Psalm 103, like Psalm 23 and John 14, seems to be outstanding to all believers because of its
comfort value. Verse 5 is intriguing:"Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth
is renewed like the eagle’s." The renewal of youth is called rejuvenation. Clearly there must be
a parallel between the way an eagle renews its youth in a physical way and a possible method of
renewing our spiritual youth. Such a possibility, to say the least, is thrilling. Physically, the years
keep telling on us. Youth and beauty, vigor and vitality give way slowly to the telltale sags and
wrinkles and that tired feeling. What wouldn’t we give to be able to turn back the clock and
recover the dew of our youth! But spiritual senility is as real and tragic as its physical counterpart;
we grow old spiritually too, and its symptoms exactly parallel those of growing old physically.

Has God provided any antidote to the spiritual aging process? He has. Psalm 103 speaks of our
youth being renewed like the eagle, and it is clearly linked with what we eat. But just how does
the eagle renew its youth? Naturalists tell us that eagles live to great ages. An eagle may be as
much as 100 years old, but each year it molts, sheds its beak and claws, and gets the whole
business new. Now an old eagle with a shining crop of new feathers, a glistening sharp new beak,
and new razor sharp claws would have all the appearance of a young eagle. No one would be able
to tell the difference. This process of youth renewal in the eagle does not take place overnight,
however. It may be several weeks before it gets its new crop of feathers after molting. Now an
eagle without wing feathers would not be able to fly, and minus claws and beak it would not be
able to seize nor tear its prey. The inference is that it would be dependent upon its mate, and also
that both did not molt at exactly the same time. The one would fly, hunt, and then tear and share
the prey with its helpless partner.

Now what are the telltale marks of advancing spiritual senility? Loss of appetite for the Word.
Dullness of spiritual hearing:we can’t hear God speaking to us through His Word or in prayer.
Failing spiritual vision:things we would not have thought of doing when first saved and in those
early years, we find nothing wrong with now. A stooping spiritual carriage:we do not walk
uprightly as we used to. We hold grudges, cherish envy and bitterness, allow covetous practices
to flourish in our lives, and the unbelieving world around us can detect little difference between
the way we live and their own manner of life. We used to weep as we mused on the sufferings of
Christ at the breaking of bread, but not any more. We used to thrill at the thought of going out
with tracts or of speaking to others about salvation of their precious souls, but not any more. We
are getting old, the dew of our spiritual youth has dried up. Instead of the zeal and enthusiasm in
spiritual things that we once had, we are crabby and hard to get along with in the assembly,
critical and sharp tongued and oh, so dry in our own souls.

But how does the eagle’s method of youth renewal compare with ours, spiritually? Well, first of
all, a molting eagle without claws or beak would be out of the running for a while, so to speak.
It would have to retreat to its rocky crag and stay there until the rejuvenation process was
complete. Now would it not be wonderful if God had made provision for us to have an annual
time of disappearing from view for a while for the purpose of spiritual renewal? But is it not still
more wonderful that He has provided for a daily period of youth renewal? What is it? Why, the
quiet hour alone over the Word, of course. Is not youth renewal in Psalm 103:5 definitely linked

with our spiritual nourishment? Does a protracted period of time each day spent in meditation on
the Word of God effect a process of spiritual rejuvenation in us? It most certainly does. We
emerge from that daily retreat with fresh power of spiritual flight, renewed energies to meet the
trials and battles which lie ahead of us that day, and even with keener power to digest and
assimilate our spiritual food_the Word of God.

But there is another passage which also deals with the theme of spiritual renewal. The last verse
of Isaiah 40 tells us that "they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount
up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." This
is a well-known and outstanding prayer passage. Yet is it not clear from the very language used
here that there is the thought of the passage of time in prayer? "They that wait upon the Lord."
The thought seems to be the lingering in the divine presence, the absence of hurry. Will such a
time of unhurried waiting upon God in prayer result in the renewal of our spiritual youth? Very
definitely it will! Time set aside each day, preferably the first thing in the morning, for meditation
on the Word of God and prayer is the prescribed divine method of effecting our daily spiritual
rejuvenation. But there is yet another divine provision for the renewal of our spiritual youth. It
is weekly, not daily. It is collective rather than individual. It is when we meet to remember the
Lord in His death for us upon the accursed tree. How often we have come away from that time
of drawing aside from all things of time and sense unto sweet occupation with our crucified Lord,
feeling that our spiritual batteries, as it were, had now been recharged; or to express it in terms
of our topic, our spiritual youth had been renewed. (Ed. note:While the chief purpose of our
meeting together to remember the Lord in His death is not, certainly, to receive spiritual renewal,
such renewal is, as the author suggests, often a valuable byproduct of such a meeting.)

