TREASURE, in Latin and Greek Thesaurus; in Hebrew, Ozer.1 The Word Treasure, among the Hebrews, signifies any thing collected together, Provisions, Magazines. So they say, a Treasure of Corn, of Wine, of Oil; Treasures of Gold, Silver, Brass; Treasures of Silver in Money. Snow, Winds, Hail, Rain, Waters, are in the Treasuries of God: He bringeth the wind out of his treasuries, Psal. cxxxv. 7. Jerem. li. 16. We say also, a Treasure of good Works, Treasures of Iniquity; to lay up Treasures in Heaven, to bring forth Good or Evil out of the Treasures of ones Heart. The Wisemen opened their Treasures, Matth. ii.that is, their Pacquets, or Bundles, to offer Presents to our Saviour. Joseph acquainted his Brethren, when they found Gen. xliii. 23.their Money returned in their Sacks, that God had given them Treasures. The Treasures of the House of God, whether in Silver, Corn, Wine, or Oil, was under the care of the Levites, who were the Porters or Door-keepers of the Temple. The Kings of Judah had also Keepers of the Treasures, both in City and Country;2 and the Places where these Magazines were laid up were called Treasure-Cities.
Pharaoh compelled the Hebrews to build him Treasure-Cities, or Magazines:b Urbes Tabernaculorum, says the Vulgate; but the best Interpreters translate the Hebrew by Treasure. This Word is often used to express any thing whatever in great abundance: For example, In Jesus Christ are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. The Wiseman says, That Wisdom contains in its Treasuries Understanding, the Knowledge of Religion, &c. And Rom. ii. 25.St. Paul, You heap up to yourself a Treasure of Wrath against the Day of Vengeance, &c. The Prophet Amos says, Amos iii. 10.They treasure up Iniquity, they lay up Iniquity as it were in a Store-house, which will bring them a thousand Calamities.
Prov. x. 2.The Treasures of Impiety or Iniquity, stand for ill-got Riches. The Treasures of Iniquity, says the Wiseman, will bring no Profit; and in the same Sense Christ calls the Riches of Iniquity Mammona iniquitatis, an Estate wickedly acquired.
Faith is the Treasure of the Just; but St. Paul says, We have this treasure in earthen Isaiah xxxiii. 6. Ecclus. xxix. 11.vessels. Isaiah says of a good Man, that the fear of the Lord is his treasure. The Wiseman says, Lay up thy treasure, according to the commandment of the most high, and it will bring thee more profit than gold. Our Saviour tells us, A good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, bringeth forth good things; and an evil man, out of the evil treasure, bringeth forth evil things. Nothing can proceed from us, but what is within us, whether it be Good or Evil.
Under the Name of Treasure, is often understood some secret, unknown, and pre- Deut. xxxvi- cious thing. The Lord shall open unto thee ii. 12.his good treasure, the heaven, to give the rain unto thy land, in his due season. The terrible Effects of the Vengeance of the Lord, Is not this laid up in the store with me, and sealed up among my treasures? Job asks, Have you penetrated into the Treasuries of the Snow, and have you seen the Treasures of the Hail? All these things are unknown to Mortals; God keeps them concealed in his Treasuries.
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