e Mount, in which seven notes of a
Christian are given to us, in themselves of a painful and humbling
character, but joyful, because they are blessed by Him. He mentions,
first, "the poor in spirit," this is denoted in the text, under the
word "lowly in heart,"--secondly, those "that mourn;" and this surely
is their peculiarity who are bearing on their shoulders the yoke of
Christ;--thirdly, "the meek," and these too are spoken of in the text,
when He bids us to be like Himself who "is meek;"--fourthly, those
which do "hunger and thirst after righteousness;" and what
righteousness, but that which Christ's Cross wrought out, and which
becomes our righteousness when we take on us the yoke of the Cross?
Fifthly, "the merciful," and as the Cross is in itself the work of
infinite mercy, so when we bear it, it makes us merciful. Sixthly,
"the pure in heart," and this is the very benefit which the Cross first
does to us when marked on our forehead when infants, to sever us from
the world, the flesh, and the devil, to circumcise us from the first
Adam, and to make us pure as He is pure. Seventhly, "the
peace-makers," and as He "made peace by the blood of His Cross," so do
we become peace-makers after His pattern. And, lastly, after all
seven, He adds, those "which are persecuted for righteousness' sake,"
which is nothing but the Cross itself, and the truest form of His yoke,
spoken of last of all, after mention has been made of its fruits.

Such is the character of which the text speaks. A man who is poor in
spirit, meek, pure in heart, merciful, peace-making, penitent, and
eager after righteousness, is truly (according to a term in current
use) a mortified man. He is of a character which does not please us by
nature even to see, and much less to imitate. We do not even approve
or love the character itself, till we have some portion of the grace of
God. We do not like the look of mortification till we are used to it,
and associate pleasant thoughts with it. "And when we shall see Him,
there is no beauty, that we should desire Him," says the Prophet. To
whom has some picture of saint or doctor of the Church any charm at
first sight? Who does not prefer the ruddy glow of health and
brightness of the eyes? "He hath no form nor comeliness," as his Lord
and Master before him. And as we do not like the look of saintliness,
neither do we like the life. When Christ first announced His destined
sufferings, Peter took Him a