hear the parable of three jewels—a ruby, a pearl, and a diamond.
there lived in a country far beyond the dark waters a mighty rajah, whose name was kamíl rahím (all-merciful). though his home was so distant, he had sons who dwelt in the land of hindostan; and the names of these sons were mulá mal, biharí lal, tulsí rám, and nihál chand.
one day the rajah called one of his servants whose name was narayan das (servant of god), and thus he gave him command:—
“go thou to the land in which dwell my four sons, and speak to them thus: thus saith the father whom ye see not, but who cares for you and loves you, and desires to give treasure to you out of the abundance of his great riches. leave the city in which you dwell, cross the river which lies to the east, and, by the path of which my servant[92] will tell you, reach a certain mountain. there you will behold by the wayside a landmark in the shape of a cross. dig at the foot of it, and lo! you will find a treasure. there is a jewel which is a royal gift from myself, such as none but myself can bestow. in a setting of pure gold are three gems—a ruby, of which the name is pardon; a pearl, of which the name is purity; and a diamond, of which the name is heaven. he who wears the ruby over his heart will be preserved in danger; he who wears the pearl over his heart will be kept in health; he who in the same manner wears the diamond will become the heir to a throne. all the treasures of earth are not to be weighed in the balance against these jewels, pardon, purity, and heaven.”
the servant narayan das prostrated himself before his great master, and said, “the will of my lord shall be obeyed.” narayan das had a happy home, but he went forth from it; he had parents whom he loved, but he bade them farewell. the sea was wide and the waves were rough, but he feared not to cross them; lo! he had good tidings to bear to the sons of his lord, and the joy of bearing them repaid him for all the toils and dangers of the journey before him.
after a long and stormy voyage, the messenger from the father reached the land of hindostan; and[93] a few days afterwards he arrived at the city in which the four brothers dwelt, even mulá mal, biharí lal, tulsí rám, and nihál chand. narayan das was weary and faint, but he would not rest till he had inquired the way to the dwelling of mulá mal, who was the eldest of the four brothers, who lived in different quarters of the same city.
when the messenger entered the presence of mulá mal, he saw in him a man who had upon his brow the spot which marked a worshipper of the goddess kalí.[31] it was the morning of a great festival, and mulá mal was about to set forth to bathe in the ganges,[32] and to do puja (worship) to the idol whom he adored.
“o mulá mal!” cried narayan das, “i bring to you good tidings from your great and all-merciful father. there is a treasure hidden for you at the foot of a cross, and i can direct you how to find it. but you must set forth at once, or, behold! another may take the treasure, and you may lose for ever the opportunity of gaining these jewels, pardon, purity, and heaven.”
but mulá mal thought scorn of the faithful messenger, because he was not in face or garb as one of the people of hindostan.
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“who art thou, o man of the pale cheek and red beard?” he cried; “and what dost thou ask at my hand?”[33]
“i am a servant of kamíl rahím, and your friend; and i come, not to take from you, but to give to you,” replied narayan das; “yea, i have risked my life to bring to you good tidings from afar.”
“i care not for thy tidings, nor do i believe thy word,” cried mulá mal with contempt. “why dost thou delay me, when i am about to do puja to my great goddess?”
“o my lord,” cried narayan das earnestly, “there is no image made by the hands of man that can bestow on its worshipper pardon, purity, and heaven. wherefore will my lord not listen? will he spurn from him the richest of treasures,—even treasures that will, if worn over the heart, preserve him in danger, keep him in health, and make him the heir to a throne? read but this letter from your father, and see in it the truth of all that i have spoken;” and narayan das drew from his bosom a book on which was inscribed these words: “the holy scriptures.”
“away with thy book!” cried the worshipper of kalí; “i desire not thy jewels, nor will i listen to thee.”
