But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Ver. 20. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven] That which you may draw out a thousands years hence. For in a treasure there are three things, -a laying up, a lying hidden, and a drawing out for present use. Riches reach not to eternity. Therefore while others lay hold upon riches, "Lay thou hold on eternal life," 1 Timothy 6:12, and that "by following after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness." This, this is the true treasure; this is to be rich, as our Saviour speaketh, toward God, and is opposed to laying up treasure for himself, Luke 12:21, as here "laying up treasure in heaven" is to that of laying up treasure in earth. a Both cannot he done, because the heart cannot be in two such different places at once. The saints have their commoration on earth, but their conversation is in heaven. Here are their bodies, but their hearts are in the place where Christ their head is. Sancti ibi sunt ubi nondum sunt, et non sunt ubi sunt, saith Chrysostom. The saints are there, in their affections, whither as yet they are not come in their attainments. All their ploughing, sailing, building, planting, tends to that life that is supernal, supernatural; they run for the high prize, they strive for the crown of righteousness, they breathe after the beatifical vision, with, "Oh when shall I come and appear before God?" And as the Athenians, when they were besieged by Sulla, b had their hearts with him without the walls, though their bodies were held within by force: so the saints, though detained here for a while in a far country, yet their hearts are at home. They go through the world as a man whose mind is in a deep study, or as one that hath special haste of some weighty business; they wonder much how men can awhile to pick up sticks and straws with so much delight and diligence. The time is short (or trussed up into a narrow scantling), the task is long, of keeping faith and a good conscience; hence they use the world as if they used it not, as having little leisure to trifle. c There is water little enough to run in the right channel, therefore they let none run beside; but carefully improve every opportunity, as wise merchants, Ephesians 5:15, and care not to sell all, to purchase the pearl of price. In a witty sense (saith Broughton out of Rabbi Bochai) Cain and Abel contain in their names advertisements for matter of true continuance and corruption. Cain betokeneth possession in this world, and Abel betokeneth one humbled in mind, and holding such possession vain. Such was his offering, sheep, the gentlest of all living beasts, and therefore the favour of God followed him. And the offering of Cain was of the fruit of the earth, as he loved the possession of this world and the service of the body (which yet can have no continuance), and followed after bodily lusts. Therefore the blessed God favoured him not. Cain's chief care was to build cities, that he "might call his land after his own name," Psalms 49:11, and make his son, Lord Enoch of Enoch. Not so the better sort, Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, they were content to dwell in tents, as looking for a city "which hath foundations, whose maker and founder is God," Hebrews 11:10. Abraham bought a piece of ground, but for burial only. Ishmael shall beget twelve princes, but "with Isaac will I establish my covenant;" and although he grow not so great as his brother (that man of God's hand, that had his portion here), yet he shall make reckoning, that "the lines are fallen unto him in a fair place, that he hath a goodly heritage," Psalms 16:6. Esau had his dukes, and grows a great magnifico; but Jacob gets first the birthright for a mess of red, red, which the hungry hunter required to be fed with, as camels are fed by casting gobbets into their mouths (so the word signifies). And after this he gets the blessing by his mother's means. And when Esau threatened him, and had bolted out some suspicious words, she seeks not to reconcile the two brethren by making the younger yield up again what he had gotten from the elder; but prefers the blessing before Jacob's life, and sends him away. This was to lay up treasure in heaven for her son, who took herein after the mother too (partus sequitur ventrem). For if Esau will but allow him to settle in the Land of Promise, a type of heaven, he will spare for no cost to make his peace. Silver and gold he hath none, but cattle good store; 550 head of them sends he for a present to make room for him, as Solomon hath it. Let heaven be a man's object, and earth will soon be his reject. David counts one good cast of God's countenance far better than all the grain and oil in the country. Solomon craves wisdom and not wealth. Paul counts all but dross, dung, and dog's meat (σκυβαλα), Philippians 3:8, so he may win Christ and get home to him, 2 Corinthians 5:6. Here we have but a glimpse of those gleams of glory, we see but as in a glass obscurely, 1 Corinthians 13:12; "Our life is hid with Christ in God," as the pearl lies hidden till the shell be broken, Colossians 3:3. Compare the estate of Prince Charles in his Queen mother's womb, with his condition at full age, in all the glory of his father's court: there is not so broad a difference as between our present enjoyments (albeit our joys here are unspeakably glorious, 1Pe 1:8) with those we shall have hereafter. Sursum igitur cursum nostrum dirigamus. Let therefore our affections and actions, our counsels and courses, be bent and bound for heaven: our earthly businesses despatch with heavenly minds, and in serving men let us serve the Lord Christ. The angels are sent about God's message to this earth, yet never out of their heaven, never without the vision of their Maker. These earthly things distract not, if we make them not our treasure, if we shoot not our hearts overly far into them. The end of a Christian's life is (not, as Anaxagoras dreamed of the life of man, to behold the heavens, but) to live in heaven. This he begins to do here by the life of faith, by walking with God, as Enoch and Elijah, those candidates of immortality (so the ancients called them), by walking before God, as Abraham and David, by walking after God, as the Israelites were bidden to do, Genesis 6:9; 1 Kings 9:4; Deuteronomy 13:4. With God, a man walks by a humble friendship and familiarity; before him, by uprightness and integrity; after him, by obedience and conformity, by doing his "will on earth, as it is in heaven." And this is to "lay up treasure in heaven;" this is, as the apostle expresseth and interpreteth it, "to lay in store for ourselves a good foundation against the time to come, that we may lay hold on eternal life," 1 Timothy 6:19. There shall be stability of thy times, strength, salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; "for the fear of the Lord shall be his treasure," Isaiah 33:6 .
a εις θεον πλουτειν. Hoc est, omnia praedia in Deo collocare, et ab eius unica providentia pendere. Beza in loc.
b Animos extra moenia, corpora necessitati servientes intra muros habuerunt. Paterc. St Paul's body was at Rome, his spirit with the Colossians. Col 2:5
c 1 Corinthians 7:29, συνεσταλμενος, terminus nauticus.