St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1903-10-24

A(CSOSnnS4HE Will OuE ICXC VIC
o. wish to invite your
; 49, attention to the
s*A parable of the
1888 ~ wise man and the
foolish ma n
wy found in the clos
ing verses of the
seventh chapter of
Matthew BIO It b
men were builders.
10th had the same
purpose, that Of rearing 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,
l 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-
gether. And imagine, in the very
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 q solid foundation, and in the
face of trial and encouragement and
hardship he built upon the rock. And
the sun shone and the gentle breezes
blew and the waters rippled, while the
house upon the rock and the house
upon the sand stood bravely up and
alike gave shelter and comfort to their
occupants.
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
rnan with his feet resting upon the rock
would talk with the man whose feet were
ainking 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 10 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 30 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-
seconded, the flood came and beat furious
". The wise man heard the storm, he felt
it, violence as 1t rushed and beat and
tore about his house, but never fear
troubled his heart, for he knew the old
rock would stand, and with 1t the house
he had founded thereon. But he was
filled 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 shrieks Of the dying, but
he was powerless to help. The next morn
Ing as he looked forth from his stanch
abode nestled safely upon the mistaken |
rock he could see nothing but the glisten- |
ing sand where his friends house had |
stood, and along the shore lay strewn |
The shattered and splintered timbers that |
once had proudly sheltered the foolish |
nan who had built upon the sand. The |
sand as foundation was insecure, un-
stable. The rock was the only safe, en-
Turing foundation.
r HE foolish man is the man without q
! foundation: he is the man whose
lie rests upon nothing outside of himself
n apart from the things Of time And
We cannot show him how to build foun-
lation, Tor as our text declares: Other
oundation can no man lay than that is
aid. which Is Jesus Christ" Men do try
o Law other foundations with such ma
erials AZ the world can provide. and they
Exhaust human skill and learning and In
enuity in the task, but when they have
one their best and finished their task
hey have nothing that will stand the
est Of eternity, and a foundation which
! worthy the name foundation must be
nduring, 1t must sustain the super
kructure as long as the superstructure
,ill last, The soul of man lives on be-
ond the grave. and II the life OF that
oul is not resting on an enduring foun-
alton 1t IS doomed to destruction be-
ontl the grave, even as the house which
,as built upon the shifting, uncertain
md. ..Other foundation can no man lay
han that is laid, which Is Jesus Christ. "
oes man heap up the glittering, shining
,,d ana establish his soul thereon, and
eight himself In the fairness OF this
Grid, It is foundation which, even
,oueh It should endure through this
te. is unavailing in the life beyond the
rave; Riches have wings, and Ike the
,iftinr sands they vanish away. L.