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at that moment there was heard a loud noise of drumming and shouting; a great multitude was about to pour forth from the city to worship the idol. and with the multitude mulá mal went forth: he had despised the message of his father; he had lost the treasure which had been freely offered to him,—even pardon, purity, and heaven.
narayan das sighed deeply. “alas!” he cried, “woe is me that the ear should be closed to the voice of friendship, and that the eye should be turned away from the gift of a father’s love! but if my message be rejected by the first brother, it may find a place in the heart of the second.”
by mere inquiries narayan das found the house of the second son, biharí lal.
biharí lal was a more sensible man than mulá mal, and he did not think scorn of the messenger, nor of the message, as his brother had done.
“surely,” he said to himself, “no light cause would have made this good man leave his country, travel so great a distance, and go through so many dangers to bring good tidings to me. perhaps in the place of which he tells me this treasure may really be hidden. would it not be wisdom in me at least to read the letter which he says that my father has written, and to try whether the jewels[96] pardon, purity, and heaven may not be found at the foot of the cross?”
narayan das saw with joy that biharí lal was not as the deaf adder that will not hear the voice of the charmer. he was not as the blind man who sits hungry beneath the date-tree, and who knows not that its clusters of fruit are within his reach.
“oh haste, my lord!” cried the messenger; “for if you delay, who knows whether you may not lose for ever the ruby, the pearl, and the diamond which are freely offered to you by your father!”
but biharí lal made reply: “i cannot and i will not set forth at once, nor have i time at present even to read the letter of my father. bales of merchandise have just arrived from persia; i must examine their contents. i have many friends in the city, and i have invited them all to a banquet. business takes up my time, and what is left from business is filled up by amusement. go your way now, o messenger! perhaps when i have nothing else to do i may seek from you guidance to the place where i may find the ruby, the pearl, and the diamond, in their setting of gold.”
thus absorbed in the business and cares of this world, the man went on his way. alas! never, never was he to possess the treasure which he delayed to search for! on the very day on which he[97] concluded a bargain which made him the richest merchant in the city, even on the night on which he had feasted at the house of a prince, he was smitten down by cholera. biharí lal died in much suffering; his body was burned, and his ashes were cast into the ganges. never did he find the treasures of pardon, purity, and heaven! the acceptable time for biharí lal had passed for ever away!
then narayan das found his way to the house of tulsí rám, who was the third of the brothers who dwelt in that city.
tulsí rám was a man of a pleasant countenance and of an open heart. when he heard of his father’s love, his whole face brightened; and when he saw his father’s letter, he pressed it first to his heart and then to his brow. nay, tulsí rám read enough of the letter to feel sure that narayan das was a true messenger, and that at the foot of the cross he was indeed sure to find the treasures of pardon, purity, and heaven. gladly did tulsí rám welcome the messenger who had come so far to bring good tidings, and eagerly he asked his way to the place where the jewels were buried.
“will you accompany me thither?” asked tulsí rám of narayan das.
the messenger shook his head. “i will show you the road, but you must tread it alone,” replied[98] narayan das. “fear not if you find it rough and thorny at first. courage and perseverance are required of him who would gain the treasures; has any one ever yet conquered a kingdom by idly sleeping on a bed of roses? go forth boldly, o tulsí rám! and forget not to take with you the staff of prayer; without its help you will never overcome all the difficulties of the way.”
the countenance of tulsí rám grew grave when he reflected on these difficulties, for he was not a man of a resolute will. it needed much perseverance on the part of narayan das to make tulsí rám so much as start on his journey, though he did not doubt the worth of the prize which he went forth to seek.
and when tulsí rám set forth at last, he was as one who seeth the eyes of a wild beast glaring behind every bush; he was full of cowardly fears. tulsí rám shrank back even from shadows; and when sharp stones wounded his feet, he first felt inclined to sit down and weep, and then to turn back and return to his home. yet some words in his father’s letter gave a little courage to tulsí rám:—i will not fail thee nor forsake thee; be strong and of a good courage (josh. i. 5, 6). know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? so run, that ye may obtain (1 cor. ix. 24).
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at last the traveller came to the stream which it was needful that he should cross; and the name of that stream was baptism. the waters were bright and pure, but the banks were steep; and tulsí rám saw that a plant with exceedingly sharp thorns grew thickly upon those banks, and the name of the plant was persecution.[34]
tulsí rám sat down on a stone on the top of the nearer bank, and wrung his hands and beat his breast, and groaned in the heaviness of his spirit.
