poor in spirit: for their’s is the kingdom of heaven.”—Matthew 5:3.* BEARING in mind the object of our Saviour’s discourse, which was to describe the saved, and not to declare the plan of salvation, we now come to consider the first of the Beatitudes:— “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for their’s is the kingdom of heaven.” A ladder, if it is to be of any use, must have its first step near the ground, or feeble climbers will never be able to mount. It would have been a grievous discouragement to struggling