The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1894-10-24
JONAH IN Tns STORM.

JONAH IN ThE STORM.
DR.. Talmsge on the Necessity of Prayer
with Work.
BROOKLYN, Oct. 14.-Rey. DR.. Tai
mage. who is still absent on his rouno
the world tour, has selected as the sub
iect of todsg's sermon through the press
ssThe Oarsmen Defeated" the text
chosen beng Jonah j. Is. "A, ''The men
rowed hard to bring it to the land, but
they could not, wherefore they crlec
unto the Lord"
Navigation in the Mediterranean sea
ALWAYS was perilous, especially 30 IN
early times. Vessels were propelled
partly by sail and partly by oar. When,
by reason of great stress OF weather, 1t
was necessary to reef the canvass or
haul it Ia, then the vessel was entirely
dependent upon the oars, sometimes ~
or 80 of them on either side the vessel.
You would not venture outside your
harbor with such a craft as my text
finds Jonah sailing in, but he had not
much choice of vessels. He was run.
ming away from the Lord, and when q
man is running away from the LORD ne
has to run very fast.
God told Jonah to go to Ninevah TO
preach about the destruction OF that city.
Jonah dlsopsYed. That always makes
rough water, whether in the Meditterra
mean, or the Atlantic, or the Pacific, or
the Caspian sea. It's very hard thing
to scare sailors. have seen them Wnen
the brew of the vessel was almost IN
der water, and they were walking the
deck knee deep IN the surf, and the
snall boats by the side of the vessel had
been crushed as small as klndling wood,
whistling as though nothing had happen
ed, but the Bible says that these mari
iners of whom I Ispeak were frightened.
That which sailors call "a lump OF q
ses,' had become binding, deatening.
swsmping fury. How mad the wind
can get at the water, and the water can
get at the wind, you do not know unless
YOU have been spectators. | have ln my
house a piece of the sail OF g ship no
larger than the palm ofmy hand. That
piece of canvas was all that was lett OF
the largest sail of the ship Greece that
went into the storm 200 miles OFF New,
foundlsnd. On, what night that was!
I suppose that it was IN some such
storm rs this that Jonah was caught.
He knew that the tempest was On MS
account, and he asked the sallors to
throw him overheard. Sailors ara a
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 30
they lay hold on their oars. see the
long bank of shining blades on either
side of the vessel. On, how they cid
pull. the bronzed seamen, as they laid
back INTO the oars! But rowing on the
sea is very different from rowing upon q
river. and as the vessel hoists the oars
skip tho wave and miss the stroke, and
ths tempest laughs to SCORE the Tying
paddles. I5i ONO use, no use. There
comes wave that crashes the last mast
and sweeps the oarsmen from their
places and tumbles everything in the
confusion of the impending shipWreck,
or, as my text has it, The men roWed
hard to bring it to land, bat they could
not, wherefore they cried unto the Lerd''
This scene is very suggestive to me,
and I pray God I may have grace and
strength enough to represent 1t intetll.
gently to you. Years ago I preached
q sermon OF another phase OF this very
subject, end I got letter from Hous'
ton, Tex, the writer saying that the
reading of that sermon in London hao
led him to God. And I received an'
other from South Australia saying thai
the reading of that sermon n Australia
had brought several souls to Christ
And then thought, Why not take
another phase of the same subject, tol
perhaps that God who can raise IN power
that which is sown in weakness may
now through another phase of the same
subject bring salvation to the people
who shall hear aud salvation to the peo
vie who shall read? Men and womer
who know how to pray lay hold Of th'
Lord Gsd Almighty and Wrestle Tor th'
blessing.
Bishop Latimer would stop some
times in his sermon in the midst OF MI
argument and say, snow will tell Yor
& fable" and today would like tt
bring the scene OF the text as an lllustra-
ton of most important religious truth
AS those Mediterranean oarsmen trYlns
to bring Jonah ashore were discounted
I have to tell you that they were not th'
only men who have broken down OF
their paddles and have been obliged tt
call on the Lord for help. I want to sa'
that the unavailing efforts Of those Med
iterranean earsmen have counterpart
IN the efforts We are making to brlnE
souls to the shore of safety and set thel
feet on the rock of ages. You have
father or mother or husband or wife o.
child or near friend who is not Chris
tian. There have been times when yo'
have been in agony about their saliva,
ton.
a minister of Christ whose wife wa
dying without any bops in Jesus wake
the floor, wrung his hands, cried bitterl..
and said, ST believe I shall 60 insane
for I know she is not prepared to NEE
Godp' And there may have been day
of sickness in your household when yoD
feared it would be fatal sickness. an
how closely you examined the face
the doctor as ne came IN and scrutlnize
the patient and felt the pulse, and yo
followed him into the next room, an
said, ''Tnere isn't any danger, is there
DOCTOR" And the hesitation and Il
uncertainty of the reply made two eter
mites flash before your vision. An
then you went and talked to the sici
one about the great future. Oh, ther
are those here who have tried to brin
their friends TO God. They have bee
unable to bring them to the shore
safety. They are no nearer that poiu
than they were 20 years ago. Yo
think you have got them almost to th
shore when you are swept back again
What shall you do? Put down the oar
Oh, no! I do not advise that, but d
advise that you appeal to tnat God t
~rLo.o Gbn Mediterranean CnremaO an