he
treasure which enriches a soul is a purchase which a needy man makes by
the surrender of all that he has, and in another aspect it is a free
gift bestowed by God for Christ's sake upon him who had nothing to give
in return. In as far forth as it is a purchase which a sinner makes,
this parable represents its nature; but in as far forth as it is a gift
given on the one side and accepted on the other, this parable is silent.
It contains no feature capable of presenting salvation in that point of
view.

6. Mark, now in the close yet another specific feature of the material
fact which has its counterpart in full on the spiritual side. It is
intimated that when the man had discovered the treasure, "for joy
thereof" he went and sold all, in order to buy the field that contained
it. This "joy" is an essential element in the case. If it is wanting the
business will at some stage certainly miscarry, the transaction will
never be completed. One love in a human heart cannot be overcome and
destroyed except by another. Love, among the affections of our nature,
is one of those high born nobles who refuse to be tried or superseded
except by their peers. Love of the world will not yield to fear, even
though the fear be a fear of God's anger. You cannot overcome and cast
it out until you bring against it another and greater love.

A man has joy in his possession, and lives without God in the world: he
is a god unto himself. He cannot and will not surrender his joy, such as
it is, to any summons except to that which a greater joy sends in. When
the preciousness of peace with God through the blood of Christ is
revealed to him, the "joy thereof" becomes so great that all his gold
becomes dross, and all his fine gold dim in his own esteem. This new joy
is so weighty that it tosses up the scale in which all his former
delights lay, as if they were only the small dust of the balance.

A young rich man came running once to Jesus, as the owner of the field
that contained the treasure of eternal life, and entered gravely into
terms for the purchase. He would give so much for it, but the owner held
it high: "All that thou hast," this is the price, and there is no
abatement. The young man did not close with that offer, and did not
complete the transaction. He went away; but what was the state of his
mind as he departed? "He went away sorrowful." Ah! the secret is out.
Although he desired, in some sense, to obtain what he called eternal
life