BEING LESSONS FROM THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW.

CHAPTER V. (Continued from page 164.)

The last three blessings upon character relate to that in which the children of God manifest most distinctly their divine origin. In mercy, in purity of heart, in peace-making, the character of God Himself is manifested, as Light and as Love. It is directly said of the peace-makers that "they shall be called the children of God;" and here, assuredly, is the great office Christ has Himself assumed. In the first epistle of John, where the possession of eternal life by the professors of Christianity is in question, similar things are given as the signs of it; as there indeed it is we have the statements, " God is light," and "God is love." Therefore, "whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither is he that loveth not his brother." The two things must be found, then, in the same person, as in God they inhere together:love is not truly love that is not holy; holiness is not that, that is separated from love.

In like manner these seven beatitudes are but one sevenfold blessing. Blessing cannot dwell with cursing ; nor the child of light be the child of darkness also. Such cross-checks as to reality are of the greatest possible importance, for practical use. In a world of shams there is nothing but needs testing; and with the flesh still in us, there is abundant room for self-deception. Saddest of all it is, that even Christians may not be unwilling to be a little blinded; with this additional necessity of course, that they cannot dictate as to the limit of this:the enemy to whom they capitulate will be bound by no terms.

Thus, "the merciful" must be that according to what is God's own mercy. Mercy has respect to need in any form, and in its highest to the needs produced by sin. But indifference to sin itself would rob it of its divinest attributes, and be its unspeakable degradation. In face of the opposition of the world it is the unselfishness of love that " seeketh not her own." Nearest akin to meekness, of all that has been before, it is not simply self-government as that is, though it implies it, but is more positive in character, looking not upon its own things, but the things of others. It is the first hint, in all this, of ministry, and thus the beginning of distinct Christ-likeness.

And "they shall obtain mercy:"what they sow they shall reap, according to the abiding rule of harvest. Perhaps we would expect something more than this; as, from the parallel with what has gone before, this mercy found must look onward to the coming kingdom. But all the reward there is mercy, and it is well and needful to be reminded of it. So the apostle, after speaking of the self-forgetting love of Onesiphorus, who had refreshed and ministered to him in his bonds at Rome, prays, "The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day." At our best as at our worst, it is to grace that we are debtors. Grace crowns even as grace saves.

And now we have emphasized the character of God as light:"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." If we remember that the eyes are in the heart, the connection is most obvious. Indeed this must be the qualification for seeing aright any thing that is worth seeing. But the glorious vision here is not so much the crown of all as it is the sum of all. If we look on to the complete day of blessing, as pictured in the apostle's words to the Corinthians, we find "God all in all" (i Cor. 15:28.) "The eyes of your understanding," Eph. 1:18, should be rather, " eyes of your heart." If we have set before us the knowledge of the new man, as done by the same apostle (Col. 3:2:), it is "Christ all and in all." Christ being the "Word," "the image of the invisible God," these two things are ultimately one. To see God all, and to see Him everywhere, is to have the universe bathed in uncreated glory.

To see God thus implies ability for communion with Him. We must have a nature kindred with His in order to apprehend Him. When He was in the world by whom the world was made, the world knew Him not. And why ? Not because there was not abundant witness. Not because mighty works did not testify of Him. He Himself declared the reason in that pregnant question which admitted but of one answer :"How can ye believe who receive honor one of another, and seek not the honor that cometh from God only?" The reason for lack of faith is always a moral one. The pure in heart can alone see God.

How blessed yet it is to know that as men get to realize but the hollowness of the world,-as they find its inability to satisfy the soul made for communion with God,-as there presses upon them thus the need of what is true, and indeed good and abiding,-that with this the kingdom of God is drawing nigh to them and at the doors ! The vision is beginning to clear, even when as yet there is nothing before it but evil and sorrow manifest; and thus comes the cry to them by the consciousness of that awful distress, "If any man thirst." It is not even said for what. As yet, it may be, he knows not, even afar off, that which would satisfy. But the appeal is here to him, in all its earnestness, all its confident assurance of the abundance that is with Him to do this, '' If any man thirst, let him come to me and drink ! He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall How rivers of living water."

