A ROCK is remarkable for strength and durability. Its weight and hardness render it immovable. The light sands of the desert may be drifted by the winds, the loose earth which skirts the ocean may be washed away by the waves. But the hard rock which lifts its stony front amidst the billows of the ocean, in form and size remains the same for ages, bidding proud defiance alike to the waves which roll at its base, the tempests which howl over its summit, and the more silent influence of time which gradually wears away all human monuments.

Opposite Plymouth, fourteen miles out at sea, there is a rock called the Eddystone. During a storm it is completely covered with the foaming waves. But though they toss themselves over if, and seem as if with angry roar they would swallow it up, yet when the storm has spent its fury, there it stands unchangeable, immovable, the same from one century to another.

A Rock, therefore, being more like that which is perpetual and everlasting than anything else, is often used in the Scriptures as an image of Him who is from Everlasting to Everlasting, the Ancient of Days, the Eternal Jehovah. In the Old Testament we read, "Who is a Rock save our God?" "He only is my Rock." And in the New Testament the same simile is applied to Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. x. 4; Isa. viii. 13, compared with verse 14; Matt. xvi. 18. At the close of His sermon on the mount our Lord describes the building of two houses on two different Foundations. Both were assaulted with rains and winds and floods. One was washed away, while the other stood the shock because it was built on the Rock; which ROCK must be our Saviour Himself, because it is written, "Other Foundation can no man lay." 1 Cor. iii. 11.

FOUNDATION. Isa. xxviii. 16. "Behold I lay in Zion for a FOUNDATION & Stone, a tried Stone, a precious Corner Stone, a Sure FOUNDATION, and he that believeth on Him shall not be confounded." O ye who read these pages, as you would not be ashamed in the great day of the Lord, see that you build on this FOUNDATION. Nothing will bear the weight of your soul and its eternal salvation but this solid Rock of Ages, the Lord Jesus Christ.

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religious impressions, but put off to a convenient season that which required immediate attention. She was seized with typhus fever. The physician was summoned. He found her scarce able to speak, her tongue and lips covered with dark fur and her eyes almost closed. From her half-opened lips dismal moans. were heard and bitter unearthly groans. The physician put his mouth to her ear and said, Marianne, do tell me what mean these groans? What is the matter my dear child?" Upon which she opened her once beautiful eyes and lifted up her pale hand, and fixing upon him a look that made his soul ache, said, "Doctor! there is a difference between a life of amusement and a life of prayer. Oh, it is hard to die without an interest in Christ!" She closed her eyes, dropped her hand, and all was silent. She never spoke again.

It is a fearful thing to neglect this FOUNDATION till death put it out of your power to find it. But there are some who profess to believe that Christ alone is a Sure FOUNDATION, who yet do not come to this Living Stone, and are not therefore built on it and into it. Their faith is a dead faith. It would be well if there were no occasion for the caution. It would be more pleasant to think that there is no wrong way of building on the right FOUNDATION. Perhaps this mistake may be illustrated by a reference to the history of three lighthouses.

On the Eddystone Rock just now mentioned, about one hundred and fifty years ago, an architect was employed to build a lighthouse. And, full of confidence, he speedily set up his tower without properly considering the great shocks to which it would be exposed. It stood eighty feet high. But so tremendous are the storms in that part of the sea, that sometimes the waves have been known to break more than a hundred feet over the top of the building. And at times the sea has covered more than half the side of the house, as though it were under water. One day, three years after it was finished, the builder went to see about the repairs. As he was leaving the shore with the workmen, some friends told him they feared his building would not long withstand the storms to which it was exposed. But he, pushing off, cried out "I am so sure of its strength, that I only wish to be in it during the most dreadful storm that ever blew under the heavens." This language was far too presumptuous. While he was there with his workmen there happened one of the most awful storms ever known. The next day, when it was over, the people went anxiously to look for the lighthouse, but there was not a fragment left. The bare rock was all they found. The lighthouse had been overset; and foundation and furniture and builders and all were swept away together.

However this lighthouse had been found very useful to the "night-o'ertaken mariner," and therefore there was another set up taller and stronger than the last. This was built of wood. It stood for some time and was thought to be very secure indeed. But one night the lightkeeper went into the lantern to trim the candles and

found it filled with smoke. Before he could give an alarm the whole building was in flames. The three men who had charge of it betook themselves to a hole in the rock for shelter, till the fire was seen from the shore and boats were sent to their relief. The poor men were almost stupefied with terror, and scarcely able to avail themselves of the proffered help.

Again another lighthouse was built. A more skilful architect was employed, who formed his tower of large stones fast locked and dove-tailed into each other, and into the rock on which it stands. It cost much labour and time. And often the sea broke in and interrupted their work and washed away their tools and materials. But they persevered, and at last it was completed. There it stands to this hour, "and lifts its massive masonry, a pillar of fire by night, of cloud by day," having endured the onset of the tempest for about a hundred and twenty years without showing any sign of weakness.

"The startled wave leaps over it; the storm
Smites it with all the scourges of the rain,
And steadily against its solid form

Press the great shoulders of the hurricane.
And as each evening darkens, lo! how bright,
Through the deep purple of the twilight air,
Beams forth the sudden radiance of its light,
With strange unearthly splendour in its glare !
Steadfast, serene, immovable, the same

Year after year, through all the silent night
Burns on for evermore that quenchless flame,
Shines on that inextinguishable light!

