The Word of God Compared to Gold

    THE WORD OF GOD COMPARED TO GOLD

    "More to be desired are they than Gold, yea, than much fine Gold" Ps 19:10.

    "The law of thy mouth is better to me than thousands of Gold and Silver," Ps 119:72.

    Though these scriptures do not directly compare the word of God to gold, but rather set out the great excellency of it above Gold, and show the great disproportion there is between Gold and it; yet we shall (as some divines have done) run a parallel between Gold and the word, and then in our usual method show the disparities.

    SIMILE

    I. Gold is a precious sort of metal, and it is esteemed the chiefest of all minerals.[1]

    [1] See Plin. lib. 13. p. 465.

    PARALLEL

    I. The word of God is very precious, and so esteemed by all true Christians: "Thy word is very pure, therefore thy servant loveth it." "I esteem the word of thy mouth above my necessary food," Ps 119:140; Job 23:12.

    SIMILE

    II. Gold contains much in little; a small quantity of Gold is worth much brass, &c.[2]

    [2] Greenhil.

    PARALLEL

    II. The word contains much in little. "Fear God," O how much is contained in that! "God manifest in the flesh;" "Christ the image of the invisible God;" "It pleased the Father, that in Him should all fulness dwell," 1Ti 3:16; Col 1:19. Very much is contained in one of these short sentences.

    SIMILE

    III. Gold is a weighty and firm sort of metal.

    PARALLEL

    III. The word of God is ponderous, and very weighty. The words of men are oftentimes airy and empty, and, when weighed in the balance, as light as vanity, and not to be regarded; but what God speaks, is firm. And such as find it not heavy and weighty now, so as to let it sink into their hearts, shall find it will one day sink them down to hell: "The words that I speak shall judge you at the last day," Joh 12:48.

    SIMILE

    IV. Gold hath much beauty and splendour in it; the colour shines and is glorious.

    PARALLEL

    IV. So is the word of God. The Gospel is said to be glorious, it is indeed transcendently excellent; its glory shines forth, and may be demonstrated many ways, 2Co 4:4. See metaphor Light.

    SIMILE

    V. Gold is made use of to deck and to adorn with. The father of the prodigal called for a ring to put upon his finger. Nay, more than this, the crowns of kings and princes are usually made of Gold.

    PARALLEL

    V. The word of God most gloriously decks and adorns every true Christian, that hath store of it in his heart, in whom it dwells richly. The Church is said to be clothed with wrought Gold; the word of God, and the graces thereof, are doubtless intended thereby. The Gospel is the saint's crown and royal diadem; should God suffer it to be taken away, they may cry out with Israel of old, "The crown is fallen from our head, woe to us that we have sinned," La 5:16. The law of God is said to be "An ornament unto the head, and chains about the neck," called (Song 1:10) "Chains of Gold."

    SIMILE

    VI. Gold is used to make vessels. "We read, that God appointed under the law many vessels to be made of pure Gold; divers such were in Solomon's temple, all which were figurative.

    PARALLEL

    VI. The word of God is made use of by Jesus Christ, to make many golden vessels, golden saints, golden churches; called by the Spirit "golden candlesticks," Re 1:20. No people in the world are so glorious, precious, and amiable, as God's people. See Candlestick and Vessel.

    SIMILE

    VII. Gold is durable, it abides the fire; it will not lose or waste by being put into the furnace, as other metals will.

    PARALLEL

    VII. The word of God is durable. All the endeavours of wicked men from time to time have been to destroy the word; it hath been in many fires, as I may say, and yet it remains and abides the same. "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away," Mt 5:18. "All flesh is grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the field: the grass withereth, and the flower thereof fadeth away. But the word of the Lord endureth for ever: and this is the word which by the Gospel is preached to you," 1Pe 1:24-25.

    SIMILE

    VIII. Gold enriches him that finds much of it; it is esteemed as a precious and principal treasure;[3] and as such, both in former and later times, hath it been hid and laid up: "Thou shalt heap up gold as the dust," &c., Job 22:24. "Tyrus heaped up silver as the dust, and fine Gold as the mire of the streets," Ec 9:3.

    [3] Plin. lib. 33. p. 455.

    PARALLEL

    VIII. The word of God is of a soul-enriching nature; it enriches the mind with the wisdom and glorious knowledge of Jesus Christ, and blessed experience of his rich love and grace: "Let the word of God dwell in you richly, in all wisdom," Col 3:16. No treasure is like to the treasure of God's word: "We have this treasure in earthen vessels," 2Co 4:7. (See metaphor Treasure.) David hid it, Ps 119:11, and Mary, as a precious treasure, laid it up in her heart.

