1. And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was
set, his disciples came unto him; and he opened his mouth and taught them,
saying,
2. Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the
meek; for they shall inherit the earth.
3. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for
they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain
mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God.
4. Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of
God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake; for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
5. 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. * * *
6. Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt
not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: but I
say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:
nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is
the city of the great King.
7. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one
hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay:
for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
8. Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth
for a tooth: but I say unto you, That ye resist not evil; but whosoever
shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if
any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy
cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him
twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of
thee turn not thou away.
9. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor and
hate thine enemy: but I say unto you, Love your enemies; bless them that
curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which
despitefully use you and persecute you; that ye may be the children of
your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil
and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
10. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even
the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye
more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye, therefore, perfect,
even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. * * *
11. Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye
shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to
you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye,
but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
12. Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of
thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first
cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to
cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. * * *
13. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it
shall be opened unto you: for everyone that asketh, receiveth; and he that
seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened. Or what
man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
14. If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your
children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good
things to them that ask him? Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that
men should do to you, do ye even so to them; for this is the law and the
prophets. * * *
15. Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken
him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: and the rain
descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that
house; and it fell not; for it was founded upon a rock.
16. And everyone that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not,
shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat
upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
17. And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people
were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one having
authority, and not as the scribes.
DEFINITIONS.--l. Dis-ci'ple, one who receives instruction from another. 2.
Bless'ed, happy. In-her'it, to come into possession of. 5. Re-vile', to
speak against without cause. Per'se-cute, to punish on account of
religion. 6. For-swear', to swear falsely. 9. De-spite'ful-ly,
maliciously, cruelly. 10. Pub'li-cans, tax collectors (they were often
oppressive and were hated by the Jews). 11. Mete, to measure. Mote, a
small particle. 12. Hyp'o-crite, a false pretender. 17. Scribes, men among
the Jews who read and explained the law to the people.
EXERCISES.--Who delivered this sermon? Who are blessed? and why? Is it
right to swear? How should we treat our enemies? Should we judge others
harshly? What does Jesus say of him who finds faults in his neighbor, but
does not see his own? What is said about prayer? About our conduct to
others?
LXXIV. THE YOUNG WITNESS. (207)
By S. H. HAMMOND.
1. A little girl nine years of age was brought into court, and offered as
a witness against a prisoner who was on trial for a crime committed in her
father's house.
2. "Now, Emily," said the counsel for the prisoner, "I wish to know if you
understand the nature of an oath?"