The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1889-02-13

can you tell me OF any other find"
worth naming2 You may have heard
the story of the man who learned that
great treasure was buried in a certain
place on an island. He had particular
directions where to commence the search
for 1t. When he reached the spot be
looked all around to see if any one was
watching him. To his Joy the coast was
clear.
He commenced to dig, but must have
missed the exact place, and he became
discouraged. At last he plunged a crow
bar as deep as he could send it into the
ground, and it struck something with a
hollow, ringing sound. He was satisfied
that he had struck the lid of the iron
chest in which the treasure was said to
be concealed. He was so overcome with
excitement that he had to stop digging
great drops of perspiration gathered on
his face his heart beat with violent
palpitation. Gould it be possible that
ne had found what he had so passionately
longed for After getting somewhat
composed he began to dig again, and
finally he discovered that he had made
no mistake. He uncovered the iron lid
OF the chest. He opened it, and there
glittering before his eyes were heaps of
gold and precious stones so priceless in
value as to make him the posseesor of a
fortune so vast that ne could never spend
it except by the widest extravaganza.
You may imagine the Joy of such a dis
covery. But can tell you of purer
JOY than that. Many years ago preached
one Sunday morning in town in West
Virginia. Long before the hour of SER
vice the bells began to ring, the people
to shout, possibly some guns were fired,
at all events. the town was iubilant.
What was the matter? Matter enough
for all these demonstrations of delight.
A child had been lost. A little girl had
wandered into the woods and all night
long parties of citizens had been securing
hill and forest in search of the missing
child. About sunrise she was discovered,
having wonderfully escaped destruction
during the night. What would he the
feelings of that little one in finding safety,
love, and home after that night of peril z?
But what was the transport of the child
compared with that of the mother when
she recovered her lost one, and when her
night Of weeping was exchanged for the
morning of JOY
But the finder Of the treasure buried
in the earth must soon leave it and be
buried in the earth himself. The happy
mother after little while must part
from her child again, but whoever can
say with Andrew, I have found Christ
has found the treasure from which death
cannot separate him the treasure whose
value will be ever unfolding in the eter-
nal world. This then was a part of An.
drew s reward. The other part was in
seeing his brother, Simon Peter, become
one of the greatest of the apostles, one of
the noblest of the New Testament writer's,
one of the most successful of the worlds
preachers, and Of knowing that all this
came through his instrumentality
We have no account of any miracle
that Andrew wrought, of any epistle that
he composed, OF any sermon that he
preached.
But see Peter healing the lame man at
the beautiful gate of the temple. You
NAV read not only his First, but his
Second Bpiatle, for he wrote two. And
if you want to hear the most successful
sermon ever preached, go back to the
Day OF Peutecost and listen to the ser
mon under which three thousand sonls
were converted. When Andrew heard
how the lame man leaped and walked and
praised God did he not feel like doing the
same? When he read one of his brother 2
glowing chapters did not his warm and
grateful tears bedew the page?
And when he sat at his brothers. feet
and heard the wonderful sermon on the
Day of Pentecost, must he not have said,
with JOY too deep for tears, "Lord
Jesus, how can repay Thee for the priv
ilege o bringing my brother unto Thee,
and for the welcome Thou did'5t give Ds
both Little did think on the day
led him to Thee that | would thus
be the means Of opening the mouth
Of one who would show forth Thy praise
and bring Thee glory IN the conversion
of listening thousands.
The Coronation Hymn" as we call it,
was not in existence on the Day Of Pen
tecost; if it had been, it would have been
appropriate at the close Of Peters ser
mon. But We have it now, and We will
unite in singing it, and 80 close our ser
vice.
The congregation then rose and sang
"All hail the power Of Jesus name
with great ferVor and uDanimity
What is unlawiully gained cannot be
| comfortably used no, nor that which is