    SIMILE

    IX. Men take much pains to get Gold, they dig through hills and mountains for it, and endure much labour and pain before they can obtain it.

    PARALLEL

    IX. So those that would be enriched with the word of God, have much of it in their heads and hearts, must take pains; they must dig in these golden mines, as it were, for it. "Search the scriptures," saith Christ, Joh 5:39. It is a word taken from miners, such as seek for gold; they must do it carefully, vigorously, and resolvedly. If they would find the power, virtue, and excellency of the word, so as to make it their own, they must seek for as hidden treasure, Pr 2:4.

    SIMILE

    X. Gold is a sort of metal that is often tried, to see if it be what it is taken to be, whether it be so good, pure, &c.

    PARALLEL

    X. The word of God is called a tried word; it has been tried by many thousand Christians, and found to be what it is taken to be, viz., pure Gold, sacred truth; yea, and "sweeter than the honey, or the honey-comb," Ps 119:103. It never failed them that trusted to it. "As for God, his way is perfect." "The words of the Lord are pure words, as silver is tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times," Ps 18:30, and Ps 12:6.

    SIMILE

    XI. Men that get much Gold, are sometimes set upon by thieves, and are in great danger of being robbed; and from hence take care to secure it, and themselves, as well as they can.

    PARALLEL

    XI. Those people, or particular souls, that do possess and enjoy much of the glorious word of God, are in danger of being set upon by spiritual thieves and robbers; Satan, and many others his emissaries, will be sure to assault such. What experience hath England had of this for many years, but more especially of late? How is it beset by bold, impudent, and bloody Romanish thieves? What is the reason? Why, England is rich, it hath got much Gold in it, much of the word of God; here are a rich people, many rich churches, rich souls; and therefore this grand thief hath consulted with many of his company, to set upon us, and rob us of all our treasure. And hence it is we take, or ought to take such care, to secure the word of God, and ourselves from being undone by losing it.

    SIMILE

    XII. Gold is known to be a rich and sovereign cordial, and excellent good to cure several diseases of the body, particularly the king's evil.

    PARALLEL

    XII. So the word of God is by all true Christians known, and by common experience found, to be a most sovereign cordial for the soul, to revive and comfort a desponding and drooping spirit; excellent good to cure inward distempers.

    SIMILE

    I. Gold and earthly treasures are, by the permission of God, at the will and command of men. Daniel tells us, that the vile person shall have power over the treasures of Gold and silver, &c. They may take away, and dispossess us of the best of earthly things.

    DISPARITY

    I. The word of God received into the heart, viz., into the affection and understanding, &c., no man can take it from us; it is not in their power to rob and dispossess us of this sacred Gold. They may take away our Bibles out of our hands, but cannot take the word of God out of our hearts, as it is engraven upon the fleshly tables thereof.

    SIMILE

    II. Gold may canker and corrupt: "Your Gold and silver, is cankered, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you," Jas 5:3.

    DISPARITY

    II. The word of God is incorruptible, so pure, that it can never canker, neither lose any of its excellent glory, beauty, and virtue, it admits not of any rust or pollution: "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever," 1Pe 1:23.

    SIMILE

    III. Though Gold will do many things for the body, yet it cannot profit the soul; it will beautify and enrich the outward man, but it cannot beautify, purge, or enrich the inward man.

    DISPARITY

    III. The word of God enriches, beautifies, and purges the soul: "Now are you clean, through the word that I have spoken unto you," Joh 15:3. He is spiritually the richest man, that hath most of the word of God abiding in him, who hath store of precious promises laid up against a time of need.

    SIMILE

    IV. Gold and silver will not satisfy or fill the craving desires of man: "Neither is the eye satisfied with riches." "He that loveth silver, shall not be satisfied therewith," Ec 4:8 and Ec 5:10.

    PARALLEL

    IV. The word of God received in truth, is of a soul-satisfying nature: "The fear of the Lord tendeth to life, and he that hath it shall abide satisfied," &c., Pr 19:23. This is that water of life, that whosoever drinketh thereof shall thirst no more; have no more an inordinate and unsatiable desire after worldly things. See Water.

    INFERENCES

    I. From hence you may see who are the richest men in the world.

    II. It reproves them that desire Gold above the word, and that labour for it above the blessings of the word, and grieve more for the loss of it, and of other earthly treasure, than for the loss of the word, and other spiritual good things.

    III. It may also stir up all to hold fast the word, and every part and parcel of it. Let the saints of God in England consider the worth of the word, and that it is more precious than Gold. How will men expose themselves, before they will be robbed of thousands of

    Gold and silver?

    IV. Esteem the precepts and promises, and every jot and tittle of God's word above Gold. Be not careless of it, nor throw it by, but lay it up as carefully as you lay up Gold, hide it in your hearts.