In saying " Blessed are the poor in spirit," then, Jesus is saying, Blessed are the unworldly ; blessed are they who, though in the world, are not of the world. The world says, Get all you can and keep all you get. Jesus says, Blessed are they who in will and heart at any rate have nothing. He does not say to every one, " Sell that thou hast, and give to the poor." That is a counsel of perfection beyond the reach of the average man ; it needs the spirituality of a Francis of Assisi to hear and obey that command. But He does say to us all, Do not cling to your possessions as though they were your own by some inalienable right. Be ready to resign them freely and cheerfully if need be. Kemember that they are a trust from God. Be ready always to use them in His service and for the good of your fellow-men. If you can do all this, you are poor in spirit, and the blessing is yours.
jf So long as 1700 years ago a tract was written upon this subject by Clement of Alexandria, entitled, Quis dives salvetur ? (" What rich man shall be saved ? "). The teaching of this ancient Father is still to the point : " .Riches in themselves are a thing indifferent; the question with regard to them being this, as to
1 Ruskin, Academy Notes, 1S5S.
72 THE FIRST BEATITUDE
whether they are used as an Zpyavov of good. By those whom He praises as poor in spirit, Christ means to denote those who, be they rich or poor, are in heart loosened from worldly possessions, are therefore poor; and to this idea an admirable parallel passage might be found in 1 Cor. vii. 29, ' They that possess, as though they possessed not' (comp. Jer. ix. 23); and in St. James i. 9, 10, ' But let the brother of low degree glory in his high estate : and the rich, in that he is made low.' " x
II.
The Poor in Spirit.
The more usual interpretation of " the poor in spirit," however, has more interest and attractiveness, and deserves consideration.
1. Poverty of spirit is not poverty in the lower soul but in that higher part of man which comes into immediate contact with the Divine, in the higher soul which comes face to face with God, in that spirit with which " the Spirit bears witness that we are the children of God."
The simplest way to grasp its meaning is perhaps to consider its opposite, i.e., the moral distortion of being lifted up in spirit. This uplifted spirit is the spirit of self-exaltation which filled the heart of Nebuchadnezzar when he contemplated the glories of the great Babylon which he had built. This is the spirit of those who are self-satisfied and at ease, who call their lands after their own names, and look at everything through the medium of their own self-importance. For such the world has no significance except as it affects their interest or their convenience. This is the radical spirit of worldliness ; for it is the spirit which makes self the centre of everything. This spirit is the seed-ground of sin. All kinds of wrong become possible to the man who makes his own pleasure or aggrandizement the supreme rule of his life. Conscience has little place in the heart of the man who makes self the axis of reference in all his conduct. This inflated egotism is flat against the order of the universe, and essentially hostile to the Kingdom of God It is in one sense the starting-place of evil; it is in another sense its climax. Egotism in moral life is
1 E. G. Loosley.
ST. MATTHEW v. 3 73
the cause of most of the heedlessness and sinfulness of the world ; and yet it is only after a prolonged indulgence of selfishness that the humane and kindly instincts of nature are destroyed. The evil principle of self works till all the finer, better, and purer feelings and aspirations are brought to naught. It stands out then as the naked antagonist of all that is good.
^j And so Vergil and Dante come at last to the Angel-Guardian of the Cornice, against the place of ascent to the next ring — the Angel of Humility, " in his countenance such as a tremulous star at morn appears." He bids them to the steps and beats his wings on Dante's forehead. There comes to Dante's ears the sound of sweet voices singing, " Blessed are the poor in spirit," and he notices that, though mounting steep stairs, he is lighter than when walking on the level below. Why is this ? Vergil explains that one of the seven Sin-marks on Dante's brow has been erased by the Angel's wings, the Pride-mark, and that all the remaining six have, at the same time, become much fainter than before; a beautiful indication this of the doctrine that Pride is the deadliest foe of human salvation. When the last Sin-mark is removed Dante will experience not merely no difficulty in mounting but actual delight. Dante feels his brow on hearing this and finds that only six of the marks remain, and Vergil smiles at this. True humility is not even conscious of being humble.1