Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 August 1912 — BROOKLYN TABERNACLE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

BROOKLYN TABERNACLE

THE KINGDOM A PRIZED Matthew xiii, 44-53—Aug. 4. ■'SeeA- ye /tr«t the Kingdom of God and Hit righteousness. and all these things shall be added unto you.”—Matthew ri, S 3. CODAY we have further precious lessons from the Great Teacher respecting His Kingdom. The parable of the “Treasure hid in the Field” is not one of the parables which Jesus expounded. His people, therefore, are left to exercise their judgment of its meaning, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the light shed upon it by other Scriptures. Indeed, there might be more than one application of it. Bnt our preference of thought is that the Great Teacher not to Himself, but to those whom He instructed. By virtue of His own covenant of sacrifice, the Kingdom was al-

ready promised to Him, and He. in turn, in the Father’s name, was inviting those who had ears to hear, and heart to appreciate, to become members of His Kingdom class. He recommends that these should view the Kingdom after the illustration of this parabl e. Suppose in

their journeying they saw a field for sale at a certain price, and suppose, upon examination, they found tp contain a great treasure. The treasure might consist of very excellent soil, especially suited to their purpose, or of a valuable vein of precious metal, or of money buried centuries ago and forgotten, and not belonging to the owner of the field more than to others who might find it. insuch a case any one of ordinary intelligence would be willing to invest everything that he possessed to acquire the title.

So the Master declared to those who heard Him then, and to us who receive His words now, that He has information to give respecting a Great Treasure, a Priceless Treasure, which can be obtained only by the expenditure of great energy and the investment of everything of value. The Great Treasure is the share in the Messianic Kingdom—that by accepting the terms of discipleship we may become not only sons of God, bftt heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ our Lord to His heavenly Inheritance.

A Pearl of Great In the days of our Savior pearls were amongst the most precious of jewels, and the larger and more nearly perfect the pearl the greater its value. The Great Teacher used this familiar matter as the basis for a lesson on the value of the Kingdom. The Merchant of the Parable found a Pearl so superior In every respect that he "considered it cheap to give everything thiit he possessed to become its owner. This, said the Master, illustrates the value of the Kingdom, with its glory, , honor and immortality, which I am

inviting an elect, saintly little flock to share with Me. Those who prize it properly will show their appreciation by the amount they will be willing to pay for it. Whether a man be wealthy or poor, learned or ignorant, influential or otherwise, the cost of this Kingdom

Pearl will be—his all. The wealthiest or most talented person in the world could not obtain a share in that Kingdom if he kept back one atom of his possessions; the price of the Kingdom is self-sacrifice, even unto death, and nothing less will secure it Nor would any sacrifice that we could make secure a share in this Kingdom for us, except as our sacrifice should first be made acceptable in God’s sight through the precious merit of our Redeemer’s sacrifice. The Parable of the Fish Net. We are not to think of the Kingdom as a net, but that the embryo Kingdom resembles a fishing experience with* net, in which were gathered all kinds of fish. This is a parable of the embryo Kingdom because it relates to a work done in this Age, In connection with the finding of the “little flock” who will constitute the Kingdom In glory. The Lord during this Age has not been seeking all kinds of people. He has been calling, drawing especially, and dealing with, only the “elect,” only the saintly. But, Incidentally, a variety of other kinds of fish have gotten into the Gospel Net, some from worldly ambitions, some because religious systems are a good matrimonial field, others because of social privileges and standing, others because they would use religion as a cloak for business enterprises, etc. The parable teljs us that “when the net was full it was drawn ashore” and the fish sorted. Then the fishing ceased. Who can say that the opportunity for entering the “net” as one of the true “fish” of the kind the Lord is seeking may not be almost at an end? Who can say that the Gospel Net, with its full assortment of churchianlty of every style, will not soon be drawn , ashore that the suitable, the elect, may I be gathered into the Kingdom?

“Seek first the Kingdom and its righteousness.”

The "pearl” of Heavenly treasure most desirable.