Beatitudes
37
the region and shadow of death. Instead of congregating together and
shunning responsibility and cross bearing, the members of the church
would scatter into all lands, letting the light of Christ shine out from
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them, working as He did for the salvation of souls, and this “gospel of
the kingdom” would speedily be carried to all the world.
It is thus that God’s purpose in calling His people, from Abraham
on the plains of Mesopotamia to us in this age, is to reach its fulfillment.
He says, “I will bless thee, ... and thou shalt be a blessing.”
Genesis
12:2
. The words of Christ through the gospel prophet, which are
but re-echoed in the Sermon on the Mount, are for us in this last
generation: “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the
Lord is risen upon thee.”
Isaiah 60:1
. If upon your spirit the glory of
the Lord is risen, if you have beheld His beauty who is “the chiefest
among ten thousand” and the One “altogether lovely,” if your soul
has become radiant in the presence of His glory, to you is this word
from the Master sent. Have you stood with Christ on the mount of
transfiguration? Down in the plain there are souls enslaved by Satan;
they are waiting for the word of faith and prayer to set them free.
We are not only to contemplate the glory of Christ, but also to
speak of His excellences. Isaiah not only beheld the glory of Christ,
but he also spoke of Him. While David mused, the fire burned; then
spoke he with his tongue. While he mused upon the wondrous love
of God he could not but speak of that which he saw and felt. Who
can by faith behold the wonderful plan of redemption, the glory of the
only-begotten Son of God, and not speak of it? Who can contemplate
the unfathomable love that was manifested upon the cross of Calvary
in the death of Christ, that we might not perish, but have everlasting
life—who can behold this and have no words with which to extol the
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Saviour’s glory?
“In His temple doth everyone speak of His glory.”
Psalm 29:9
.
The sweet singer of Israel praised Him upon the harp, saying, “I will
speak of the glorious honor of Thy majesty, and of Thy wondrous
works. And men shall speak of the might of Thy terrible acts: and I
will declare Thy greatness.”
Psalm 145:5, 6
.
The cross of Calvary is to be lifted high above the people, absorbing
their minds and concentrating their thoughts. Then all the spiritual
faculties will be charged with divine power direct from God. Then
there will be a concentration of the energies in genuine work for the