Heavenly Treasures

Last night, you remember, our subject was heaven, and we were trying to find out who were there; and I want to take the subject right up where I left off. And I call your attention to the 6th chapter of Matthew and 19th verse, where you will find these words: “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.” Now, if we are living as the Lord would have us live, our treasures are laid up in heaven, and not laid up on the earth; and I think we would be saved from a great many painful hours, and a great deal of trouble, if we would just obey that portion of Scripture, and lay up our treasures in heaven, and not upon the earth. It is just as much a command that we lay up our treasures in heaven, and not upon the earth, as it is that we shall not steal. It is a command.

Now, it don’t take long to tell where a man’s treasure is; it don’t take long to find out where a man’s heart is. You talk with a man five minutes, and if he has got his heart upon any one object, you can find it out, if that is your aim. And now, if you want to find out where a man’s treasure is, it won’t take you long to find that out either; for you know that the Bible tells us: “Where your treasure is, there shall your heart be also.” And the reason we have so many earthly-minded people, and so few people of heavenly minds, is because the many have their whole hearts set upon earthly pleasures and objects, and the few have their treasures laid up in heaven. If your treasure is here, you will all the time be disappointed and in trouble and trial, when the Lord has told you plainly to lay up your treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not corrupt, nor thieves break through and steal. Now, you talk with a man a few minutes, and you soon find out where his heart is. Talk about money; and if he loves money, and is making money and longing for more, how his eye will light up; and if he is fond of politics, and you refer to that, his whole face kindles up, for you have touched his heart and the subject dearest to him. If it is pleasure, or if it is passion, speak about it and he is interested at once. But the child of God, who has got his treasures up yonder, when you talk about heaven you will see his heart is there; and if a man’s heart is in heaven, it is not an effort for him to talk about it at all. He cannot help it. And if our affections are set on things above and not on this earth, it will be easy for us to live for God.

~ This is from Mr. Moody’s sermon “Heavenly Treasures” in The Gospel Awakening