AS far back as Abraham's day we read of men weighing out gold for the purchase price of what they wished to possess. The merchantman followed his occupation from the earliest times; he weighed out his money and obtained things in exchange for his gold. Let us look to the thirteenth of Matthew, and listen to our Lord's word, about the merchantman. The Lord Jesus often spoke in parables. He did not always in plain, unmistakable language explain the hidden things of God to men, hence His words were sometimes misunderstood; and He tells us that He did so speak because the hearts of His hearers were hard, and that they might not readily understand His word. To His disciples Jesus explained some of His parables, and He would have us who love Him comprehend their meaning.
You remember His parable about the rich man who found a treasure in afield, and which he hid, and then, for the joy he had in that treasure, went and sold all that he had in order to buy the field which contained it.
Our Lord was then speaking of Himself. He was rich, yet for our sakes became poor, that we through His poverty might be rich. The field is the world; the treasure, His people; and the joy, the gladness of His love over His treasure.
It is very sweet to our hearts to consider this deep love of our Lord, "for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath." He gave up His glory in heaven, He left the throne on high, and for the joy of having you, and all who are His, as His treasure forever, suffered and died upon the cross of Calvary. Does not this teach us how He loves us? Yes, indeed,
One there is above all others,
Oh, how He loves!
Keep the love of Jesus before your heart, think of it continually, and you will be happier day by day. Say to yourself, "Why should Jesus value such an one as I, so as to leave all His glory and honors, and to die, that I might be His?”
And as He has bought "the field"—that is the world—remember that it is His, not only because being God He made it, but because as a Man He purchased it by His blood. He will do with the world what He thinks fit. But if you had a field in which a treasure was, of one thing I am certain—you would take your treasure out of it. So will Jesus, He will take you and all who are His out of the world, before He punishes the guilty upon the earth for their rejection of Him.
There is another beautiful parable which Jesus spake, it is also a very short one: "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchantman seeking goodly pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold 'all that he had, and bought it." Jesus is this merchantman, the pearl of great price' His people. The pearl is a bible type of purity. The gates of the Holy City are each one pearl—perfect purity is the gateway to eternal glory. Yes, Jesus looks at His people as perfectly pure and holy; He sees not a spot or a speck on them, and by-and-bye He will present His church to Himself, not having a blemish or any such thing.
Poor sinful children and grown people are regarded by Jesus as His pearl. He values them more than anything else. They are indeed of great price to Him,— so costly that nothing less than His On blood could pay for them. But Jesus has bought us, and we ate His forever. He bought the world that He might take the treasure in it out of it, for His joy. He bought the pearl of great price that it might be His pure and lovely possession forever.