2. Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted. Verse 11.

O glorious promise to all those troubled souls, who, through humility of spirit and deep self abasement, with anxious sorrow and mourning, lie in their wretchedness before God, waiting for his help, until in them be fulfilled what was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying: "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 walk and not faint." Isaiah 40: 31. Yea, to all such mourning souls he says: "Fear not, for I am with you: be not dismayed, for I am your God: I will strengthen you; yea, I will help you; yea, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness, (chap. 41: 10): For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee. Chap. 54: 7, 8. But can such a bruised reed, or such a smoking flax believe this? Ah! no; for judgment is not yet sent forth unto victory. Matt. 12: 20. God, in the progress of his spiritual work, plants, rears and supports us in humility and sorrow of heart, that the honor may not be unto us, but the praise unto God, (2 Cor. 3: 5,) who continually carries on his work within us; for from this humility and sorrow of heart there will arise meekness.

3. Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth. Verse 5.

O precious promise! that a man has in meekness been so far renewed in the image of God, that, by reason of the mild nature or disposition of Christ, which he has already acquired in humility of spirit and godly sorrow, he can rule and inherit the earth, by which, in compliance with his carnal will, he was held so long in bondage. Such a person can find no resting place here in his godly progress, but as a stranger and pilgrim in the earth, he presses on with great ardor towards the mark for the heavenly prize, hungering and thirsting after the righteousness of Christ. Phil. 3: 14. 1 Pet. 2: 11.

4. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled. Verse 6.

O glorious promise to all those hungry and thirsting souls, who hunger no more after the world, to be delighted therein, whose affections are no longer set upon things on the earth, namely, the lust of the flesh, the delight of the eye, and the pride of life, temporal pleasure and worldly honor; but hunger after, and seek for, those things which are above, where Christ is, on the right hand of God (Col. 3: 1, 2); for they are dead, in humility of spirit, unto the world and all false righteousness, and their life (which remains yet in weakness) is hid with Christ in God, (verse 3); so that they live no more unto themselves, but unto Christ, who died for them and rose

Where

again. 2 Cor. 5: 15. Rom. 14: 7. fore Christ is their life, and when Christ, who is their life, shall appear, then shall they also appear with him in glory. Col. 3: 4. This is the consolation for all hungering souls, that they shall at length be satisfied and be filled with all the fulness of God, (Eph. 3: 19); hence they wait with patience till the time arrives when they shall receive the rich treasure which is poured out to them through the promises; at the same time they look back with eyes of pity and hearts of compassion upon their fellow men who take delight in the frivolity of the world, and would fain see them forsake the vain and transitory pleasures of this life for the enjoyment of eternal felicity in Christ Jesus. For they are convinced that there is no happiness but in following Jesus and seeking his righteousness, which is, notwithstanding, proffered to all who come forward and yield themselves up to the discipline of saving grace, deny their ungodliness and worldly lusts, and live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, (Tit. 2); for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 2 Pet. 1: 11. When a man has lost, in humility of spirit

and godly sorrow, all his own strength, selfrighteousness and honor, and has been made sensible of the divine power of the nature of Christ, by which he is enabled to hunger and thirst after the righteousness which Christ has acquired for him, then he longs and sighs, waits and hopes, believes and loves, till it pleases God further to impart his heavenly treasures, for which he continually hungers and thirsts; for blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.

5. Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy. Verse 7.

By this hungering after the spiritual riches in Christ Jesus, a man acquires charity and compassion towards his fellow creatures whom he sees living in blindness, not thinking of the salvation after which he himself hungers; he is tenderly inclined by compassion and love for their souls, to pray for them, that God may open their eyes and turn them from darkness to his marvellous light; for such a person desires that all men may see what he sees, and seek what he seeks, that they may with him be eternally happy. But when, in opposition to his wish, he finds nearly every where the very reverse of this, and has suffered much gainsaying from his friends and relations; then do vexation and sorrow take possession of his heart, and he exclaims with Jeremiah, "O that my head were waters, and

mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people." Jer. 9: 1. Yea, he prays for his enemies; he renders good for evil; he blesses in his heart those that curse him; he commits himself to him that judgeth righteously, according to the example of his Lord, (1 Pet. 2: 23. Chap. 4: 19); for this is the true consolation and precious promise given by Christ, under the influence of which the soul is soothed into calm and quiet resignation. Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy. O what compassion! It

cleanses the heart, it sanctifies the soul through the blood of Jesus, wherewith our conscience is purged from dead works to serve the living God. Heb. 9: 14.

6. Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God. Verse 8.

Here a man is filled with joy in the contemptation of God; here he beholds the new and living way which entereth into that within the vail, whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made a high priest forever after the order of Melchisidec. Heb. 6: 19, 20. A man perceives now through faith the satisfaction, the righteousness, the mediation and the atonement of Christ by the offering up of himself for our sins; he is sensible that Jesus. is made unto us the wisdom of God for redemption, for justification and for sanctification. 1 Cor. 1: 10.2 Cor. 5: 21. Yea, he