To be near unto God - pagina 411

purity of heart is the means of seeing God. For the others it is rather the way by which not to And these two can fail of high moral character. not be mentioned in the same breath. "Blessed are the pure in heart" is a word of Jesus, which was purposely spoken to the children of God, as Matt. 5 :8 clearly shows. For it immediately follows: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God." And it is self-evident that the seven beatitudes together deal with the same class of persons. The peacemakers, the pure in heart, they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, they who are poor in spirit, and so much more, are always that people that puts itself under the guardian-care of Jesus and desire to enter into the kingdom of heaven

which has come nigh. Virtuous people, even moral idealists, are not considered here. Undoubtedly there is much in them that must be highly prized with respect to this earthly hfe. But this is not reckoned with now. They who have been initiated in the secret of salvation, they who have passed from the world into the kingdom of the Son of God's love, alone are here considered. Purity of heart which leads to seeing God is not anywhere conceivable save in a child of God. This is not said without a tremor. It is exceedingly difficult to know who is, and who is not, a child of God. There are those who are, but who scarcely dare to confess it of themselves; and it to themselves who exhibit of its characteristics; while many more on other hand make themselves known in a that raises serious doubts whether their con-

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