Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1897-09-08

The Storm, the Calm and the Harbor
TEXT: "And there were also with Hin
other little ships, and there arose a great
storm of wind. And the wind ceased a,,J
there was great calm. Mark iv, &c.
Tiberias, Galilee, Gennesaret three
names for the same lake. No other gem
ever had so beautiful setting 1t Law in a
scene of great luxuriance-the surround
ing hills high, terraced. sloped, groved. SO
many hanging gardens of beauty; the wa
ter 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 beautiful ali
styles OF vegetation In shorter space than
In almost any other space in all the world,
from the palm tree of the forest to the
tree of IA rigorous climate.
1t seemed as IL the Lord had launched
one wave of beauty on all the scene, and it
hung and swung from rock to rock and hill
and oleander. Roman gentlemen in pleas
ure 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 singing idly at their moor
1ngs. On, what wonderful, what beau
tiful lakel
1t seems as If We shall have quiet night
Not leaf winked in the air, not a ripple
disturbed the face. OF Gennesaret. but
beach, and we hasten to see what It Is, and
we find 1t an embarkation.
From the western shore flotilla pushing
out, not squadron or deadly armament,
nor clipper with valuable merchandise. nor
pirate vessels ready to destroy everything
they could seize, but fotilla, bearing mes
sengers of life and light and peace Christ
is in the front Of the boat His disciples
are In 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; il the wind
passed from one side, from the starboard to
the larboard or from the larboard to the
starboard, the boat would rock, and by the
geDtleness Of the motion putting the Mas
ter asleep. And they extemporized pill
low made out of n fsherman'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 sleep
er, and the boat rises and falls like sleep
Ing child on the bosom of a sleeping moth
F.
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 a
change of weather. And even the passen-
gers can hear the moaning of the storm as
1t 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 fonm are flung into the
air; the sails of the vessels loosen, and the
sharp winds crack like pistols; the smaller
boats like petreis poise on the cliff of the
waves and then plunge. Overheard go
cargo, tackling and masts, and the
drenched disciples rush into the back part
NJ hal I To-, l. II VI
unto Him, Master, carest thou not that
we perish?" That great parsonage lifts
his head from the pillow of the iisherman'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 temp
est, and through 1t comes the cry of drown
ing men. By the flash of the lightning
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, ''Peacel" l., K
Ing downward, He says, BE still!'
The waves fall fiat 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 bail
Ing out the boats and while they are trying
to untangle the cordage the disciples stand
In amazement, now looking into the calm
sea, then into the calm sky, then into the
they cry out, What manner of man is this,
that even the winds and the sea obey Him?''
The subject In the first place impresses
me with the fact that 1t 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 lesson for you and for me to
learn! Whatever voyage we undertake, in
to whatever enterprise we start let us al
ways have Christ In the ship. Many of you
In these days of revived commerce are
starting out in new financial enterprises.
bid You good cheer. Do all you can do
Do 1t on as high plane as possible. You
have no right to be u stoker in the ship if
you can be an admiral OF the navy. You
have no right to be a colonel Of regiment
II you can command brigade; you have
no right to be engineer of boat op river
banks or near the coast II you can take the
ocean steamer from New York to Liver
pool. All you can do with utmost tension
Of body, mind and soul, you are bound to
do; but, oh. have Christ in the enterprise,
Christ In every voyage, Christ in every
shipi
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 Mount Hermon
and lash Gennesarst into foam and into
agony, but it could not hurt them. But
here is another man who starts out in
worldly enterprise, and he depends upon
the uncertainties of this life. He has no
God to help him. After awhile the storm
comes and tosses of the masts of the ship.
He puts out his lifeboat. The sheriff and
the auctioneer try to help him OFF. They
cant help him off. He must go down-no
Christ in the ship. Here are young IN N
just starting out in life. Your life will be
made up of sunshine and shadow. There
may be in it arctic blasts or tropical lorna
does. l know not what Is before you, but
know II 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 hurricane deck
and the bowsprit is shivered and the hal
yards are swept into the sea and the gang
way 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 confounded.
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
beautiful day this Isl What a smooth sea
What bright sky this isl How delightful
Is sailing in this boatl And as for ths
waves under the keel of the boat, why
they only make the motion of our little
boat the more delightful But when tn,
winds swept down and the sea was TOSSED
into wrath, then they found that following
Christ was not smooth sailing. SO yol
have found it; so 1 have found 1t. Die
you ever notice the end of the life of tn.
apostles of Jesus Christ? You would sa,
that il evermen ought to have had a smootl
life, a smooth departure, then those men
the disciples of Jesus Christ, ought to hav
had such a departure and such life.
ST. James lost his head. st. Philip wa
hung to death on pillar. st. Matthe,
had his life dashed out with halberd
~, Marx was Dragged to death through tn
streets. st. James the Less was beaten t.
death with a fuller's club. st. Thomas wa
struck through with a spear. They did no
find following Christ smooth sailing. oh
how they were all tossed In the tempest
John Huss in the fire, Hugh McKail in tn
hour Of martyrdom, the Albigenses, tn
Waldenses, the Scotch Covenanters-di