Thus we see that God has graciously made provision for our daily youth renewal through
meditation on the Word and prayer and for our weekly spiritual rejuvenation through the assembly
Bible readings, prayer meetings, and the breaking of bread. It is clear that God earnestly desires
us to maintain our spiritual youth whatever our age may be. How comforting to know that God
has made such ample provision for the unceasing flow of spiritual energy and youth for us all, and
how sad it is if we fail to avail ourselves of the bountiful means He has so graciously provided!
May God grant to each of us the daily youth renewal like the eagles, and that we may mount up
with wings as the eagle’s.

It is clear from God’s Word that death is not an accident but a divine appointment (Heb. 9:27).
This is not a popular subject but one that ought to be faced. The Bible beautifully describes it as
"falling asleep." We often use the expression, "passing away." For my part I prefer to describe
it as receiving the home call. It may be helpful to give some consideration to what the Scriptures
have to say about this matter of going home.

It is a tremendous privilege to be able to "listen in" to the prayer which the Lord Jesus prayed on
the eve of His crucifixion. Many books have been written and countless sermons preached on John
17, and rightly so, for this is the most remarkable prayer which has ever ascended up from earth
to heaven. May I point out one feature of the prayer which can easily be overlooked? It is that in
it Jesus announced to His Father that He was now coming back home. "I come to Thee . . . and
now come I to Thee," were His actual words (verses 11 and 13).

For Him that eternal home was familiar and satisfying. He shared its glory "before the world was"
(verse 5). He refers to the love enjoyed there "before the foundation of the world" (verse 24). He
had left that home when, at the Father’s behest, He came into the world to undertake the work of
redemption. Although the actual sacrifice was yet to come, Jesus spoke of it as accomplished
(verse 4). When a man’s work is done, there is nothing that he wishes more than to go back home.
The Lord also found deep joy in the prospect of doing just this, for the undertone of His prayer
surely is, "Father, now I am coming home."

He also made it clear that He was making the journey alone. Although His disciples and friends
would be very welcome to share in that heavenly home, they still had a work to do (in fact they
were only now about to begin their real work), so they would be left behind (verses 11 and 15).
The Lord had already told them, "Whither I go, ye cannot come" and then repeated to Peter,
"Thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards" (John 13:33, 36). It was not
that He wanted to be alone in the Father’s home. Far from it! His final request_His last Will and
Testament, as it were_was:"Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me
where I am" (verse 24). For them, however, it was not yet time to go home.

This could also be said about another disciple and friend, the apostle Paul. Paul confessed to the
Philippians that he could have wished to go home too, "Having a desire to depart, and to be with
Christ" (Phil. 1:23); but he went on to explain that as his work was not yet completed he realized
that his longings for home had to be restrained. In writing to the Corinthians he had expressed this
same yearning:"Willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord" (2
Cor. 5:8).

Does this sound morbid? Was it wrong for Paul to long for home? There was this special feature
in his case:he had been given the unique privilege of a glimpse into the heavenly home which he
calls paradise. He writes about this in 2 Cor. 12:1-4, seemingly being unsure as to whether he had
been still alive at that moment or whether he had in fact died and been raised back again to life.
"God knows," was his comment and he was content to leave it at that and to obey the injunction
that he should never disclose what he saw and heard on that occasion. May it not have been this

glimpse, however, which made him so eager to go home?

