"My boy, we cannot serve God and mammon, and unless we are willing to give up all for His sake, we are not worthy of Him and we are none of His."
"I have nothing left to give up," replied Freskel sadly. "All that I had is gone."
"Child," answered Pastor Oshart tenderly, "Perhaps the Lord saw that so long as thy heart and mind were set upon this treasure of thine, there was room for nothing else; and so, in His providence, He has suffered it to be taken from thee. Dost thou understand? Let me put it plainer. Suppose that in the garden of some tender earthly father grew a certain tree, the fruit of which, though sweet to the taste, made the children loathe the wholesome food needful to keep them in health. Should we count that father worthy of blame, Freskel, or think him cruel, if he cut down the tree and removed temptation from his little ones?"
"No, dear pastor, the father would only be kind in doing so."
"And thus it is with God, my son. If He takes from us that which we love, why is it, but that our hearts may cling to Him rather than to that which cannot help us. Tell me, Freskel, hast thou been happy all this time since the secret hoard became thine?"
"Happy? Oh, no," replied the lad, "for I was ever in fear."
"But the real treasure," said Pastor Oshart, "the blessing of God, maketh rich, and He addeth no sorrow—no, nor fear which hath torment. Oh, my poor child, hear to-day, if never before, the tender voice of Jesus, who saith, 'Follow Me, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven.'
"Hear Him who calls the weary and the heavy laden and the sorrowful, and gives them rest, and who says to all who will hearken to His word, 'Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust do corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven, . . . for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.'"
"O pastor! O my father!" cried Freskel, throwing himself on his knees at the old man's feet, in a passion of contrite tears. "Pray to the Good Lord for Freskel that Satan have him not. Dear pastor, does not Jesus know that poor Freskel is like a child, and foolish? And if He knows, will He not forgive? Tell me the truth, my father; though I have sinned and forgotten Him, will Jesus pardon?"
The good old man drew the weeping lad to his heart, and while his own tears fell thick and fast, he said, "Be comforted, my son! Thy sorrow for the sin which thou hast sinned is the pledge of God's forgiveness. Come, let us unburden our hearts before Him, and those hearts, emptied of all earthly treasure, shall be filled by Him; yes, henceforth, through His grace, by Him alone."