River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1910-09-29
The Treasure
and the Pearl
By REV. E. SINCLAIR SMITH
Pastor of Westpsinster Presbyterian
Church. Houston, Texas

unto treasure hid In q Held, tE0i
which when a man hath found be
hideth and for joy thereof goeth and
selleth all that he hath and buyeth
chat 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 characterizesi
these two parallels as the Treasure
and the Pearl" Cor 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 Tod. They show how the
kingdom of God ought to be esteemed
in whatever esteem it 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 Ere 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 it not the kingdom OF
| God set up in a maE's heart? To
have Gods kingdom set up in mans
own heart, to be In touch and sympa-
thy with the great interests of Christ'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 broadcast life There is only one
thing worth living for-the kingdom
| Of God. Christ teaches and expert
ence proves the truth of his teaching
| that only the kingdom of God set up
In a 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 Christ
enthroned In the heart, the source OF
life eternal! this is mans chief good.
"This 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" If men only knew the signifi-
canoe of those two words-eternat
| life-thcv 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.
| Let us study these parallels little
more closely. They represent two diff
| ferent classes of men. The parable
of the man who found the treasure hid
In the field represents a man going
| about his daily business, living sur
face life. unaware that just below the
surface. If he would dig little deep
| err he would find a rich treasure, not
knowing that there is richer. better
life in store for him, until accidental
| 1v as II were, he stIlmbles upon the
christian secret of happy life" and
roes on through life rejoicing in his
newfound happiness.
The parable Of the merchantmen
seeking goodly pearls represents diff
ferent type of a man, one OF hlgh
ideals and expectations, always reach
ing out after something better than
he possessed, until at last, In his seek
I ing. he comes across the pearl of great
nrice revealed in the peerless one, and
he gladly parts with all that he has
gained that he may possess IT, Such
a choice soul was Paul, who said:I
What things were gain to me these
! have counted loss for Christ. Yea.
verify. and I count all things to be loss
for the excellency of the knowledge or
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,
| 1rbo tolls 11s in his writings how he
had travelled through the whole circle
of Greek philosophy, seeking every
where for that which would satisfy.
the deepest needs of his hearts soul,
and ever seeking In vain, till he found
it at length in the gospel of Christ.
This parable represents an earnest.
seeking soul finding at the end Of It's
weary quest Christ, Gods answer to
| the hearts need.
We show our appreciation of the
value of this treasure, this pearl, by
| the earnestness with which we seek
to possess 1t. The man that found this
hidden treasure sold all that he had
that he might possess this treasure.
If the kingdom of God set up in the
heart is the chief good then our only
rational course is to give up every
thing that hinders our possessing 1t.
| 1t is irrational to go through life with
out possessing ourselves of it.
| Requirements of Religion.
| Religion requires first person who
is right and righteous in his soul, and