Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-03-10

of the boat. NO private yacht this, but
a rude fishing craft. On the rough
cushion, odorous Of fish, and stained
by sun and water. the tired Teacher
had thrown himself down, just as he
was, in his landsmans garb. His
head was pillowed on his arm, ana
he slept.
The clatter Of the ships tackle, the
excited tones of the company, the
pounding of the newly-created waves
against the boat, the rise and fall of
the water, the shrieks of the wind
through the scant rigging-all were
alike poWerless to penetrate the thick
pail of sleep in which he was wrapped.
His was the deep. peaceful WEAKNESS
Of the man who, despite overwork,
has in his heart great calm. Storms
come to all men: it is the snadowy
philosophy of religion which would
have the godly exempted from trou-
BILE; the craft which carried Christ
was sorely buffeted. But at the center
of his life there was unruffled peace.
The man in unity with God cannot
be greatly disturbed by anything i'll
all nature.
uC lOCt VI ItiC w clS ~
audible to the exhausted sleeper; but
the first cry Of need from his alright
ed friends reached him. That is the
ineffable personal quality Of the Lord.
His ear is ever open to the cry Of his
own. If the universe were filed with
the uproar of the clash and collision
of worlds, the Lord would still hear
the faintest whisper of duplication
from one Of his friends. And all the
might Of his omnipotence is pledged to
the succor of even the least of these.
Sceptics wonder that a great storm
should be commanded to calm, like an
obedient house-Det, all for the sake OF
few scared peasants. That is just
the sort of God that is running this
world. He cares for his processes, but
he cares more for his people. He works
through his own laws. but he is no
modern pettifogging Judge or lawyer.
defeating laws supreme end by
technical and consistent" procedure.
His benign will is the supreme court
that interprets all his laws. His laws
were made, not for the laws sake,
but for the carrying out Of his pur.
poses Of love.
When that sudden calm fell upon the
lately aroused sea Of Galilee, the dis
ciples were scared. They began to
whisper one to another, What man
ner of man is this?" They thought
they knew him: but Jesus possesses
that most delightful of qualities in a
friend, the. capacity for unexpected
ness He was ever revealing new and
surprising phases Of his character.
Some persons one exhausts in few
hours acquaintance: few friends de-
velop unexpected riches of character
through the years; but Jesus is mex
The newest disciple finds in
him fullness of satisfaction: the Oldest
saint discovers in him fresh beauties
constantly. The one bottomless ocean
in the universe is the love and power
of God. as represented by Jesus.
A Man Dispossessed.
The control over nature which Jesus
displayed in the storm was quickly fol
lowed by an evidence of his SUI
premacy over the power Of darkness.
A demoniac-one being pre-eminent,
although accompanied by another or
encountered on the other
side Of the sea. All leaders have their
powers put to a supreme test when
they come to deal with human nature.
The sea and wind are staple elements,
as compared with the heart Of man.
Here was an instance OF man dis
possessed of self-control. and given
over utterly to the dominion OF NAL
ign powers.
Many persons are fond of saying
that there is no such thing as de-
possession. Probably the
controversy Is merely matter OF
terms. When a person is not self.
what possesses him? Most