St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1897-10-02
TALMAGES SERMON.
46o Matter How Hard the Storm
Christ is in Command.

10 Matter How Hard the Storm
Christ is in Command.
s Hhoee Whose Voyage OF Life b Tcmpesta-
oas Should Always Take Christ In
IS the ship ana Port VIII ~
Safely Reached
Rev. I. Dewitt Talmage. in the fol-
owing sermon. designs to give comfort
80 those who End life beset with trials
md troubles The text is:
And thcre were also with Him other little
enaD2 and there arose great storm OF wind.
e.--And the wind ceased and there was greet
e1aA-Mark iv.. s6-3a.
Ttberias, Galilee, Gennesaret-three
names for the same lake. No other
Agon ever had SO beautiful a setting. It
1ay In . scene OF great luxuriance; the
Surrounding hills, terraced. sloped,
9rovcd. 30 many hanging gardens of
beauty: the waters rumbling down be-
tween rocks Of gray and red limestone,
1ashing from the hills, and bounding
1nto the sea On the shore were cas-
ties. armed towers. Roman baths,
every thing attractive and beautiful;
al styles Of vegetation in shorter
epeee than in almost any other space
- the world, from the palm tree of the
toFcst to the trees of . rigorous climate.
+ taeemed rs IL the Lord had launched
90 wave Of beauty on all the scene,
ond Il hung and swung from rock and
hill and olcander. Roman gentlemen
II pleasure boats sailing the lake, and
eountrymen in fish smacks coming
down 70 drop their nets, pass each 9TH
0r with nod and shout and laughter, or
owinging idly at their moorings Oh,
sWhatla wonderful, what beautiful
s1nke!
Itseems rs il we shall have . quiet
night Not a leaf winkcd in the air;
bot . ripple disturbed the face of Gem
neaaset; but there seems to be a little
e1citement up the beach, and we hasten
- see what it is, and we find it an em-
8 sox1kAtion-
From the western shore . dotilla
rushing out, not a squadron, or dead
{ " armament. nor clipper with valuable
0erchAndise. nor piratic vessels ready
- destroy every thing they could seize;
bnt : fOtills, bearing messengers of
litss and light. and peace. Christ is in
- front boak His disciples are in =
1lpaller boat Jesus. weary with much
>seaking to large multitudes, is put
waves. II there was any motion at all,
the ship was easily righted; if the
Wind passed from one side, from star
Apard to larboard, and from the
1arboard to starboard, the boat would
rock, and by the gentleness of the mo-
don putting the Master asleep. And
they extemporized . pillow made out
q . fshcrman's coat. think no
Gnoner is Christ prostrate, and His head
eouching the pillow, than He il sound
anleep. The brcexes of the lake run
their fingers through the locks of the
WoA sleeper, and the boat rises and
Gns like = sleeping child on the bosom
- : eleeping mother.
CSlm night starry night beautiful
Ufgbk RIM up all the sails, ply AL
~ oars, and let the large boat and the
snll boat glide over gentle Gennesa-
gut. but the sailors say there is going
- BE- = change Of weather. And even
hepossengcrs can hear the moaning
Of he storm, as it comes on with long
otride. with all the terrors of hurricane
sad darkness. The large boat trembles
liko . deer at bay trembling among the
elsngor of the hounds; great patches
q foAm are dung into the air; the sails
ot the vessel loosen, and the sharp
wiads crack like pistols; the smaller
b0ats. like petrels. poise on the cliff OF
waves and then plunge. Overheard 90
cargo, tackling aud masts. and the
dEcnched disciples rush into the back
part Of the boat and lay hold Of Christ.
ond say unto Him: Master, carest
not that we perishs" That great per
oo1agc 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
eoe16s the cry of drowning men. By
th1 Aash of the lightning see the
ealu brow Of Christ rs the spray
drppped from His beard. He has one
werd for the sky and another word for
IT, waves. Looking upward, He cries:
ssAoncev Looking downward, He says:
eBs still.n
The waves fell flat on their faces,
Ehe foam melts, the extinguished stars
relight their torches. The tempest
4al1s dead. and Christ stands with His
hot on the neck Of the storm. And
whfle the sailors arc bailing out the
boa&A md while they are trying to un-
tan&ae the cordage, the disciples stand
in anascnent, now looking into the
oa1R oea, then into the calm sky, then
Into Ehe calm Of tho Saviour's counte-
aance. and they cry ont: ..What man.
ueso1 man is this, that even the winds
aa0 fhe sea obey Him.'
~ subject in the first place inn
pru - ne with the fact that it is very
imnSRtAnt to have Christ in the ship;
loc6A those boats would have gone to
the 6ottom Of GennesArt If Christ had
nd 1een present Oh, what lesson
for. and tor me to learn! What
eve Voyage We undertake. into what
evGf6nterprise we start let us always
la&S Ehrist in The ship Many Of you
u oae days Of revived commerce
a. starting out in new finsn-
sel6 hn&erprises bid you good cheer.
n you can do Do it on Is
~ = plane - possible You have
II Sht to Be . stoker in the ship il
- = an be ~ admiral OF the navy.
Snve no right TO be colonel OF =
6pt II you can command . brig
8 yoo have no right to be IN en-