The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1897-09-03

Rev. TALMAGE' lake. MOTHER gem
ever had so beautiful a setting. 1t lay
In a scene of great luxuriance: the
surrounding hills high, terraced,
sloped. groved, so 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
baths, everything attractive and beau
tiful; all styles of vegetation in shorter
space than in almost any other space
In the world, from the palm tree of
the forest to the trees of rigorous
climate.
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 with nod and shout and laugh
ter, or swinging idly at their moor
ings. Oh, what a wonderful, what a
beautiful lake! 1t seems as if we shall
have quiet night. Not leaf winked
in the air; not ripple disturbed the
face of Gennesaret; but there seems to
be little excitement up the beach,
and we hasten to see what it is, and
we find it an embarkation.
From the western shore a fiotilla
pushing out; not a squadron, or deadly
armament, nor clipper with valuable
merchandise, nor pirate vessels ready
to destroy everything they could seize;
but tiotilla, bearing messengers of
life, and light, and peace. Christ is in
the front boat. His disciples are in a
smaller boat. Jesus, weary with
much speaking to large multitudes, 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 larboard, or from
| larboard to starboard, the boat would
rock. and by the gentleness of the mo-
tiOn putting the Master asleep. And
they extemporized pillow made out
of a isherman'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
rolls like a sleeping child on the bosom
of a sleeping mother.
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 Gen
n,,4 =
going to be a change of weather. And
even the passengers can hear the moan
ing of the storm, as it comes on with
long stride, with all the terrors of
hurricane and darkness. The large
boat trembles like a deer at bay trem-
bling among the clangor of the hounds;
great patches of smoke are flung into
the air; the sails of the vessels loosen,
and the sharp winds crack like pistols;
the small boats like petrels poise on
the cliff of waves and then plunge.
Overheard go cargo, tackling and
masts, and the drenched disciples rush
into the pack part of the boat, and lay
hold of Christ, and say unto Him:
Master, carest not that we perish?'
That great parsonage lifts His head
from the pillow of the fisherman's 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 flash 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: 'Peacev
Looking downward, He says: BE
still"
The waves fall fat on their faces,
the foam melts, the eXtinguished stars |
relight 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 I'M
tangle the cordage, the disciples stand |
in amazement, now looking into the |
calm sky, then into the calm of the |
Saviour,s cOuntenance, and they cry |
out: What manner of man is this, |
that even the winds and the sea obey |
Him?
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 a lesson
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
a stoker in the ship if you can be ad-
miral of the navy. You have no right
to be colonel of a regiment if you can
command brigade; you have no right
to be engineer of boat on river banks,
or near the coast, if you can take the
ocean steamer from New York to Liv-
erpool. All you can do with utmost
tension of body, mind and soul. you
are bound to do; but. oh, have Christ
In every voyage, Christ in every ship.