w how to get them as well as any men who
ever lived; and they got them. Our Lord did not deny that. They had
their reward, He said. They succeeded--those old Pharisees--in being
looked up to as the masters of the Jewish mob, and in crucifying our Lord
Himself. They had their reward; and so may you and I. If we want any
earthly thing, and have knowledge of the way to get it, and have ability
and perseverance enough, then we shall very probably get it, and much
good it will do us when we have got it after all. We shall have had our
treasure upon earth and our hearts likewise; and when we come to die we
shall leave both our treasure and our hearts behind us, and the Lord have
mercy on our souls.

But again, there are those, thank God, who have, or are at least trying
to get, treasure in heaven, which they may carry away with them when they
die, and keep for ever. And who are they? Those who are longing and
trying to be true and to be good; who have seen how beautiful it is to be
true and to be good; to know God and the will of God; to love God and the
will of God; and therefore to copy His likeness and to do His will.
Those who long for sanctification, and who desire to be holy, even as
their Father in heaven is holy, and perfect, even as their Father in
heaven is perfect; and who therefore think, as St Paul bade them, of
whatsoever things are just, true, pure, lovely, and of good report, if
there be any true manhood, and if there be any just praise--in three
words--who seek after whatsoever is true, beautiful, and good. These are
they that have treasure in heaven. For what is really true, really
beautiful, really good, is also really heavenly. God alone is perfect,
good, beautiful, and true; and heaven is heaven because it is filled with
the glory of His goodness, His beauty, and His truth. But wherever there
is a soul on earth led by the Spirit of God, and filled by the Spirit of
God with good and beautiful and true graces and inspirations, there is a
soul which, as St Paul says, is sitting in heavenly places with Christ
Jesus--a soul which is already in heaven though still on earth. We
confess it by our own words. We speak of a heavenly character; we speak
even of a heavenly countenance; and we speak right. We see that that
character, though it be still imperfect, and marred by human weaknesses,
is already good with the goodness which comes down from heaven; and that
that