The Pharisee may cleanse the outside with most religious care, and sec nothing; or see indeed the very opposite of the truth :but the soul brought, in its misery, to self-judgment, with its back on the world and self, shall see the glorious Vision which lies over against these, unseen by their votaries. Then to the Voice that questions, "Will ye also go away? "there is but one possible reply, "Lord, to whom shall we go ? thou hast the words of eternal life; and we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God." Amen.

And oh, for the bliss that lies beyond this! for the possibilities of vision beyond all that any one yet has made his own! for such is the unrealized wealth of our possession even here. Who is there among the followers of Christ to-day who does not seem rather to shun than court the glories of full vision ? To us the sanctuary is completely open; the veil is rent from top to bottom; Christ is entered in, to give us entrance. Yet we imitate so much the unbelief of those who, in days past, besought God to put distance when He was drawing nigh, and to put a creature of His, though it were a Moses, abidingly between themselves and Him.

It is not by a dreamy and mystical approach to Him that we arc brought into fellowship with Him. There must be the power of His Spirit, and for that a true and heartfelt surrender of ourselves to Him; but fellowship can only be according to the measure of acquaintance with Him, and this again through the revelation He has made to us of Himself. It is for this that the Scriptures are in our hand, and it is in the use we make of them that it will be shown how real is our desire of fellowship with Him.
This blessing of the pure in heart has even here no limit, one may well believe, that the spirit of man has ever found. The work of His Spirit in us is described by an inspired writer as '' searching the deep things of God." Words which would seem not to become the Divine Spirit, if used with regard to His separate action, are, when understood of His gracious in working in the people of God, a wondrous assurance of possibilities, to which we can put no limit. It is not, of course, that "face to face" vision that shall be. It is not a measure beyond that of Scripture:but then who has taken the measure of Scripture ? Would we not expect to find more frequently than we do, such students as could scarcely be detached from their study of the sacred writings, even at the demands of nature for supply ? And who is it that has said, "Labor not for the meat that perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life ?"

Beyond this scene in the joy that cannot yet be uttered, we shall feed still upon the "manna" of the earthly pilgrimage. (Rev. 2:17.) Who, without loss that we cannot measure, can slight it now ?

The seventh beatitude fills plainly the place of rest:"Blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be called the children' of God." Only it is rest in activity, and that is truest rest:just what that of eternity will be. The "peace" here spoken of will of course be also such as fits the company in which we find it here. The peace of God sums up all peace. When it is fully come there shall be no threat of evil from any quarter. Yet now how glorious is the victory of good in being able not only to enjoy, but to minister peace, while still the world is full of confusion and violence! How wonderful to know that which is the only basis of true peace is that in which also we see evil at its worst! The world's worst crime-the bitter growth of its many centuries of hostility to God-its awful act of allegiance to the "prince" that it has chosen-has been the cross. But just its worst is that which-in the triumphing of good over it-gives absolute peace. The worst that man could do has but disclosed the infinite good in God;-nay, He has met the full power of the enemy in the weakness of a " Son of man." Goodness, in no power but that inherent in it, has defeated evil with all its accumulated strength. "Out of the cater is brought forth strength; out of the strong, sweetness."

Henceforth to despair of good is to despair of God. See, in this will-less, perfect submission of a perfect will, the obedience by which the slaves of sin are rescued, and many guilty are made forever righteous! He has made peace by the blood of His cross ! God is glorified in His love and in His holiness, and is just in justifying them that believe in Jesus. How blessed now arc the feet of those who are but the messengers of the gospel of peace ! who go forth with the trumpet of jubilee to proclaim the fruits of the day of atonement for the Israel of God ! Amen:let the voice of recall go forth, and the feeblest recount the praises of the weakness which has defeated the strong, and out of weakness brings forth strength everlasting.

Blessed, then, are the peace makers ! God is Himself that. They, then, "shall be called the children of God." The Spirit of peace belongs to every true hearer of the wondrous reconciliation. Henceforth for whatever roughness of the road, their feet are "shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;" shoes like those of Israel of old that never wear out. Well may they be publishers of this grace to others! F. W. G.

(To be continued.)