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in helping to prepare a people for that day, is considered too tame and
unsatisfying.
The Saviour of the world has presented a most profitable business
in which rich and poor, learned and unlearned, may engage. All may
safely lay up for themselves “a treasure in the heavens that faileth not.”
This is investing their powers on the right side. It is putting out their
talents to the exchangers.
Jesus illustrated His teaching by the case of a substantial farmer
whom the Lord had greatly favored. The Lord had blessed his grounds,
causing them to produce plentifully, thus placing it in his power to
exercise liberality to others not so greatly blessed. But when he found
that his grounds had produced so abundantly, far beyond his expecta-
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tion, instead of planning how to relieve the poor in their necessities,
he began to devise means to secure all to himself. As he saw the gifts
of heaven rolling into his garners he poured not out his soul in thanks-
giving to the bounteous Giver, neither did he consider that this great
blessing had brought additional responsibility. In the pure selfishness
of his nature he inquires: “What shall I do, because I have no room
where to bestow my fruits?” Taking counsel with his own covetous
heart, he said: “This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build
greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will
say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years;
take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.” The means of real enjoyment
and elevation of soul are activity, self-control, holy purposes; but all
that this man proposed to do with the bounties God had given him was
to degrade the soul. And what was the result? “God said unto him,
Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose
shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth
up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
This poor rich man possessed great earthly treasure, but was des-
titute of the true riches. How many today are under condemnation
for a similar reason. Streams of salvation are poured in upon us from
the throne of God. Temporal blessings are given, but they are not
improved to bless humanity or to glorify God. The Lord is our gra-
cious benefactor. He has brought light and immortality to light through
Jesus Christ. Yes, through Jesus all our blessings come. Oh, that every
tongue would acknowledge the great Giver! Let every voice, in clear
and joyful strains, proclaim the glad tidings that through Jesus the