23. Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
24. The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.
25. Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.
This is the merchant-man, who purchased the “pearl of great price at the cost of all that he had.” (Matthew 13:45, 46.) The blessing can indeed only be “bought without price.” (Isaiah 55:1.) It is as free, as it is precious. But the figure sets out the importance of gaining it at any cost. First, however, let us satisfy ourselves that the seller is no deceiver; that he is perfectly upright in his dealings. “Buy of me” (Revelation 3:18) — saith the Savior. This sets the matter at rest. If we do not really want the article, we shall not pay much heed to the injunction. “Buy those things that ye have need of”† — is the rule. Ponder also its inestimable value. It is the truth, the only means of salvation,† the only deliverance from sin,† the only principle of holiness,† the “One thing needful.”† Place the blessing fully in view — “The excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord — that I may win Christ, and be found in him — that I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.”† We cannot be defrauded in the purchase. It is a cheap purchase at any price. (Chapter 3:15.) The “lover of pleasure” values highly the baubles of Vanity Fair. But Bunyan beautifully describes the pilgrims, answering the sneering reproach — ‘What will you buy?’ They lifted up their eyes above — ‘We will buy the truth.’
But, like the well-practiced merchant, we must secure the genuine article. Many a counterfeit article is put forth.† Bring everything “to God's standard.”† That which brings wisdom, instruction, and understanding, is the truth of God.
Then having ascertained its riches and its purity — not only wish for it, gaze at it, commend it; but buy the truth. Not only bid, make an offer; but strike the agreement. Make it thine. The man did not wish for the field with the “hidden treasure;” but he “sold all that he had, and bought it.” And let thy purchase be the whole truth. Every particle, the very filings of the gold, are invaluable — “Set thine heart upon all that I shall shew thee.” (Ezekiel 40:4.) Many are content to be at some pains, but they stop short of the prize. (2 Timothy 3:7.) Shrink not from the full price; as did Herod;† the young ruler;† Agrippa;† and therefore they bought it not. Moses gave up for it “the treasures of Egypt;”† Paul, his Jewish privileges, and high reputation.† The Hebrews “took joyfully the spoiling of their goods.”† The martyrs “loved not their lives unto the death.”† And who of these repented of the costly purchase?
Having thus made the purchase, shall we part with it? Should we not find it all we expected; or should we after all discover that we did not want it, we should be glad to be rid of it. Many an estate has been bought, and sold again, from disappointed expectations. But though usually what we have bought, we are at liberty to sell; here is a command to buy, but a prohibition to sell. And a merciful prohibition it is! For those who sell the truth, sell their own souls with it. And “what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul!” (Matthew 16:26.) Can we look at Esau,† Judas,† Demas,† selling their treasure for a thing of nought, without sorrowful trembling? Yet their apostasy clearly proved, that they had never “received the truth in the love of it:”† that it was some shining shadow, merely notional and speculative; never engrafted in their hearts. Having therefore never felt the power, or known its price, they could sell it for this world's pleasure, or for the more flattering delusions of their own hearts. Reader: have you ever known that apprehension of Divine Truth, that has made it in your eyes worth every sacrifice to buy it? No one — be assured — who has really bought it, will ever be willing to sell it.
A joyous sight it is to see children realizing their parents’ fondest hopes; proving “a wise heart” (Verses 15, 16) by a diligent inquiry about this only gainful purchase; not content with receiving it by education, but making the contract for themselves; discovering that religion must be a personal concern, an individual transaction between God and their own souls. Cause is it indeed for greatly rejoicing, to see our righteous children thus enriched for eternity, in possession of a treasure which they can never spend, and which no troubles, no changes, no malice of hell, can touch. If the godly parents have had a seed-time of tears, these precious sheaves of joy are an abundant recompense.† The stern exclusive system which recognizes little, save the divine purpose and sovereignty, annuls, or at least enervates, the responsibility of means, and thus loses the privilege both of trusting the promise, and witnessing its accomplishment. Will not the child feel the constraining obligation to fulfill his parent's rejoicing thus vividly portrayed? Most unnatural must he be, if his heart does not glow with the desire thus to repay his father's anxious love, and the yearning tenderness of her that bare him. They ask no other requital, than the joy and gladness of seeing a righteous and a wise son. Selfishness itself might supply a motive; since parental gladness is the child's own joy, walking in “wisdom's ways of pleasantness and peace.”
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