The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1913-09-30
By DIVINE COMMAND.
All Must Seek the Truth, But
Stern Prohibition Is
"SeII 1t Not!'

II IS the one ABOVE all others thai
should never be sold. 1t should be
obtained, however much we are called
upon to pay for 1t, and never bartered
away at any price that may be OF
fered
1t is a significant fact that the
truth cannot be bought from those
who have It for sale. The mercenary
preacher, teacher or public speaker
who suppresses the truth by uttering
smooth things to please men, are
selling the truth for the supposed
gain of popularity, but we do not OBJ
tain the truth from them.
There is a mart of truth God is
truths and from him alone In the rev.
Citations he has made is this greatest
Of all commodities to be secured. In a
very important sense, we have to buy
the truth.
There is no such thing as getting
something for nothing. II we do not
pay for the thing ourselves, others
have paid for US. We may inherit
that for which we did not labor, but
others have labored for 1t. Every
| ShAhS VI cat fotU0 10 UOuRuI at a
great price, and there is nothing of
greater value than truth.
No Price Too High to Pay.
We must buy 1t; that is, we must
be willing to give up anything or
everything else for 1t. 1t is cheap at
any price. Whatever 1t costs there is
never occasion to repent or be sorry
OF the bargain. No specific price is
fixed for tit can never be too dear.
Money alone will not buy it, but
money expended for education and
the gaining Of knowledge is a means
by which truth is bought All the
pains and labors endured in searching
after truth; all losses suffered in tenn
poral interests by refusal to deny or
neglect the truth, are payments in
purchase Of the truth. 1t Is pearl of
such great price that every one should
be willing to sell all that he has in
order to buy 1t. And having obtained
it, he must not sell it.
The divine prohibition is, Sell It
not"
The human prohibitory laws are d. !
rected against the sale of things that |
are injurious and harmful And all |
such things should neither be sold nor
bought In the divine law sale is for
hidden of the commodity that is the
most beneficial and helpful.
All should buy and none should
sell. 1t is a possession of such tran
scendent value that the owner should
never part with 1t. 1t may be- i'm
parted and yet still retained. It is
kept If it Is given away To teach
knowledge to others does not lessen
but increases our own knowledge.
To sell the truth is to part with 1t
entirely without getting value re-
ceived
There are many who sell the truth
Tor the honors, riches and pleasures
Of the world. They make a bad bar
gain. The wealth of honor fades, the
riches take wings and fly away and
the pleasures lose their exhilaration
and charm.
Truth is eternal, and it has no
equivalent or substitute for which 1t
IAN be bartered. Everything is value
ess when contrasted with truth. Life
tself is not an equivalent for it. A
seeming paradox Is that truth may
De bought, and yet there is no equiva-
ent for which 1t may be sold.
Buy the truth and sell 1t not"
Truth is bought with the currency
II heaven, and it has no sale in that
calm. II sold at all it must be paid
or In the currency of earth. The
combined wealth of the world is not
equal In value to truth, therefore "sell
t not"
Prohibition Ever In Force.
The prohibition against its sale has E
'een in force from the beginning.
Our first parents sold the truth for
taste of forbidden fruit, and their
ad bargain entailed upon themselves
nd their posterity the appalling loss L
II Eden and all the peace, comfort c
nd hope that possession meant to t
hem and to the human race.
The prohibition against the sale of l
ruth has ever remained in force. 2
is an unrepealable statute of the q
ivine law
cain sold the truth for the fruits {
L revenge. For his parting with the q
reat truth OF brotherhood he received a
exchange the curse of the fugitive a
nd the vagabond and henceforth bore
pom his brow an ineffacabie mark of y
nfamy G
Judas sold the truth for thirty pieces
I silver; Ananias and Sapphire sold f
for part of their possessions. and f
heir names have ever been by. g
'ord and reproach among men. The b
1ost awful and appalling conse-
uences have ever attended the sale
the truth. Therefore, "seH 1t not"
1t can never be disposed of or part I
with for any price or any purpose e
'ithout entailing disaster and loss a
here is nothing of permanent value
receive in exchange for it. 1T is a
lore precious than silver or gold. and d
II the things thou canst desire are IL
OF to be compared unto it." il
Let not any consideration. any DOW IL
:, any influence, stand in the way Of tt
our gaining the truth, and then sell n