The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-04-16

one. represent qualities Of character
and not OF estate. They contradict
the notion that things make happi-
ness. for they are the law n a the
blesS.d.a are those possessed or certain
spiritual characteristics. Especially
noteworthy is the inherent nature OF
the reward: the Master does not say
that those who fulfill the conditions
which He lays down shall possess
certain rewards. He says Blessed
are"-not blessed shall be" but. by
the very fact of possessing humility.
meekness. spiritual yearning. purity,
and so forth. persons are already
blessed, or happy. That is. the Vlr-
tue is its own reward. The divine
seal Of approval and guaranty or
happiness. is upon all whose cono'-
ton is described in the Platform or
Jesus.
Reversing the Conventions.
The whole worlds modern mood
Of democracy receives justification in
this comprehensive statement by
the Man from the carpenter shop.
For the BeatitudeS are
to the plain people. the doWn-trod-
den u~nder-class. the oppressed pro-
letarait Of the Fast. DR.. George X.
Merrill quotes n commentator as
saying that. "Regarding these words.
poor. meek. etc. they are all names
for one and the same class. the Door
Of an oppressed country. h DeaSan-
try or fellahin. who then. as now, for
the most part, lived quiet and re-
ligious lives. but who were the vic
tins of constant il~l-treatnent and
plumber at the hands not only or
~tyrannical rulers but also Of power
full and lawless neighbours
Tie paradoxes or this platform
have had asst social and political
consequences. From this Magma
Charta of democracy have sprung
most Of the movements for n eman-
cipation Of the common people from
ancient thraldOInS. This upside
down" law of Jesus is turning the
world right side up. By exalting the
spiritual integrities which are en-
bodied in the plain man, the fate OF
empires has been settled. Trace the
course Of the nations Of our own time
and it becomes plain that the peoples
whose strength is in the character
Of the rank and file Of their citizens
are today dominating history. The
Sermon on the Mount is good states
m%anship.
PracticinG Ones Own Preachment.
"Impractical.." cries the man who
prides himself upon his "hard-head-
edneSs." as he reads the Beatitudes
The best answer to that statement
is not to point to the philosophers
modern and ancient who have accept
ed the dicta Of Jesus, but to poin
to n lives in which these teaching:
have been incorporated. There is NJ
g~alnsayinE fact. One instance out
weighs all negative assertions.
To a singular degree, Jesus met tn
test Of His own u~tterancea The can
dldate could stand upon the plat
form. The Beatitudes describe witt
rare accuracv the character of Chris
Himself. He embodied His belief il
a life before He formulated it int
words. This INSOFAR bleness OF Jesu;
from His gospel is one Of the secret
Of the hold which He has taken upo1
the race. From the cuneiform tab
lets OF Babylonia. and from the sd
cred writings Of India and China
5 some ~utterances have been extracte,
: which somewhat resemble certain Q
{ the words of Jesus. They arouse n
enthusiasm however. because the
, are not. like His, i~ncarnated in a life
: The Dractica lily of the platform Q
Christ is proved by the life of Chris,
S His party not only subscribe to Hi
doctrines: they live them.