Foundation Work
‘Textr — “And the king commanded, ae they wae ae stones, costly stones and hewed stones to lay we ae of the house.” I Kings 5:17.
CONCERN. — THOUGH IT IS OUT OF SIGHT. — I. GOD’ ‘S METHOD. — - ) IN CREATION. — THE FOUNDATION LAID MILLIONS OF YEARS BEFORE ADAM. — THE COAL IN THE CELLAR. — IN PROVIDENCE. — MATHEW ARNOLD’S PERCEPTION OF THE POWER. — IN REa DEMPTION. — JESUS THE SURE FOUNDATION. — II. THE BELIEVad ER’S METHOD. — THE PRIVATE CONFLICT. — ARTESIAN GRACE, — — ss IN THE BUILDING OF A CHURCH. — IN THE SUNDAY-SCHOOL. — A DOG’S SIGNATURE ON A BRICK. — UNGILDED PATCHES ON A WALL. — Ill. A WISE METHOD. — EVERY BUILDING TO BE x.; TESTED BY FIRE.: arstion. You smile, and wonder how he could have ©. begun anywhere else. Ah, dear friends! I wish com- ‘mon-sense ruled people in religion as well as in build- Fi ing temples; for many brethren begin their building at the top: To baptize an unbeliever is laying the topa stone before the foundation. To gather into church fellowship those who are not gathered to Christ, is attempting to pile on the roof before there are any
ae Sotomon began to build the. temple at the founda- — ae
Ke walls. For any of you to make a profession of religion es without being born again, is building the third story i
before there is any basement. How much we have in this world of, fa
HANGING UP HOUSES IN THE AIR! Be
I mean, making professions without having anything rat 284 sg perpendicular height, to form a foundation upon which. ‘there would be sufficient space for the temple and its surroundings. Portions of the massive masonry
ae to be wondered at. Solomon paid especial care to the foundation. eB a I. First, this is GOD’S METHOD. Wherever you turn your eye upon the work of God, it is perfect. It will bear the keenest inspection. You. may look at it from a distance with the telescope, or i you may search into it with a microscope; but you shall find no imperfection. The Lord’s work is perfect, not merely on the surface, but to its centre. If you cut deep, or if you pull it to pieces, dividing 7 atom from atom, you shall see the wisdom of God in a the minutest particle. g Observe the work of creation. God took care that q
even in the material universe there should be a grand foundation for His noble edifice. We have the story of the fitting up of the world, during the seven days, ’ for the habitation of man; but we have not the history of the creation of the earth before that time. To prepare for the seven day’s rapid furnishing of the earth - for man, millions of years may have elapsed. The a Mot t space eee on ane mount, ‘it was necessary fe oe build up from the depth of the valley scores of feet in
which formed the foundation of the enlarged area “set to the period oreonie Nhe making of man you only follow the Word of God in Genesis.‘
the beginning” — that was a long, long while age “God created the heaven and the earth;” and. dur ne
PROCESS OF CREATION it went through a great many stages; for God was determined that the house in which man should. dwell 4
“should be thoroughly furnished for him. I cannot
- conduct you to the foundations of the earth; but I doask you to go down with me into the cellar. Look
at the store of coals laid up in the deep places for us.
God would not send His child here in winter-time, and put no coals in the cellar for him; but He took long ages to provide the world with that fuel which is necessary for a thousand useful purposes. God is — the Master-builder, and He layeth the foundation —
The same is true of God’s work called Providence. —
No event happens but He has planned it, and ordained
that a multitude of other events should precede or fol 4
low it. The doings of Providence are threaded
together like pearls upon a string; there is a relation of this to that, and of that to another. Certain great principles underlie all history. One who had but — little spiritual knowledge, yet confessed that “thereis
a power abroad which makes for righteousness:” he 3
could not help seeing that; and he might have seen 2
: more had he opened his eyes. There is in the affairs
Boe of man many a touch of God’s own hand. History iy But we come into clearer light when we took at in THE LORD’S GREATEST WORK re oe of redemption. You and I are not saved ee ‘It is nct as though God had saved us on the spur of the moment, as an afterthought which was not in His = me first intent. No; redemption plays an essential ae iy? in the purposes of the Lord. The foundation of |: an redemption was securely laid in the covenant of grace, “ye of which the Lord Jesus is the foundation. Infinite =: love, infallible wisdom, immutable faithfulness — all - oe thése combined to lay a foundation which can never — be moved. Talk of the great stones and costly stones of Solomon’s Temple, they are not worthy to be men- — tioned in the same day as this chief Corner-stone. He is the foundation of God, which standeth sure. ary Once more: while illustrating the truth that God’s i method is to lay a good foundation, I must beg you to think of the application of redemption to the heart of every one of the redeemed in personal salvation. Beloved, when God saved us it was ‘no superficial work; the building of His grace in our souls is no” wooden shanty, but a building which hath foundations. ~When He wrought in you conviction of sin, what an out-digging there was! With some of us the throwing out of the foundation lasted for years; and for Peele I began to think there never would be a trace of anything built up in my heart. What A TRENCH WAS DUG IN MY SOUL!
ie and my y self-sufficiency! By-and-by, out went all m s oe strength. When this out- tigging was EL.
work. The Lord has spent upon us a world of care. if $ My brother, you would not like to unveil those great.