Paul was no mere mystic. He was a worker if ever there was one. He organized famine relief, he
gave much time and thought to marriage guidance, and he was a man full of concern for the aged
and needy. He certainly did not spend all his time singing about the home "above the bright blue
sky." Most of all, he was a tireless messenger of the gospel. He knew of God’s longing to fill His
home with redeemed sons and daughters and so he never tired of inviting people to come out of
the cold of this world’s dark night into the warmth and light of the Father’s love. "No more
strangers and foreigners," he wrote, "but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of
God" (Eph. 2:19). There is plenty of room for believers in the Father’s house of many mansions.
Paul had not himself heard those comforting words of Jesus, but he knew how true and how
relevant they are to fearful hearts.

"Sunday school sentiment," say the scoffers. "Pie in the sky when you die," sneer the materialists.
Let them mock and jeer. According to Christ, God says that the real fools are those who are trying
to find permanence and security in earthly possessions (Luke 12:20,21). I would rather be called
a fool by men than by God. The truth is that we Christians are here on earth to do a job for God
and have no wish to give that up prematurely. When, though, that job is finished, far from
struggling and pleading to go on existing here, we should look forward with pleasure to the joys
of going home to God.

Have you ever appreciated that Christ’s comforting words to the dying thief implied His own
complete confidence, even during the dread experience of the cross? His words revealed that He
anticipated being in paradise Himself first. "Verily," "in paradise," "today’-these were His words.
He was going home! The thrill to us is that He also assured the penitent thief that when he reached
the garden home of God he would be welcomed there by Someone he knew, even by the Lord
Himself.

There is so much that we do not know about the state of the blessed dead as they await_with
us_the second coming of Christ. The New Testament gives us every reason, however, to think
and talk in terms of arrival at God’s home, to be welcomed there by the One whom we already
know as the Son over God’s house. "I will receive you unto myself," were the consoling words
of Jesus to the disciples with troubled hearts. "With me in paradise," He assured the dying thief.
"We are confident," wrote Paul, "and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present
with the Lord."

We live in a world where death is regarded as the ultimate calamity; where every effort must be
made and no expense spared to keep alive a little longer, even if it is only for a few weeks. That
is quite understandable for those who will be eternally homeless, but for us it should be very
different. We want to live out our lives. We want to finish whatever job God has given us to do.
But when He sees that our task is accomplished, then we want Him to take us home to Himself.
If we keep our thoughts on the Father’s house of many mansions we shall be able to obey the
command of the Lord Jesus:"Let not your heart be troubled." Not a few people have been won
for Christ by seeing how Christians face death.

(From Toward the Mark, Vol. 6.)

"According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that
with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by
life, or by death" (Phil. 1:20).

The heart of a believer attentive to the Spirit’s teaching cannot read this verse without seeing that
Paul had a practical connection with the Nazarene in heaven, and that he believed in a Christ who
was not in heaven only, but in his own soul, so that he could think of nothing but this Christ. His
only thought in everything was that "Christ should be magnified in my body, whether it be by life,
or by death." Can I say that my earnest desire, and that on which my heart is set as the only thing,
is that Christ may be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death? Ah, Paul, that desire
was not thine, but God’s thought; and if thine, only because Christ’s Spirit was in thee, leading
all in thee captive to that Christ. Paul was led and sustained by another_Christ. Can you and I
say that we have only one simple desire, i.e., that through us Christ should be magnified? We
should shrink from saying so lest it should not be truth. Paul did not shrink for it was truth. To
magnify something is to make it appear larger than it is; that could not be so in connection with
Christ. But Paul wanted all to shine out in him so that Christ should be magnified through him.
He desired to live so that all should be able to say, "What a marvelous thing! there is a man so
spending his life for Christ that he does not care to live if he can but magnify Christ by his death!
What a marvelous Person that Christ must be!"

Paul in prison had God’s thoughts to carry out. Oh, let us see how far the anointing that made the
soul of Paul in prison so full of joy_whether cast there for life or death-has made us fellow-
workers with Paul! How far is that anointing enabling us to maintain our Nazariteship, enabling
us to live out Christ, so that whatever our circumstances the power of the Hie of Christ in us may
be seen as in Paul? How far is the mind of Christ seen in us, from day to day? The same mind that
led Him down, even to the death of the cross, is the mind that we ought to have. We are the
Lord’s free men; man could not bind Paul. I beseech you, let that specimen of what it was to have
every desire and hope of the heart fixed on Christ be ever before your souls. As Christ’s eye rests
on you, how far can He say, as He could with respect to Paul, "Well, there is an individual who
has but one desire, but one hope, to magnify Me, whether by life or by death"? Could He say of
any here that all their thoughts and actions in their own little circle are all for Him? We are to let
the power of the grace that found us and gave us life tell its own tale by the manifestation of that
life in all our circumstances in our wilderness path.

