The Opelousas courier., 1900-08-04
TALMAGE SERMON,
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE ABLE pl.
VINE.
Subject: LIES Stormy Way-It is Rough
Sailing Without Christ i'm the Ship
He Smooth the Pathway For Those
Who Trust i'm Him.

Subject: Life's Stormy Way-It Is Rough
Sailing Without Christ i'm the Ship
He SmootI,s the Pathway For Those
Who Trust i'm Him.
copyright 1901
WASHINGTON, D. Cdr. Talmage, who
is now in Europe preaching to immense
congregations in the great cities, sends
this sermon, in which he describes the
rough places of life and indicates the best
means of getting over them and shows how
many people fail to understand Their best
blessings; text, Marx iv, SO, ."And He
arose and rebuked the wind, and said unite
the sea, Peace, be STILL"
Here in Capernaum, the seashore viii
lage, was the temporary home of that
Christ who for the most Of His life was
homeless. On the site of this village, now
in ruins, and all around this lake what
scenes of kindness and power and glory
and pathos when our Lord lived herel /
can understand the feeling Of tn immor-
sitting on the banks of this lake, he wrote:
1t is not that the wild gazelle
Comes down to drink thy tide,
But lie that was pierced to save from hell
Oft wandered by thy side.
Graceful around thee the mountains meet,
Thou calm, reposing sea,
But, ah, far more the beautiful feet
Of Jesus walked Ger thee.
I can easily understand from the con-
tour of the country that bounds this lake
that storms were easily tempted to make
these waters their playground. This lake
in Christ's time lay in a scene of great
luxuriance; the surrounding hills, ter
raced, sloped, groyed; so many hanging
gardens of beauty. On the shore were cas-.
ties, armed towers, Roman baths, every
thing attractive and beautiful-all styles
Of vegetation in smaller space than in IL
most any other. space in the world, from
the palm tree of the forest to the trees of
rigorous climate. 1t seemed 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 falling this
lake, and countrymen in fishing smacks
coming down to drop their nets pass each
other with nod and shout and laughter or
swinging idly at their moorings. Oh, what
t psA seems asst as Il we shall have a quiet
night. Not a leaf quivered in the air, not
a ripple disturbed the face OF Genresaret.
But there seems to be a little excitement
up the beach, and we hasten to see what
it Is, and we find it an embarkation. From
the western shore a hotilla pushing out;
not a squadron of deadly armament, nor
clipper with valuable merchandise, nor
pirate vessels ready to destroy everything
they could seize, but q ~fiotilla, bearing
messengers of light and life and peace.
Christ il in the stern of the boat. His
disciples are in The bow and amidships.
Jesus, weary with much speaking to large
multitudes, is put into somnolenee by the
motion at all, the ship was easily righted;
if the wind passed from starboard to lar
board, the boat would rock, and, by. the
g%entleness Of the motion, putting the Mas
ter asleep. And they extemporized a pill.
low made out of a fsherman's coat. !
think no sooner is Christ PROSTATE and
His head touched the pillow than He is
sound asleep. The breezes Of the lake run
their fingers through til locks of the worn
sleeper, and the boat rises and falls like
q sleeping child on the bosom of @ sleep
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 eve? the pas
sengers can hear the moaning of the storm
as II comes on with great stride and all
the terrors Of hurricane and. darkness.
The large boat trembles like a deer at bay
among the clangor of the hounds; great
patches Of foam are flung into the air;
the SAILS OIL the VESSEL 1UOSCn LIZ Lh II
strong wind crack like pistols; the smaller
boats, like p~etrels, poise on the cliffs OF
the waves and then plunge. Overheard
go cargo, tacklipg and masts, and the
drenehed disciples rush int the back part
| of the boat and lay hold of Christ and say
unto Him, Master, carest Thou not thai
we perish?" That great parsonage MT
| mans coat, walks to the front of the yes
sci and looks out into the storm. Al
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 / see the calm brow of Christ as
| the spray dropped from His beard. He
has one word for the sky and another fol-
Peace Looking Downward, lie says
"Be still" The waves fall fat on theil
faces, the foam melts, the extlngulsheo
stars relight their torches. The tempes,
| falls dead, and Christ stands with Hi
foot on the neck of the storm. And while
the sailors are baling out the boats ans
while they are trying to untangle the cord
I looking into the calm sea, then into tn
Z calm sky, then into the calm Saviour
countenance, and they cry out, VIVA
banner of a man is this, that even tht
winds and the sea obey Him.
The subject, in the first place, .impresse'
me with the fact thai it is very importan
to have Christ in the ship, for all thos'
boats would have gone to the bottom o
Gennesaret If Christ had not been present
Oh, what a lesson for yoa and for me t.
learn! Whatever voyage we undertake
into whatever enterprise we. star: !. let u
always have Christ in tue ship. All yo'
can do with utmost tension of body, mln'
and soul you are bound to do, but, oh
have Christ in every enterprise!
~.1 HTy OH m rhalI "A
the beginning CT great enterprises. ID
has been with them in the past; n
trouble can overthrow them; the storm
might come down from the top OF Noun
Hermon and lash Gennesaret into foar
and into agony, but it could not hur
them. But here is another man who start
out in worldly enterprise, and ne depend
has no God to help him. After awhil
the storm comes, losses off the masts {
the saip; he puts out his lifeloat and th
longboat; the sheriff ard the auctionee
try to help him eff; they can't help MI
off: he must go down; nc Christ IN tn
ship. Your life viii be made up, OF SUI
shine and shadows. There may pc IN
know not what is before you, but | kno'
if YOU have. Christ with you all shall 7
well. You may seem to get along witt
ont the religion of Christ while everythIn
goes smoothly, but after awhile, whe
Sorrow hoyers over the soul, when th
waves Of trial dash clear over the hurr
nirst;cal digasters-oh, what would 70
IA then without Christ in the shin? Tai
God for your portion, God for your guild
God for your help; then all is well; all
well for a time; Il shall be well foreye
blessed is that man who puts in the Lo1
his trust. He shall never be c~onfounded
But nv subject also impresses me WIT
the fact that when people start to folio
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