing into the face OF
God. The pure in heart and they
alone have this ineffable JOY (Heb.
11:14). A sinful heart makes a
blind eye. The pure in heart al
ready see God Ono. 14:19, 21, 23),
but 'in a glass darkly," but In the
coming day "face to face" Il Cor.
1879. CD peace makers" their
blessedness Is because "they shall be
called sons of God" (R. W. The
God of the Bible is 'the God Of
peace" Gro. 1888; 1920; Phil. 4:
9; Heb. 1920. Surely then the
peace makers are justly called His
sons On the other hand n who
stirs up strife must be son of the
devil. All discord and strife has en-
tered the world through the devil.
The wisdom that leads to bitter envy
ing and strife "is earthly, sensual.
deyilish." Those who are prosecuted
for righteousness sake, upon them a
two-fold happiness is pronounced.
II. The Disciples Of Jesus the Salt
of the Earth and the Light of the
World, 1916. Believers in Christ
| are the salt of the earth, 1t is they
who keep human ~societ!' from spoil
ing and who give a proper SAVIOR to
it. Salt loses it's by becoming
mixed with earth. The Christian
loses his SAVIOR by compromising with
the world. They are then good for
nothing but to be cast out and trod-
den under foot of man. Believers are
not only salt that preserves but light
that illumines. Jesus is the Light Of
the world" John S:12), and we by
receiving Film become lights to the
world also. 1t is business to let
our light shine before men We do
not need to make it shine, God does
that. but we should let it shine.