Beatitudes
15
your poverty for the riches of His grace. We are not worthy of God’s
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love, but Christ, our surety, is worthy, and is abundantly able to save
all who shall come unto Him. Whatever may have been your past
experience, however discouraging your present circumstances, if you
will come to Jesus just as you are, weak, helpless, and despairing, our
compassionate Saviour will meet you a great way off, and will throw
about you His arms of love and His robe of righteousness. He presents
us to the Father clothed in the white raiment of His own character.
He pleads before God in our behalf, saying: I have taken the sinner’s
place. Look not upon this wayward child, but look on Me. Does Satan
plead loudly against our souls, accusing of sin, and claiming us as his
prey, the blood of Christ pleads with greater power.
“Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and
strength.... In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and
shall glory.”
Isaiah 45:24, 25
.
“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be
comforted.”—Matthew 5:4.
The mourning here brought to view is true heart sorrow for sin.
Jesus says, “I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto
Me.”
John 12:32
. And as one is drawn to behold Jesus uplifted on the
cross, he discerns the sinfulness of humanity. He sees that it is sin
which scourged and crucified the Lord of glory. He sees that, while
he has been loved with unspeakable tenderness, his life has been a
continual scene of ingratitude and rebellion. He has forsaken his best
Friend and abused heaven’s most precious gift. He has crucified to
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himself the Son of God afresh and pierced anew that bleeding and
stricken heart. He is separated from God by a gulf of sin that is broad
and black and deep, and he mourns in brokenness of heart.
Such mourning “shall be comforted.” God reveals to us our guilt
that we may flee to Christ, and through Him be set free from the
bondage of sin, and rejoice in the liberty of the sons of God. In true
contrition we may come to the foot of the cross, and there leave our
burdens.
The Saviour’s words have a message of comfort to those also who
are suffering affliction or bereavement. Our sorrows do not spring out
of the ground. God “doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children