“oh, is there no other way than that of crossing this river of baptism,” he cried, “by which i can reach the treasures offered to me by my father,—even the rich jewels which, worn over the heart, will bring safety to the soul, health to the soul, and the crown of eternal life? i dare not—oh, i dare not go forward! i would rather lose that which i feel to be indeed above all price, than encounter those dreadful thorns. alas, that the thorny plant of persecution should shut me out from the waters of baptism!”
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then tulsí rám thought that he heard a voice, sweeter than the voice of an angel; and it said,—fear not, for i am with thee; be not dismayed, for i am thy god: i will strengthen thee; yea, i will help thee; yea, i will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness (isa. xli. 10). be thou faithful unto death, and i will give thee a crown of life (rev. ii. 10).
with fresh energy and hope tulsí rám arose and attempted to descend the bank in order to cross over the river; but, alas, he dropped the staff of prayer, and did not stoop to lift it again! without that staff he had not the strength to force his way through the thorns of persecution. tulsí rám tried to press on for a time, but the thorns tore his garments and wounded his flesh. his feet were bleeding and sore, and his courage at last utterly failed him. when tulsí rám had gone half-way down the bank he stopped, groaned, hesitated, and then turned back. alas, for him who had dropped the staff of prayer! alas, for him who had lost the jewels for which he longed, because he had not the courage and perseverance to win them!
as tulsí rám was sadly returning to the city, he met his youngest brother, nihál chand. he beheld nihál chand hurrying on with a firm step towards the river of baptism; he looked not to[101] the right hand nor to the left, for his was a resolute spirit.
“how is it that thou art turning back, o tulsí?” he cried, when he saw his brother. “i knew that thou didst start before me, but i hoped by quick walking to overtake thee, so that we might together find the priceless treasures, the glad tidings of which have been brought to thee as well as to me.”
“alas, my brother!” replied tulsí rám, with a deep sigh, “i turn back because of the difficulties o￡ the road. if no thorns of persecution grew by the river of baptism, surely ere now i should have crossed it; but see how my flesh has been torn!”
“pardon, purity, and heaven,—the ruby, the pearl, and the diamond,—are worth a little struggle and a little pain,” said the resolute nihál chand. “though there were a lion in the way, he should not stay me. it is written in the book of my father,—though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear.”
“o nihál!” cried the timid-spirited tulsí rám, “i am not as thou art; yet if it be my destiny to wear the jewels,[35] surely they will be mine, even though i remain on this side of the waters of baptism.[102] all is not in my own hands; who can oppose the decrees of fate?”
“deceive not thyself, nor excuse thy own sloth by talking about fate!” exclaimed nihál chand. “if, when thou wert preparing thy meal, a tiger were to steal upon thee, wouldst thou quietly sit still and say,—‘if it be my destiny, i shall eat this dinner;’ or, ‘if it be my destiny, the tiger will eat me’? no,” continued nihál chand with much animation; “thou wouldst start up, snatch the nearest weapon, and struggle for life like a man. even so, with courage and resolution, press on for the prize set before thee.”
but tulsí rám only mournfully shook his head, and with a slow step and a heavy heart returned to the city.
“he is a poor, weak creature,” muttered nihál chand, “and not worthy to wear the jewels which he has not the courage to seek. i will go forward without him.”
nihál chand was indeed a very different man from any of his three brothers. he had more wisdom than mulá mal, and his acute mind saw at once the folly of bowing down to idols of wood and stone. nihál chand was not, like biharí lal, inclined to waste precious time in delay, and to give up his whole soul to the cares of this perishing[103] world. and nihál chand, unlike tulsí rám, had a firm and fearless spirit, and a will as strong as iron. no thorns of persecution could stay the resolute man; he pressed through them as one who is shod with brass. and when nihál chand had passed the waters of baptism, with what pleasure he looked back and smiled! then, feeling that the worst of his trials was over, on nihál hastened towards the hill, which was soon in sight. he could now see, at no great distance, the cross at the foot of which the treasure lay buried which had been given to him by his father.
