The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1897-09-10
CHRIST IN COMMAND.
Rev. DR.. Talmage Gives Encourage
ment to tha Downcast.
No Matter How Hard the Storm, Christ
Commands Ito Smooth Sailing
for His Followers, But safe
Landing at Last,

Inc IolIoWlng sermon by Rev. L. ID
Witt Talmage is designed to conve,
words of comfort to those depressed b,
life's trials and troubles. 1t is baseC
on the text:
And there were also with Him other littl
ships, and there arose great storm of wind
And the wind ceased and there was grea
ealm.-Mark iv-, $50.
Tiberias Galilee, Gennesaret-threi
names for the same lake. No othei
gem ever had so beautiful setting.
lay in a scene of great luxuriance; tn,
surrounding hills, terraced, sloped
grOved, SO many hanging gardens o
beauty; the waters rumbling down be
tween rocks of gray and red limestone
flashing from the hills, and bounding
into the sea On the shore were cas-
ties, armed towers, Roman baths
everything attractive and beautiful
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 a rigorous climate
1t seemed as if the Lord had launched
one wave of beauty on all the scene
and IL hung and swung from rock and
hill and oleander. Roman gentlemen
in pleasure boats sailing the lake, and
cOuntrymen in fish smacl6s coming
down To drop their nets, pass each 9TH
or with nod and shout and laughter, OF
swinging idly at their moorings. Oh,
what wonderful what beautiful
lake.
1t seems as if we shall have a quiet
night. Not a leaf winl1ed 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 hastel,
to see what it is, and we find it an EN-
| barlatiOn.
From the western shore a flotilla
| pushing out, not a squadron, or dead
| ly armament, nor clipper with valuable
merchandise. nor pirate vessels ready
| to destroy every thing they could seize;
| but ilotilla, bearing messengers of
life, and light, and peace. Christ is in
the front boat. Ills 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 star
| board to larboard, and from the
larboard to starboard, the boat would
rock, and by the gentieneSs of the mo-
ton putting the Master asleep. And
| they extemporized a pillow made out
of tisherman's coat. L think no
sooner is Christ PROSTATE, and His head
touching the pillow, than lie 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 d sleeping child on the bosom
of 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 Gennesa-
ret. But the sailors say there Is going
to be a 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 trcmbles
like deer at bay trembling among the
clangor of the hounds; great patches
of foam are flung into the air; the sails
of the vessel loosen, and the sharp
winds crack like pistols; the smaller
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 back
part of the boat and lay hold of Christ,
and say unto Him: Master. carest
not that we perish?' That great per-
sonage 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 o1e
word for the sky and another word for
the waves. Looking upward, He cries:
Peace Looking downward, lie says:
"Be STILL
The waves fell 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 battling out the
boats, and while they are trying to I'M
tangle the cordage, the disciples stand
in Amusement, now looking into the
calm sea, then into the calm sky, then
into the calm of the Saviour's counte-
nance, and they cry cut: What man
ner 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 Gennesart If Christ had !
not been present. Oh, what IA 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 iuan- !
cial enterprises. bid you good cheer. |
Do all you can do. Do it on as
high n plane as possible. You have |
no right to be stoker in the ship if |
you can be an admiral of the navy. |
Y on have no right to be colonel of 3 |
regiment if you can command a brig |
ade; you have no right to be an en-
gineer 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 enter |
prise. 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; 20 |
trouble can overthrow them; the |
storms might come down from the top |
of Mount Hermon, and lash Gennesaret !
into foam and into agony, but it could |
not hurt them. But there is another |
man who starts out in worldly enter |
prise. and he depends upon the uncer- |
tainfiaS of this life He has M Ga1 ~ /