Matthew 13:45

Verses 45,46. The kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man. The meaning is, that the proper seeking for salvation, or the proper conduct in reference to religion, is like the conduct of a merchantman. In his searches he found one pearl of great value, and sold all his possessions to obtain it. So, says he, men seeking for happiness and finding the gospel--the pearl of great price--should be willing to lose all other things for this. Pearls are precious stones, found in the shells of oysters, chiefly in the East Indies, Mt 7:6. They are valuable on account of their beauty, and because they are rare. The value of them is greatly increased by their size.