“Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:”–Isaiah 5:18

Suppose a person were to go to a blacksmith and say to him, ‘I want you to make me a long and heavy chain–I will pay you well for it.’ The blacksmith, for the sake of the money, commences it; and after toiling hard for some time, finishes it. The person calls, and says on looking at it, ‘Yes, it is a good chain–but not long enough; work on it another week, I will then call and pay you for it.’ Encouraged by the promise of full reward, the blacksmith toils on, adding link to link. When his employer calls again, he praises him as before–but still insists that ‘the chain is too short.’ ‘But,’ says the blacksmith, ‘I can do no more; my iron is all gone, and my strength too.’

‘Oh then, just add a few more links, the chain will then answer my purpose, and you shall be well paid.’ The blacksmith, with his remaining strength, and last few scraps of iron, adds the last link he can. ‘The chain will now do,’ says the man, ‘you have worked hard and long; I will now pay you your wages.’ And taking the chain, he suddenly binds the blacksmith hand and foot, and casts him into a furnace of fire!

Such are the wages of sin. It promises much–but its reward is damnation!

Servants of sin and Satan, behold your future doom! Be honest, and confess that your service is hard work, and bad pay. God forbid that in this large concourse of people, there should be a single one who will ever learn by bitter, eternal experience that “the wages of sin is death!”

“And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.” Exodus 33:14

“So the Lord promised Moses, and so He has promised us. Let us never venture any where, if we have reason to think the Lord will not favour us with His presence there. The Lord’s presence produces holiness, imparts power, fires with zeal, brings into union, and often fills with comfort, joy, and peace. His presence is our glory, and it will yield us support under losses, crosses, and bereavements. Let us plead for the Lord’s presence to go with us; let us expect it; let us not be satisfied with anything else. He went with Moses, and he persevered; with Joshua, and he conquered; with David, and he reached the throne; with Paul, and he was more than a conqueror. Nothing can be a substitute for the Lord’s presence; and as it is so graciously promised, let us not attempt to find a substitute, but daily cry, “If Thy presence go not with me, carry me not up hence.” Jesus has said, “If a man love Me, he will keep My words; and My Father will love him, and WE will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”

O Lord, be ever near us,
Fix in our hearts Thy home:
By Thine appearing cheer us,
And let Thy kingdom come:
Fulfil our expectation,
And give our souls to prove,
Thine uttermost salvation,
Thine everlasting love.

“The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.” Psalms 145:18

“Real prayer is calling upon God. He is our Father: we are His children. We have nothing; He has all things to bestow, and is willing to give them. From a sense of need, we call on the Lord for a supply; from a sense of weakness, we call on Him for strength; from a sense of guilt, we call on Him for pardon. Being diseased, we cry for health; being troubled, for comfort and peace; being in distress, for relief and deliverance. We go out of self to Jesus, accepting His invitation, to plead His promise, and find Him faithful. Our God is always near the praying soul, not merely as the omnipresent Jehovah, but as our faithful Friend. He is near us, lovingly to listen to what we have to lay before Him; mercifully to relieve our miseries, be they what they may; graciously to help in every difficulty or danger. Beloved, our God is near us. He is attentive to us this morning; let us lay all our concerns before Him: He loves to listen to the often-told tale; He has patience with us, blessings for us, and will do us good.”

O Lord, each day renew my strength,
And let me see Thy face at length,
With all Thy people yonder;
With them in heaven Thy love declare,
And sing Thy praise for ever there,
With gratitude and wonder.

It is noteworthy that Jesus said, “lay up for yourselves”. Isn’t that great! This is proof that Christ is concerned about your welfare and that it is okay for you to be concerned about it. The key is that we are to lay up “treasures in heaven“, not on earth. The treasures on earth shall all pass away. You will lose them because they will pass from your grasp or you will leave then because you pass– either way, you can’t take them with you. That’s why you don’t see a hearse pulling a U-haul trailer or pockets in a shroud. The only things you will have after you die are the treasures you laid up in heaven.