The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1913-12-26
BLESSED ARE The PEACEMAk-
, Frs

they shall be called the children of
God"
Standing on the green sward of a
mountainside which sloped down to a
silvery lake, with his disciples gathed
at his feet, and multitudes eagerly
listening to catch his every word,
Christ delivered that memorable dis
course, which in wondrous and ever
widening, deepening power has roll
ed adown the aisles of the advancing
centuries. He sounded all the depths
OF divine philosophy and spiritual
| wisdom. He spoke to the age in
which he lived and to all the ages yet
to come in all the centuries and cy-
cles OF time
A great preacher once said that
much Of what is contained in that
marvellous deliverance was not then
understood: much was not under
stood until long after Christ's earthly
mission had been fulfilled, and much
of it would be understood only as
Gods purposes were unfolded by the
passing OF the ages.
The few pages wherein men read
what was then said by him who
spake as never man spake" contain
mine of spiritual truth into which
scholars of every school and believers
of every creed have dug and delved
for nearly twenty centuries, yet every
day they reveal some hitherto undis-
covered pearl of wisdom and instruc-
ton and comfort.
If it be conceded that the speaker
was not in fact divine and God incar-
nate, yet believers and unbelievers
alike agree that it proclaims sys-
TEN OF morals and prescribes stand
ards of living. and lays down rules of
social conduct and social duty which
infinitely transcend in wisdom and
value and adaptability to human con-
ditions and human needs all ever an
nounced or prescribed by philoso-
piers and sages and teachers since
the dawn of time.
What he said was revelation to
those who heard him, because he
| taught a new doctrine, the doctrine of
love and mercy and justice and truth
and personal purity and right living.
| He taught that a man lived within, in
! the kingdom of the heart, and that
mere outward formalities and ritua-
listic observances counted for moth
ing in the sight of God.
Love of ones fellow man, and UNI
selfish service without expectations Of
earthly reward, and forgiveness of
those who persecute you, and bless
ings for those who despitefully use
you, and love the enemies, fell as as
founding doctrine upon the ears of
those reared under the dispensation
where the standard OF IAN eye Or
an eye, tooth for a tont1," vail a.
When Christ taught tina M
should do unto others a ,hey youl
that others should do I'M he an,
enjoined men to love the eig 0rs.
he was rroclaiming the cspe of
lpeace-social peace. indus al ;e,
peace among individuals, g, n
munities, among nations beca 81 til {
must be love if there is to be ace
Social strife, strife betwea: lab
and capital, between employ. an
employe, between neighbor ana Ugh
Dor. between nation and nation, aid
cease if the world were govern &c
cording to the rules and stan is
which were first prescribed by aa
Nazarene on the mountain side.
Mr.. Bryan has declared that
rules OF right and justice and f.
dealing and moral obligation While.
are obligatory upon individuals ar,
binding upon natnons and should be
applied in all dealings between them.
because they make for peace and ma
tional righteouness. For weary
weeks and months he and his great
chief have, with unselfish and pa
trotic earnestness and the profound
wisdom of enlightened judgment of
true craftsmanship, been striving to
bring about peace between warning
factions in a sister republic It is
not so enlightened a nation as this
its people have not the same concep-
tons of political or religious freedom
but they are nevertheless our fellow
men, and there is suffering and strife
and dire distress. among them
Conditions might. arise which
would bring about war if justice and
honor and sense of Christian duty
did not. preside at the council board
Of a great nation-which, heaven be
praised, it odes! Woodrow Wilson
and William ]. Bryan are stiving to
cfriFo anI