I've been pondering the passage below for a week or so, what a beautiful portrayal of the treasures we have in Christ and His Word. This is a 19th - century translation.
An Excerpt from Aphrahat’s Demonstration X, Of Pastors
Section 8.
The Steward brought me into the
King’s treasury and showed me there many precious things; and when I saw them
my mind was captivated with the great treasury.
And as I looked upon it, it dazzled my eyes, and took captive my
thoughts, and caused my reflections to wander in many ways. Whosoever receives thereof, is himself
enriched, and enriches (others). It lies
open and unguarded before all that seek it; and though many take from it there
is no deficiency; and when they give of that which they have received, their
own portion is greatly multiplied.
They that receive freely let them
give freely as they have received. For
(this treasure) cannot be sold for a price, because there is nothing equivalent
to it. Moreover the treasure fails not;
and they that receive it are not satiated.
They drink, and are still eager; they eat, and are hungry. Whosoever is not thirsty, finds not ought to
drink; whoever is not hungry, finds nothing to eat. The hunger for it satisfies many, and from
the thirst for it flow forth water-springs.
For the man who draws nigh to the
fear of God is like the man who in his thirst draws near to the water-spring
and drinks and is satisfied, and the fountain is not a whit diminished. And the land that needs to drink in water,
drinks of the fountain, but its waters fail not. And when the land drinks, it needs again to
drink, and the spring is not lessened by its flowing. So is the knowledge of God. Though all men should receive of it, yet
there would come no lack in it, nor can it be limited by the sons of flesh. He that takes from it, cannot take away all;
and when he gives, he lacks nothing.
When thou takest fire with a
candle from a flame, though thou kindle many candles at it, yet the flame does
not diminish when thou takest from it, nor does the candle fail, when it
kindles many. One man cannot receive all
the King’s treasure, nor when a thirsty man drinks of the fountain, do its
waters fill. When a man stands on a
lofty mountain, his eye does not (equally) comprehend the near and the distant;
nor, when he stands and counts the stars of heaven, can he set limits to the
hosts of the heavens. So when he draws
nigh unto the fear of God, he cannot attain to the whole of it; and when he
receives much that is precious, it does not seem to be diminished; and when he
gives of that which he has received, it is not exhausted, nor has it come to an
end for him.
And remember, my beloved, what I
wrote to thee, in the first discourse, about faith, that whoever has freely
received ought to give freely as he has received, as our Lord said:—Freely ye
have received, freely give. For whosoever keeps back part of anything he has
received, even that which he has obtained shall be taken away from him. Therefore, my beloved, as I have been able to
obtain now from that treasure that fails not, I have sent unto thee from it. Yet though I have sent it to thee, it is all
with me. For the treasure fails not, for
it is the wisdom of God; and the steward is our Lord Jesus Christ, as He
testified when He said: All things have been committed to Me by My Father. And
while He is the steward of the wisdom, again, as the Apostle said: Christ is
the power of God and His wisdom. This wisdom is imparted to many, yet nothing
is lacking, as I explained to thee above; the Prophets received of the spirit
of Christ, yet Christ was not a whit diminished.
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