(From Memorials of the Ministry Vol. 1.)

"If ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world,
are ye subject to ordinances? … If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above,
where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things
on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our
life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory" (Col. 2:20; 3:1-4).

When a man dies, he leaves behind him the wealth, rank, ease, reputation, and energy that
constituted his enjoyment in this life. So does the Christian die by virtue of Christ’s death and
resurrection. Thus it is a great truth on which he is called to act while he is still on the earth. In
Christ he is now dead to the world. Many Christians entirely overlook this truth either as a
privilege for enjoyment or as a reality for practice. To them it is a mere mysticism, the idea of
being dead and risen with Christ, which they are too humble and reverent to look on and think
about.

In Christ we are dead from the elements of the world and consequently have nothing to do with
ordinances. These might be all well enough for men alive in the world, but necessarily cannot
apply to dead men. It is a total spiritual contradiction. Now the Christian is dead by virtue of the
cross of Christ. This is all a matter of faith. Of course, he is alive naturally; he is disposed also,
if not occupied with Christ as his life, to have old thoughts and habits revived. As a believer I
ought to distrust every judgment, every feeling I have had as a natural man, remembering that the
natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God.

In Chapter 3 we advance a step farther. The apostle reasons from our being risen with Christ. It
is not merely that we shall die and rise, but that we are dead and risen. Even many Christians who
use the words constantly do not really enter into the meaning of this language, and for an obvious
reason:they are not living in the truth of it practically. They are too habitually mixed up with the
world to understand such absolute separation from it. It is not that they are dull of understanding
in the things and interests of nature. But their speech and their ways betray them, proving how
far they are from intelligence of the Scripture itself. They substitute mysticism for the truth.

"Seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God." It is very
beautiful to note the allusion to Christ’s place on high outside the world. Thus His settled peace
in glory is our keynote. The resurrection of Christ, or rather, our being risen with Him, is urged
as the ground for our seeking the things above.

"Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." Who can loyally have divided
affections? As our Lord Himself said, "Ye cannot serve God and mammon." The Lord put it as
a moral impossibility. But here it is urged as an exhortation founded on the immense grace that
has raised us up with Christ risen. In vain do you try to be occupied at the same time with things
heavenly and earthly. Our calling is to have our mind on the things above, not merely now and
again, but at all times. Suppose a person is engaged in business; is he not to attend to it? Surely;
yet not to set his mind on it, but simply to go through all as a duty to the Lord. Ought he not to
do it better than another man who has not Christ? I am assured that such would be the fruit of

looking to the Lord, while the same faith and singleness of eye would preserve him from the
snares of covetousness, as well as the desire to have a high place in the world. The Christian thus
taught and walking has an object before his soul which alone is adequate to raise a man above self
and the world. Of course, if he is thus laboring day by day before the Lord, the consciousness of
the grace in which he stands would deliver him from the carelessness, or self-indulgence, or
speculation, which might cause men to get into debt or to act in other dishonorable ways. For this
is to sink beneath even decent worldliness. Yet, if a Christian does not walk with exercised
conscience before the Lord, he is in danger of doing worse and going farther astray than an
ordinary man. Humbling and grievous as this may be, it is not surprising. The main object of
Satan is to dishonor Christ in those who bear His name, and the power of the Spirit is only with
those whose heart is toward Christ. It is not, then, "Have your mind partly on things above and
partly on things on the earth," but have it not at all on the things that are on the earth.

Whatever the Lord gives you to do, you can take up as service to the Lord. But even here there
is need to watch carefully, and this includes, not the least, spiritual work in the gospel or in the
Church. Take, for instance, research into the Scriptures. One might be absorbed in the niceties
of the language, the prophecies, the poetry, the history, or the doctrine. Any or all of these might
become a snare. Where is safety for us but in Christ Himself_Christ as He is above?

