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In every subject there is a "truth" somewhere. The original of "truth" — the mould in which it is all first cast — must be the mind of God. But, how do these great archetypes of the mind of God reach and impress themselves upon the mind of man? First, God has given us revelation to be their reflector. But because the most important "truth" of all truths to us is how a sinner can be saved — how a just God can forgive a rebel — therefore, as Christians, we generally call the gospel "the truth." And well it deserves the name! But the teaching of one who had a right to speak, from the largest experience, perhaps, that any man had, is, that "truth" is hard to get and difficult to retain. "Buy the truth, and sell it not." And what is the cost of "truth"? You must get out of the littlenesses and narrownesses of party feeling. You must go high enough to have large views of things. Next, you must feel and act as an infant in intellect, being conscious of weakness and ignorance — even in your strongest point; willing to be taught. Whatever your talent may be, you can never purchase "truth" but by fag. There must be a real expenditure of hard work. And you must build up carefully, accurately, systematically; taking nothing for granted. And your prayers must not be easy, common-place things. But now, I would suppose that the contract is complete, and that, with the necessary expenditure — much effort and much prayer — you have bought the "truth," — some "truth" — little it may be, but real and genuine. Let me give you a caution. "Truth" is a precious treasure. But where there is, a treasure there the robbers will come! And they will come very deceptively. Not by force, but by artifice. And they will pretend to "buy." But the bargain is ruinous! For it is one thing to "buy," and it is another thing to "sell"; and men often will give us very little for that for which we have given a great deal! It will be a bad bargain if you sell "truth" at any price. But many things will lure you. It may be a little love of making an excitement, which will tempt you to exaggerate the "truth"; and if you exaggerate it, you have well-nigh lost it. Or it may be a love of popularity, which makes you wish to please every one with whom you are, and therefore to accommodate your views to everybody; and you pare off a little on the one side, and you add a little on the other side, till the whole shape and character is changed, and the "truth" comes out no "truth" at all. Or it may happen that "truth," which you feel to be "truth," stands in the way of your worldly interest, and you are tempted to sacrifice it on the altar of fame or mammon. Or the prejudices of your social position, or your professional ideas, lead you to view and present "truth" under such a medium as shall altogether misrepresent and well-nigh pervert it. Or mere indolence may creep over you, and you may give away to carelessness what you once obtained by so great an outlay! And it often takes as much to keep "truth" as it does to get it. A little worldliness, a little frittering of pleasures, will enervate the very fibre of "truth." And still more and more solemnly, one vice can emasculate all "truth." If a man continue in sin, the "truth" must go.

(J. Vaughan, M.A.)

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KJV: Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.

WEB: Buy the truth, and don't sell it. Get wisdom, discipline, and understanding.