XII.

THE HIDDEN TREASURE.

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and sellcth all that he hath, and buyeth that field." MATT. xiii. 44.

T has often been a practice in troubled times to hide treasure in some secret place, with the intention of finding it again when peace should be restored. Various are the hiding-places that have been chosen an old wall, the hollow of a tree, a hole in the ground. But it has happened not seldom that some one else has been so fortunate as to discover the hiding-place, and to possess himself of the treasure, to the bitter disappointment of the owner when he went to look for what he had hidden.

Such a finding is represented in this parable. A man finds treasure hidden in a field. He tells his secret to no one, but, full of joy, takes instant measures to make the prize his own. Carefully hiding it again out of sight, he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Now no one can dispute his right. When once the field is his, he may claim all that is in it. He has made a sacrifice, it is true, to obtain it; but he has secured the treasure as his own.

Our Lord likens the kingdom of heaven to this trea

sure. He represents to us by this parable the gospel itself, and the conduct of one who truly embraces it.

The gospel is a treasure indeed-better than gold and silver, more precious than rubies, worth more than all the world. A man may have all that the world can give, yet without the gospel he is poor; and he is rich who has the gospel, though he may be in want of almost all besides.

But the gospel has not always been made known : even now it is unknown to a great part of mankind; and where it is known, numbers know it only with the understanding, not with the heart. In all these cases it is like "treasure hid in a field." The heathen are altogether ignorant of it, from them this treasure is quite hidden. The nominal Christian knows of its existence, but knows not its preciousness; and it is no treasure to one who feels no need of it, and sees no value in it.

But when the conscience is awakened, and the heart is touched, and a man has been led to feel his sinfulness and need, and to see light and life and salvation in the gospel, then it is as though he had found hid treasure. Many among the heathen, hearing the gospel for the first time, have at once been brought to see its preciousness, and thus have found the treasure. But the change is hardly less, when one who has heard the sound of the gospel all his life first feels his heart affected by it. The treasure was close by him before; in the field with him as it were; but it was an unknown treasure. It may be that the man in the parable had passed by the spot where the treasure was a hundred times, had trodden it down with his feet, or driven his plough over it; but he never suspected what lay so near, till the day when perhaps the ploughshare,

in turning up the soil, disclosed what was beneath. So one may have heard the gospel year after year, and yet never have found out its preciousness, till some sermon or some word was brought home to his heart by the Holy Spirit.

When once the heart is thus awakened, then there is a change indeed. Other things lose much of their value, the soul is felt to be of the deepest importance, and the good news of salvation through Christ is prized above all. To gain a share in this great salvation, to be forgiven, reconciled, and saved, this is now felt to be the great concern; and all else seems of comparatively trifling moment. The man in the parable went and sold all that he had, and bought the field where the treasure was. The Apostle Paul declared that he had willingly suffered the loss of all things, that he might win Christ. Our Saviour taught us that there is but one thing needful. Even so must we embrace the gospel. We must seek salvation as the one thing needful; we must be willing to part with all for Christ's sake; we must count all but loss for him. No bosom sin must be spared, no vain attempt must be made to serve two masters, all that stands in the way of our souls must be freely parted with. Paul never repented the sacrifice he had made: "Yea, doubtless," he said, "and I count all things but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord." So highly should we prize this treasure, so joyful should we be to find it, that all else will seem to us as dross in comparison.

No earthly treasure can fully represent the preciousness of the gospel. The man in the parable was glad to part with all that he had in order to possess himself

of that field; and he did wisely, for the hidden treasure was of far greater value than the price paid to obtain it. Yet it was but earthly treasure after all; the same in kind as what he parted with for it, though larger in amount. But a little while, and all treasure of this kind, whether larger or smaller, whether inherited or earned, or found (as they say) by some lucky chance, must be left for ever. Not so the treasure of the gospel, the true riches. This is a treasure which no moth or rust can corrupt, which no thief can steal, and which even death itself cannot take away. On the contrary, death, which parts us from gold and silver and lands and houses, will but put us in fuller possession of these gospel riches, this heavenly treasure. "To me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." He who said this had already found "the unsearchable riches of Christ,” but he looked forward to a more perfect enjoyment of them after death.

There are also some other points of difference between the parable and what it is meant to represent.

The man in the parable bought the field; but there is no buying the spiritual treasure. We must indeed part with all that comes between us and salvation; but not in the way of a price paid. "The gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord." This is" without money, and without price."

Again, this treasure is enough to supply the wants of all. In the parable, but one could have it; in the gospel it is offered to all. "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money." "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

He therefore who finds it needs not to hide it, lest

another should discover it and rob him of it. On the contrary, the newly-awakened man desires to make all sharers in the blessing he has found. "Come hither, and I will tell you what he hath done for my soul." "The Spirit and the bride say, Come; and let him that heareth say, Come!" One sign of a man's having found the treasure himself is, that he desires to lead others to find it too. He who has found Christ loves Christ; and he who loves Christ, loves all for Christ's sake, and longs that all should know and love him.