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Chapter 5
23
With clearness and power He spoke the words that were to come
down to our time as a treasure of goodness. What precious words
they were, and how full of encouragement. From His divine lips
there fell with fullness and abundant assurance the benedictions
that showed Him to be the fountain of all goodness, and that it was
His prerogative to bless and impress the minds of all present. He
was engaged in His peculiar, sacred province, and the treasures of
eternity were at His command. In the disposal of them He knew no
control. It was no robbery with Him to act in the office of God. In
His blessings He embraced those who were to compose His kingdom
in this world. He had brought into the world every blessing essential
to the happiness and joy of every soul, and before that vast assembly
He presented the riches of the grace of heaven, the accumulated
treasures of the eternal, everlasting Father.
Here He specified who should be the subjects of His heavenly
kingdom. He did not speak one word to flatter the men of the highest
authority, the worldly dignitaries. But He presents before all the
traits of character which must be possessed by the peculiar people
who will compose the royal family in the kingdom of heaven. He
specifies those who shall become heirs of God and joint-heirs with
Himself. He proclaims publicly His choice of subjects, and assigns
them their place in His service as united with Himself. Those who
possess the character specified, will share with Him in the blessing
and the glory and the honor that will ever come to Him.
Those who are thus distinguished and blessed will be a peculiar
people, trading upon the Lord’s gifts. He speaks of those who shall
suffer for His name’s sake as receiving a great reward in the kingdom
of heaven. He spoke with the dignity of One who had unlimited
authority, One who had all heavenly advantages to bestow upon
those who would receive Him as their Saviour.
Men may usurp the authority of greatness in this world; but
Christ does not recognize them; they are usurpers.
There were occasions when Christ spoke with an authority that
sent His words home with irresistible force, with an overwhelming
sense of the greatness of the speaker, and the human agencies shrunk
into nothingness in comparison with the One before them. They were
deeply moved; their minds were impressed that He was repeating
the command from the most excellent glory. As He summoned the