spirit, knows and feels that his heart is naturally wicked. He knows that he was born in sin, because, when our father Adam ate the forbidden fruit, sin entered into the world, and the nature of man became corrupt; and every child of Adam is born with the seeds of sin in his heart, and he feels that these seeds of sin are daily springing up; and he knows, too, that as he was born in sin, so likewise he was born a child of wrath, exposed to the just anger of a righteous and holy God, and in danger of everlasting fire in hell.

The child who is poor in spirit knows that though he was baptized when he was a little infant, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and the Holy Ghost, three Persons and one God, yet he knows that he has not since walked worthy of his heavenly calling.

At his baptism he was devoted to God: he was laid as it were in his Saviour's arms, and great blessings, the forgiveness of sins, and a new and holy nature, God's favour and blessing in this life, and eternal glory in the next, were asked for him, and promised to him, at his baptism: he was called to be child of God, a member of Christ, and an in

ON THE

BEATITUDES.

MATTHEW V. 1-12.

BY MRS. CAMERON, Author of "MARGARET WHYTE," &c.

WELLINGTON, SALOP:

PRINTED BY AND FOR HOULSTON AND SON.

And sold at their Warehouse, 65, Paternoster-Row,
London.

1828.

[Entered at Stationers' Hall.]

1015. f.40

heritor of the kingdom of heaven." Yet he has not been mindful of these things. He knows that, ever since he can remember, his heart has been foolish at best, and very often full of sin: like a foolish lamb, he has wandered from the pasture of the Good Shepherd; where at his baptism he was gently brought to feed, to go in and out, and find sweet grass. He knows that he has fed upon the coarse weeds of this world, and followed after other flowers and fruit than the flowers of Paradise and the fruit of the tree of life. The child who is poor in spirit can say from his heart, "I have done those things which I ought not to have done, and I have left undone those things which I ought to have done, and there is no health in me." Therefore the child who is poor in spirit, feeling all these things, knows that he can never be saved by his own goodness, but only through the mercy of God. He must be saved by the mercy of God the Father, who so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever be lieveth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life; (John iii. 16.) he must be saved by the mercy of God the Son, who so loved

the world as to lay down his life for it; and through the mercy of God the Holy Ghost, who washes and purifies the heart of man from sin, and plants in it a new and holy na

ture.

Secondly.

We will consider what is meant by the kingdom of heaven, which belongs to the poor in spirit. The kingdom of heaven, in its full meaning, is that state of glory into which the righteous shall enter at the day of judgment. And if I were to try to explain to you what that is, I must have an angel's pen: for eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him; (1 Cor. ii. 9.) yet, by the glass of faith, we may sometimes discern a little of the Celestial City. In this glass, my children, I would advise you often to look. It is by looking often through this glass, that we become willing to take up our cross and follow Christ; and that we learn to be content with such things as we have: for if our hearts are set on that which is to come, we shall not care very greatly for those things which are here. But the kingdom of heaven not only

B