Putnam patriot., 1925-01-30
THE CHURCH CORNER
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Moth. Rust and Thisxe,

Moth, Rust and Thieves
 l suppose no text in che Bible is more widely known than the one from which our tide Is taken. Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust doth cor rupt and where thieves break through and steal"
 We know it so well, We say it SO glibly, We think perhaps for a min ute or two of the surface meaning of the words and then promptly for get all about 1t until it is again brought to our notice.
 So now let us consider the words from a different angle, to ignore the material riches which We, nearly all of us strive so hard to acquire and hoard-this Is a hard word, but the proper one in the proper place-and turn our eyes, our true vision upon the amount of the Heavenly wealth, which we are bidden in the same verse to .lay up for ourselves, m Heaven out ef the reach of the destroying qualities of moths, rust and thieves.
 Now l am very sure all the read CTS of this article have at one time or another in their lives made depos- it's in the heavenly bank. Not one but has done gentle kindly deeds of charity and brotherly love. Some may be very small deposits, but in the heavenly bank no deposit is too small Our Lord Christ spoke of a drink of cold water, given with sweetness Of intention, and in His name. as being treasure laid up in Heaven and again one of the greatest Prophets in the worlds history, writes of God, as say ing, He who with devotion offer eth to me leaf, q flower, a fruit and water, that love offering l re- ceive, made by the pure hearted"
 1t seems to me We cannot appre- ciate too much the marvellous oppor- tunity through which we come into communication with the great Lord and Master of the universe, by the simple process of loving and serving our fellow-beings.
 And if these actions, the tiny gifts of kindness and love are to bring Us such sure, such wonderful returns, then why not let Us increase to the utmost of our ability, our deposits in this bank which never fails, whose records are infallible.
 Let us look for moment with clear true vision at the two kinds of treasure. First the material treasure seeker and hoarder. those human be- ings who think and work all their lives in order to accumulate more or less of this worlds goods. who have no time for anything else, excent little perfunetory acts of charity. Teli me when their day is ended and death calls, as it inexorably does. how will these brothers and sisters stand? They can take nothing from Eerp with them and there they wiIl find only what they have deposited ia the mothless, rustless and thiefless bank.
 The other sort of human being, the Christian or follower of God who has grasped the fact that he can take nothing with him beyond this earth bat who also realizes that he can in- vest this transitory life. takes ad- vantage. and as he acquires wealth. he Is generous and kind to the poor abstemious and self-denying, looking forward to his Heavenly reward, though partly enjoying it here in the respect and adulation of his fellow mortals. This is good undoubtedly. But there is a third class of beings to whom we must all bow our heads. The few but great souls of the world, these who tread the path of renun- citation, who deliberately. unostenta- tiously turn their backs on wealth, or even bodily comfort, who give their whole lives in teaching and help ing their fellow mortals, who with no desire for reward of any kind in this world or the next, give all they poss- ess, physically, mentally and spiritu ally for pure love of the Master, along whose path, the path of renun- citation they follow Their reward, all they strive for, will be to find their Lord They will return from whence they came; they will reach # neiv roui