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This Treasure therefore, he that's Taught of God, l'inds and Hides; and Selling all that he has, buys the Field. To Hide the Treasure found, what is it, but to cover received Grace, under the Veil of Humility? And not to be puff'd up with the Light fent from Above, nor make proud boaft of Divine Confolations and Revelations: Leaft Vain-Glory corrupt the True. St. Paul faid, It was not Expedient for him to Glory. 2 Cor. 12. 1. Tho' no one might have fuch Caufe, as he had for it: Yet he speaks there, of a man caught up into Paradife; as if it had been none of Himfelf: And not that Mention made neither, till Fourteen Years after.

Farther; Gladly to part with all, for the Purchafing of that Field, where the Treasure Lay, what does it fignify, But that he who would Enjoy God and Chrift, in the Kingdom of Heaven, muft take his Affections off all Earthly things, and devote himself, and whatever he has in the World, to the Will and Service of God? And that, not with a Heavy Heart, and as a forced Putt, But with Free will and great Alacrity. For God loveth Cheerful Giver. 2 Cor. 9. 7. And whoever does but well Underftand, how rich a Treasure it is, to Enjoy Chrift our Lord, in the Heavenly Eternal Countrey, To fee his Godhead with the eyes of the Mind

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and his Manhood even with Bodily eyes, To be made Partaker of all the Goods of God and Christ, and fecur'd in that Bleffed Portion for ever;never will he think it any great matter, to Defpife all Temporal things, and even Life it self, for the Love of God, and fuch Felicity everlafting.

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Of this Mind was S. Ignatius, when he could fay, Let Fire, the Cross, Worrying of wild Beafts, Cutting, Disjointing, Breaking of Members, the ruin of my whole Frame, and all the fcourges of the Devil come upon me; So that. I may but be thought meet to win Chrift. He that speaks thus, How much less would he Fear Want, Shame, Exile, Prisons, that he might not Lofe fuch an inestimable Treasure? And whoever would indeed Enfure the Treasure of Eternal Life, Let him seriously reflect on this, and bethink himself, whether he be fo Prepared and Refolved, to flight and Reject all other Goods. For otherwife, he is in no fair Way at all, (Alive or Dead) ever to obtain that Treafure, without which he'll be the most Beggarly and Wretched for ever.

But how comes it to pafs, That fo many, with the keeneft Concern, do search after Treafures of Gold and Silver: And not thinking all their Activity there fufficient, are ready to run for Infernal Help,To endanger not only the Lofs of Credit and Life, but of Soul and Heaven? while fo K 2

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few do find or feek thy Treasure, O Lord my God, who only canft compleatly Enrich a Man, without any fuch Venture, Coft, or Danger? No other Cause can Í allege, but the flender Faith of thy People; or fuch Eagernefs in fcraping together the Meat that perifhes, which will not give 'em Leifure, but fo much as to think and Confider of all thy Bleffed Glorious Promifes. Therefore, good Lord Increase qur Faith in thy Word; and extinguifh our Thirst after thefe Lower Acquifitions of the World; That with more ftudious Care, and stronger Defire, we may fearch out thy Treasure: And having found it, Let all go; that (by thy Grace,) we may make it our Own.

CHA P. II.

Of the Precious Pearl.

THE other Parable of the Precious Pearl

is that which follows next, Mat. 13. 45. And as the Pearl of great Price is like the Treasure, fo the Way of Obtaining it, by Selling all for it. We have need then only to fhew here, wherein the two Parables do differ; which is in Two par

ticulars ;That in the former,we are told of a Great Treasure; In this, of a rich Pearl. Again, that the Treasure was found by Chance, and the Pearl was fought by the Merchant.

The Fathers fay, That is call'd here a Pearl, which before went under the name of a Treasure, That we might understand the Divinity of our Lord, which is the Object of Eternal Blifs, and the Vision of it, Blefjednefs it felf, to be a Treasure indeed; But not fuch a one as is Divided into Pieces of Silver, Gold, or Precious ftones: But One thing alone, which comprizes all the Worth of an infinite Treafure. Though the Pearl is but One thing; Yet fuch a One, as has the Supremacy over all other.

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Again, The Treasure may confift only of Money, though in great Plenty; Yet all for Lucre; Not to make the Figure, or for Pleasure. Therefore, left any might be tempted by that Parable, to look cenforiously upon the Heavenly Bliss, only as a mighty Fund, and not for Splendor or Honour; This of the Pearl may be added, To teach us, that our Lord's Deity and Felicity is not only as a Treasure of unfearchable Riches, for Wealth; But alfo,as the most amiable Pearl,For all Lovely Beauty, and fweet Delight.

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Yet farther; The Pearl is his Emblem, both as he is the Son of God, and also the Son of the Virgin. For (as Naturalifts tell us) The Pearl is generated of the Light of the Sun, and the Dew of Hea. ven: So the Son of God, as to his Deity, is begotten of the Uncreated Sun, the Father of Lights; and therefore called Light of Light, Very God of Very God: And the fame Chrift, as to his Humanity, is begotten of the Dew of Heaven; Because Conceived by the Holy Ghoft, without any of Man's Concurrence.

And laft of all, The Pearl is White, Lucid, Solid, Pure, Smooth, and Round. Such likewife is the Humanity of Christ, (and much more his Divinity;) White, for Innocence; Bright, for Wisdom; Solid, for Conftancy; Pure, without Spot; Smooth, because Sweet and Meek; and Round, Becaufe Perfect, and Compleat in every refpect.

But now, this Pearl is not found by Chance: No. 'Tis Sought by a Wife Merchant. And yet this Parable does not Contradict that, in which the Treasure is Accidentally hit upon. For both are true, Only as to divers Perfons. Therefore did our Lord, in his divine Wisdom, join this to the other; To fhew, that all do not fo cafually come into the Treasure. Tho' fome God fo Illuminates forthwith by fingular

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