Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1913-03-29
SATURDAY NIGHT
~ SERMONS
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A QUEER MARINERS BETHEL.


Text. Jonah prayed unto the Lord his
God out OF the fish's bely."-Jonah ". J.
A queer place for prayer. surely
But no Atlantic liner with water tight
compartments. no Pullman train with
plush covered chairs. was ever so So
cure. When God makes a ship no ac
cidents happen. Jonah was the safest
sailor in the world--cxcept him. of
whom he was the type. sleeping IN
Galilec's storm. God had prepared
Jonah's steamer. arranged his passage
and determined his port You and
need IL work more ana worry less
We are In Gods hands. Although II Is
terrible thing when God has 10 pre-
pare whale Of financial misfortune
or Of special sickness and disease. or
even bereavement, for a man 20 make
him repent. II Is no sign that God
hates you that he sends this sea mon
ster of trouble to swallow you up. II
you continue 20 reject God and defy
his commands. some day the storm will
overfake you on your way TO Tarshish
4
life an apparent wreck Weeks of
wasting fever bring you close to death
itself or some day there is n vacant
chair nj your table. or God takes one
of your darling little ones and leaves
the tiny garments hanging IN the ward
robe with ten thousand holy memories
clustering about them. II IL hard for
us 10 see that these sea monsters. these
calamities. are for our dcllverance.
ANSWER a Fool According" Etc.
"Will some dcvout one tell why
Jonah was not digcstcd In the stomach
OF the sea monster" asked "liheral"
lecturer the other night amid conval
sive laughter. The old answer. He
wasn't prepared tn digest yet" came 10
my mind. "Iie surely didn't relish fish
three times day." gurgled this witty
fellow. Answer fool according TO his
folly" says Scripture. but this coura.
Reous lecturer gave no such chance.
He might have suggested Jonah was
q mighty unwilling guest He wanted
to get Qua I'll guarantee he gave the
monster no time TO assimilate him
Some men are 80 lethargic they would
have given up and lain down 80 quietly
they would soon have changed from
flesh 20 fish. Many are swallowed by
misfortune They sit down on a piece
Of whalebone and give up. mo use.
I'll never get back my money. restore
my name or recover my health" They
float out 10 sea and are never heard Of
Others plan 10 get out They dig
enough oil 10 get light The fish Is ms
glad 10 lose his tenant ms they their
landlord. II you are nearly defeated
don't let on: maybe your antagonist Is
worse OF. Never surrender 10 misfor
tune. A fish that fights may get OF the
hook. wounded bird may fly again.
Affairs In Darkness and Light.
II is easy TO stroll forth In clear
weather. seek inviting church. enter
minister aud conservatory choir. bow
your head SYSTEMATICALLY and drop
your penny. Jonah went into church.
dark. narrow and cheerless. He WAS
there neither for criticism nor display
His prayers were pertinent and brief
He couldn't he robbed OF memory. e
he WAS robbed of earth. Psalms ;. u.
81, ~. 80 and l2u filed his mind
Happy that man who III the hour ~
darkness can quote Scripture or sins
hymns Paul and Silas sang hymns
Jesus quoted Psalms. Many thousand
since have been sustained by promise
or sung into the kingdom by hymns
When Jonah found himself safe he
praised God: some on dclivcrance FROM
trouble congratulate themselves or
give credit 10 some one else. ! know
some rescued ship passengers who gave
captain gold watch. but didn't return
thanks TO God. Jonah gave thanks AT
once: didn't wait. like Noah. 10 see land
before he built his altar. II Is easy to
thank God for what we have. hut Ia b'
grateful for what we haven't * dl;ii
cult Jonah went 10 bottom ~ sea IN
trust: we go 10 mountain top In lis
trust. We complain IN well furnished
houses: he rcjoiccd in u fishy tomb. We
base our hores In men, he rested IN
God
Forgetting Self For Others.
In storm at sen or accident by rail
the SELF In men appears. The rare
thing Is TO think of others. How petty
we are. We give away what we can
not use. We hold the cnl ear seat and
move sideways In the pew with r.
uctance. When our neiehhor gets q
new piano we complain TINT his wiir
pounds on IL. His pretty daughters ~
shallow rs saucer. II he has money
bequeathed him we say. Easy come
easy go.' We talk about Dives. hiii
we'd care as much about sumptun,>
feeding and fine linen ms he. our live
become So artificial that neckti'
tied incorrectly or bonnet not 49,
straight Is of more Importance thar
the hungry bcggar nj our gate, Af;r
he came 10 his senses Jonah did n"i
make much OF his ecclesiastical bound |
aries. He was a Jew. but he PRAYED |