St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1903-07-04

considered a dismal failure, but obe-
dience to God enabled him TO. look
a hundred years farther than the
/ people who were laughing at him,
and it gave him definiteness Of aim,
which made the building of the ark
the supreme object Of life. Many
contemporaries Of Noah were APP
parently living with more defniteness
| Of purpose than was the builder OF
1.-THE ark, and it seemed that they were
accomplishing more, but when Gods
| testing came, the food swallowed up
Everything that man had been doing,
| except the great ark, which foated
out upon the dark waters and proved
that only he who, builds into the
great purpose and plan of God has
real defniteness of aim.
| A MOTHER reward of obeying God
n is that of the possession of a per-
4 feet confidence, which day by day un-
folds into the nearer realization OF
the future hope. Perfect confidence;
that peace abiding, in the soul,
which rests undisturbed even though
the storms of life rage without. This
is a condition to which the people OF
the world are absolutely strangers.
Only those who obey God can know
what it is to rest in Him; can
know the confidence with which each
act of obedience is performed; can
know with absolute certainty that
the final results are to be as endur-
| ing as God Himself. The soul that
is building only for 4 himself; the
| Christian, perhaps, who is following
his own will. instead of the will of
God, has to face the hours and days
and weeks of anxiety and worry. But
he who obeys God has no reason to
be troubled or anxious over the ulti-
mate results. Yes, doubts and diff
culties may come along the pathway
of obedience to, God, but: not as. to
the final issues, but only as con-
Germs some sof the minor details
which are to be worked out in at
! tanning the supreme end. I have
no doubt that many a difficulty came
to Noah in the building of the ark.
In carrying out many of the details
| of that structure he was building for
God, it is more than likely that he
had his days of doubt and trouble.
But all through those long years Of
building there was no shadow of
doubt as to the certainty of the COM
pletion of the ark, or as to the neces-
sity for it's use. And SO it is always
| with those who obey God. Their con-
fidence is in One Who, never fails, and
the act of obedience links their des-
| tiny with the eternal purposes of
God. {a
IT rs declared of Noah that he did
ALL that God commanded him.
That little word ALL is mighty
| word in it's influence on final results.
| Noah did ALL that God commanded,
and so there was room in the ark for
all that God was to preserve alive
therein. I, He did ALL, and, there
fore, there were no leaks to sink the
! craft after it started on its voyage.
| He did ALL, and it was stanch and
| serviceable craft, able to endure the
deluge of forty days and forty nights,
| and ride safely on the waters until
| they subsidized. This is an importan
| word to look at in considering this
| matter of obedience to God. But
| right here is where so many Chris
tians fail. This little word ALL
trips up their unwary feet, and the
| craft they build for God is defective,
lleaky and unsafe. But it is well to
| remember that you are the one who
must ride in the ark you are build
| ing for God. Noah observed the ALL
Of Gods commandment, and hence he
reaped sure reward Of his faithful
| ness. But it is SO hard to render full
and complete obedience, and not fol-
| low the personal desires of pride and
ambition. Saul found it SO. He did
not observe the ALL of Gods COM
| mand when he went out and warred
against the Amalekites. He saved the
| best of the cattle, and brought Agag
back as living witness to his valor
and prowess. But the ALL of Gods
command required that not even the
fat cattle and Agag, the. great king,
should be saved And the failure of
Saul to heed this little word ALL
cost him the kingdom, and sent him
headlong to dismal end. No small
est detail escapes the watchful eye
of God. The ALL must be done, be-
fore He can bear testimony to the
soul: ''Well done, good and faithful
servant, enter thou into the joy OF
thy Lord" God said Of Noah: "Ac-
cording to all that God commanded
him, SO did he.'' That brief sentence
is complete epitome to the life of
Noah. One knows that that hundred
years contract for the Lord was dis.
charged faithfully in every detail
Will God be able to bear like testi
mony for, you and me? # SO, that
which you are building for God win
float as surely as did the ark of Noah.
and will bear the precious freight
with which it is loaded safely to the
desired haven. Peter said: ''We ought
to obey God, rather than men," Let
us add: To obey God means final and
eternal success. To obey man
brings untold misery and at last do
feat and death and oblivion.
Under Obligation.
Every man, whether he will or no,
is under memorable obligation to God
and man.-Rev. Dr.. Monk.