The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 23

Be of good cheer; only believe. 3. Think of the great harvest. "f;et your affection ,,Q things above." Vera. 44-53.-Tlie parables addressed to the disciples. I. TnE RIDDEN TREASURE. 1. The story. Treasures were often hidden in fact, still more often in fiction. A man walked through the field; be lighted enddenly on the treasure. _He bid it ag;ain. It wns his, probably, by right of finding. Bot in this parable, as in otners, not every detail is to be pressed. Earthly stories cannot exactly express every feature of spiritual truth. One parable supplies the omissions of another; taken together, they fill up the picture. His joy was great. He sold all that he had to buy the field, that the treasure might be clearly his beyond doubt and question. 2. The meaning. The field may be the visible Church. It may be the Holy Scriptures. 'l'he finder was in the Church. He knew his Bible well, but be bad not yet found Christ. The ordinances of the Church were but forms to him; tbe Bible was like other books. Suddenly, by the grace of God, like St. Paul or St. Augustine, he lights upon the bidden treasure. He recognizes its surpassing value. A great joy fills bis heart, a joy deep nnd entrancing, a glimpse of the gladness of heaven. But there is something awful in that joy, something too sacred for words. At first be dares not speak of it ; not through jealousy of others-God forbid I-but through fear lest he should lose it. Loud talk, boasting, spiritual pride, might rob him of the treasure. In deep humility he hides it in his heart. But he sells all that he has. He buys the field. Now the Church is to him the Church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth; now the Bible is precious exceedingly; for the -treasure in it is now bis. Like St. Paul, he has counted a.11 things else as dross, as very dung, that he might find Christ. He bas found him, and in him he bag found a treasure precious beyond what words can tell; a hidden treasure, which none can know save those who, like the happy finder, part with all other treasures to make that one holiest treasure theirs for ever. II, THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE. 1. The merchant. He was an earnest seeker. Hie life was not aimless. He knew that there is a meaning and a purpose in this our earthly life. It is not to be wasted; it must be used in real work. He was not content to live on from day to day enjoying the passing hour without thought of the future. He was no listless loiterer, but a seeker, seeking ever with steadfast perseverance after the true end of human life. He was thoughtful, earnest, single-hearted; such a seeker sooner or later findeth. 2. The pearl. There were many. But the merchant sought only for goodly pearls. He was a. man of high aims from the beginning. Pleasure was not the pearl, nor earthly rank or wealth. But wisdom perhaps attracted him, or the desire of doing good, or the love of wife or child. These were goodly in their degree; but at last, ia his search, he found one pearl, in comparison of which all that had seemed most lovely became pale and poor. .At once he went, and with calm resolve sold all that he had to make that pearl his own. That pearl is the Lord Christ himself, the one thing needful, the good part which Mary chose, while Martha was careful and troubled about many things. 'l'hat pearl is beyond comparison of all things goodly the goodliest and the best. He who would buy that pearl must sell all that he has. He must learn to love the Lord his God with all his heart, and to subordinate all other loves to that one holiest love. He must hush into calm the tumult of enrthly desires, that the one strong desire of Christ, the Desire of all nations, may fill his heart. To such earnest seekers the pearl of great price is given. .Again the parable is not exact in its details ; no earthly story can be. Eternal life, which is the knowledge of Christ, is the gift of God. It is a reward altogether overpassing and throwing into shade our utmost efforts. Poor and helpless as we are, we could not buy it, were it not that he giveth the unspeakable Gift, the gift of Christ, without money and without price, to those who seek in perse- vering prayer and earnest faith, B11t he is pleased, in his Divine condescension, to speak of us as buying the pearl. He ao epts our poor unworthy love, and gives us in return that priceless Gift to be our own. III. •raE NET. 1. Cast into the sea. It was a draw-net, large and long. It gathered of every kind till it was full. The sea is the world; the not is the Church. The net is drawn through the sea till it is filled with fishes. The Church spreads through the world till the number of the elect is accomplished. Till that time the net is in the sea, the Church is in the world. There are many not yet gathered into the net, The sea  24 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. [on. xm. 1-58.