Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-09-07


many hanging gar
dens Of beauty; the waters rumbling
| down between rocks of gray and red
limestone, flashing from the hills, and
bounding into the sea. On the shore
were castles, armed towers, Roman
! paths, everything attractive and beau
| tiful; all styles of vegetation in short
er space than in almost any other space
| in all the world, from the palm tree
| or the forest to the trees of rigorous
climate
1t seemed as if the Lord had launch
| ed one wave of beauty on all the scene,
| and 1t hung and swung from rock and
| nil and oleander. Roman gentlemen
in pleasure boats sailing the lake, and
| countrymen in fish-smacks coming
| down to drop their nets, pass each
| other with nod and shout and laughter,
Or swinging idly at their moorings. Oh,
what wonderful, what a beautiful
| lake!
1t seems as if we shall have a quiet
night. Not leaf winked in the air;
not ripple disturbed the face of Gen
nesaret; but there seems to be a little
excitement up the beach, and We hast
en to see what it is, and We find it an
smbarkatiop.
| From the western shore a fotilla
/ gushing out; not a squadron, or dead
~ armament, nor clipper with valuable
merchandise, nor piratic vessels ready
to destroy everything they could seize;
but fotilla, bearing messengers of
life, and light, and peace. Christ is in
the front of the boat. His disciples
are in smaller beat. Jesus, weary
with much speaking to large multi
tudes, is put into somnolence by the
rocking Of the waves. If there was
any motion at all, the ship was easily
righted; if the wind passed from one
| side, from the starboard to the lar
board, or from the larboard to the STAR
| board, the boat would rock, and by the
Sentleness Of the motion putting the
| Master asleep. And they extempor-
| lied pillow made out of fisherman's
| soat. / think no sooner is Christ pros
rate, and his head touching the pill
/ ao", IMAM hC ID oOthu dSiScp. Ht
breezes of the lake run their fingers
through the locks of the worn sleeper
and the boat rises and falls like a
sleeping child on the bosom OF a sleep
| Ing mother
The subject in the first place i'm
presses me with the fact that it is very
| important to have Christ in the ship
| for all those boats would have gone
to the bottom of Gennesaret if Christ
| had not been present. Oh what les
con for you and for me to learn! What
ever voyage we undertake, into what
! ever enterprise We start, let US always
have Christ in the ship. Many of you
In these days of revived commerce are
| starting out in new financial enter
| prises: / bid you good cheer. Do all
| you can do. Do it on as high a plane
as possible. You have no right to be
stoker N the ship if you can be
an admiral of the navy. You have no
| right to be a colonel of a regiment If
you can command brigade: you have
no right TO be engineer of a boat on
riverbanks, or near the coast, IL you
! can take the ocean steamer from New
York to Liverpool. All you can do with
utmost tension of body, mind and soul,
you are bound to do; but oh! have
Christ in every enterprise. Christ in
every voyage. Christ in every ship.
There are men who ask God to help
them at the start Of great enterprises
| He has been with them in the past !;
10 trouble can overthrow Them the
storms might come down from the top
OF Mt. Hermon, and lash Gennesaret
into foam and into agony, but 1t could
| not hurt them. But here is another
man who starts out in worldly enter
prise. and he depends upon the uncer-
| tainties of this life. He has no God to
| help him. After awhile the storm
comes, and losses off the masts
of the ship; he puts out his life
! boat the sheriff and the auctioneer
| try to help him off; they can't help
| him off he must go down; no Christ
in the ship. Here are young men just
! starting out in life. Your life will be
| made up Of sunshine and shadow. There
may be in 1t arctic blasts or tropical
! tornadoes; / know not what Is before
, you, but know If you have Christ with
you all shall be well.
| You may seem to get along without
the religion of Christ while everything
goes smoothly, but after awhile, when
sorrow hovers over the soul, when the
waves of trial dash clear over the hur-
r.cane deck, and the bowsprit is SHY
cred, and the halliards are swept into
the sea, and the gangway is crowded
with piratical disasters-oh, what
would you then do without Christ in
the ship? Young man, take God for
your portion, God for your guide, God
for your help; then all is well; all Is
well for time, all shall be well forever.
! Blessed is that man who puts in the
Lord his trust. He shall never be con-
| founded.
But my subject also impresses me
with the fact that when people start
to follow Christ they must not expect
smooth sailing These disciples got
into the small boats, and l have no
doubt they said, What beautiful day
this is! What smooth sea! What
q bright sky this is! How delightful