"For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God." The prevalent notion with many is that
the Christian is all the better qualified to fill a place in the world because he is a Christian. But
this is in truth to deny the primary and precious truth of God that I am dead, which my very
baptism confesses. And it is remarkable that the impression of the world about any one who
receives Christ is that he is as good as gone. They feel that he is lost to his former objects; and
if he takes his place in any full measure as belonging to Christ, he ceases to act as one alive in the
world. Alas! Christendom soon accustoms him to be false to Christ. But the truth is that "ye are
dead, and your Me is hid with Christ in God." As yet it is hidden; Christ has not yet caused His
glory to be seen by the world. Therefore a Christian should be content to be for a little while an
object of rejection and scorn. Faith and patience are thus put to the proof; God allows it to be so,
and a Christian ought not to wonder at it, for Christ had just the same portion. The reason why
we are despised is thus a blessed source of joy in our sorrow. The time is short. All will soon be
changed.

There is a further truth:"When Christ, who is our Me, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with
Him in glory." Christ is not always as now to be hidden:He is about to be manifested; and when
He is, we too shall be manifested with Him in glory. God will bring us along with Him, as we
learn elsewhere. We shall be translated to Him in order that, when He shall be seen by every eye,
we may have the same portion with Him. May we be thus encouraged to live for Him here below,
having in view our future portion with Christ in glory.

(From Lectures on Colossians.)

The. Lord Jesus told His disciples, "Ye are the salt of the earth" (Matt. 5:13). Why did our Lord
choose to compare His disciples to salt? What does this mean for us? Let us examine some of the
functions and properties of salt.

First, in the ancient world salt was very valuable. Roman soldiers were allotted a solarium (the
root of our word salary), which was used for purchasing salt. Greek slaves were bought and sold
with salt and a good slave was "worth his salt." Men have traveled great distances and even fought
for what they considered an ample salt supply.

Part of the reason salt is so valuable is that it is essential to life. Salt is needed to maintain the
proper balance of water in the body. If the diet is totally lacking in salt, the person will lose so
much body fluid that he or she will dehydrate and die. Excessive loss of salt through disease or
in extreme heat will lead to collapse and eventually death if the person does not receive proper
treatment. A large intake of salt will make a person thirsty until the proper salt-water balance is
restored in the body.

Christians are valuable in God’s sight. He has bought us with a price. Water is essential for life
and the water of the Word is essential for spiritual life. If we are the salt of the earth, it is our
function to retain the Word of God in our own hearts and to teach it to our children and to other
members of the Body. Our lives_our joy and peace in Christ _should arouse in the unsaved a
great thirst for the Water of .Life.

Second, salt is a preservative. Salting food was one of the few means available in the ancient
world to prevent spoilage. The life of a Christian should help prevent moral decay in his
immediate environment. The Lord Jesus always directed His remarks to the consciences of those
with whom He spoke. Either the person accepted His verdict and repented, or refused to repent
and went away hardened. No one remained complacent in His presence. His perfect life allowed
Him to speak with complete freedom. Are we exhibiting the life of Christ to our associates or is
there little difference between us and the worldly Christian or the unsaved?

Third, salt is a very stable compound. Its melting point is 1472 degrees C and its boiling point is
2624 degrees C. The Christian should be stable and consistent. He should not be easily irritated
or "blown about with every wind of doctrine." Although he will experience trials in his life, his
trust in God as the loving Planner of his life should help him to maintain composure and serenity.

We have seen that salt is essential for life. It is also a very useful compound in many industrial
processes. May all of us be useful Christians bringing the Word of Life to a needy, dying world.

"And seeing the multitudes, He went up into a mountain; and when He was set, His disciples came
unto Him; and He opened His mouth, and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit . .
. blessed are they that mourn . . . blessed are the meek," etc. (Matt. 5:1-12).

