Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1903-09-23


= men were builders
Both had the same
purpose. that OF rearing a house. Their
skill as workmen was not questioned
But in the matter OF foundation for
their buildings there was striking
and vital difference. One built on the
rock. the other thoughtlessly con-
structed his house on the sand. prob
ably the most convenient and easiest
place to be had at the time. In fact.
i have thought that perhaps the lum-
Der for the house had to be brought
by boat, and was unloaded upon the
beach, and here, while the skies over
head were fair. and the waters in
front were placid and the sand lay
firm and smooth. he thoughtlessly and
foolishly built his house. The OTTER
man, at the cost of great labor and
time, carried his lumber up to the
rocky heights above the shore and
built his house there. And probably
the foolish man, who built upon the
sand. had his house completed and was
settling therein almost before the wise
man, who built upon the rock. had be
gun to get the frame OF his house to-
start. when the vessel was unloading
the cargo of lumber that he tried to
get his friend to build with him on
the sand, and when he was unable To
prevail upon him so to do. he took to
bantering and ridiculing HIM. and
sought every means of discouraging
him. But the wise man knew the
value Of solid foundation. and in the
face of trial and encouragement and
hardship he built upon the rock.
A S the days came and went the man in
~ the house on the sand seemed to be
as safe and comfortable and happy as the
man in the house on the rock. And the
man with his feet resting upon the rock
would talk with the man whose feet were
sinking in the sand, and he would con-
tinue to warn him OF the peril when the
storm should come, and would try to
persuade him to move his house to the
rock, but the foolish man would not be-
lieve the time would come when the sun
would be hid behind the angry clouds,
and the gentle breeZes would be reused
to the fury of the gale driving the mad
waters mountain high upon the beach.
And so the man continued to enjoy life
in the house upon the sand and to consid-
er his friend upon the rock very poor
weather prophet. indeed But one night
the storm swept down upon those two
houses and upon that wise man and his
foolish friend. All through the long
black hours the wind blew, the rain de
scended, the flood came and beat furious
ly. The wise man heard the storm. he felt
its violence as it rushed and beat and
tore about his house, but never a fear
troubled his heart, for he knew the old
rock would stand. and with it the house
he had founded thereon. But he was
filed with dread for the fate of his friend
down upon the sand The rolling waters
sucked the sand from underneath the
stills Of the house. the wind wrenched and
tore at the creaking, falling timbers. and
great was the fall of that house which
was built upon the sand The wise man
heard the crash of the walls. he heard
the groans and shrieFs OF the dying. but
he was powerless to help. The next morn
ing as he looked forth from his starch
abode nestled safely upon the mistaken
rock he could see nothing but the gIisten-
ing sand where his friends house had
stood. and along the shore lay strewn
the shattered and splintered timbcrs that
once had proudly sheltered the foolish
man who had built upon the sand. The
sard as a foundation was insecure. un-
stable. The rock was the only safe en-
during foundation.
7 HE foolish man Is the man without p
foundation; he is the man whose
life rests upon nothing outside Of himself
or apart from the things OF time And
we cannot show him how to build a forn-
cation, for as our text declares: ether
foundation can no man lay than that Is
laid. which Is Jesus Christ" Men do try
TO lay other foundations with such ma
terials as the world can provide. ard they
exhaust human skill ard learufrgandiu in
genuity in the task. hut when the, have
done their best and finished their task
they have nothing that Will stard tho
test Of eternity. end g four cation which
is worthy the name foundation mus, h.
taCuring, IL must sustain the super-
Structure e. ioEg rs the suptrstructrr.
VIII last TIE soul Of man lives on he
you'd the grave. and II the life cf that
soul Is rot resting or an enduring four
t. 4