The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-08-11

MD all the treasures ii ain Ao"NNS" 0N1 '
knowledoe is that which we are told is hid in Christ ,
What is that wisdom that He is said to have? 1t is not
scientific knowledge. Wedo not lind our Lord engaged
in scientific studies and pursuits. we 90 not ma him m
terested in geography, or astronomy, or any other sclentlfc
study. We do not 60 to Him for information on these
matters. His treasures of knowledge were not in these
fields of study. Nor were our Lords treasures OF wisdom
historical. He made no claim to be versed IN things OF
the past-the events of bygone ages. 1t is true that men
sometimes cite casual statements of our Lord in reference
to Old Testament subjects, to prove and decide certain
disputed matters in regard to the authorship and time OF
portions of the Old Testament. But it does not seem that
we are justified, from mere casual references to those SUD-
iects by our Lord, in concluding that He meant to express
the fiat of the omniscient on these matters that have since
come into dispute. Christ did not come to decide as to
these long past facts. All such things, past facts OF MS
tory. and the hidden facts of nature, He lett tor the skill
and patience of men to discover. He was not Interested
in these matters, and did not devote time and thought to
them. But that which attracted our Masters attention,
that to which He devoted all His powers, was the Probleml
of life, of human life, of human living, and OF right hu
man living. 1t is on this subject-howt to live, that we IND
in Him these treasures of wisdom and knowledge.' That
is, humanity, and a true and perfected humanity, was the
problem to which our Lord addressed Himself, to give to-
men; in Himself to exhibit to men perfect humanity, sol
that they might see it, and know it, and follow 1t. lherel
had been many men before our Lords time, but in each
was something wanting, some efficiency. In no one could
you see humanity rounded, entire, whole. And SO no man
had Appeared who was all that humanity could be, and
ought to be. To supply this deficiency, to show men
before their faces entire and complete humanity, Chnst
came to this earth. The treasures OF wisdom and knoWl-
edge that are hid in Him consist in this, His presenting tol
men, in Himself, the spectacle of all that is included IN the
idea of man, of all that it is possible for man to be. ms
spectacle in Christ of what we men are, and are to be, are
to attain some day, constitutes then those treasures that
are hid in Him. Man is a mystery to himself. In Christ
this mystery is cleared up. Without Christ, man could not
form an accurate idea of what he was intended to be-
Suppose a man should try to form this idea and accomplish
it. He would be in the position OF a person who should
be told to build a house, and yet had never seen one. AS
e,ob =, rnon cou1d MT hnid q hOuSe because he would haVe|
in his mind no conception of a house, so none without
Christ could be men, full and entire, because they coulo
have no conception of what it IS to be a man. we nave a
conception of a plant. know when it accomphshes all 1t IS
meant to do, and can do, when it is a full and whole plant.
But without Christ we could have no such conception or
man. Moreover, we see how the plant, having grown to
perfection, goes to support something else, an animal per-
haps, and that, in turn, another animal, and SO on, until
man is reached. All things lead up to man, all are Tor
man he is the head and centre OF creation. All Things
are for man the question arises, what is man tor? All
things find their mission IN mlnlster1ng to man. What
then is mans mission !? How are we to know when man
is { fulfilling his mission? when he is what he ought to be-!
is doing what he ought to do Man by his own powers
could never answer that. He can tell what plants and an
imals, all creation, except himself, is for, because all crea-
ton centres in himself. But what he himself is for, when
he is accomplishing that for which he is designed, God
alone who made man can tell. All that he has told US IN
Jesus Christ. In Him then are all the treasures OF wisdom
and knowledge, the science of human existence. In Him
alone, God has pointed out what it is to be a man. In a
true sense, then, Christ is the only man this world has ever
seen. All others were defective, and lacking, IN many
particulars. He alone represents the standard, Gods Pur-
pose and ideal of humanity. Christ, then, tells us what
man is, that we may attain it. In Christ, then, are call the
treasures of wisdom and'knowlege, as to what we are, II
we will but strive after it. He is the Pattern and Image
that we are to follow. He is the thing that we are to be,
if we ever are men. -,
Christ then, is the one man who has ever lived on this
earth. The treasures of wisdom and knowledge IN Him
manifest to US what manhood is, what to be a man is.
These treasures that we are to seek in Christ, are not to be
found in our Lords words, or deeds, primarily. They are
to be found in what our Lord was, and words and deeds
have their place as indicating to us what Christ IS. we
cannot do the deeds that Christ did, miracles, and acts OF
healing. We cannot say and teach wonderful truths as
Christ taught them. But we can be what Christ is and 1t
is what Christ is, and not the words He spake, or the deeds
He wrought that makes Him a treasure to us of wisdomI
and knowledge. What then is Christ, and what is His life,
that makes it a revelation to US of what true manhood and
humanity are? What are some OF those treasures OIL
knowledge that God has given US, in Christs life, to help us
in shaping our existence? There are many things that
Christ reveals to us as having a place in a true human lie.
Let US consider some of these. First and foremost among
these is sinlessness. Christ was tempted in all points like
as we are, and yet without sin. That is, Christ has shown
by His life that sin is no essential part of man He has
shown a life human, and normal, and natural, yet without
sin. He has. therefore, shown that sin is but an lntruding
element into our existence, having no right or place there.
What a revelation that is, a very treasure OF knowledge
and wisdom. What an inspiration to US, to know that this
sin with which we are so sore let and hlndered IS an IN
truder, that there can be life without it. What a precious
fot To kDO1y that man has overcome sin. and that we