The Elbert County tribune., 1912-04-26

ip SEQ God"
1t was st. Augustine who first gave
the ordination address of Jesus. after
choosing the twelve. the title OF The
Sermon on the Mount" title now uni
versally accepted. 1t is better perhaps
"The Gospel of the Kingdom" telling
us of the characteristics of these men,
bers of the new kingdom Jesus came
to establish the influence of these
members upon the world, and is COM
mentary upon the laws Of this king
dom. 1t Is this, and more, for 1t is a
prophecy Of the church at work and
also test whereby we are to know
who belong to this kingdom.
Their Spiritual Meaning.
There are In reality only seven of
the Beatitudes, the "blessednesses"
and seven is always typical of perfect
ness They are written in Old Testa-
ment language, but give the old form a
new and spiritual meaning. The re-
wards are not arbitrary, but are the
logical outgrowth of the character de-
picted.
The first four are passive virtues.
Happy are those who are poor in spir-
1t. not the poor-spirited but the humble
minded ones conscious of their need.
1t is the poor, as to this world, that
are to be rich in faith and to be heirs
of that kingdom which Christ has
promised to those that love him Gas.
2:5). Happy are those that mourn, for
they mourn not as those who have no
hope, they shall be comforted, yea,
they shall be strengthened. Paul tells
us of that sorrow which is unto saliva
tion and need not to be repented OF,
but the sorrow of tho world worketh
death. Happy are the meek, those who
are not proud. The pride of man is
soon cut off as grass. In him, the
meek and lowly. we are to find rest to
our souls. We are exhorted by the
meekness and gentleness of Christ to
receive instruction and Peter tells us
that our ornamentation that shall be
of the greatest price is to be meek and
quiet in spirit.
At this point the master begins to
make his practical application of the
lives of those having these character
istics, upon the world about them.
Happy are the mercifui. The with
holding Of mercy tends to poverty, but
the liberal soul shall be made fat for
I TO the merciful he win show himself to
be merciful. Forebearing. and forgfv-
ing we enter into this happiness, being
kind. forglving. tender-hearted, even as
Christ hath forgiven us.
righteousness Defined.
Happy are the pure for they may
draw nigh unto God in full assurance
of faith for themselves and on behalf
OF others. Indeed the writer of He
brews tells us that without holiness
(purity) no man can see God, not our
own righteousness wherein we might
boast but the righteousness of Christ
, which is by faith.
Happy are the peace-makers, the re-
ceivers and the diffusers OF this king
dom. Not merely peaceable men, nor
pieces of men, but rather as Tyndale's
version is, the maintainers of peace"
Led by the spirit of God they are not
only called the sons of God. but are
the sons Of God (Rom. s:14. THE
, cause, not the pain. makes the
martyr" said st. Augustine. Those
who are presented for righteousness'
sake, not those who seek persecution,
are possessors of this kingdom; pos
sesslng 1t they are prosecuted.
Being is doing-doing does not pro-
duce life. and we have here a linking
of the old law and the new gospel. His
kingdom brings blessedness, happi-
ness; satan's kingdom turns to the ap-
pies of Sodom. God says, speak out,
endure for others. His kingdom is dis
tinguished by altruism. The kingdom
Of darkness says: Keep still, live for
yourself" This kingdom knows not
the essence of brotherhood.
Man ever asks this old question:
How may be happy?" Those whom
Jesus selects as the happy ones are
looked upon by the world as the most
unfortunate. but time has proven and
eternity will justify these declarations
Of Christ. The good of this age be-
longs to the selfish and self-assertive,
| the good of the coming age to the self
renouncing. 1t is better to have sor-
rowed and to have received his COM
! fort than never to have sorrowed at
ALL The message OF the meek will get
hearing as against the censorious,
and the supremely happy are those
who shall see God.
Hunger Tor the highest and the
noblest can find supply for all Its
needs in Jesus the Son of God and
only according to the principles he
here sets forth.
Jesus saw the multitude when he
gave us this sermon, which is not a
sermon at all. He understood their
need. the state OF their hearts and
what was in their minds. He did not
see them as SO many pawns upon the
chess board of life; he saw their life.
their sorrows, their sins. He read the
nt0ry nf human uooH ana h,,rx,cr a.