As all our natural thoughts of happiness are in perfect contrast with the Lord’s teaching on this
subject, it may be well for us to examine carefully, as in His presence, the true principles of real
happiness. Surely our hearts would desire perfect blessedness, which means perfect happiness
_the happiness of heaven, not the uncertain happiness, or rather the transient excitement, of
earth. From observation, habit of thought, general impressions, we have all shared largely in the
popular notions of what constitutes a life of happiness here. But now, with the instructions of the
Great Teacher before us, we shall do well to take our place at His feet and learn of Him the sure
and safe way to a life of holiness and happiness here, and of unmingled blessedness hereafter.

Mankind in general would say, "Blessed are the rich, who can surround themselves with every
comfort; blessed are the joyful, the high-spirited, the independent, who know nothing of hungering
and thirsting." But the Lord, who was from heaven, and knew the character that suited the
kingdom of heaven, says, "Blessed are the poor, the mourners, the meek, the hungering and
thirsting ones," etc. This is completely reversing the universal judgment of men, and contradicting
the cherished thought of every human heart. But what an unspeakable mercy for all classes that
happiness does not depend on our circumstances, nor on how much we possess of this world’s
goods, but on the state of the mind; or, in one word, on character_a. character conformed to
Christ; for the beatitudes are essentially the character of the blessed Lord Himself. Who so poor
in spirit, so meek and lowly in heart, as Jesus? Who so obedient and dependent as man? Who so
filled with peace, and uninterrupted in communion with His Father in heaven? He has left us an
example that we should walk in His steps.

But before speaking of the different features of that wonderful character_which ought to be our
own_we must notice some of the events in the Lord’s public ministry which led to this full and
formal proclamation of the kingdom and the revelation of its fundamental principles. And as we
study the character arid teaching of the Lord, His miracles, and His ways in grace and love, may
we by the Holy Spirit have our characters formed anew, that we may manifest while on earth the
heavenly principles of His kingdom. And may we, in meditating on these beatitudes, judge
ourselves in their light, that we may be a true reflection of Him in this self-seeking world. This
is clearly our place and privilege during the Lord’s absence.

But one may say, "Are not the disciples who are here addressed the remnant in Israel?" Most
surely; the Sermon on the mount was preached to His disciples, but in the hearing of all Israel,
and sets forth the principles of the kingdom in connection with that people, and in moral contrast
with the ideas they had formed concerning it. The character and conduct of those who are suitable
to the kingdom, and the conditions of entering into it, are also proclaimed by the Prophet King.
But, alas! through the unbelief of the people and the rejection of their King, the establishment of
the earthly kingdom has been delayed; and now the Church, which is heavenly, has been brought
in, and Christians are now the bearers of God’s testimony, and witnesses for Christ in the world.

This is the Christian’s mission; a truly blessed, but solemnly responsible one. "As my Father hath
sent me," says the blessed Lord, "even so send I you." Here we are told by the Lord Himself that
our mission in this world is on the same principle, and of the same character, as was His own.

We will now turn for a moment to the immediate circumstances which led Him to ascend the
mountain and address the multitudes. For purposes suited to the Gospel of Matthew, the whole
of our Lord’s history until the commencement of His ministry after the death of John the Baptist
is here passed over. He then comes before us, in fulfillment of the prophecies of Isaiah, as a great
light shining in the land of darkness and of death (Matt. 4:15,16). The whole country, even to the
extent of the ancient territory of Israel, it is said, was excited and aroused by His mighty deeds.
These were the faithful witnesses of His Messiahship. The tribes of Israel were thus summoned
to the standard of their Messiah. Unbelief was left without excuse. He was not only the light of
life shining on the darkness of death, but He was the mighty power of God in healing and
blessing. The need and misery of man, both as to his soul and body, were the great objects of His
mission of mercy. He was there to forgive their iniquities, to heal their diseases, to redeem their
lives from destruction, and to crown them with loving-kindness and tender mercies (Psa. 103:3,4).
Thus we read, "And His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought unto Him all sick
people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with
devils, and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy; and He healed them. And there
followed Him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem,
and from Judea, and from beyond Jordan" (Matt. 4:24,25).

The attention of the whole country being thus attracted, and vast multitudes following Him,
eagerly desiring to hear His gracious words, He unfolds the character of the kingdom of heaven,
and of the people who would enter into it, in what is commonly called the Sermon on the Mount,
which opens with the beatitudes. (To be continued.)