But Jesus answered him that He did not wish him to do that, because He wanted him to go home to his friends and to tell them what great things the Lord had done for him, and how He had had compassion on him. So the poor man, happy now because Jesus had healed him, went back to Decapolis and told everybody he met what Jesus had done for him. And it seems to me that this story tells its own tale to each one of us: Jesus is the Son of God, and has all power. Satan likes to trouble us, and make us sin; and if he can succeed in his wicked wishes, he binds us by the very sins he has made us do. But Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is much more powerful than Satan; and if we go to Him for forgiveness, He will send Satan away, and He will forgive us, and make us clean and white. For on the Cross He died to wash away our sins, if we will but look to Him and be saved! Then we can go, ever so happily, and tell other people what He has done for us! [Illustration] XXII. GOODLY PEARLS MATTHEW 13.45 [Illustration: HOSANNA!] [Illustration: GOODLY PEARLS MATT. 13.45.] OUR Lord Jesus said: "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." Now all of us are seeking for all sorts of things; and each one, in our different ways, desires most earnestly to find the thing we desire. You boys want to be splendid at football, or cricket, or games at school! Or you want to be very clever at your lessons, and top of your class, and hoping to be put up higher next term. And you strive and strive for these things, and like the merchant-man, you seek them, as he did his pearls. And you girls—what do you think most about? To be a girl-guide? To be top of your class? To be elected "captain" in your school? To be a clever artist, or a good musician? And then with older people? All the world seems after fame, or riches, or pleasure, more things than I can count; and like the merchant-man, they value them very much. But one day this merchant-man comes across a man who offers him the most beautiful pearl he has ever seen. It is large, and so pure, so brilliant, and so rare; he takes it in his hand, and is lost in amazement. The one who offers it to him, tells him that he will have to give up all his other pearls to buy it! Then the merchant-man goes into his chamber, and looks earnestly at his own pearls. But the desire for the one Treasure is overwhelming—and at length he returns to his visitor, and he says, "I will give everything I possess, if you will give me this One Pearl of great Price!" This is an allegory; but we may well ask, "What is this Pearl of great Price?" It is—to take Jesus to be our Saviour. To ask Him to wash away our sins; to help us to be pure, and good; to be our light in our darkest hours; to be our joy, our life, and our happiness, if we have taken Him for our own Saviour.