The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-06-27
DR.. TALMAGRS SERMON.
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE 5YTHE NOTED
DIVINE.

DIVINE,
Subject: L,fe's Stormy Way-It Is Rough
Sailing without Christ In the Ship
He Smooths the Pathway For Those
Who Trust in Him.
Copyright lsOu.1
WASHINGTON, D. CDR. TalnaSe, who
is now in Europe preaching to immense
congregations in the great cities, senas
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, MARI iv,. 80, And He
arose and rebuked the wind, and said unto
the sea, Peace, be still" -,
Here in Capernaum, the seashore WI
lage, was the temporary home OF tnat
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 McCheyne, when,
sitting on the banks of this lake, he wrote:
1t is not that the wild gaEel!e
&, 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, reposlng sea, .
But, ah, far more the beautiful feet
OF Jesus walked DER 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 q scene OF great
luxuriance; 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 beautiful-all styles
of vegetation in smaller space than In 81
most any other space in the world, from
the palm tree OF; the forest to. the trees OF
Lord had launched one wave Of. beauty
on all the seene and it hung and swung
from rock and hill and oleander:. Roman
gentlemen in pleasure boats :ailing 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 rnoorings. Oh; what
a beautiful scene! .ESa
It seems as if we shall have a. quiet
night. Not a leaf duivered in, the air, not
a ripple disturbed tie face of Gennesaret,.
But there seems to be a little excitement
UP the beach and we hasten to see what
the western 1ahdre fotilla pushing out;
not squadron of deadly armament, nor
clippers with valuable merchandise, nor
piratic vessels readyto destroy everything
they could seize, but hotilla, bearing
of light and life and peace
Christ is in the stern of the boat: His
,lHsrip!es are in the bow and amidshiFA
3saus, weary with much speaking to large
fmiftitudes, is put into somnolence by the
srocking of the waves. If there was any
motion, at all, the ship was easily righted;
II the 4#ind passed from start oard to lar
board the boat would rock and, ~ the
gentleness of the motion, putting the Mas
Ter asleep. And they eStemporized pill,
think no soonef3 is Christ PROSTATE and
His head touched the pillow than He is
sound asleep. Tke breezes Of the lake run
yheirirgers through t. locks of the worn
sleeper, and the boat rises and falls like
s. sleeping child on the bosom of Sleep
calm night, starry night, beautiful
'nioht! Run up all the sails, ply all the
3Sdfih-and let the large boat and the small
boat glide over gentle Gennesaret., But
tA6seailors say there is going to. be
,ShE rfges of weather. And eve! the pas
lseheers 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 pay
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
20 cargo, tackling and masts. and the
irenched disciples rush int: the back part
II the boat and lay hold of Christ and say
unto Him. Master, carest Thou not that
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 Hash 81 OF the
lightning 1 see the calm brow Of Christ rs
tie spray dropped from His beard. He
has one word for the sky and another tor
the waves. Looking upward: He cries,
'Peace!" Looking Downward, He says,
BE still" The waves fall fiat on their
faces, the foam melts, the eNtngulshed
stars relight .heir 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
lge the disciples sid in amazcmcnt, now
looking into the calm sea, then into the
calm Sky, then into the calm SavIonr's 5
,ountenance, and they cry out, What
manner Of a man IS this, that even the
winds and the sea obey Him.
The subject, in the first place, impresses
me with the f.ct tina; it is very important
to have Christ in the ship, fol. all those
boats would have gone to the bottom OF
,1ennesaret if Christ had not been present.
Oh, what a lesson for you and for me, to
learn! Whatever voyage we undertake,
into whatever enterprise we star, let us
always have Christ in tue ship. All you
,an do with utmost tension of body, mind
and soul you are bound to do, but, oh,
have Christ in every enterpr:s;!
There are men W. ask Gods help at
the beginning CT. great enterprises. lie
has been with them in, the past; no
might come down from the top OF Mount
Hermon and lash Gennesaret into foam
and in.o agony, but it could not !:urt
them But here is another man who starts
out in worldly enterprise, and he depends
upon the uncertainties of thlI life. lie
has no God to help him. After awhile
the storm comes, tosses off the masts OF
the ship; he puts out his lie! oat and the
longboat; the sheriff aud the auctionecr
try to help him eff; they can't help him
off; he must 80 down; no Christ in the
ship. Your life will be made up, OF sun
shine and shadows. There may be in i;
arctic blasts Or tropical tornadocs; l
know not what is before you, but | know
if you have Christ with you all shal! be
we'll. You may SEEM to get along with
out the religion OF Christ while everything
goes smoothly, but after awhile, when
Sorrow +hovers over the soul, W hen the
waves of trial dash clear over the hurrii-
cane deck, and the decks are crowded with
piratical disasters-oh, what would you
do then without Christ in the sEln? Take
God for your portion, God for your guide,
Cod for your help; then all is well; all Is
we'll cor time; Il shall be well forever;
Blessed is that man who puts N the LORD