The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-03-11
Gaturday Digit
SoIkc By Rev. F. E. DAWSON
A./uhNS Rutland, VI
THE KING OF THE
NATURAL WORLD,
international Bible Lesson for Mar.
10, '1o.-(Matt. 8:23-34.
Observation-Disclosures

ment as well. Christ must prove His
divinity by His power over the forces
OF nature. And this He did in the
marvellous story OF this lesson. The
stilling OF a tempest on the Sea OF
Galilee.
Tempest on the Sea.
Crossing that land-locked, noun
tain.guarded body of water with His
disciples in an open boat. one OF the
sudden storms for which that sea is
famous swept down through the noun
tain gorges upon them, and the little
boat was almost covered with the
waves. The disciples were old fisher
men. brought up on the shores of that
sea, getting their living for years out
Of it's crystal depths, rocked on it's
bosom often by tempestuous winds,
not easily frightened at the bowling
of a gale. But this time they struck
a tempest such as they had never en-
countered and they were afraid the
boat would go to pieces in the squlll.
They did their utmost to keep her
afoat. but when they became con-
vinCed that they could not weather
the gale they suddenly remembered
that they carried the King, and they
cried out to Him for help.
Master Of Neptune.
Worn out with the days lahors
Christ was fast asleep, His human
nature no more disturbed than
child by the rocking of a cradle. But
at the first cry of alarm, the Master
arose First, He quiets the tempest in
the disciples hearts. rebuking their IN.
belief and calming their fears. tGcn
He stills the storm without. rebIEing
the winds and the sea. "and there was
a great calm" 1t was all done with
out effort, naturally, calmly, as Cod.
II reads like the story OF creation.
Here is one among men who wears
the crown of kingly authority over the
forces of nature. No wonder the as
tonished disciples exclaimed, what
manner of man is this that even the
winds and the sea obey Him." No
wonder that John writing long after
Of this wondering being. said, In the
beginning was the word, and the wn"d
was with God, and the word was Cod.
All things were made by Him and
without Him was not anything made
that was made" He who in the be-
ginning had let slip the winds OF heav-
en- out of His fingers could easily drive
them back into their caverns. He. out
of whose palm had dropped all the riv-
ers. and all the seas, and all the
| oceans had only to speak the word of
command and the boisterous waves
crouched at His feet in humble sub
mission.
This was not the only time in the
career of the King that He proved
Himself master of the natural world.
While there was never any outgoing
of His power to meet His own per-
sonal needs there was never any
diminution OF His power to help those
who were in peril from the elements.
He was in His world the Master and
King OF it. always, and everywhere.
Ruler Of the Invisible.
But visible nature is not mans only
environment. There is an unseen uni
verse besides to which man is more
or less subject. We are all conscious
Of an invisible world, surrounding us
on all sides, mysterious, Incompetent
sibe, yet exerting an influence over
us which we cannot escape. We are
| just as much moved upon by that
| world as we are by this. This world
affects our physical nature, that world
affects our moral nature anc We can
not escape II. Whatever may be
meant by demoniac possession, the
| old-fashioned statement that some
| people are possessed of the devil en-
bodies great truth, There are
| storms in the spiritual world, more to
| be dreaded than electrical storms in
the material world, more terrible by
far than any cyclone that ever ragged
over a western prairie town. But the
King of men is Master even here.
Demons Own His Power.
The disciples had no sooner es-
| capped the peril OF one storm than
they came up against another in he
person OF two demoniacs who
were under the power of an AWFUL
| brain storm. These men were set free
from their peril and suffering by a
|
possessed then being hurled into the
deep by the fiat OF the King. Mysteri-
Gus? Yes. Incomprehensible? Pos
sibly. But the fact remains that when
men ask for the credentials Of Him
who comes claiming to be the King OF
all Kingdoms. this Christ of the New
Testament can produce them. His
word is power. His look is authority.
His attraction is universal, He is in
world. but not of il. Great nature
which is the master OF ordinary men
recognizes His authority, the wind
and the sea obey Him." and "the
Prince OF the Power of the Air" and
all his legions, ground the weapons OF
their rebellion at His feet, and retreat
In abject terror to their subterrareln
| abodes.
Therefore, whenever the King OF
the invisible world came in contact
with the powers of darkness, one look
one word OF command from Him was