The bee., 1912-03-08
The Surprise of
the Spiritual
By REV. HUGH 7. KERR
Pastor Fullerton Avenue Presbyterinr
Church. Chicago

The discovery O, hidden treag~rr'
was one of the expectant surprise q
the past, said the Rev. Mr ISer. rn.
secrecy of the soil was once the
est security Nero became the laug
ing stock of his people because hs
was induced to investigate marvel
Gus treasure-trove in a distant part oi
his dominions said to be waiting for a
finder. Men of our day. too. have be
come the laughing stock of their fel
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 discov.
cred 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 he
had and possessed himself of that
miracle-worzing 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
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 so 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 him 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-
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-peryasive 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 new found delight.
The man walks as 1t 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 it 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 abounding Joy and the overwhelm-
ing gladness that possessed the Chris
tians who sang In the midst of defeat
and who rejoiced In tribulation. When
Gods surprises the soul there is
abounding light-heartedness and
burst of melody. Every revival Of
true religion has been accompanied
with burst of song.
The miners of Wales went down IN.
to the darkness with gospel songs up
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 religionl There
is no gospel in the religion of many
of our people, and the missing note in
our modern Christianity is the note of
abounding Joy and spiritual cheerful
ness. Our missionary meetings are
too often places of tears and TRACE
dies. Our prayer services are too
often rendezvous for dispirited fol-
lowers. Awake awake, put on thy
beautiful garments. Our. Christ is a
conqueror and our treasure is pure
gold.
He was surprised into new inter
pretation of sacrifice. In his Joy he
goeth and selleth all that he has, and
buyeth that field. There is nothing
to weep over in that transaction.
There is no use TO shed tears over