little vessel was floating over the sea of tiberias; the lord jesus and his disciples were within it. “and there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. and jesus was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow; and they awake him, and say unto him, master, carest thou not that we perish? and he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, peace, be still! and the wind ceased, and there was a great calm” (mark iv. 37-39). the tossing waves sank down at his word, and the obedient waters lay like a sheet of glass,[58] reflecting the blue sky above! “and he said unto his disciples, why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? and they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, what manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (mark iv.)
dear little reader, are you in trouble or temptation? then are you like the disciples on the stormy sea of tiberias. perhaps your relations are harsh and unkind, or perhaps you are a poor orphan without a friend in the world, and are ready to say, “no man careth for my soul!” but you have one friend, a powerful friend, a loving friend, who has led you on your voyage through life until now, and will lead you to the end! the lord jesus is beside you, though you see him not. hear what he says to those who love him: can a woman forget her sucking child! yea, they may forget, yet will i not forget thee (isa. xlix. 15).
or are you in great poverty, hungry and weary? you can scarcely earn your daily bread, you have no comfort, no rest, no home! in the bitterness of your heart, you cry, “lord, carest thou not that we perish?” o[59] my child, the saviour is not asleep! he knows your trials, he has felt them all—the lord of heaven and earth once “had not where to lay his head!” behold, the eye of the lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine (ps. xxxiii. 18, 19). many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the lord delivereth him out of them all (ps. xxxiv. 19). ask the lord to help you, to feed you, to comfort you, above all, to give you his holy spirit; for if we love and trust in him, then our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. then the rough wind of trouble will but bring you on more quickly towards heaven, and even here below jesus may bid the waves of affliction be still, and there shall be a great calm!
or are you in the storm of temptation? you wish to please god, you wish to go to heaven, but you feel as though the way were too hard for you. you think, “i cannot resist that temptation; i can give up all but that one sin. if i do not join my companions[60] in what is wrong, i shall be despised; if i do not tell such a falsehood, i shall be beaten; if i do not work or sell on sundays, i shall be starved!” in such a storm of temptation turn to the saviour still; for in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted (heb. ii. 18). cry, “lord, save me or i perish! give me thy holy spirit, that i may be ready to follow thee through trouble and temptation. whatever i may suffer here, oh, keep me faithful to thee!”
think on this one great truth, dear reader. the comfort of the voyage matters little in comparison to the place where we are going. the voyage of life cannot last very long; the fiercest storm must soon pass away! look at these two different passengers, and think which of them you would pity.
see one vessel bounding gaily over the bright water, the wind in her favour, the sun shining upon her; and look at that man on her deck! he is a slave; he is going to suffering and misery, he dreads to arrive at the port. do you not pity him? yet his case is happy compared with that of those[61] who forget god—who, caring but for pleasure, living only for this world, are yet hurrying on to death—and after death the judgment! poor slaves of sin! do they not know that—
“the greatest evil we can fear,
is to possess our portion here!”
the man at the wheel.
now look at this other man in a storm-tossed vessel! he is going home. he is going to riches, and honour, and happiness, and home! though the waves rise high,[62] they will not overwhelm him; though the clouds are so dark, there is a sunshine in his heart! on the shore he knows that all will be peace, and he can smile in the midst of the storm! do you pity him? but far happier is the christian, however afflicted here; for his heart, and his hopes, and his home, are in heaven, and he is on his way to god! his sins forgiven through the blood of his saviour, his courage supported by the power of god’s grace! blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the lord hath promised to them that love him! (james i. 12).
think of those who have already landed on the happy shore, but not till they had passed through the storm. there are saints who have suffered, and martyrs who have died for the lord! they do not wish now that their trials had been less;—sweet is to them the remembrance of the storm! when holy st. john, banished to patmos for the sake of the gospel, saw heaven opened, and its glory appearing, what did he behold there? these are his words:—
[63]
“after this i beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands. and one of the elders answered, saying unto me, what are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? and i said unto him, sir, thou knowest. and he said to me, these are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the lamb. therefore are they before the throne of god, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. they shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. for the lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and god shall wipe away all tears from their eyes” (rev. vii. 9, 13-17).
“lord, carest thou not that we perish!”
how oft is the cry of despair,
[64]
when affliction’s waves roll,
and the agonized soul
scarce can utter its anguish in prayer!
yet the saviour is watching beside us,
his eye cannot slumber nor sleep;
the bark which he guides,
where his presence abides,
can never be wrecked on the deep!
oh! how soon would our inward fears vanish,
our souls smile at perils without,
could we hear his mild love
thus our terrors reprove,—
“ye of little faith, why did you doubt!”
lord, make us trust ever in thee,
though our frail bark by tempests be driven;
till thy sovereign will
bid the rude waves “be still!”
and we rest in the haven of heaven!