on the way nihál chand was joined by a stranger, who appeared to be travelling in the same direction. the man was of very dark complexion, but gaily dressed, and his name was temptation.
after the usual salutation, temptation thus addressed nihál chand,—
“brave and noble hero, the fame of your courage hath spread far and wide, and has reached the ears of your servant. i have beheld from afar with what resolution you passed through the thorns of persecution as if they had been soft grass. worthy are you of the priceless jewels which will so soon be in your grasp. how different are you from your superstitious and worldly brothers, and how superior to the weak and cowardly tulsí rám! allow me[104] to be your companion, that, though i never myself can possess them, i may at least have a sight of the ruby, the pearl, and the diamond, that are to the soul pardon, purity, and heavenly glory!”
nihál chand had at first suspected the stranger to be a thief in disguise, and had stood on his guard against him; but the honey of flattering words is sweet. the ears of nihál chand were so charmed by the praise that flowed from the lips of temptation, that he now suffered him to walk by his side as if he had been a familiar friend.
thus journeying together, the two men reached the foot of the cross. nihál chand had not forgotten to take with him a spade for digging, and now with energy he set to the task of removing the earth. temptation stood by watching him, and praising his vigour now, as he before had praised his courage.
before nihál chand had laboured long, his spade struck against something hard. he stooped and lifted up from the earth a little casket of purest gold. opening this, he beheld within the priceless jewels,—the ruby, the pearl, and the diamond,—joined together in one setting of gold.
nihál chand closely examined the prize. round the ruby, in characters of surpassing fineness, were engraved the words,—thy sins be forgiven thee (matt.[105] ix. 2). round the pearl, purity, appeared the inscription,—holiness, without which no man shall see the lord (heb. xii. 14). and in delicate letters appeared round the diamond,—it is your father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom (luke xii. 32).
temptation looked with envy and desire on the precious jewels in the hands of nihál chand, though not yet worn over his heart. much did temptation wish to rob of them the brave man who had come through such difficulties to obtain them; but nihál chand was courageous and strong, and temptation knew that he had not a chance of getting the jewels by force. he therefore had recourse to cunning.
“the ornament is very beautiful,” said the treacherous stranger, bending forward as if to examine it. “grand is the blood-red ruby, and happy is he to whom free pardon for sin is given.”
nihál chand smiled as he made reply,—“of great value is the ruby; none but its possessor can know real peace. blessed is he whose sins are forgiven—he who fears not the judgment of god.”
“and splendid is the diamond,” observed temptation; “heaven is indeed such a prize as the mightiest might glory in winning.”
“yes,” replied the exulting nihál chand,—who, when he passed the waters of baptism, had assumed[106] the new name of christian; “it is a glorious thing to be made an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven!”
“but, to my mind,” observed crafty temptation, “this pale pearl set between the ruby and the diamond rather mars the beauty of the whole ornament. the gift would be better without it.”
“yet it adds to its value,” observed nihál chand; “is not the health of the soul a thing to be prized?”
“your health is most perfect,” said the crafty deceiver; “he who carouses at a banquet cares not to put medicine into his cup. behold the strength of your arm and the firmness of your step! you need no health beyond what you already possess. look again at the jewel, my lord, and say whether you would not prefer the glowing ruby pardon, and the sparkling diamond heaven, apart from purity the white pearl?”
nihál chand looked again and again, and every time that he looked he cared less for the pearl, though this, as well as the other jewels, had been offered to him by his father.
temptation now drew from his bosom a paper; he opened it, and displayed to view a yellow stone, which to the eyes of nihál chand looked very beautiful, though, in truth, it was but a worthless bit of coloured glass.
