'Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children
of God.' MATT. v. 9.
This is the last Beatitude descriptive of the character of the
Christian. There follows one more, which describes his reception by the
world. But this one sets the top stone, the shining apex, upon the whole
temple-structure which the previous Beatitudes had been gradually
building up. You may remember that I have pointed out in previous
sermons how all these various traits of the Christian life are deduced
from the root of poverty of spirit. You may also remember how I have had
occasion to show that if we consider that first Beatitude, 'Blessed are
the poor in spirit,' as the root and mother of all the rest, the
remainder are so arranged as that we have alternately a grace which
regards mainly the man himself and his relations to God, and one which
also includes his relations to man.
Now there are three of these which look out into the world, and these
three are consummated by this one of my text. These are 'the meek,'
which describes a man's attitude to opposition and hatred; 'the
merciful,' which describes his indulgence in judgment and his
pitifulness in action; and 'the peacemakers.' For Christian people are
not merely to bear injuries and to recompense them with pity and with
love, but they are actively to try to bring about a wholesomer and purer
state of humanity, and to breathe the peace of God, which passes
understanding, over all the janglings and struggles of this world.
So, I think, if we give a due depth of significance to that name
'peacemaker,' we shall find that this grace worthily completes the whole
linked series, and is the very jewel which clasps the whole chain of
Christian and Christ-like characteristics.