Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-09-30
'THR TEMPEST sTILLEp.u y
The New Pastor of the Central Metho
dist EpiscopaI Church.


The New Pastor of the Central Metho-
dist Episcopal Church.
Services of welcome TO Rev. G. II. Beech
good, the new pastor of the Central Meth
odist Episcopal Church, on Eleventh street,
were held yesterday. There was large
attendance.
The reverend gentleman is native of
Indiana. During the past three years he
/ filled the pulpit of the NJ. E. Church in
Oroville. He is very eloquent speaker,
sound and logical, and q gentleman no
doubt who will give satisfaction to the
members of the church.
He took his text from Mark iy., 81
"And he arose and reDuked the wind, and
said unto the sea, peace be still, and the
wind ceased, and there was great calm"
'Only those who have witnessed the dis
play of the sovereign power of the ocean,"
said the speaker, "can know Of the might
of its scepter. Standing upon the shore you
see only His gentler mandates obeyed; only
the brushing of the fringe of his robe of
reslstless royalty. The sands have grown
gray and the rock wrinkled through their
resistance; and yet each swell of the ocean
is as mighty and vigorous as the day when
God set bounds to the sea- The tide comes
IN and the tide goes out, obeying not even
the commands of Canute. You watch
the sweils coming in from afar, sweeping
to the grand march. You watch the break
.rs piling high the white foam you watch
the surf in its resistless advance and re-
treat, and the thought of the might and
power and grandeur and sublimity of the
great ocean overwhelms you. How small
we seem, how weak, how insignificant
do we appear, even when we stand
upon the shore aud look out upon the
great waters; but only those who have
ridden upon the back of the monster,
when he is lashed into foaming fury by the
whip of the tempest, can know the awful
ness and terror Of his anger. Pile upon
pile stand the waste of waters like
great mountains snow-capped. The vessel
upon which you have risked your life, that
seemed so huge and strong while in the
har Dor. dwindles into mere toy, and is
lifted like feather to the summit of an
Everest as by Hercules, and then dropped
down into the deepest canyon, only to be
lifted up again and hurled down the preci-
pice into the seething chasm. Then it is
we feel our helplessneSs; then it is we real
ize the power of the ocean, and are COM
PEELED to acknowledge that He who would
by word calm the tempest could be none
row, and breakers of temptation, and whirl-
winds of disaster, and mountains of perse-
cution, and waves of misfortune. There
are storms in childhood; there are storms
in youth; there are storms in middle life,
and there are storms in old age. Life's
ocean is not pacific-it is stormy. We
have found it so, and have all found times
when it seemed that our frail bark would
go to pieces upon the sharp rocks. Who is
guiding your vessel on this voyage? Is he
a trustworthy and experienced pilot? Jesus
Christ is the only true and safe pilot that
ever stood at the helm of an eternity bound
bark. He knows every sandbar of tempta-
ton that might strand your vessel. He
knows every undertow of the human heart.
The winds and waves obey His will; and
when the storm RACES fiercely and yawning
chasms seem ready to epgulf us, He will
arise and rebuke the wind and say to the
sea, Peace be STILL" and there will be
great calm. There is no artificial calm for
the soul. There is but one calm, and that
is Gods calm. He says to the sea be still,
and there is great calm; and He will
guide the storm-tossed bark into the har-
Dor, where there is no pain, nor sickness,
nor death; neither sorrow nor crying and
God shall wipe all tears from your eyes.
The service which we are called upon
to render to God is service. the benefits of
which all accrue to the one who serves 1t
pays an hundredfold in this life, and in
the world to come life everlasting. We
must not permit anything to come be-
tween US and God. We are told that even
the great planets, as they sweep onward in
their pathway of light, thrill with dis
turbed tremor if any foreign object crowds
their orbit; and in like manner, if anything
comes between the heart and Christ, there
is certain to be a disturbance of the calm of
the resting soul. The storm is on the sea;
but, if you are a Christian, the Master is
on board. Go to Him and He will arise
and say to the sea, Peace be STILL" and
the wind will cease ano there will be a
great calm.
when the Romans by conqest, might
have given laws to the Grecians at Corinth
in the solemn times of the Isthmian games,
their General, by herald, Unexpectedly
proclaimed freedom to all the cities of
Greece. At first the Grecians could not
believe that good news was true; but when
1t was proclaimed second time, they gave
mighty shout of joy. How much |
greater should be our Joy over the peace
that God offers to us-the proclamation of
the peace of conscience; that peace which |
is not of our bodies, but of our souls-not |
of an earthly, but of our heavenly estate; |
peace begun here and that shall endure |
forever; such peace that shall make God |
at peace with US, and make US at concord |
with all the world.
Grant us thy peace throughout our earthly life |
Our balm is sorrow and our stay is strife.
Then, when thy voice shall bid our conflicts |
cease,
Call us, Lord, to thine eternal peace.
ga vor in |