Q'rher LITTLE SHIPS
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Christian Ethics-p. 7 An Excuse of Compromising-po 13 Turbulence and Truth-p. 11 Volume 49, No. 11 130 Gerrard St. E., August 27, 1970 Whole Number 2286 Q'rHER LITTLE SHIPS "And there were also with him other little ships."-Mark 4:36 OUR EVENING TEXT will be found in the fo~rth chap That is true of those who are exposed to the winds of ter of the Gospel by Mark. I shall read from the thirty adversity. However troubled you may be by circumstances fifth verse: "The same day, when the even was come, he which you imagine are peculiar to you, out on the storm- . saith unto them, Let us pass over unto' the other side. swept sea there are also "other little -ships." The storm And when they had sent away the multitude, they took of adversity does not break upon you alone. You are him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with probably, some of you, having-rather a hard time these him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of days, for· these are not days of general prosperity. There wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now are some here this evening, very probably, who are find full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship,asleep on ing it difficult to make ends meet; who are. subject to a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, many limitations because of the straitness of their tem carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked poral circumstances. And there are some, perhaps, who the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the are disposed to imagine that they are hardly treated, that wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said their situation is peculiarly difficult, that somehow or unto them, Why are 'ye so fearful? how is it that ye have another something has gone awry with the government of no faith? And they feared exceedingly, arid said one to things. I would remind you, my friends, that you are not another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind alone in your adversity. There are "other little ships," and' and the sea obey him.?" you must not groan and grumble too much. We are having not very easy times in Canada just now, but I read in "And there were also with him other little ships:" I last evening's paper that there are perhaps a hundred suppose it is quite natural, when reading this story of the thousand unemployed in Detroit - in the land of plenty miraculous stilling of the tempest, that our attention should and of wealth to the south' of us. When I read it I said chiefly be .given to the ship in which Jesus Christ sailed. to myself, "The storm is sweeping that sea as well as But the record I have read this evening tells us that, ours." We have no monopoly of present-day difficulties although the disciples who sailed in the ship with Jesus on this troubled surface; there are still "other little ships." enjoyed the special advantage of His presence, and the I know some will say 'that furnishes but small comfort; privilege - of calling upon Him in their time of danger, notwithtandirig I' think there is great advantage in our yet on. that stormy night, sailing that troubled sea, there recognizing that no strange thing has happened unto us. were "also with him other little ships." It were foolish for any man to think that all the fates I. are against him. I knew of one poor fellow who used to First of all, will you turn over in your mind the very attend this church, who imagined that everybody was his simple observation, that THERE ,ARE ALWAYS MANY enemy. He came here one day with· samples of bread, SHIPS AT SEA, AND THAT THE STORM THAT and cake, and I know not what - food he had brought BREAKS UPON ONE SIDP, BREAKS UPON THE from different restaurants. He wanted us to have it OTHERS. analyzed, because he was quite sure that wherever he went somebody was putting poison in his food. He was a good fellow at heart, but his head was wrong, and he had to be taken care of. There are many people who are not in asylum~ who open their hearts to that fallacy; they think they are having a peculiarly difficult time,' hence they become hard and bitter. But trouble is the common lot of life; when the storm breaks, the whole sea is troubled, and you ha've no fOUNDER AND fiRST EDITOR (1922-1955) -. DR. T. T. SHiElDS monopoly of the tempest·- there are with you "other little ships." . Pu"lI.hed ","weekly 0:' Thundoy for the propagotion of the Evangelical principles of the Protestant Reformation. and In That is true 'too of physical affliction. I do not know defence of the faith once delivered to the Sainh. how often in the course of mymiQistry as a pastor people . $3.00 Per Year. Postpaid to any addren. 15c. Per .Single Copy have said to me, "Why should I be especially afflicted? Sterling Countries £1- payable to Canadian Imperial Bank of What have I done to deserve such chastisement? Why Commerce, 2 Lombard Street, London, England should all this trouble come upon me?" Your difficulty is that you are so seasick you cannot get on deck to see EDITORS: Rev. H. C Slade. D.O., LL.D .• Olive Clark. Ph.D. (Tor.) the other little ships. When affliction comes to us we are MANAGING EDITOR: Rev. W. P. Bauman, B.A., B.D. - disposed to think that we are the only one who has such CONTRIBUTING EDI!OR: Rev. George B. !Ietcher, D.O. trouble; and yet if we go up on deck a while and look out upon the roIling billows; we shall discover that there are "I om not ashamed of the gospel of Christ"-Romano 1:16 other ships at sea. You are not the only one who has sickness in your home. You are not the only one who Registered Cable Address: Jarwitsem. Canoda bears burdens. Many ships are ploughing their way through the storm this drab and dreary day. 130 Gerrard Street East, Toronto' 225 • Canada Second cia.. mail reglltretlan number 1466 I recall the case of a woman who was troubled with rheumatism, which is one of the worst of isms. She used to spend most of her time in a wheel-chair. In this par of scores of others to my certain knowledge who a{e .simi ticular case the rheumatism seemed to have found its way larly circumstanced. We send you, dear friends, through into her spirit as well as into her joints, for she was about the air, our loving sympathy, and pray that God may as rheumatic in temper as in body. She was all pains and lighten your affliction. "0 thou afflicted, tossed with groans; and when I went to see her - she always called tempest, and not comforted," hear this word from the her husband by his surname; to be as impersonal as pos Lord: "The mountains shall depart, and the hills be re sible I will call him Smith - she used to say, "Smith doe~ moved, but my kindness shall not .depart from thee, not understand me." She had two of the most devoted neither shall the covenant of my peace, be removed, saith daughters I have ever known, who waited on their mother the Lord' that hath mercy on thee." It may comfort you hand and foot; but she insisted they had no sympathy somewhat to know that there are others battling their way either, nobody cared; her timbers ·were the only ones that through the storm, plowing the waves; and yet receiving creaked. in the storm, her ship was the only one exposed grace, like Paul on the sea whipped into fury by the wind to the violence of the waves. I tried to comfort her by called Euroclydon to call upon their fellow-passengers to telling her of another little ship, of another' woman who "be of good cheer." . was troubled just as she was; but she was like Dickens' Mrs. Gummid~e who used to suffer from the east wind, Last Sunday before I' left the church I found a tele who when informed that the east wind touched other phone number awaiting me. I called, and a voice full of people as w.ell, insisted that nobody felt it as she felt it; that pain, and yet of cheerful gratitude said, "Is that you, the east wind went through her shawl as it got through Doctor?" I said, "Yes, Brother Wright." He said, "I just nobody else's shawl. Her constant complaint was, "I'm wanted to tell you I had a good time with you to-night." a lone lorn creetur' myself, and everythink that reminds He is a soldier who was injured in the Great War. He me of creeturs that ain't lone and lorn. goes contrarv with used to come here for a while, wearing a steel cast of some me." To "Dan'l" she insisted, "If I felt less, I could do sort, but it is impossible for him to get out to the house more. You don't feel like me, Dan'l; thinks don't go con of God now. When I asked him how he was he said, trary with you, nor_you with them." "I am pretty well.