The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-04-16
Religious World
TIL BIG PARTY JIM
The International sunday ScnooI -"
,on for April % Is. The bt Eau
tudes," Matt. Y: 1-12. Golden ieA'
Matt. V, 8.
Nv WILLIAM T. ELLIS

BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS
Politics are engrOssing the
Of men in the United States az iLo
present time. The ISSUE Is one ~"
~ men and Of platforms. villa
necujiar tineliness. there comes 70
tho hosts OF the Sunday school this
,.sson Of a convention held. two tnou-
Sand years ago. not in a bannereu
gar,sh noisy hall. bat on the green
s,npe Of a twin-crested hill, Wltnlh
sight Of the giiStening waters OIL
Ga;jiee. Then was laid down a plat
form Of principles, drafted Dy the
Candidate himself. upon which p
peal was made for the suffrage OF
all the world.
The political cleavage Of our tinAe
in all countries Is along the line o.
radicalism versus conservatism, pul
the p~reSent-day distinctions are 0lHt
AS compared with the sharp contraS,
the radicalism of Jesus ana
the unyielding and tradition-oound
conservatism OF His day. The reso-
]intiOnary utterances Of the Teacher
from Nazareth are difficult for us to
understand since we are heirs to cen
turtles of %nornina acceptance OF them.
The eight Beaiitudes. which are the
summary Of the Sermon on the
Mount-that being the forma! dec
laration Of the principles OF the party
which Jesus established, ran directly
counter TO the accepted thought Of
the time. When delivered. they seem-
ed not to supplement, but to an
ttgOnize the Law Of Moses.
We may easily imagine a sOphis-
ncatcd ecclesiastical leader turning
away from the Mount of BeatiIudes,
after hearing the deliverance OF
Jesus. and saying, Well, if this up
start rabbi thinks to win any votes
by that kind Of talk. he is going TO
hc greatly undeceivcd." Thus has it
ever been tho way of the world C
under"aluc the power Of new truth.
We now know that the Beatitudes
were far frcm being the last word
of Christ: the Calvary plank in his
platform was far more radical.
n Winning Party.
Lively az seems the resent poll
teal campaign in the United States
1t is. relatively. a tame and trivia
affair. The issue which the carpen
becn debated. in schools. By the road
tide and on bloody battle fields, fol
well nigh two thousand years. The
'Irena steadily widens. and the an,
C,ent parties which tainted tbs
z,bouug Radical and his innovation:
fhave grown continually weaker ane
twcaker. Every day He is makins
T3ncreasing inroads into their lives
To-day. the party OF the Beatitudes
the party Of idealis1n. the party 0
Ahltruism. the party OF the new life. il
the winning crowd in the world.
There you have a great truth 70
consideration. as the study Of tn,
H~eatitudes is undertaken. They ar
winning out. The principles Of Jesu
are commanding the votes Of tn
world today. Despite the fact tina
it runs counter to all the natural dis
position Of mankind. and counter t
the spirit Of the times. and counte
to the accepted code which spell
worldly success. the platform Of Jesu
is being ratified all over the earth
Human society was never before s
thoroughly penetrated with tn
ideals Of the Sermon on the Noun
rs today. The brOadest ground &c
optimism TO be discovered by a stl
dent OF the times is the Of tn
principles cnunciated by Jesus. Thes
arc the yeast which has set tho worl
OF TODAY in q fermcnt. Well ma tn
cry of the ancient ruler be repeate.
20 pale Galilean. thou has conque'
ID" Before the platform Of Chri;
the Roman empire has fallen, ar
all ancient civilizations have yielt
ed up their cruel and selfish usages.
The Octave Of Happiness.
In childhood we learn these Beat
t!deS which today millions Of matu!
minds are studying. Here they g.
before US in their amazing breyil
and simplicity: who would ha,
thought them sc Revolutionary
"BiesSed are the poor in spirit: {,
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
blessed are they that mourn: +
they shall be conforted.
blessed are the meek: for III,
shalt inherit the earth.
blessed are they that hunger a,
thirst after righteousness: for tn
shall be filled.
"EleSSed are the nercifui: for tn
shall obtain mercy.
"Isfessed are tho pure in hea
for they shall see God.
Blessed are they that have he
p~ersecuted for righteousness SAX