And the great ships sail outward and return,
Bending and bowing o'er the billowy swells,
And ever joyful as they see it burn,

They wave their silent welcomes and farewells."

that which is ever

We have said that a Rock is " more like lasting than anything else, and therefore used to image the Ancient of Days. But, in common with all such emblems, it falls infinitely behind in the very quality for which it is remarkable. For though Smeaton's famous tower is as compact as ever and might last for ages to come, the rock on which it stands is found to be so worn by the action of the waves, that a new structure has become necessary. But so sound is the principle on which the old lighthouse is built that it will be adopted in the new one. And its form will be much the same; like the trunk of a great oak swelling outwards towards its base, and striking, right and left, its huge supports of dove-tailed stone-work deep into the rock, as the tree does its roots.

But "OUR ROCK is not like that." The failure of the Eddystone Rock only adds increased emphasis to the lesson. Nor storms nor waves nor time nor change can affect the Rock of Ages, or

"There

render insecure the standing of any who believe in Him. fore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea."

You will not have read the history of these three lighthouses in vain if it serve to impress on your minds this lesson, that not only must you have a secure FOUNDATION to build on, but study the right way of building. Religion is no such easy, slight matter, as some think it. The apostle says, "I as a wise master-builder have laid the FOUNDATION." He means that he had preached the gospel faithfully, and directed men to Christ alone for salvation. But," he adds, "let a man take heed how he builds thereon!" Look again at the three lighthouses and receive instruction.

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Remember the first, which not being properly made fast by joints and bands to the rock, was carried away-and beware of a false faith which does not bind the soul to Christ. It is not enough to say, I believe; the devils believe and tremble. You must believe with the heart, and cleave to Him with your affections. There must be faith which worketh by love, and the influence of the Holy Spirit to unite you to Christ. O look for union to Christ by means of a real vital principle !

Remember again the wooden lighthouse which was burned up, and the attendants were scarcely saved, "saved as by fire." It was not the rock, the Foundation, which was in fault in this instance any more than in the last. The failure was caused by the flimsy nature of the materials erected upon it. Alas! how many there are whose religion has no more solidity than that wooden lighthouse! Their opinions are correct and their profession is plausible, their feelings are lively and they look well enough to the eye; but their piety melts away like wax when exposed to the fires of tribulation or persecution. Beware, as the apostle says, of building on the FOUNDATION "wood and hay and stubble! such a religion or such a practice as will not endure the trial. "Look to yourselves that ye lose not those things which ye have wrought, but that ye receive a full reward."

Remember also the solid stone lighthouse carefully built into the rock, and which remains to this day firm as the rock itself-and let your religion be like that. Observe all the directions the Bible gives you. Who is he that is built on the Rock? "He that heareth My sayings and doeth them." This is the man on the Rock, and here is the proof that he builds on the true FOUNDATION. His piety flourishes. Like the lighthouse which "hails the mariner with words of love," his life is useful to all around. He is the beacon "set on a hill," the taper "set on the candlestick." His light so shines that men are the better for it and God is glorified.

Dig deep for a FOUNDATION. Make a study of salvation. Oh beware of unsound work in this matter. There are thousands who "do many things," but who fall short of real faith. They can find tears as Esau. They would like to die the death of the

righteous like Balaam. They will fight for the Lord like Saul. They value the prayers of good people like Pharaoh. They can put away gross sins as Jehu. They hear the gospel gladly as Herod." They may seem to be on the right FOUNDATION; and yet there is some flaw at the very bottom which ruins all, and they fail in the hour of trial. Alas, how many there are who, if we were to ask them what is their hope, would say "We trust in Christ alone, we build on the true FOUNDATION," when all the while they do no such thing.

They do

There is still much

Some workmen were once making a trench round a large plat of ground. "What is this for?" said a passer-by. "We are digging," said they, "for the foundation of a church." Presently they thought they had got deep enough and threw aside their pickaxes in order to prepare for the next stage. By-and-by the architect came to see the progress of the work. He got into the trench and tried the bottom with a spade. And coming out he shook his head and said, "This will not do. You must go much deeper yet. You must take away all this loose earth and rubbish, nor desist until you reach the solid rock." Now this is just the mistake of several sorts of men who build for eternity. not go deep enough for their FOUNDATION. rubbish between them and Jesus Christ. And when they build on this loose earth and sand, no wonder their house totters and falls to the ground in the night of storms. One says in his heart, "Surely I (if any) may come to Christ with confidence, seeing that I am baptized and confirmed, and observe regularly all the prescribed forms of my church."-See you not that forms and ceremonies are this man's Foundation, and not Christ? Another says, "I am honest, I pray, I strive to keep Christ's commandments, therefore I will take to myself the promise of forgiveness in Christ." This man makes his own righteousness his Foundation and not Christ. Another says, "I have sweet devotional feelings glowing within me, and other evidences that I am a Christian; may I not come boldly to Christ on this ground?" To such an one I would say, "No indeed! Not on that ground. If you do, it is at your peril. Those feelings and evidences of yours (all the while you trust in them as you do) lie between you and the true FOUNDATION. You must go lower yet if you will build safely." In short, all those who do not come to Christ on His bare word, but are emboldened to apply to Him on the consideration of something good in themselves, fall short of building on the sinner's FOUNDATION. Oh, it is rare to build on Christ ONLY-to come to Him without money and without price-to receive salvation for nothing to believe on the footing of His bare word of promise! But to this we must all be brought if we would be safe and steadfast.

And if you truly believe on Jesus Christ you perceive great glory and excellence in Him. In the eyes of the world this Rock is but a common Stone; yea, worse, it is a Stumbling-stone which offends