THE LORD'S REAL-ESTATE AGENTS.
By Geo. H. Heald, M.D.
The poor may be called God's real-estate agents; for through them we may make, at any time and in any amount, safe investments in the world to come, investments which will yield immense and perpetual dividends. Opportunities for investing in the property of this earth, if considered safe and profitable, are rapidly seized; for shrewd capitalists are on the alert for safe-paying investments. But the Lord has directed how we shall use the means he has intrusted to us. He says: “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.” Matt. 6:19, 20. But how are we to make investments in heaven?—“Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.” Luke 12:33. “If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven.” Who is the responsible party in this transaction? “He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will He pay him again.” Prov. 19:17. The Saviour in the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew says the same thing in this language: “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” This assurance takes in the most humble details of life; for “whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in nowise lose his reward.” The Scriptures contain many similar promises to those who remember the poor. Truly it is more blessed to give than to receive; and the great blessing is that the person who enters heartily into this work, forgets for the time that he is making heavenly investments; for each act is prompted by the Spirit of Him who had compassion on the multitude, so that in the day of final reward it may even be asked, “Lord, when saw we thee an hungered and fed thee?” Meanwhile the generous disciple is becoming less attached to this world, and heaven is becoming dearer; “for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Matt. 6:21. At Christ's second coming his saints “shall be like him,” for they “shall see him as he is.” To see him as he is, they must know his character; and this knowledge is to be gained by passing through the experience he passed through. If we do one act prompted by pure love, we will in that experience see more in the Saviour's love, and will be prompted to further and greater acts of love. Each new view will increase our love for the Master, and show us new duties, and these will in turn give us new views of the Saviour, till finally “we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” Should we not be thankful that the Lord has given us opportunity to carry on this work of transferring all our interests to the world to come?