upon earth, is this happy work completed. But in spite of infirmities and drawbacks, from which none are exempt, wheresoever the truth of God's Word is allowed free entrance, there its influence is felt, and its power gradually developed. It will force its way into the inmost recesses of the heart; it will penetrate the hidden corners in which carnal affections still lurk; and will discover and lay bare those sources from which secret sins and involuntary breaches of the divine law, spring. Gradually it will change the whole man. 'If any man be in Christ he is a new creature; old things are passed away; all things are become new.' The full meaning and perfect realization of these words corresponds to that happy condition, represented in the parable under the figure of the Leaven, when the principles of the Gospel have so quickened the whole man, that all his tastes, habits, desires, and affections, nay, his whole character, have been entirely changed. The question each must ask himself is, whether this Leaven has begun to work within him; whether such a change has in any degree come over him? He who can feel within him a principle, which substitutes high and heavenly motives for those of earth, and which sets before him a rule of conduct founded on the law of God, instead of the maxims of human prudence, may rest assured that the Leaven of the Gospel is not inactive within. him. It must indeed continue to work with increasing force so long as the state of trial upon earth lasts. But if not checked by negligence or wilful resistance,

its effects will quickly become manifest; gradually its influence will extend deeper and deeper, until, when the time shall arrive for the separation of soul and body, the work of purification shall be completed. Then will the spirit be prepared to meet the spirits

of just men made perfect;' and to stand in the presence of God, decked in those pure and white robes which are the heritage of the saints.

THE HIDDEN TREASURE AND THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE.

MATT. xiii. 44, 45, 46.

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 selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

HESE two parables, which seem intended to teach

THESE

the same lesson, were addressed by our Lord not to the people at large, but to his disciples, 'after he had sent the multitude away,' having delivered in public the four similitudes of the Sower and the Seed, the Tares, the Grain of Mustard Seed, and the Leaven.

44. Treasure hid in a field. It was by no means uncommon in the East, and the practice still prevails, to hide money in the ground or elsewhere, in times of public disturbance, or in order to keep it safe from the extortion of some powerful neighbour.

He hideth. That is, keeps the discovery secret, lest some other person should either carry it off, or anticipate him in the purchase of the field.

Buyeth that field. This is intended only to represent the eagerness and determination with which the finder of the treasure acts. His conduct in concealing his discovery from the owner of the field is not, of course, held up to the praise or imitation of Christians.

It was not essential to the object of the parable to express any opinion as to the honesty of the transaction.

45. Merchant man. A man who is a trader.

Goodly pearls. The object of the trader was to purchase not merely pearls, which differed very much in value, but goodly pearls-pearls of a rich and rare quality.

46. One pearl of great price. A pearl so valuable, that it answered the purpose of the merchant to sell all that he had, and buy it. He felt sure that he would be able to resell it at a considerable profit.

The object of both these parables is to represent the kingdom of heaven, that is, the riches of the Gospel of Christ, as of more value than all other things, and to urge the duty of sacrificing all else, in order to secure it. Such a lesson was very needful for the early disciples of Christ. They had both felt and acknowledged that the Gospel which they had espoused contained the words of eternal life. For the sake of it they had already suffered the loss of all things. But though they had borne witness to this truth, there was no little danger lest they should practically deny and abandon it, and return to the world. Persecution, and poverty, and scorn, were but too likely to produce this result, even with those who had with their own eyes seen the Lord Christ. And so it is now. Men are far-sighted, at least in theory, as regards their real interests; and there are but few who will not allow that, if the

happiness which this world and the kingdom of heaven have to offer be placed side by side, the value of the spiritual infinitely outweighs that of the temporal. In words and outward profession scarce any one is found to deny this; in practice few follow it out. To this point the parables are directed. Not only must men exercise care in proposing to themselves that which will alone yield solid and lasting enjoyment, but they must also be ready to give up for this all else which they possess. All objects, save one, are earthly and perishable; mean and worthless when soberly estimated; they often fail, though they seem within the grasp; often, though fair in show, in actual experience they yield no satisfaction. They ill repay labour, and care, and self-denial, spent in pursuit of them. The Gospel alone, of all things given by God to man, amply recompenses those who earnestly seek for it, and honestly embrace it. And this is not only true of the rich rewards promised hereafter in heaven to those that love God, but it holds good even in this life. In more than one passage of the Acts of the Apostles mention is made of the 'great joy' which filled the minds of those who had embraced the Gospel. Can men in the present day not realize this joy? or is it because there never was a time when they knew what it was to be anything but professing Christians, that they cannot enter into the rapture felt by the early believers. If men were now told, for the first time, of the glad tidings of the Gospel, that it holds out the hope of forgiveness of all sins, that