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The Parable Of The Treasure Hid In A Field

Matthew xiii. 44.

Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. By the field is here meant the Church; and by the treasure hid in it is understood the Divine Truth in the Word of God, which lies concealed under the letter.

A man finds this treasure of the Divine Truth of God's word, when he is enlightened to see the distinction between the letter of the Word and the Spirit, and how the latter opens to him the Kingdom of Heaven, being in continual connexion with Jesus Christ and His angelic kingdom.

He is said to hide the treasure of the Divine Truth when he storeth it up in his interior mind, where it remains concealed from the observation of others, and even of himself, except when he is called to some particular notice of it; in which sense the Lord is said to feed him with the hidden manna (See: Rev. ii. 17).

But it is said, that for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

By the joy is meant the delight arising from the affection of truth; for all joy comes from some affection, and spiritual joy from the affection of good and truth.

His going away denotes that he applied himself to live and act in agreement with the Divine Truth which he had found; and by selling all that he hath, is meant that he renounces his own self-love, which had before led him to regard his faculties and possessions as his own, independent of God, and that he now discovers that he possesses nothing properly his own, because all things are God's.

To buy, is an expression used in the Sacred Scripture, to denote the procuring of spiritual property; and, therefore, by buying that field, is meant the procuring to himself the spiritual treasure of the Divine Truth which was hid in it: and this is the case whensoever man renounces self-love, and exalts the Divine Truth in his own heart and life, as the blessed source of all that can be good, and wise, and happy for him.

This parable teaches us that in the Word of God is stored up the eternal treasure of the Divine Truth, and that when a man is wise to discover this treasure, he storeth it up in the interiors of his mind, and suffereth it to guide and govern him in all his affections, thoughts, words, and works. We learn further, that through this treasure he is led to renounce his self-love, and to acknowledge all his faculties and possessions, not only to be the gifts of God, but also continually to be God's, and that by this acknowledgment he procureth to himself all the blessing, protection, guidance, and government of the Eternal Truth, which is of Jesus Christ, and in continual connexion with his Divine Life and Love.

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