2.—THE RICH WORLDLING
THE parables of Christ are better than all the sermons of men, and speak with a voice that may well awaken the careless ones from their carnal ease. This present evil world, with all its wealth, and pomp, and pride, is just the very place where the natural man, led away by his covetousness, can easily forget God. Hence the solemn warning conveyed in Christ's words “Take heed, and beware of covetousness, for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth." “The love of money," Scripture tells us," is a root of all evil,” and greedy thirst for gold has led its countless victims down to the pit of eternal perdition. "Ye cannot serve God and mammon." If the eager desire for present gain was ever active in the mind of the Jew, surely, none the less, in these latter days, does the Gentile manifest the same grasping spirit.
And we shall do well to take in the solemn import of the Lord's words in Luke 12, "The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully; and he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?" The anxiety that filled the worldling's mind was not as to where to get his next crust of bread. On the contrary, it was where could he find space enough to garner the bounteous harvest God had given him. The barns he then possessed were all too small to receive such overwhelming plenty. So, after due consideration, his well-matured plans were thus ex. pressed, "This will I do: I will pull down my barns and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits, and my goods.”
Such were his intentions, but alas! in all his thoughts God was not, and only present enjoyment and selfish ease filled his covetous heart. Further, he adds, "I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, be merry." Mark the reasoning of that carnal mind! “Much goods! “Quite true." Many years! “Quite false. “Take thine ease!" Another miscalculation. "Be merry!" Alas, alas! they were but mere words from a "fool's" lips.
The eyes of a heart-searching God were on that worldling. And, as the shades of evening fell, these solemn words from the eternal world rang in his ears: “Fool! this night thy soul shall be required of thee, then whose shall those things be which thou horst provided? “A few short hours settled his eternal destiny! Gripped by the icy hand of death, the worldling leaves behind him all his riches, and his pleasures; and as a lost and guilty sinner, he goes that night to meet the God he had forgotten and despised! Dear reader, this is no fairy tale, but a living picture, drawn by the divine hand of Him with whom we have to do. Are you, when death's summons comes, ready to meet God? or, will you hear from His own lips those awful words, "Thou fool," which, for all who hear them, will mean eternal sorrow in the lake of fire? "O ye simple, understand wisdom; and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.... Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold. For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it" (Prov. 8:5, 10, 115O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart. (Proverbs 8:5)
10Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold. 11For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it. (Proverbs 8:10‑11)). S. T.