Matthew 5:-7:(From the French.)

Without doubt, the Lord speaks here in His character as Messiah, the Prophet-King of the Jews. And you will find that from end to end His speech supposes the rejection of the King. This is not yet formally announced, but it is understood. It is why the Lord's words reflect a gentle tinge of sadness. The King has premonitions of the state of the people, who were without heart for Him. That tinge of sadness invariably characterizes true piety, seeing the world as it is:it was a strange thing for Israel; more strange still when it reflected itself in the words of the King, and that one King possessed of such power, that His own resources, if it were only a question of resources, enabled Him to change all in a moment. The miracles which accompanied His words proved conclusively that nothing was beyond His power, if only Himself were concerned.

We shall see, however, that in all the ways of God, whilst He assures always the execution of His counsels (for it is not possible that He should renounce one single thought which proceeds from His heart) when He undertakes, for example, to establish a kingdom, He first presents His thought to man, to Israel, because Israel is the chosen race among men for that purpose. Man thus becomes responsible to receive or to reject what is the thought of God, before, through grace, by His power He executes the thought. As a matter of fact, man invariably shows himself in fault, whatever be the purpose which God announces. The purpose is good, holy, and true; it exalts God; but because it abases the sinner, it is enough for the sinner to refuse it. He cannot brook humiliation, and consequently he rejects all that fails to flatter his vanity-hence his constant opposition to the thoughts of God, to God Himself, as also the labor and affliction which fill the world.

Now, one of the most marvelous things which the history of this world presents is that God bears to be rejected and insulted; God permitting that man, who is weakness itself, a worm, should repulse His advances, despise His goodness, and make to contribute to his own glory and pride, as well as to the lowering of God's character, all that God gives and promises. This being true of man, you will find that in every part of His precious discourse the Lord has it in mind. And now that He brings out (for this is His object in the first part of the chapter) the features of those qualified for the kingdom of heaven, He shows that the character of those persons was to be formed by His own. If men showed aversion and scorn for all that was of God, those who belonged to Jesus were to walk in a spirit and in ways which would flow from the knowledge they had of Him, by which there would be sympathy between them and Him. I say sympathy only, because you will notice that, in this discourse, the communication of divine life is never spoken of. The subject of redemption is not touched. If therefore any one asks how to be saved, it is not here the answer is to be found. It could not be found here for the simple reason that the Lord is describing the kingdom of heaven, and those who are the subjects of that kingdom.

It is evident that the Lord is speaking of those who are already His own, and, because of that very thing, does not speak of the means by which they who are strangers to Him may be delivered out of that condition. He speaks of those who are saints, not of those who are still in their sins. He shows what is according to His own heart, not what a soul, conscious of being away from God, needs to be brought to Him. The Sermon on the Mount treats, not of the question of salvation, but of the character and conduct of those who belong to Christ, the true, though rejected, King. But as we go on examining these beatitudes, we shall find in them an astonishing depth, as well as an order full of beauty.

The first is fundamental, inseparable from any soul that has been brought to God, and that knows God:"Blessed are the poor in spirit." The strong in spirit is a man after the character of Cain; one whose mind is made up not to be imposed upon; a man ready to wrestle, even with God. He is inflexible, proud; he stands in contrast with "the poor in spirit." The man who is "poor in spirit" is he who, recognizing his littleness, his nothingness, comes forth with a broken heart. And every soul who knows God has gone through this in a greater or less measure. We are not always there, though it is our true place before God. It is only too easy, alas, to lift up the head again; and especially in danger of not remaining humble are they who have been brought into "the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free." As long as there is exercise of soul we are inclined to keep low, especially if all is not absolutely clear between the soul and God. But once the soul is at large, is conscious of the fulness and certainty of the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, may turn the eye from Jesus, and seek to figure among men; it is the old spirit that is waking up- the spirit of man in the worst of its forms:it is not with impunity that we lose contact with God to mingle with men.

We have said that the first of the beatitudes is a sort of foundation, and that it is inseparable from any soul that has been brought to God; for in such a soul, even if not yet free, the Holy Spirit works and identifies it with"the poor in spirit."That character may be altered, it may be by the influence of false doctrine, or by worldly thoughts and practices; but it will be found, spite of all, underneath the rubbish; and if the believer leaves the place which belongs to him, God will know how to bring him back in abasing him. " Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."The Lord speaks of the kingdom, then at once He says, These are the ones to whom it belongs. By "the kingdom of heaven"one must not think that it means heaven. The expression never means heaven. Many confound these things. They imagine that when it said,'' For theirs is the kingdom of heaven " it means,'' For theirs is heaven." Now the Lord does not speak here of heaven itself, but of the rule which governs heaven, applied to an earthly scene. It is an allusion to the scene in which the Messiah will exercise the government, and the poor in spirit belong to the system at the head of which the Messiah will be placed. The Lord does not speak here of the Church. The kingdom of heaven could be established apart from all question of the Church. It is only in chap. 16:of this Gospel that the Church is mentioned, and even then only a thing promised and expressly distinct from the kingdom of heaven. There is not, in the whole Scripture, one single passage where the kingdom of heaven is confounded with the Church, or vice versa. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." This is the primordial foundation, the grand characteristic trait of all them who belong to Jesus. P. C.

(To be continued.)