feelings; for I love you, John. But I don't want you to
let any of your boys be such fools as you have been. You know you have
been a fool, John." Then there was silence for some time. The tears
were trickling down the cheeks of the old country preacher. At last he
broke the silence, "Brother James, may I say something to you and you
not get angry?" "Why, certainly, John, I did not say what I did to
make you angry, but to keep you from letting any of your boys be such
fools as you have been, for you know you have been a fool, John." "I
know," replied the old preacher, "that it looks like I have been a
fool from this end of the line, brother James. But, brother James, we
are both old men and we must soon go. Don't be angry with me, brother
James, but what have you got up yonder?" Again there was silence,
which was suddenly broken by the banker sobbing, "Oh, John, I am a
pauper at the judgment bar of God." "So is he that layeth up treasures
for himself and is not rich toward God." They are dying all over the
world, men who are redeemed, going to Heaven, but paupers. "If any
man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall
be saved, yet so as through fire,"--1 Cor. 3:15. But far better be a
pauper, and saved without any reward, than be a rich man in Hell (Luke
16:22, 23): for they are dying all over the world who not only lived
for this life, but from pride, or religious prejudice, or love of the
world, or secret sin, would not repent and be redeemed from the curse
of the law (Gal. 3:13) and be saved (Acts 16:31).

With this teaching, that there are rewards in Heaven, there is another
most helpful teaching and blessed fact, that the poorest, most
ignorant and obscure can have just as great rewards as the richest,
most learned, most applauded. "Each man shall receive his own reward
_according to his own labor_,"--1 Cor. 3:8, not according to what he
accomplishes. "Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to
give each one _according as his work shall be_,"--Rev. 22:12; not
according as his success shall be. "And Jesus sat over against the
treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury; and
many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow,
and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto
him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That
this poor widow hath cast in more than all they that have cast into
the treasury."