God, as dear children.-(Eph. v. 1; comp. iv. 32 and v. 2.) The only begotten Son of God is also engaged in making peace. (Col. i. 20; Eph. ii. 14-17.) It is, indeed, in virtue of his office and mission as the great peacemaker that the Son personally has become known to us. There is thus an evident propriety in the arrangement, that those who, as peacemakers, co-operate with the Son and bear his image, should, in connection with this co-operation and resemblance, be themselves recognised, and should become known as "the sons of God." Peace-making is God's great paternal work in our world. It is in this work that he appears specially as a father, and that the Son appears specially as a son; accordingly, it is when, in their sphere, they zealously prosecute this work, that believers act most distinctively the part of "sons of God;" and, therefore, it is altogether congruous that, in connection with their prosecution of it, they should "be called" his sons-openly and fully acknowledged as such. Thus, the promise in this case, no less, we conceive, than in the others, is beautifully adapted, though in virtue of a more profound relation, which, because profound, has not been perceived, to the distinction of character to which it is attached.

VER. 10.-Persecuted for righteousness' sake.-See Part I., sect. i., par. 11; and on ver. 11, 12.

It is not as being "persecuted" that the righteous are here pronounced "blessed;" but because their "righteousness" has become so mature and prominent, that it provokes the hostility and persecution of a righteousness-hating world. The force of this beatitude, therefore, is, that those who have attained to so high an advancement in righteousness, that, while their whole deportment is amiable and beneficent, -that of "peacemakers," the world hates and persecutes them that all such are blessed, notwithstanding the persecutions with which they are assailed.

Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.-See Part I., sect. ii., par. 5, 6.

There is an evident propriety in presenting this fact as a ground of blessedness in the case of the "persecuted." The consideration of the kingdom of heaven assures the poor in spirit of the fulness of fruition and blessedness, and it assures the persecuted of ultimate triumph and security. The poor in spirit and the persecuted are both in depressing circumstances, and to both, therefore, the most elevating view is presented,—that of a kingdom, the kingdom of heaven; and the most elevating announcement is made, that this kingdom is theirs.

PART II.-(B.) VER. 11-20.

SECTION I.-BLESSEDNESS ATTACHED TO RIGHTEOUSNESS. -(B.a.) 11, 12.

1. Blessedness-perfect and consummated blessednessawaits the righteous as the righteous. The meritorious cause, indeed, of this blessedness is the righteousness of Christ, with which they are invested, and not the righteousness of their own character; but all those, and those only, who are distinguished by personal righteousness, are invested with the righteousness of Christ; and, therefore, the established order of the kingdom of heaven, that whom God justifies, as being invested with the righteousness of Christ, them he also glorifies (Rom. viii. 30), infallibly secures the blessedness of all who are distinguished by personal righteousness.

2. Personal righteousness is the qualification for blessedness; and when God imparts the former, he will also impart the latter. The fact that he has imparted the former, discovers that it is his purpose to impart the latter. The two are thus connected in God's design and in his mode of dealing with his people, while, in their own nature, they sustain a close relation to each other.

3. But some different and further connection is intimated when the future blessedness of the righteous is spoken of as "their reward"-"Rejoice and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward in heaven." It cannot be "their reward," strictly speaking, for, as we have already observed, it is not on account of their own personal righteousness

that it is adjudged to them, but on account of the righteousness of Christ, which is theirs by faith. There is, however, a proportion between their future blessedness and their attainments in righteousness in this life; for God will give to every man according to his deeds (Rom. ii. 6–10); as, in the parable, to the servant who with the pound entrusted to him gained ten pounds, authority was given over ten cities, and to the servant who with a similar sum gained five pounds, authority was given over fire cities.-(Luke xix. 12-19, 24-26.)

4. And, besides, the bestowal of future blessedness, and, it would seem, the form of it, will have a distinct reference to the practice of righteousness in this life. This may be gathered from the terms in which our Lord describes, in the preceding member of the sermon, the future blessedness of his subjects—those that mourn shall be comforted, those that hunger and thirst shall be filled, the meek shall inherit the earth, the merciful shall obtain mercy. The Judge, in awarding the blessedness under consideration, will explicitly testify his approbation of the pursuit and practice of righteousness, by which those to whom he awards it were distinguished : "Then shall the King say unto those on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me."-(Matt. xxv. 34-36.)

5. And, further still, the righteous are encouraged to look forward to future blessedness, as they contend with the difficulties and endure the hardships of the pursuit and the maintenance of righteousness. "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward in heaven."-(Ver. 11,

12.) To each of them Christ says, "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."-(Rev. ii. 10.)

SECTION II.-BLESSEDNESS ATTACHED TO RIGHTEOUSNESS ONLY. -(B.b.) 13-20.

1. The necessity of righteousness now claims attention. In the character of God righteousness is absolutely necessary, that is, necessary irrespectively altogether of circumstances and ends. It could not be otherwise than that God, whose nature is necessarily perfect, should be righteous. But in the character of man righteousness is only relatively necessary. Man being a creature is defectible; there is nothing in his nature that excludes the possibility of his being unrighteous. He must, however, be righteous, that he may attain to blessedness, and serve the great ends of his being. This relative necessity of righteousness in his case arises from the constitution of his nature, and his position as a subject of the divine government.

2. That man may attain to blessedness, it is both judicially and morally necessary that he be righteous. It is judicially necessary, for it is only to the righteous that God as the judge of all will award and dispense blessedness; and morally necessary, for it is only the righteous that are morally in a capacity to enjoy blessedness.

3. The moral necessity of righteousness, which we shall first evince, is a necessity of adaptation. The portion provided for man, and from which alone he can derive blessedness, is of a definite nature; and, that he may enjoy it and derive blessedness from it, there must be a perfect adaptation to it in his character. We may the more easily appreciate this species of necessity, as innumerable illustrations of it present themselves on every hand. Water is an element of a definite character, and we find an exact adaptation to it in the structure and constitution of animals