Brite ie my, knowledge, my Sone
searchings of heart of which you have been the sub-
- ject. You have been honored in public; and, if so, - you have had many a whipping behind the door lest — -. you should glory in your flesh. Whenever God has filled your boat with fish, and you have been more
than ordinarily successful, that boat has begun to
sink. Great mercies are great humblers of sincere
souls.
All those chastenings, humblings and searchings of
heart have been a private laying of foundations for higher things. Ay, and the Lord has done much
more than this in His own unseen but effectual way.
He has given instruction and revelation, and sanctified fellowship, and these have been your own and not
another’s. No one has seen what the Lord has
wrought in you; but if it had not been for this, you
could not have been built up in holiness and usefulness. Thank God, He works the greater wonders of His love in the dark, out of sight! Yet, as the foundation is the most important part of the building, so
the secret, humbling processes of grace have a value
second to none. rie a man and woman ore: but sailed site one snes are young, have a life to build up. It is a great thing — people have believed twenty different Gospels in so many years; how many more they will believe before
: and I have been so perfectly satisfied with it, that I 2 a do not want to know any other. Constant change of Sy creed is sure loss. If a tree has to be taken up two qi or three times a year, you will not need to build a
on very large loft in which to store the apples. When a people are always shifting their doctrinal principles, they are not likely to bring forth much fruit to the
ARTESIAN GRACE.
Beloved, how much is done in private by every Christian, who is really sanctified, in the matter of the iS mastering of sin. It is not fit, in cases of inward conflict, to open the door or the window, and bid everybody come and see. If you have the wild beast of
God helping you! You will never attain to a holy life unless there are secret conflicts with sin. There must also be hidden communings with God. That grace which is artesian is grace indeed. 1 pray God to deliver us from the present superficialities of religto begin by believing good solid doctrine. Some ye
they get to their journey’s end it would be difficult to a predict. I thank God I never knew but one Gospel,
sin to tackle, shut the door, and have it out alone.
ion. Unless men have new hearts and right spirits,”
ae truth? There are ndavene of pts builder ae with wood, hay and stubble; but these neither attend - to foundation nor to material laid thereon. For my - part, although I would be zealous in the service of my - Lord, I had rather, by the grace of God, Sie: greats stones, costly stones, and hewed stones” upon the RB solid, rocky old doctrines of the Gospel, than gather the greatest crowd without faith and life. The stones 3 of the temple were so squared and polished that you could not get a knife in between them when they were eo. placed side by side; the stones thus adjusted were — 7 like a solid, united mass. So let us build. “Slow work,” say you. Yes, but it will be equally slow in coming down, and that is the thing we must care a about: we build for eternity.:
. “a To maintain solid truth you need solid people. - Vital godliness is therefore to be aimed at. Alasy! — much has been done of late to promote the production
of dwarfish Christians. The endeavor has been to
increase breadth at the expense of depth. I look with great delight, although with much sorrow, upey 7 me our Society’shee CHURCH-BUILDING ON THE CONGO. il es When we think of the many men who have died a there, it has indeed been true already that “great. 3 bei stones, costly stones, and hewed stones” have been a as ae
SEO, EY Se ee ee ae
ae of the See of the Lord.
This morning a large number of friends are present
who have been attending the Sunday-school Convention. I welcome them heartily, and I wish to turn “my subject toward them by saying: Dear friends, in the building up of character in others we must mind
that we do the foundation work well. Sunday-school teachers are those who do the foundation work; for they begin first with young hearts, while they are
tender and susceptible. It is a most important thing
that we have our children and young people well instructed in divine truth and soundly converted.
Fundamental truths are as much connected with the
salvation of a child as with the salvation of a full-grown man. Christ receives adults, but He also
suffers little children to come to Him. Let us always
take good heed that our Sunday-school teaching is as
truthful as our instruction in the church. But be it never forgotten that the major part of teaching will lie in example; and, therefore, the life of
the teacher must be of the very best. It is wonderful
how children copy the conduct of a beloved teacher: for good or for evil, the force of example over the imitative faculty of youth is very great. When their hearts are tender they are moulded for God and good “stands — Dog a Nilus: his mark. ie cuee tl wont ae or foolish act may make a mark on a child’s character —”
as indelible as the dog’s signature. This may be at done when we are not intending it; how much more when with our heart’s intent we write upon a loving mind!
A BIBLE- -CLASS TEACHER.
I remember a man of God, who has now gone to his réward, who was the means of producing under God, a nee of useful lives. I do not mean books in paper, but books in boots. Many young men were. — . decided for the Lord by his means, and became
preachers, teachers, deacons, and other workers; and no one would wonder that it was so, if he knew the man who trained them. He was ready for every good
word and work; but he gave special attention to his. Bible-class, in which he set forth the Gospel with — he clearness and zeal. Whenever anyone of his young ae men left the country town in which he lived, he would iA te be sure to have a parting interview. There was a wide-spreading oak down in the fields; and there he was wont to keep an early morning appointment with, ee - John, or Thomas, or William; and that appointment very much consisted of earnest pleadings with the Lord, that in going up to the great city the young
a WAS ig aa cere pe
ft i ate x0 epee.
eae
ty gel
Se eS
c me, in Lee ene: to see the spot ade sacred by t, the ir teacher’ S prayers.
