THE WISE & FOOLISH BUILDERS.

But see how the Heav'ns with clouds and tempests frown,
What cataracts of rain come pouring down!

Till with a crack the walls come tumbling o'er,
And spread the faithless sands whereon they stood before.

JESUS CHRIST preached his gospel of the kingdom, that is, of grace and glory; and wherever he went, he confirmed his Divine mission by the variety of miracles. which he wrought. On his famous Sermon on the Mount, which we noticed generally in pages 49 to 53 of this work, he was followed by great multitudes anxious to hear his heavenly doctrine. This sermon, however frequently read, is always new. It is the longest public discourse of Christ that is written for our instruction, and every part of it is connected with the great doctrine of salvation. The true gospel of Christ is more practical than any other doctrine; and

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none will be happy in this world, or in the next, who do not seek it from Christ by the rule of his word. "Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, who built his house upon a rock." (Matthew vii. 24.)

The general scope of this parable teaches us to hear and to do the sayings of the Lord Jesus. We have every one of us a house to build, and that house is our hope for heaven. It ought to be our chief and constant care to make our calling and election sure, and so we make our salvation sure. All who take upon them a profession of religion, profess to inquire "what they shall do to be saved."

There is a rock provided for us to build this house upon, and that rock is Christ. We must ground our hopes of heaven upon the fulness of Christ's merit for the pardon

of sin; the power of his Spirit, for the sanctification of our nature; and the prevalence of his intercession, for the conveyance of all that good which he has purchased for us. There is that in him, as he is made known to us in the gospel, which is sufficient to answer all the necessities of our case; he is a Saviour to the uttermost. The church is built upon this rock, and so is every believer.. He is strong and immovable as a rock; we may venture our all upon him, and shall not be made ashamed of our hope.

Those hopes which are built upon Christ, the Rock, will stand when the storm comes. They will be preservation, both from desertion and from prevailing disquiet. They will be as an anchor of the soul, sure and stedfast. Those hopes will take off the terror of death and the grave; will carry cheerfully through that dark valley; will be ap

proved by the Judge; and will be crowned with endless glory.

Those hopes which foolish builders ground upon any thing but Christ, will yield no true comfort and satisfaction in trouble, in the hour of death, and in the day of judgment. The house fell in the storm, when the builder had most need of it, and expected it would be a shelter to him. It fell when it was too late to build another. May the Lord make us wise builders for eternity! May we come to Christ; hear, believe his word, and show our faith by our works of conscientious, unreserved obedience. Then nothing shall separate us from the love of Christ Jesus.