This was from the Lord,
And it is marvellous in our eyes?--Matt. 21:42.

Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness'
sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men
shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil
against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad:
for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the
prophets that were before you.--Matt. 5:10-12.

These three passages express three great consolations for those who share
prophetic opposition with Christ. They will have to face great odds;
numbers and weight will be against them. But there will be a quiet voice
within to prompt them and sustain them: "It is not ye that speak, but the
Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you."

The second consolation is that the higher court will reverse the verdict
of the lower. The stonemasons may look a stone over and conclude that it
will not fit into the building; but the architect may have reserved that
stone for the head of the corner. The prophet rarely lives to see his own
historical vindication, but faith knows it is inevitable.

The third consolation is contained in the last of the Beatitudes. Those
who are persecuted for righteousness' sake may well rejoice for the
company they are in, for the Leader whose name they bear, and for the
Kingdom of God which is now and ever shall be their heritage.

Imagine two classmates in the same profession, reaching the end of their
career. The one has attained success, wealth, eminence, together with a
reputation of never having done a courageous and self-sacrificing action,
and with the consciousness that his soul has grown small as he has grown
old. The other has been a fighter for the right, a conspicuous man, but
has kept out of office, tasting poverty and opposition with his family,
yet with the consciousness that he has had the salt of the earth for his
friends and that he has put in some mighty good licks for righteousness.
_Which would we rather be?_

Study for the Week

Christian men have differed widely in interpreting the significance of
Christ's suffering and death, but all have agreed that the cross was the
effective culmination of his work and the key which unlocks the meaning of
his whole life. The Church has always felt that the death of Christ was an
event of eternal importance for the salvation of mankind, unique and
without a parallel.