Gathered riches, garnered treasures,
Luxury like eastern tale;
Life, a gaudy scene of splendor,
Feast and revel without fail:
He who heaven and earth doth rule,
Weighs thy wealth, and cries, “Thou fool!”
Able statesman, gallant soldier,
Ruling with far-sighted skill;
Fame, a dazzling structure rearing;
Nations sway'd by one strong will:
He, who heaven and earth doth rule,
Marks thy fame, and, cries, “Thou fool!”
Youths and maidens sport light-hearted.
Flitting gay amid earth’s flowers;
Laugh, and song, and jest, and dancing.
Butterflies for sunny hours:
He, who heaven and earth doth rule,
Sees thy mirth, and cries, “Thou fool!”
Spendthrift, hoarder, idler, worker,
Journeying down life's checker'd road;
Oh! be wise, nor scorn the question,
Asking, "Are you rich towards God?"
Else, before that righteous rule,
Thou shalt hear His verdict,—"Fool!”
Faithful love it is that says it,
Calls earth's baubles what they are;
Boundless love that would awake men
From illusions, near and far;
Love that kept not back His Son,
Yearning still above each one.
Oh! that words of mine were given
Power, some wandering soul to win;
Glad the welcome that would greet him
Speaking peace and cleansing sin:
Clothing, seating in God's school,
Never more to roam a" fool."
O. M.
"The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God" (Psa. 14)
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom' (Prov. 9:10)