. things Shove dealing date Galen is, that we tenes them what we have well prepared. Their mental food — Ku
must be carefully cooked. If ever a teacher goes to ‘ ee “e the class without preparing the lesson, the teaching is sure to. be very poor work. AL ’ “t: NOBODY SEES YOU 7 BO. z “preparing your lesson; nobody commends you for your diligent research. It is the public address which a
is noted; but the secret study is that to which the commendation really belongs. If this private prepar- ation is neglected, it is a very serious omission. Ina ‘deed, bad work in places which are not looked atisa -wretched order of things. Some time agoitfellto — ‘me, as executor, to arrange for the sale of the goods. and effects in a house most elegantly furnished. Certain fine pictures were to go to Christy and Man- -son’s. The drawing-room was expensively adorned and the wall decorations were elaborate with a pattern in which gold stars were somewhat plentiful. When the paintings were taken down, I was not a little surprised to see that behind them the wall was bare of ornament, so that at no time could those pictures have: been shifted without showing how the decoration had been stinted. The owner was rich; yet his tradesman
3 must needs practice such pinching economy of a little ies é “ure lessons, let us te to ourselves, “This is foie - tion work. No one will know how I have worked at — it; but the Lord, whom I serve, will take note of all — that I do, and He will be pleased with conscientious foundation work.” Brethren, we must put “good ‘stones, costly stones, and hewed stones” into the unseen part of our edifice. ae
Ill. My time fails me; but under my third head I - must carefully, though briefly, set forth the reasons
why this should be done. It is
A WISE METHOD.
First, because it is suitable for God. You build your temple for God, and not for men: you should, therefore, make that part of the building good which will be seen dy iim; and as He sees it all, it must be all of the best. A Grecian sculptor had to prepare an 4 9 mi, ny
. image of a god for one of the temples. He was a: working away with all his might at the back of the ee head, and at the hinder garments of the figure. One
3 said to him, “Your wore is needless for that part of
the figure is to be built into the wall.” “But,” said he, “the gods can see in the wall. This is for the gods, and not for men.” Let us catch the spirit of the heathen artist, and do work for God in a manner fit for the Omniscient.
SCAMPING IS DEGRADING
BA mean, and lowers a man’s tone. I do not Care. eae
vho he is, if he habitually trifles over that which is =
ot seen, the habit will defile his sincerity in other —
‘respects, and lead him to practical hypocrisy in
religious concerns. The bare idea that we need not =
do our best if we are not seen, is debasing to the soul.
E -day many aim at doing things cheaply, getting through work as fast as possible, and making a great
show for the money. Let us avoid this popular form
Eos lying. ‘‘ Why,” saith one, “nobody would respect
you any the less if you did such work slightingly, for a everybody else would do so.” Listen: I should sa
respect myself the less if I scamped my work, and I ‘
g set a great value upon my own respect of myself. A conscience void of offence, both toward God and
i a toward men, is of more worth than applause.
& <Purther, lay the foundation well, and look to that
part which is out of sight, because in this way you will
secure the superstructure. There was a bit of a flaw
in the foundation, but nobody saw it; for the builder
covered it up very quickly, and ran up the whole con-
‘cern as quickly as possible. The walls were built,
and built well. It seemed clear that the
: FAULT DOWN BELOW fim
was of no consequence whatever: and as it had a
ree
A a a
aa away, and aie? an a: hs came down be wall. Had there been an earthquake? No: there was no earthquake. Perhaps a cyclone had beaten:
upon the work? No: there was no cyclone: the weather was s the same as usual. What was the cau:
Minitdine, and thireatened to Ses it down? It was that blunder long ago: that underground neglect — * produced the terrible mischief above, which would |; involve a great expense, and perhaps render it needful to take all the building down. If to-day you do not teach your children the Gospel fully and clearly, — the evil, may not be seen in your present classes, nor,” possibly, even in this generation; but children’s chil- ae dren will bear the impress of the slight work. Beloved, lastly, do look well to the foundation, and — to the secret part of your dealings with God, because sa shia zs ae ° A FIRE COMINGion eis.: ‘ee
which will try all things. ‘Every man’s work shalt be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, ea ipa it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every
man’s work of what sort it is.” No matter where we build, nor how we build, the fire will come upon all the works of man. The wood, hay, and stubble builders cry, “Do not bring any fire here! The ‘ proposal is horrible!” But in vain do they protest, — pee God has determined that the fire shall be.
a Pace is of on The “fike will ae it
wn. A life well a in Christ pee fades
: ee ee aC envious eyes of men, ae ‘would fain find fault with it; and at last it will bear the trial
of the judgment- -day, and will be found to the praise —
and glory of God for ever and ever. Therefore, see to it that you lay the pogeaien of all your religion
Bese so it may last a