The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1910-12-23
The Surprise of
the Spiritual
By REV. HUGH 7. KERR
Pastor Fullerton Avenue Presbyterian
Church, Chicago

TEXT-The kingdom Of heaven is like
unto treasure hid in a field, the which
when man hath found, he hideth, and
for Joy thereof goeth and selleth all that
he hath and knoweth that 1eld.-Mat-
thew XIII, A.
The discovery Of hidden treasures
was one Of The, expectant surprises OF
the past. said the Rev. Mr.. Kerr. The
secrecy of the soil was once the SAT
est security. Nero became the laugh
ing stock of his people because he
was induced to Investigate marvel
GUS treasure-trove in a distant part OF
his dominions said to be waiting for
finder. Men Of our day, too, have be-
come the laughing stock Of their fei'
lows by selling their all to invest IN
mountains of rock said to contain
acres of gold and stratas OF shale and
to secrete rivers of oil. But this man
of the parable was no laughing stock,
but the wonder of his age and the
envy of many men.
Without searching for 1t, he dfscov'
cred a treasure. The glittering gold
shone before his very eyes. Accord
ing to the law Of the land it was his.
His heart danced for very Joy and IN
his Joy he parted with everything ne
had and possessed himself of that
miracle-working field.
God is better far than mountains OF
gold, said Jesus. To find God, to
possess him, is worth the sacrifice
Of every other thing. God is the
greatest discovery a man can make.
Job cried out for God. Philip asked
after the father. Tennyson said the
greatest desire of his life was to have
a new vision of God. Let US follow
the path of this unnamed discoverer
and, If we can, learn his secret.
He was surprised into his discovery.
1t was all 30 unexpected and so amaz-
ing and so wonderful that he could
not believe his eyes when the glitter
ing gold and the shining silver lay
spread out in heap at his feet.
So does God sometimes surprise the
souls of men. We would not be seek
ing kim had we not already been
found of him. Our search for God
has been so long and SO patient as
has his search for US. Sometimes he
discovers himself to US and ere we
know 1t we are in his presence. Like
Livingstone in the African wilderness
suddenly facing his discoVerer, so
does God discover us. Nicodemus may
search for God in the secrecy OF the
night, but in the broad daylight Jesus
reveals himself to the surprised Sa-
maritan woman Zacchaeus may climb
the tree to see the Christ, but Jesus
Unexpectedly calls Matthew from his
customary place.
So do men stumble upon God in life.
Men are surprised into the spiritual
by the very act of the eternal spirit
they are not looking for God, they are
found of him. Paul went with slaugh
ter in his heart to Damascus and 10!
he found not the Christians but the
Christians God. Verify, said the
prophet, thou art a God that hidest
thyself. The spiritual life from be-
ginning to end is one long series OF
discovery. The hidden treasure OF
Gods all-pervasive presence Is ever
revealing new wonders to our souls.
He was surprised into a new men
tai temperament. The very grammar
dances with Joy. The words as they
fell from the lips of Jesus are bub
bling over with a new found delight
The man walks as it were on air and
lives his life in gladness of present
possession. So rejoiced is he in his
new found treasure that he again
hides 1t away as something too pre-
cious to exploit, and holds his secret
for a little while at least, in selfish
monopoly.
The spiritual life must ever sur
prise men into very intoxication Of
delight. The early church was one
! great merry making community. The
people of that age did not understand
the Astounding Joy and the overwhelm
ing gladness that possessed the Chris
tians who sang in the midst of defeat
and who rejoiced in tribulation. Wher
Gods surprises the soul there II
! Astounding light-heartedness and
burst of melody. Every revival o.
true religion has been accompanied
I with a burst Of song.
The miners of Wales went down IN
to the darkness with gospel songs up
on their lips. In the prison-house Of
Phillippi Paul and Silas sang songs
of Joy until the very prison was smit
ten as with an earthquake. God, pity
! us for our dry-as-dust religion! There
is no gospel in the religion of man!
| of our people, and the missing note IL
our modern Christianity Is the note o.
Astounding Joy and spiritual cheerful
ness. Our missionary meetings are
| too often places Of tears and TRACE
dies. Our prayer services are too
often a rendezvous for dispirited fol
lowers, Awake, awake, put on tn.
beautiful garments. Our Christ Is {
conoueror and our treasure is pure
gold.
He was surprised into a new inter
pretation of sacrifice. In his Joy HI
! eoeth and selleth all that he has, ant
buyeth that field. There is nothing
to weep over in that transaction
There Is no use to shed tears owe
that sacrifice. Indeed, there is no sac
rifice. Men talk abou- sacrifices, sait
the immortal Livingstone; God know
l never made a sacrifice. This from
the man who wore his life out to hea
the open sore Of the world, and we
with out ,etty self-denials talk abou
sacrifice!
If we wish the priceless treasure