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THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NE S S
and the multitude led captive by Satan at his will. Blessed are such as these, for they shall find themselves in fel lowship with the Man of Sorrows, and their sorrows shall be changed into joy (John 16:20), for deliverance and joy are not far off. “ Blessed ,are the meek.” The world understands the word meek to mean “ pusillanimous,” but, on the contrary, the meek are the mighty men who cap ture cities. (Prov. 16:32)-. Moses, the meekest of men (Num. 12:3), was perhaps the mightiest. David was meek when he let Shimei curse. (2 Sam. 16:11). Jesus was meek when He stood silent before His persecutors (Luke 23:8-11; Matt. 26:62-63), though He might have consumed them with the breath of His mouth. (2 Thess. 2 :8). They shall inherit; the earth who have not wanted the earth; who have not “ thought more highly of themselves ' than they ought to think” (Rom. 12:3 ) ; who have not spoken evil,: but have said, “ The Lord rebuke thee.” (Jude 9). “ Blessed are they which hunger.” Hunger is a blessing if satisfaction is at hand, and only to be dreaded if it must go unappeased. An appetite is the best sauce for the feast. The na tural man hates righteousness. To practice it would throw all his plans put of gear. To receive it would damn him in hell forever. But a good man loves righteousness. He hungers and thirsts for it,— to stand righteous be fore God; to be righteous in his char acter and his dealings with his fellows; to see righteousness enthroned among men' and reigning over the earth. His platform is in the “ square deal," and it shall prevail. He shall be filled, for God’s people shall be all righteous (Isa. 60:21), and he himself wake in the likeness of the All-righteous. (Psa. 17:15). “ Blessed are the merciful.” Read
“ Blessed are the poor In spirit.” (V. 3). In Luke 6:20 we read, “ Blessed are ye poor” ; or, “ Oh, the blessedness of,” etc. Blessings, like sins and misfortunes, do not come singly. They are in groups, in bundles. He who rejoices in one of these beati tudes possesses, to a degree, all of them. And he who possesses them has Christ, and he who has Christ has all things and abounds. Happy is the man who abounds in such graces for he is blest, he shall be blest and be a bless ing. It is a true saying that there is more happiness among the poor than anîong the rich. Neither poverty in purse, or in spirit, is a blessing in the eyes of the world, but it is so; nevertheless. There are microbes on money and many dread maladies are attached to it. There is toil in getting, care in keep ing and dread in accounting for it. There is vastly more sympathy, gen erosity, security and less responsibility among the poor than among the rich. There is more fertility and promise for the Gospel seed which - finds fewer cares, pleasures and riches to choke it in the soil of poverty. But we must not miss the qualifying words “ in spirit.” Thére may be pov erty of spirit where there is a plethora of wealth, and there may be a bloated pride where there is a depleted purse. God has chosen the poor of this world rich in faith (Jas. 2 :5 ), but in sin and in salvation the rich and the poor may meet together. (Prov. 22:2). “ Blessed are they that mourn.” Not they 'who experience the sorrow of the world that worketh death ( 2 Cor. 8:10), but a godly sorrow, are blessed. There is much cursing and blasphemy accompanying the mourning of unbelief. Blessed sorrow is sorrow for sin, for want of grace, for yielding place to the devil, for the sorrows, the sins, the miseries of the world, the failings of the church, the delay of the kingdom,
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