WHERE IS YOUR TREASURE?
By Moody
The reason why a great many professed Christians are in darkness is that they are conformed to the world. I once asked a Sunday-school to tell me, so I might put it on the blackboard, the treasures of earth. They spoke them out: “Money, land, houses, fast horses, friends, pleasure, tobacco, rum.” At last the list was exhausted, and we took up the treasures of Heaven. The children said: “Jesus, mansions, robes, crown,” and so it went on. The teacher, who I had supposed was a Christian, after looking at the list, said: “What a fool I am!” That was the first soul God gave me on the Pacific Coast. A great many people think that the church is a place to rest in; but this earth is the place for work; we will rest up yonder for eternity. What a glorious privilege it is to be a co-worker with God! Then the reward! The trouble with people is that they are looking for the reward down here. But we will have our reward up yonder; a crown of righteousness is laid up. I fully believe there will be a great many crownless Christians up in Heaven, just got in as by fire. Paul’s life makes us ashamed of the Christians of the nineteenth century. The Jews had given him ninety-nine stripes, and were going to scourge him again. A modern Christian would have said, “Now, Paul, sit down and rest awhile; the opposition is too bitter.” What would he answer? “This one thing I do; I press toward the prize.” You don’t suppose I am going to lose my crown? “Don’t be so radical, Paul; be more conservative,” I hear them say. But he was looking for his wonderful final reward. A wealthy farmer out West took a friend once and showed him all his immense fields, flocks and buildings, saying, “I came out here a poor boy, and all these are mine.” The man pointed upward and said: “Well, what have you up there?” “Nothing.” “You are not making such a wreck of life as that, I hope? Not any treasure in Heaven?” A few months after that he died, as he had lived, a wealthy pauper. What are all the treasures of earth compared to eternal life? Who will lay up treasure in Heaven to-night?—Moody.