The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1905-01-20
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE ENTITLED.
"KNOWLEDcE OF CHRIST"

The Rev. winfield Scott Baer Tells Those
Who Would Receive Light That They
Must Exercise self-Control and Sacri-
flee Pleasure to the Work.
BROOKLYN, N. Y.-The Rev Winfield
Scott Baer, rector Of st. Georges Church,
preached Sunday morning on knowledge
Of Christ" He took his text from Philip
plans iii. 8: II count all things but loss for
the excellency of the knowledge of Christ
Jesus my Lord" Mr.. Baer said among
other things:
A quarter Of century had passed since
Paul on the way to Damascus saw great
light, since he who was the prosecutor of
the church became Apostle to the Gentiles.
They were years Of mental and spiritual
growth, of missionary zeal and activity, OF
suffering and privation, and beyond that Of
joy and gladness which no man could tell.
Now, looking back over his life from
prison in Rome, he passed judgment upon
his gain and loss. There was no tinge of
dependency which might have come from
age or weakness, no touch of bitterness
showing that the iron might have entered
into his soul. but with the calmness OF
judge and the fervor of seeker after
truth, he cried: IT count all things but
loss for the excellency of the knowledge OF
Christ Jesus my Lord"
There are many kinds of knowledge,
gained in different methods and ways.
Some comes through exercise of memory;
some through careful observation of the
facts of nature; some by experiment in the
laboratory; some by careful reading of the
past and wise Judgment upon it; much
from the careful study of ourselves. In
varying degrees, these all are precious, and
they are given only for a price. The school
system of which we are proud is costly.
The vast expenditure of money is but an
49,, 4ho oh
of myriads interested in the work of knowl-
edge and in training those committed to
their care harder far than hearing lessons
from a book. The years of school, the
hours of study and practice, the physical
confinement when children would rather
be on the street or in the field, all these
must be counted in. We are almost disap-
pointed when we do not read among the
honors of college commencement some men
ton of gifts of money to enable the coll
lege to pursue truth, and give it out to
those who seek it; and here also are time
and labor and research. So those who
would receive the full benefit Of the prof
fered knowledge must exercise self-control,
sacrifice play and pleasure to the work.
This is but the beginning of knowledge.
In every realm of life men seek if haply
they may find. The borders of the ,un-
known are being pushed back day by day,
and the light Of truth is seen and known
over ever wider tracts. In scientific re-
search, invention, exploration of the
earth, knowledge of society, knowledge of
mind, men are thinking, working, gaining
knowledge. They pay the cost. The ice
of the north, could it speak, would tell OF
those who sought the pole, merely, that
they might know; the jungles of Asia and
the forests of Africa are known to us from
the traveller; missionary scientist, soldier,
seeker after gold, with their different mo-
tives impelling them, they bring forth
knowledge for the world. Human trials,
privations and death have been paid for
that knowledge. Few as they take it,
think of the price at which it is purchased.
There are degrees of worth in knowl-
edge. That which has most of the human
in it contains most interest for us. Per-
sons are the highest facts; the knowledge
of persons is the highest knowledge. 1t is
a wonderful story which science tells us of
the development of the world. It is more
living story for us to know of the develop
ment of mankind: hence, history, biogra-
ply and social matters have a deeper in
terest for us. Nor is it an easy matter to
read the past or the present. From the
same chemical ingredients we expect the
same results Personality may conceal or
may reveal itself by its words and deeds.
None of us needs to be Jelxyll and HYDE
to appreciate that he is not always clear
as crystal, to be read by all the world.
Deeds may belle the heart. None of us
knows another perfectly perhaps we do
not know ourselves. The mathematical
table we know, but the knowledge of man.
kind is higher, and more secret and diff
cult to gain.
IF study of man he our true study, then
the study of the best is our wise part.
How foolish for the student in art to
study the chrome when the masterpiece
is before his eye Why strive to read by
light of lamp when the glorious sun in the
heaven floods the earth with light? Seek
the noblest, and learn of him. 1t was this
heart. the end of his thought, the goal of
his purpose was that he might know
Christ, and for that he would count all
things but loss.
There has been loss in Pau1's life as he
gained this knowledge. Loss of money,
position, friendship; bitterly hated by his
people and now loss of liberty as captive
at Rome. But these he counted loss for
the knowledge of Christ.
This was more than knowledge of the
facts of Christ's life; more than an ac-
acknowledgement of his past and present high
dignity in the spiritual world; more than
a recognition of the place of Christ in
Gods work for man. One might know all
this, yet not know Christ, as Paul longed
to know, in the communion of friendship,
in the inspiration Of Christ within, in the
power of Christ raising him from sir to
Righteousness, making him a partake- of
His own life, so that he could say: 81 live,
yet not I, but Christ liveth in me-"
We may not follow PauPs intellectual
flights, nor gaze with his vision at the mys-
teries which are unveiled. But we may
know the purpose of God for us. which is
that we shall seek the truth of life. This
is found in Christ. To know Him is the
privilege of all. There is no exclusive
class Of rich or poor, but the knowledge is
open to all who are wiling to take it as it
can be taught, and are willing to pay the
price.
This knowledge of Christ can be known
but partially through reading of the skies
ahnNn or the Scrintnras heneath. ManN