A Goodly Heritage

Blessed are the meek , Blessed are the poor in spirit , said the Lord . What is meekness , and why are meek and poor men signally blessed with joy ? Meekness is different from lowliness and humility . It is our attitude in the presence of detractors and persecutors - not retaliating , nor opposing force to force , but bowing in silence and submission before high- handed wrong . It was in such a spirit of meekness that Jesus suffered Himself to be led as a lamb to the slaughter ; and instead of calling for legions of angels , suffered Caiaphas' armed band to bind Him . This spirit is not natural to us . It is our nature to retaliate and avenge ourselves . We want to call for fire , or legions of armoured angels from the heaven of God . But this is not the way of peace or joy . But the Holy Spirit waits to reproduce in us the meekness of Jesus . Then , when you meet all injury and unkindness with an unfailing Christian courtesy , bending like a rush before the storm , to rise when it...

Jesus does rule . The kingdom of Christ is no fanciful phrase . The words He spoke , the deeds He did , have shaped the religious life and thought of the civilised world . But this is the lowest ground . He is supreme over all creation . In Him the Psalm is fulfilled "Thou hast put all things under His feet . All sheep and oxen , the fowl of the air , the fish of the sea , and the beasts of the field ." The Father hath set Him at His own right hand , far above all principality and power ; all angels do His bidding ; all evil powers are beneath His feet . But let us never forget that the foundation of His kingdom is His Cross . We want more than the truth , more than a guide to show us the way ; we need forgiveness , salvation , life ; and these are only possible through the death of the Redeemer . Satan offered Him the kingdom when he met Him in the wilderness , and He would not have it on such terms . With face set for Calvary , He went down the mountain to the valley of the...