The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1894-10-24
JONAH IN TIE STORM.
DR.. rsrmage on the Necessity OF Prayer
with Work,

Dr. Talmsse on the Necessity OF Prayer
with Work.
BROOKLYN, Oct. 14.-Rsv. DR.. Tai
mage, who is still absent on his rounc
the world tour, has selected as the sub
ject of today's sermon through the press
1.-THE Oarsmen Defeated" the tex!
chosen beng Jonah !, l3, II, The men
rowed hard to bring it to the land, bot
they could not. wherefore they cr1ec
unto the Lord"
Navigation in the Mediterranean sea
slwsys was perilous, especially 80 N
early times. Vessels were proDelleo
partly by sail and partly by oar. When'
by reason of great stress OF weather, II
was necessary to reef tho canvass or
hsul It 10, then the vessel vas entirely
dependent upon the oars, sometimes ~
or 80 of them on either side the vessel.
You would not venture cutsIce your
hsrbor with such craft as my text
finds Jonah sailing in, but he had not
much choics OF vessels. He was run
ming away from the Lord, and when 3
man is running away from the Lord ne
has to run very fast.
God told Jonah to 60 to NineVah to
preach about the destruction OF that city.
Jonah dIsooeyed. That always makes
rough water, whether in the Meditterra'
mean, or the Atlantic, or the Pacific, or
the Caspian sea. It's q very hard thing
to scare sailors. have seen them when
the brow OF the vessel was almost un'
der water, and they were walking the
Geek knee deep in the surf, and the
small boats By the side of the vessel hsd
been crushed as small as klnol!ng WOOD,
Ehistling as though nothing had happen
ed, but the Bible says that these mari.
iners Of whom I speak were frightened.
That which sailors call "a lump OF
seso had become binding, deatening,
swamping fury. How mad the vino
can get at the water, ard the Water can
get at the wind, you do not know unless
YOU have been spectators. have IN my
house q piece of the sail Of 8 ship no
larger than the palm ofmy hand. Tha;
piece of canvas was all that was lett OF
the largest sail OF the ship Greece that
went into the storm 200 miles of New
foundland. Oh, what night that was!
I suppose that 1t was N some such
storm as this that Jonah was caught.
He knew that the tempest was on bis
account, ard be asked the sailors &c
throw him overheard. Sailors are g
generous hearted race, and they re-
solved to make their escape if possible
without resortlng to such extreme meas
ures. The sails are Of no use and SO
they lay hold on their oars. | see the
long bank of shining blades on either
side of the vessel. Oh, how they DID
pull, the bronzed seauen, as they laid
back INTO the oars! But rowing On tue
sea is very different from rowing upon q
river, and as the vessel hoists the oars
skip the wave and miss the stroke. anc
the tempest laughs to scorn the 1yln2
paddles. It is of no use, no use. Ihere
comes wave that crashes the LAST mast
and sweeps the oarsmen from tnen
places and tumbles everything IN the
confusion of the impending shipwreck.
or, as nv text has 1t, 1.-The men roweo
hard to bring it to land, but they couLo
not, wherefore they cried unto the Lero''
This scene is very suggestive to me,
and 7 pray God may have grace and
strength enough to represent it intel
gently to you. Years ago I preached
q sermon on another phase OF this very
subject, and I got q letter from Aous'
ton, Tex, the writer saying that the
reading Of that sermon IN London hac
led him to Goo. And I received an
other from South Australia saying thai
the reading OF that sermon n Aus trals
had brought several souls to Christ
And than 7 thought, Why cot take
another phase of the same subject, 10!
perhaps that God who can raise II power
that which is sown in weakness may
now through another phase OF the same
subject bring salvation to the people
who shall hear asd salvation to the peo
vie who shall read? Men and women
who know how to pray lay hold OF the
Lord God Almighty and wrest!e Tor the
blessing.
Bishop Lstimer would stop some
times in his sermon in the midst OF bis
argument and say, snow will tell yor
q fsble,' and today I would like tc
bring the scene OF the text as an lllustra-
lion of a most important religious truth
AS those Mediterranean oarsmen trying
to bring Jonah ashore were discounted
7 have to tell you that they were not The
only men who have broken down or
their paddles and have bsen obliged tc
call on the Lord for help. want to say
that the unavailing efforts Of those Med
iterranean oarsmen have counterpart
in the efforts we are making to bring
souls to the shore Of safety and set thel!
feet on the rock Of ages. You have
father or mother or husband or wte or
child or near friend who is not Chris
tan. There have been times when you
have been in agony about their saliva
ton.
A minister of Christ whose wife was
dying without any hope IN Jesus walked
the floor, wrung his hands, cried bitterly
and said, 81 believe I shall go insane
for know she is not prepared to meet
God!'' And there may have been days
of sickness in your household when you
feared it would be q fatal sickness, anc
how closely you examined the face O!
the doctor as be came N and scrutinizeo
the patient and felt the pulse, and you
followed him into the next room, and
said, "Tnere isn't any danger, is there,
doctos?" And the hesitation and The
uncertainty Of the reply made two eter-
mites fash before your vision. And
then you went and talked to the sick
one about the great future. On, there
are those here who have tried to bring
their friends to God. They have been
unable to bring them to the shore oi
safety. They are no nearer that point
than they were 20 years ago. You
think you have got them almost to the
shore when ycu are swept bscS again.
What shall you do? Put down the oal:
Oh, no! I do not advise that, but l dc