[Illustration: CHRIST ADDRESSING THE MULTITUDES.] They had seen the promises of God afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And this country is a heavenly one, and God is not ashamed to be called their God, and He has prepared for them a city. Theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven! The Ninth "Blessed." "Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall 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 which were before you." These troubles of His followers, which Jesus our Lord mentions, are all summed up in the words "for My sake." And here, it seems to me, is a key which will open the prison doors of many a trial. Our Lord tells us that whosoever will come after Him must take up his cross and follow Him. "For My sake!" He says to us so tenderly. "Take My yoke upon you," He says again. And what was His yoke? It was doing the Heavenly Father's Will. Bearing that heavy, bitter Cross to redeem the world which God loved so much that He gave His Son. Leaving His glory in Heaven for thirty-three years, that He might show us how much the Father loved us, and to encourage us to work and bear for His sake. "God, for Christ's sake," has forgiven us: and if in this world there comes to us reproach of suffering, "for His sake," shall we not meet it joyfully and patiently, remembering the words of this last Beatitude, "Great is your reward in Heaven"? If there was one man more than another who was persecuted for Christ's sake, it was the Apostle Paul. Have you ever read the list of his sufferings? "In labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in death oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. "Besides those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the Churches." And then, in another letter, he says "I can do all things through Christ, Which strengtheneth me." All things! Then there is not a temptation, or a sorrow, or a disappointment, or a task, that is not included in that "all things" which the strength of Christ will enable us to do, and bear. The Last Beatitude. The last Beatitude—which means blessed—ends up with the word Rejoice!