The St. Mary banner., 1900-07-14
TAiMAGE SERMON.
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY Thk AeLF OI.
VINE
Subject: Life's Stormy Way-It is Rough
Sailing Without Christ In the Ship
He SmoOths the Pathway For Those
Who Trust in Him.

Sailing Without Christ In the Ship
He Smooths the Pathway For Those
Who Trust in Him.
Copyright 1901
WASHINGTON, d. Cdr. Talmage whs
is now III Europe preaching to immense
congregations IN the great cities, sends
tins sermon, III 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, 80, And He
arose and rebuked the wind, and said unite
the sea, Peace, be STILL
Here in Capernaum. the sea.hore vii
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 here. |
can understand the feeling of tn immor-
tai Scotchman, Robert McChevne, when,
sitting on the banks of this lake, he wrote
It is not that the wild gazelle
Comes down to drink thy tide
But He that was pierced to save from hell
Oft wandered by thy side.
Graceful around thee the mountains meet,
Thou calm, reposing sea,
But. an, far more the beautiful feet
OF Jesus walked o'er thee.
| 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 scene of great
luXurlance; the surrounding hills, ter
raced, sloped, groved; so many hanging
gardens OF beauty. On the shore were cas-
ties, armed towers, Roman baths. every
thing attractive and beautiul-all styles
of vegetation in smaller space than in i
most any other space in the world, from
the palm tree of the forest to the trees of
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 and hill and oleander. Roman
gentlemen in pleasure boats aiing 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
a beautiful scene.
1t seems as if we shall have a quiet
night. Not leaf quivered in the air, not
ripple disturbed the face of Gennesaret.
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 fotilla pushing out;
not a squadron of deadly armament, nor
clipper with valuable merchandise, nor
piratic vessels ready to destroy everything
they could seize. but a tiotilla, bearing
Christ is in the stern of the boat. His
disciples are in .he bow and amdships.
Jesus, weary with much speaking to large
multltudes, 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 start oard to lar
board, the boat would rock and, by the
&hn, k,nA
ter asleep. And they extemporized pill
low made out of a fshermans 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 IT, locks of the worn
sleeper. and the boat rises and falls like
a sleeping child on the bosom of a sleep
ing 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 Gennesaret. But
the sailors say there is going to be a
change of weather. And even the pas
scngers can hear the moaning of the storm
as it comes on with great stride and all
the terrors of hurricane and darkness.
The large boat trembles like deer at bay
among the clangor of the hounds: great
patches of foam are flung into the air;
the sails of the vessel loosen and in the
strong wind crack like pistols; the smaller
boats, like petrels, poise on the cliffs of
the waves and then plunge. Overheard
go cargo, tackling and hasts, and the
drenched disciples rush int the back part
of the boat and lay hold of Christ and say
we perish?" That great parsonage lifts
His head from the pillow of the fisher
mans coat, walks to the front of the YES
sci 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 / see the calm brow of Christ as |
the spray dropped from His beard. lie
has one word for the sky and another for |
the waves. Looking upward. He cries,
''Peace!" Looking Downward, lie says, |
''Be still" The waves fall fiat on their
faces, the foam mets, the extingulshed |
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 baling out the, boats and
while they are trying to untangle the cord
looking into the calm sea, then into the
calm sky, then jnto the calm Saviour
and they cry out. What
manner of a man is this. that even the
winds and the sea obev Him.
The subject, in the first place, impresscs
me with the fact tha5 1T is very important |
to have Christ in the ship. for all those
boats would have gone to the bottom OF
1ennesaret if Christ had not been present
Oh. what lesson for yoll and for me to
earn! Whatever voyage we undertake
into whatever enterprise we star let us
always have Christ In the ship. All You
,an do with utmost tension OF body. mind
and soul you are bound to do, but, OH
nave Christ in every enterprls,.
There are men ask God help at
The beginning {: great enterprises. lie
mas been with them IN the past; no
.rouble can overthrow them; the storms
night come down from the top OF Mount
Hermon and lash Gennesaret into foam
md into agony, but 1t could not hurt
hem. But here is another man who starts
,ut in worldly enterprise. and he depends
Ipon the uncertainties Of TIA ne. u"
lns no God to help HIM. After awhile
he storm comes, tosses OF the masts OF
he snip; he puts out hls hfct oat and the
ongboat: the sheriff ard the auctlonrrr
nv to help him cii; they cart hel.' himr
IF; he must 60 down; no Christ IN the
ship. Your life will be made up OF sun
shine and shadows. There may be in II
.rctic blasts or tropical tornadoes; |
,now not what is before you, but ! know
YOU have Christ with you All shall be
veil. You may seem to get along with
,ut the religion of Christ while everything
,oes smoothly, but after awhile, when
sorrow hovers over the soul, when the
waves OF trial dash clear over the hurrl-
ane deck. and the decks are crowded with
,iratical disasters what would you