St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1908-02-15

heart was toward thee in this thing."
stAnd even now the workers IN
stone are cutting out the blocks Wnlch
shall be used in the building.
Thou art swift indeed, when thou
hast once begun the work"
Yea, the project absorbs yevery am
bition. What great, privilege that
to me should have come the task or
building dwelling place for the great
God of Israel. MY heart does magni-
fy him this morning. No treasure is
too great to be used in his house, and
SO rejoice as / see these heaps upon
heaps OF gold and silver. Verify 1t
shall be an house of gold which shall
be reared to my Lord
In this, then, it will be no different
from the gorgeous temples which are
reared to the gods whose images Of
gold and silver and precious stones
are the works of mems hands
Thou hast but spoken of the thing
which is upon my heart, and about
which have come to talk with thee.
The mere wealth Of cedar timbers and
gold and silver and precious stones
cannot provide suitable dwelling
place for the great God of Israel.
There is none like unto him among all
the gods of the nations round about,
and the house which should be built
unto his name and for his dwelling
place should be different from those
reared to the names Of these other
GODS
True" responded the old prophet,
fervidly, entering -heartedly into
the spirit which evidently possessed
the young king.
But in what respect can we mark
the dwelling place of our God with
the reverence and devotion which IL
due his great and exalted name? For
the power and majesty of the name of
our God has gone out into all the
earth, so that whithersoever any of
our people go they are known as the
chosen people of the one and mighty
God"
"True," again fervidly responded Ma
than, and then added in appreciative
tone, as he laid his hand upon the
young mans shoulder: And thou,
my son, by thy loyalty to the God Of
David thy father, and thy care to
walk in all his statutes, hast exalted
the name of the Lord whithersoever
the fame of thy kingdom hast gone
A glad light sprang into the face OF
| the young king. These words of the
prophet sounded sweet in his ears
and without any thought of personal
pride he responded:
Yea, the Lord hath been much to
me, and his blessing hath surely rest
ed upon me and my people. And for
this reason would I rear his temple
so that it shall be known through al
the earth as the temple of the only
and true God, the God of Abraham
and of Isaac, and of Israel
"And shall not this be brought tc
pass by the spirit of devotion which
thou dost bring to the work? Fol
thou must know that the work which
we do becomes marked and glorifieC
by the spirit with which it is per
formed"
Thou hast uttered just the thought
| that is in my heart and what coult
show more clearly the reverence due
our holy God than that his temple
should be reared In silent dignity anG
/ GRANDEUR"
Il do not catch your meaning,
1 think"
1T is just this. Each stone ani
each timber and all the fittings there
/ to shall be SO shapen and fitted thai
/ there shall not be sound of hammer
or saw or other tool heard upon the
temple site. To that lofty rock over
looking the beautiful valley shall be
/ brought all the materials fitted and
prepared to grow into building
where our God shall be pleased tc
dwell in the midst of his people. Nc
building before has been reared in
this way, and the people shall know
that the temple of the God of Israel
is indeed holy"
1T will be marvellous" calculated
Nathan, earnestly.
YEA, but possible, for the Spirit Of
God shall move in the work to the
enlightenment Of his servant in plan
ming the work and in his workmer
who shall prepare all the parts to fl
one within the other"
And thou hast my blessing in all
this" calculated Nathan. And there
will be none in all Israel who will sc
earnestly give himself in thought and
prayer to this thing than your Ole
friend and father in Israel, Nathan
Thank you" responded the king
simply. And now shall give mysel
! to tho xur,rlr