Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/505

 My disciple."  (Luke  xiv.  33.)  We  must,  therefore,  leave all  things  in  this  world,  at  least  in  affection,  to  attain  the perfect  enjoyment  of  Christ,  and  we  must  consider  that we  have  made  a  good  exchange,  for  we  gain  a  hundred fold,  a  hundred  times  over  what  we  have  left.

I. "The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  to  a  merchant seeking  good  pearls." (Matt. xiii.  45.)  We  are  all  merchants so  long  as  we  live  in  this  world;  hence,  Christ  in the  parable  of  the  talents  said,  "  Trade  till  I  come." (Luke xix.  13.}  All  men  are  in  quest  of  pearls;  that  is, of  the  means  of  happiness;  some  place  their  happiness in  temporal  enjoyments,  others  in  learning  and  science, and  others  in  honors.  They  are,  however,  all  mistaken; all  these  are  false  pearls;  they  have  nothing  to  recommend them  but  their  outward  show.  Hence  the  Apostle addresses  the  rich:  "Your  riches  are  putrefied,  your  gold and  silver  are  rusted."  (James  v.  2.)  Examine  whether you  be  not  employed  in  seeking  such  kind  of  pearls.

II. "When he  had  found  one  pearl  of  great  value,  he sold  all  that  he  had,  and  bought  it." There is  only  one true and  really  valuable  pearl,  that  is,  Christ  our  Lord and the  love  of  eternal  things. " All  gold  in  comparison to  her  is  as  a  little  sand,  and  silver  in  respect  to  her shall  be  counted  as  clay." (Wisdom, vii.  9.)  There  is no  comparison  between  time  and  eternity,  heaven  and earth, nor  is  there  any  between  Christ  and  all  earthly goods whatever,  and  yet  as  often  as  you  sin  you  prefer some temporal  gratification  to  Christ.

III. Here we  are  told  again  that  this  precious  pearl  is