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SERMON I.

THE BLESSEDNESS OF

CHRIST'S POOR.

LUKE 6. 20.

"And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor; for yours is the kingdom of God."

WHEN We look at the condition of mankind, we see that the greater number are poor, and only a small number are rich. This is not only the case in our own land, but in every country. It always has been the case, and it always will be so; for it is written in the word of God, "The

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poor shall never cease out of the land."

We are accustomed to look upon riches as a great blessing, and on poverty as a misfortune. But "God seeth not as man seeth." We are caught by the outward appearance, but He looks deeper, and judges far more wisely. If He thought riches to be in every case a blessing, he not only could, but he certainly would, bestow them.

Surely, then, we may discover that there is some hidden evil connected with riches, and some secret blessing belonging to a poor and humble condition.

Let us see what the word of God says about riches.

King Solomon, who was certainly the wisest, and also the richest man of his time, declares that "riches

profit not in the day of wrath." (Proverbs 11. 4.) "Better is little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure and trouble therewith." (Proverbs 15. 16.) And again, he gives us this solemn and deliberate advice, "Labour not to be rich." (Proverbs 23. 4.)

St. Paul, in his first letter to Timothy, utters this warning, "They that will be rich, fall into temptation and a snare; for the love of money is the root of all evil. But thou, O man of God, flee these things." (1 Timothy 6. 10, 11.)

But what says our Lord himself,he who knows so well what is really good for man? In the Parable of the Sower, he tells us that the good seed is sometimes "choked by riches." (Matthew 13. 22.) In the chapter from which our text is taken, he says, "Woe unto you rich; for ye have

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