How to Store Treasures in Heaven.
“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. 6:20. We learn from the parable of the hidden treasure that the people among whom the Saviour lived, when he was on earth, frequently buried their treasures in the earth to prevent their being stolen by thieves; and the Saviour took advantage of this fact to tell them of a better place to store their treasure, viz.: in Heaven. And he gave them the reason why it was the better place, viz.: that the moth and the rust could not corrupt it, nor thieves break through nor steal it. But the question at once arises, How can I store my wealth in Heaven? If our readers will turn to the last part of the twenty-fifth chapter of the Gospel by Matthew, they will find one way of doing it clearly presented, viz.: that giving it to the poor is giving it to Christ. His words are: “Inasmuch as ye have done it to one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” This explains another declaration, viz.: that “he that hath pity on the poor, lendeth to the Lord, and that which he hath given him will he pay again.” An old preacher once preached on this text in behalf of a charitable institution. It is said, instead of waiting to the end of an hour’s sermon before taking up the collection, he took it up before he began the discourse, and after he had said: “My friends, here is your duty, ‘give to the poor.’ 2. Here is your security, ‘it is a loan to the Lord.’ If you like the security, invest your funds.” It is said he got a liberal collection. And now we want to say to you that the security is good. No danger that anything given to the poor for Jesus’ sake will ever be lost. It will always be found safe in the bank of Heaven. Here, banks often break, and those who had stored their wealth in them become poor. One who had this experience said truly, “I have saved nothing but what I gave away to the cause of Christ;” all except that was lost by the failure of the bank. Much more can we lay up treasure in Heaven by making sacrifices to save the souls of men. A voice from Heaven proclaimed, “Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord. Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them.” Aye, it is even said of the tears of God’s people that they are all put into God’s bottle and noted in his book. (Ps. 56:8.) And if their tears are not lost, we do not believe the words of their lips nor the labor of their hands will be lost. A missionary teacher in India was sitting beside the bed of a dying convert. He asked him what he would do when he got to Heaven. He replied: “I shall first wait to see Jesus.” “And what next?” “I shall come back and wait at the gate until you come; then I will take you to him and tell him you were the means of leading me to trust in his name.” Ah, such a possibility shows how our labors for Christ will reproduce themselves in the kingdom above. The Sabbath-school teacher, who there finds her scholars saved, will have such joy as will enable her to say, “Truly, what I gave to, and what I did for, Christ, is here found with interest.”—Church at Home.