The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1897-09-03

dens of beauty; the waters rumbllng
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 short
er space than in almost any other space
in all the world, from the palm tree
of 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 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 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 Cen
nesaret; but there seems to be little
excitement UP the beach, and we hast
en- to see what it is, and We find it an
embarkatiop.
From the western shore a fotilla
pushing out; not a squadron, or dead
ly armament, nor clipper with valuable
merchandise, nor piratic vessels ready
to destroy everything they could seize;
but flotilla, bearing messengers of
life, and light, and peace. Christ is in
the front of the boat His disciples
are in a smaller boat. 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
gentleness of the motion putting the
| Master asleep. And they extempor-
| lied a pillow made out of fisherman's
| coat. l think no sooner is Christ pros
| trate, and his head touching the pill
| low, 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 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
| IN hn Of riCt
| had not been present. oh, what les
son 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: l bid you good cheer. Do all
you can do. Do it on as high 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 regiment if
| you can command brigade; you have
| no right to be engineer of a boat on
| river-banks, or near the coast, if 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;
| no trouble can overthrow them; the
| storms might come down from the top
| of Mt. Hermon, and lash Gennesaret
| into foam and into agony, but it 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 tosses 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 it arctic blasts or tropical
tornadoes; l know not what is before
you, but l 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
i waves of trial dash clear over the hur-
ricane deck, and the bowsprit is shiv-
cred, and the halliards are swept into
the sea, and the gangway is crowded
with piratical disasters-oh, wha1
would you then do without Christ il
the ship? Young man, take God fol
your portion, God for your guide, Coo
for your help; then all is well; all i:
well for time, all shall be we'll 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 star
| RI follow Christ they must not eXDec