Persecution

'Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven'.

what we love most of all becomes our life. And what we love we think about continuously.

At first it is natural for us to love ourselves. But from this love comes misery and unhappiness, while to love righteousness is to have the kingdom of heaven.

We are blessed when we are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, because it means we are really turning from self to the Lord. Self-love is so deeply entrenched within that we can never be free from it without temptation and conflict, in a word by persecution.

Self-love is subtle and cunning like the serpent, and like the serpent it can destroy our Eden. To remove it we must see and recognise it; and to this end the Lord allows temptation and persecution. Every aspiration we have for righteousness is opposed by self-love's false arguments. Again and again it attacks, and again and again it must be resisted until it is cast out. Like the children of Israel our road lies through the wilderness: it is the only way from self to God—from hell to heaven. Like them we may often look back and cry for the flesh pots of Egypt. But God gave them the commandments, and following them they at last reached the promised land.

Do you want to become a form of self-love ? Do you want to indulge in pleasures that will die on you, and at last bring you to destruction? Of course not! Then think of this blessing to those persecuted for righteousness sake: they are happy because theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Heaven within first, then without; and its life is the love of God.

PRAYER

'Great are thy tender mercies, O Lord: quicken me according to thy judgments. Many are my persecuters and mine enemies, yet do I not decline from thy testimonies' (Psalm 119, 156-157).

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