The Lambertville record., 1910-10-07
The Treasure
and the Pearl
By REV. E. SINCLAIR SMITH
Pastor Of Westminster Presbyterian
Church, Houston, Texas

Again the kingdom of Heaven Is like
unto a treasure hid in n field, the
which when a man hath found he
hideth and for joy thereof goeth and
selleth all that he hath and buyeth
that field.
Again the kingdom Of Heaven Is
like merchant man seeking goodly
pearls, who when he hath found one
pearl of great price went and sold all
that he had and bought it.
Prof. A. B. Bruce characterizes
these two parallels as the Treasure
and the Pearl" (or the kingdom OF
God as the summum bonum or chief
good.
These two parallels constitute but
one text and teach the same general
lesson, the incompatible worth OF the
kingdom Of uod. They show how the
kingdom Of God ought to be esteemed
In whatever esteem 1t may in fact be
held.
Something that 1t Is worth while
giving up everything else in order to
attain it. What is this supreme good
Of human life? We are all looking for
hidden treasure. We are all seeking
goodly pearls. The only question Is
what treasure is worth the most?
What pearl has the greatest value?
What is best worth living for? What
Is the summum bonum? What, accord
ing to Jesus Christ, Is the chief good?
The treasure it Is worth while to bar
ter everything else for? The price
less pearl whose value is greater than
all else? Is 1t not the kingdom OF
God set up in a mans heart? To
have Gods kingdom set up in mans
own heart, to be In touch and sympa-
thy with the great interests Of Chrsst's
eternal kingdom; this Is worth while.
worth living for, worth dying for.
This is the only interest deep
enough, high enough, comprehensive
enough to absorb a mans affection;
arouse his energies. develop the best
and broadest life. There is only one
thing worth living for-the kingdom
If God. Christ teaches and expert.
snce proves the truth of his teaching
hat only the kingdom of God set up
in mans heart can satisfy him. He
may have everything else under the
sun, but unless he has entered into
living, loving fellowship with God his
soul will thirst for the living God and
will never be satisfied until satisfied
In God.
Mans chief good is God. The liv-
Ing. loving God as recalled in Chris
enthroned in the heart, the source OF
life eternal! this is mans chief good.
"Tbis is life eternal that they might
know this the only true God and Jesus
Christ whom thou hast sent"
Another term our Savior uses in de-
scribing the chief good is eternal
life." II men only knew the signifi-
canoe of those two words-eternal
life-they would give up everything
they had on earth rather than not pos
sess 1t.
Like the man who found the hidden
treasure. they would sell all that they
had to possess that field. Like the
merchantmen seeking goodly pearls,
when they found this pearl of great
price they would give up everything
they had rather than to give up this
priceless pearl. 49,
Let us study these parallels a little
more closely. They represent two diff
ferent classes of men. The parable
If the man who found the treasure hid
In the field represents man going
about his daily business, living sur
lace life, unaware that just below the
surface. II he would dig little deep
sr, he would find rich treasure, not
knowing that there Is richer, better
life in store for him, until accidental
ly, as 1t were, he stumbles upon "the
Christian secret of a happy life" and
goes on through life. rejoicing in his
lewfound happiness.
The parable of the merchantmen
seeking goodly pearls represents a diff
ferent type of a. man, one of high
deals and expectations, always reach
ing out after something better than
he possessed, until at last. in his seek
Ing, he comes across the pearl of great
price revealed in, the peerless one, a.=sa
he gladly parts with all that he has
gained that he may possess 1t. Such
a choice soul was Paul. who said:
What things were gain to me these
have counted loss for Christ. Yea,
verify, and count all things to be loss
for the excellency Of the knowledge Of
Christ Jesus my Lord, for WHOM
suffered the loss Of all things and do
count them but refuse that ! may gain
him."
Another choice soul was Justin,
martyr, one of the early Christians,
who tells us in his writings how he
had travelled through the whole circle
OF Greek philosophy, seeking every
wherc for that which would satisfy
the deepest needs of his hearts soul.
and ever seeking In, vain. till he found
1t at length in the gospel OF Christ.
This parable represents an earnest,
seeking soul finding at the end, Of its
weary quest Christ, Gods answer to
the hearts need.
We show our appreciation of the
value OF this treasure. this pearl, by
rho earnestness with which we seek