The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1897-09-03
A ROUGH SEA VOYAGE.
DR.. TALMAGE SAYS CHRIST'S FOL-
LOWERS MUST EXPECT 1T.


the Calm on the Sea of Gennesaret-Th'
Harbor.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 29.-This sermon
by Rev. DR.. Talmage will be of great
solace to people who are finding theii
life rough voyage. Text, Mark iv, SO
land there were also with him other
little ships, and there arose a great
storm of wind. And the wind ceased
and there was great calm.
Tiberias, Galilee, Gennesaret-three
names for the same lake. No other gem
ever had SO beautiful a setting. 1t lay
in scene of great luxuriance-the sur
rounding hills high, terraced, sloped,
groved, so many hanging gardens of
beauty; the waters rumblinA down be-
tween rocks of gray and red limestone
flashing from the hills and bounding
into the sea- On the shore were castles,
armed towers, Roman baths, everything
attractive and beautiful, all styles of
vegetation i'll shorter space than in al
most any other space in all the world,
from the palm tree of the forest to the
trees of rigorous climate.
Smooth Sailing.
Itseemed as if the Lord had launched
one wave of beauty on all the scene,
and it hung and swung from rock and
hill and oleander. Roman gentlemen in
pleasure boats sailing the lake and
countrymen in fish smacks, coming
down to drop their nets, pass each other
.+L,
singing idly at their moorings Oh,
what a wonderful, what a beautiful
lakel
1t seems as if we shall have a quiet
night. Not leaf winked in the air,
not a ripple disturbed the face of Gen
nesaret, but there seems to be a little
excitement up the beach, and we hasten
to see what it is and we find it an en-
barkation.
From the western shore a 1otilla
pushing out, not squadron or deadly
armament, nor clipper with valuable
merchandise, nor piratio vessels ready
to destroy everything they could seize,
but a f1otilla, bearing messengers of life
and light and peace. Christ is in the
front of the boat His disciples are in
q smaller boat. Jesus, weary with much
speaking to large multitudes, is put in
to 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 star
board to the larboard or from the lar
board to the starboard, the boat would
rock, and by the gentleness of the mo-
ton putting the master asleep. And |
they extemporized pillow made out of |
a fisherman's coat. | think no sooner is
Christ PROSTATE and his head touching
the pillow than he is sound asleep. The |
breezes of the lake run their fingers
through the locks of the worn sleeper,
and the boat rises and falls like sleep
ing child on the bosom of a sleeping |
motheN
A Change of Weather.
Calm night, starry night, beautiful
night Run up all the sails, ply all the
oars. and let the large boat and the
small boat glide over gentle Gennesaret.
But the sailors say there is going to be
change of weather. And even the
passengers can hear the moaning of the
storm as it comes on with long stride,
with all the terrors of hurricane and
darkness. The large boat trembles like
deer at bay trembling among the
clangor of the hounds; great patches of
foam are flung into the air; the sails of
the vessels loosen, and the sharp winds
crack like pistols; the smaller boats
like petrels poise on the cliff of the
nd r1u
cargo, tackling and masts, and the
drenched disciples rush into the back
part of the boat and lay hold Of Christ
and say unto him, master, carest thou
not that we perish?' That great per-
sonage lifts his head from the pillow of
the fishermans coat, walks to the front
of the vessel and looks out into the
storm. All around him are the smaller
boats, driven in the tempest, and
through it comes the cry Of drowning
men. By the fash of the lightning l
see the calm brow of Christ as the
spray dropped from his beard. He has
one word for the sky and another
word for the waves. Looking upward,
he cries, "Peace'' Looking downward,
he says, "Be still"
The waves fall fiat on their faces, the
foam melts, the extinguished stars re-
light their torches, the tempest falls
dead and Christ stands with his foot
on the neck of the storm. And while
the sailors are bailing out the boats and
while they are trying to untangle the
cordage the disciples stand i'll amaze
ment, now looking into the calm sea,
then into the calm sky, then into the
calm of the Saviour's countenance, and 1
they cry out, What manner of man is {
this, that even the winds and the sea
obey him?' 6
The subject in the first place impress i
rs me with the fact that it is very i'm i
portant to have Christ in the ship, for /
all those boats would have gone to the l
bottom of Gennesaret if Christ had not I
been present Oh, what a lesson for you t
and for me to learn! Whatever voyage c
we undertake, into whatever enterprise G
We start, let MS always have Christ in a
he ship. Many of you in these days of v
revived commerce are starting out in +
new financial enterprises. l bid you t