St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-04-09
Rev. DR.. Smiths Sermon Be-
fore the Peoples Church
Yesterday.
The Man Who Sells ALI to Gain
the Pearl Of Great
Price,
Which Is the Spiritual Life,
Ornament Fit for Divine
Presence.
Father Stanley Roasts Mem.
bepS Who Are Penurious
in Church Matters.

Rev. DR.. S. G. Smith preached to a
congregation that filled the auditorium
and balcony of the Grand opera house
yesterday morning. Before beginning
his sermon he made short plea for the
free kindergartens in st. Paul, saying
that they received the children of pa
rents who were unable to send them
els where, between the ages of three
and six years. This was an age when
the child is particularly susceptible, and
as the aim of the kindergartens was to
teach the children all that. was most
valuable to make them good men, good
women and good citizens, he hoped all
his hearers would do anything in their
power to help them along. Or. Smith
took for his text the parable OF tie mer-
chant who sold all that he had to buy
the pearl of great price, and the subject
of the sermon, as announced. was "The
Merchants Bargain" DR.. Smith said:
Whence came this story of the quest
for pearls, we may not know. Perhaps
drawn from the Talmud, or some other
fountain of old lore. Perhaps, and L
think Iikest of all, an incident then cur
rent of some son of strolling commerce
from the shore of the Persian gulf, or
the tabled richness of Egypt's coast,
who had stirred the Hebrew heart by
the sight of some gem fit for single
radiance on the brow of beauty. In his
hand lay his whole wealth, brighter
than his glistening eye of joy. In it
were houses and lands, or food and
raiment for many year. He had done
we'll to buy the best, though it had cost
ALL for in the best of every kind lies
wealth. The best pictures, the best
statuary. the best music, the best laces,
the best jewels. the best merchandise
have the surest purchase and the larg-
est profit. Shrewd traveller was he,
with his Jewel belt beneath his robe, to
thus distance all rivals, though his single
pearl had cost his all.
Swift to fasten spiritual truth in the
forms of common life. ''Like this" said
Jesus" is the kingdom of heaven"
Most men seek, or think they seek.
for goodly pearls. They are neither
trampS nor loafers. The vast multitude
of human lives have in them some ele-
ments of nobleness and power. Few
men, at least about us, have need to
say:
''In the soul of me sits sluggishness;
Body so strong and will so weak;
The slave stands fit for the labor-yes.
But the Masters mandates still to seek"
amount of truth and earneStneSS. The
things which quicken ambition, such as
money, power, social interest, intellec-
tual distinction, are proper objects of
human life. The world is fashioned for
them. But the majority of men are
more touched by the cares and concerns
of the family, and the necessary move
ments of life than by all of these com
bined. All these are prizes OF beauty,
but home interests are a
WHOLE STRING OF GOODLY PEARLS.
The world has, probably, been carried
further forward by these secular mo-
tives than by anything distinctly relig-
ious. Let us not deny that; nor let US
in looking at the tossing pillows of the
surface forget that the undercurrent of
every human life, as in all human
history, is certain divine power that
bears us heavenward. But to earnest
men. making of life the business of
seeking pearls, Jesus intimateS there is
one which may be had, worth them all.
If this statement is not mere rhetorical
eXuberanee, or emotional enthusiasm, it
is worth our while to look into the mat
ter.
have observed the immense practical
value of controlling motive. If man
is putting up building, all material is
Judged by the single question: Will it
fit anywhere? In proportion as the
builders conception gets hold of us, we
gain economy. This marks the differ
ence betweAp men who work at life
with a plan, and those who do it hap
hazard.
remember once visiting a second
hand book store in company Of Bishop
Hurst. l went browsing about among
the worm-eaten books on the muSty
shelves in hope of finding something
good by accident. He called for cata-
Iogue, and said he was only buying for
his collection on American history. That
principle made secondhand book stores
scientific. What is true in the orderli-
ness of life is also true in matters of the
intellect. Herbert Spencer may be right
or wrong in his guiding principle, but
any student can see that the conception
of evolution has controlled his mind and
made his vast achievements possible. 1t
has been the magnet of his knowledge.
The law is also visible in high artistic
efforts; A masterpiece is simply mold
into which are poured the results of all
preliminary attempt. In "Hamlet"
Shakespeare put the skill and strength of
10000 verses In the Sistsne Madonna,
Raphael combined hundred ideals of
woman. In st. Peters, Angelo made a
cyclOpedia of all previous architectural
attempts.
The kingdom of heaven, said Jesus, is
the most precious. pearl. 1t furnishes
the highest motive, the most guiding
principle, the noblest masterpiece.
"The kingdom of heaven" was a favor
lite phrase Oh the lips of Christ. 1t was
a current form of thought which he re-
baptized and sanctified. The rebirth of
the old divine commonwealth was the
dream of the Jew. This dream the great
Teacher enlarged and made His own.
Catching it from the lips of John, he
went about prOclaiming that kingdom
sat hand" 1t was nothing else than
the fellowship of good men under the
rule of the divine. A rule which was to
be no longer national, but race-wide.
TO men controlled by the senses and the
flesh, this doubtless seems foolishnesS,
but unto them that are saved it is still
the power of God. The practical man
forever mistakes himself and others: for
we are larger than llfe-Iarger than the
things we accomplish. We all have had
Thoughts hardly to be packed
Into a narrow act,
Fancies that broke through language and
escaped;
All could never be,
All men ignored in me,
This was worth to God, whose wheel the
pitcher shaped"
Since man is such, he is wise who
dares sell all to gain that heaven-king
dom which is mans kingdom. No Won
der that he who enters this higher life
is called reborn. And so he is; born
out of sin into holiness; born out of the
senses into the spirit. He is ''born
from above" This world becomes the
birthplace of his angel, and this true
man at last losses aside the draperies of
flesh and wings his way to God. The
spiritual life, ornament fit for the divine
presence, Thou mayest we'll call, oh.
Christ, the pearl of great price! There
H. L l.