When I was in California I went into a Sunday-school and asked:
"Have you got some one who can write a plain hand?"
"Yes."
We got up the blackboard, and the lesson upon it proved to be the
text, "Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven."
I said, "Suppose we write upon that board some of the earthly
treasures? We will begin with 'gold.'"
The teacher readily put down "gold," and they all comprehended it, for
all had run to that country in hope of finding it.
"Well, we will put down 'houses' next and then 'land.' Next we will
put down 'fast horses.'"
They all understood what fast horses were--they knew a good deal more
about fast horses than they knew about the kingdom of God. Some of
them, I think, actually made fast horses serve as gods.
"Next we will put down 'tobacco.'" The teacher seemed to shrink at
this. "Put it down," said I; "many a man thinks more of tobacco than
he does of God. Well, then we will put down 'rum.'"
He objected to this--didn't like to put it down at all.
"Down with it! Many a man will sell his reputation, his home, his
wife, his children, everything he has, for rum. It is the god of some
men. Many here are ready to sell their present and their eternal
welfare for it. Put it down," and down it went.
"Now," said I, "suppose we put down some of the heavenly treasures.
Put down 'Jesus' to head the list, then 'heaven,' then 'River of
Life,' then 'Crown of Glory'," and went on until the column was
filled, and then just drew a line and showed the heavenly and the
earthly things in contrast.
My friends, they could not stand comparison. If a man does that, he
cannot but see the superiority of the heavenly over the earthly
treasures.
It turned out that this teacher was not a Christian. He had gone to
California on the usual hunt--gold; and when he saw the two columns
placed side by side, the excellence of the one over the other was
irresistible, and he was the first soul God gave me on that Pacific
coast. He accepted Christ, and that man came to the station when I was
coming away and blessed me for coming to that place.