“my heart is so drawn towards your honour,” said[107] crafty temptation, “that i am willing to do for you what i would do for no other man. i am willing to exchange this precious yellow stone, of which the name is pleasure, for your dull, pale pearl, purity. i am of great experience in the art of setting stones; give but your consent, o my lord, and the exchange at once shall be made.”
nihál chand doubted and hesitated. in his secret heart he preferred pleasure to purity; yet something within him whispered that it would be both foolish and wrong to part with any portion of the gift of his father.
when temptation saw that the christian nihál chand hesitated, he knew that his own object was half gained already. temptation turned the false stone, pleasure, in every direction, so that the light should sparkle upon it. again, in terms of contempt, he spoke of purity, the pearl, as being only fit for women to wear.
at last nihál chand was persuaded to change the pearl for the bit of coloured glass. “be careful,” said he, “in removing the pearl, not to injure my ruby or my diamond. i care not much for purity of heart; but pardon for the past and heaven for the future are possessions with which i never will part.”
o foolish boast! o worse than foolish deed![108] scarcely had nihál chand trusted his treasure into the hands of temptation, ere the treachery of the thief was made clear. the deceiver suddenly darted down the hill, at such speed that the weary nihál chand, startled and surprised, had no power to follow. very soon the deceiver, who had carried off the priceless treasure, was lost to view.
with bitter shame and grief nihál chand now returned on his steps, feeling like a lost and ruined man. oh that he had had but the wisdom to know that purity of character, the health of the soul, is never to be divided from pardon of sin and the promise of heaven, so freely and lovingly offered by god, the all-merciful father! christ came to save us from the power as well as from the punishment of our sins.
o reader, have you understood the meaning of my parable, the lesson which is to the story even what the kernel is to the nutshell?
ask your own heart whether you yourself resemble any one of the four men whose story you now have heard. have you, like mulá mal, refused even to listen to the messenger who would bring you good tidings of pardon and peace through christ, who came to seek and to save the lost? will you not even read the scriptures, to see for yourselves[109] whether the message be true? do you stop your ears and harden your heart when god’s servant comes to tell you of pardon, purity, and heaven, freely offered to man?
or are you, like biharí lal, almost persuaded that the good tidings are indeed true; and yet, are you inclined to leave the matters that concern the soul to a more convenient season? are you setting your heart on your merchandise or any worldly gains, when death, the black camel that kneels at every man’s door, may even now, with noiseless tread, be approaching yours? alas! remember the saviour’s solemn warning,—what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
or are you, like tulsí rám, a sincere believer in the gift of god, and one who heartily desires to obtain pardon for sin, purity of heart, and heavenly bliss when this short life shall be over? and yet, do you lack courage to take the decisive step which may cause your soul to be wounded by persecution, the step which will perhaps divide you for ever from all that on earth you hold most dear? do you think that you can keep back from christian baptism, and yet secure the christian’s blessing? o weak and trembling believer, forget not the words of christ the lord,—whosoever shall confess me before[110] men, him shall the son of man also confess before the angels of god. blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
but you may be, o reader, one who has bravely passed through the waters of baptism—you may be one who is now called by the name of christian. at the foot of the cross you may have found the treasure which is more precious than all besides. you may have the knowledge of the way to eternal life, you may believe in the son of god, and you may be resting your hopes of heaven upon his finished work. but even now, oh, stand on your guard, for temptation is near! an enemy, even satan, is beside you, who would persuade you that every one who has been baptized is safe, even if his faith (not living faith) work no change in his life. the man who is willing to divide purity from pardon and heaven, will, like nihál chand, lose all of the three! he who wilfully throws away the white pearl, has lost the ruby and the diamond! for thus saith the holy saviour, he who is truth, righteousness, and love,—not every one that saith unto me, lord, lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my father which is in heaven.
o reader, may god give to you grace to take the[111] holy scriptures in your right hand, and the staff of prayer in your left. may he so guide you by his holy spirit, which is promised in answer to prayer, that you may fearlessly and faithfully go on your way, treading under foot the thorns that lie in your path! and may he enable you not only to find, but to hold fast to the end, and wear in your heart, the priceless treasures—even free pardon for every past sin, the promise of a heavenly crown, and that purity of life by which every true christian must seek to glorify god!
