Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1903-11-14


\ Sermon Preached from st. Luke viii %
before st David's Society, of Frostburg
in st. Johns Church, same place, Sunday
Afternoon. October -, 1903, by the Rev
WILLIAM j. J.WILIIAMs of Wcstcrnport Md
As we live near some of the large st
inland lakes of tins country hardly IL
month Out of the kalender passes that
we do not read i'll the daily papers OF
some sudden storm that has swept from
east to west, or north to south with loss
of life, for inland seas are often most
dangerous in the SuddenneSs of terrific
storm riSingS.
The wonderful and stately Lake Supe-
riOr, the largest of the world : fresh
water seas, is 4l2 miles III length and i6I
in breadth with its level 600 feet above
the sea.
| have mentioned this because | wish
to compare that great sheet of water
with the Sea ot Galilee, the ancient
Chinnei eth, the Ciennesaret and Therias
in the time of Christ, and III comparison
with our large inland lakes it Is small
indeed, being only II nllea long and .
broad, with It's level 612 feet below that
of the Mediterranean.
Like other mountain lakes. it is often
greatly agita'cd by winds and most
severe, sudden storms.
The verses OF the chapter from which
the text is taken tell Us OF our Lord and
His disciples taking Il voyage across tins
lake, and of IA storm durlng the nlSht,
suddenly rising ana with such force that
their little craft was almost SWanprd.
The disciples, who were nearly all
fishermen from these Very waters and
doubtless knew from experience what to
expect dt any moment, became exceeding
ly alarmed at the condition their boaJ was
III, for il certainly was sinking.
And now what follows plainly show
that Christ was both man and God.
For i'll the first place, He is found sleep
my, as one of themselves would have
slept: and i'll the second He commands
the raging of the winds and there Is il
calm. More than that | think | need
not relate of tins great incident IN our
Lords life as it brings me to he words
of the text, viz:
Where Is your faith?
1t is well, my friends, to pause some
times in our earthly pilgrimage and ask
ourselves this question of all questions
- w mere lS your ldlin
Now to understand it rightly, let us
see what is faith And may | ask
is it not the Spirit sweet control
From which assurance springs?
Is 1t not the pencil OF the soul
That pictures Heavenly things"
An. believe ME
''Faith is the lamp that burns to guide
Our bark when tempest driven;
Faith is the key that opens wide
The distant gates of Heaven.
And as such it requires two things, i.
r., belief and trust i'll the promises of
God, made to Us in the Gospel.
Now it is not always an easy matter
to exercise faith i'll God as we should
when we come to consider the prosperity
of one and the adversely Of another as
gifts alike of the same Father. Not
WithStandlng this we have examples,
such ao IA belief in Him as Abraham had
whose faith was counted unto HIM for
righteousness. Or aS job did, so that
not even the loss of worldly goods, or
terrible pain inflicted on the body, or
even the advice of her whom he trusted
and loved more than all others on earth,
could cause him to blaspheme.
To have such faith i'll Christ as the
Apostles had, who left all and followed
HIM; nav more-s'uch faith that one of
their number could eXclaim Il count all
things but loss for the eXcellency of the
knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for
whom | have suffered the loss of all
things, that | may win Christ and he
found i'll Him.
Here then is the true faith that You
and | need. Yea, and morc-that you
and | must have.
There are many descriptions of faith,
but almos; all the definitions | have
met with have made me understand it
to a certain extent less than | did before
| saw them.
Let us not run away with the idea, as
so many do, that faith has its beginning
in and with us alone. Far from it, lis
origin is celestial, its nature is divine,
its influence is extensive, and its object
is glorious. 1t is, therefore. precious.
For it appreciates the Saviour of man
kind as the most suitable and the most
valuable object i'll this life. 1T appro-
PIRATES Him i'll all the various prleStly
offices he sustains and the tender rela-
tions he bears us. II brings the soul
into happy contact with the Deity. 1t
produces consolation under all the
viciSSitudeS of morality. 1t converts
crosses into comforts, darkness into
light, and pain into pleasure. 1t
smoothes the rugged path of life, leads
us gently down the valley of death. and
opens il prospect of Immortality and
glory in the hereafter. Yes, it is the
substance, the ground, the founda ion of
things hOped-for, and the evidence of
things not seen The life of faith is
heaven anticipated, for heaven is but
the life of faith perfected. Here we
must be content to be strangers and
pilgrims So was Abraham, who had
the best right to it, and so was David,
who had the most possessions for it.
You may have had III bygone days the
opportunity to visit the seaside fo"
health and pleasure, where you saw
the impet sticking to the rock with all
its might. 1t knows little but it cling|
for its very lite. 1t knows that until
the waters again restore it to the mighty
deep the only chance of life is cliuglnE
to the rock on which it has settled. 1t
is not acquainted with the geological
formation of its salvation. And thou~-
andS of Gods people have no more faith
than thiS-they know enough 20 cling to
Jesus with all their heart and soul, and
that Suffices. The Son of God is to them
Il Saviour strong and mighty, like rock
immovable; they clcave to Him for dear
life, and this clinging saves them.
Though this Is Il very simple llluStri-