It was a bright and cheerful party that gathered about the _Dolphin's_
breakfast table the next morning. Greetings were exchanged, a blessing
asked upon the food, and Captain Raymond began helping his guests.
"I notice we are still lying quietly in Portland harbor," remarked Dr.
Percival. "Do we remain here another day, captain?"
"That must be as the majority decide," was the pleasant-toned
rejoinder. "Please, friends, express your wishes freely."
No one spoke for a moment--each waiting for the others. Then Violet
said, in her lively pleasant way, "Cousin Ronald, you are the eldest,
and should feel entitled to speak first."
"Thanks, cousin," he returned, "but I really have no choice; am
perfectly willing to go or stay, as may best please the majority of my
friends here."
"Do you think of returning directly to Bar Harbor, captain?" asked Mrs.
Travilla.
"If that is what you would all prefer, mother. But how would you all
like to take a short sea voyage--sailing eastwardly from here, at some
distance from the coast, and perhaps going on up the coast of New
Brunswick?"
Every one, from Mr. Lilburn down to little Ned, seemed charmed with
the idea, and as the weather was all that could be desired, it was
decided that they would start as soon as the anchor could be lifted
and sufficient steam gotten up. They carried out their plan, and had a
delightful voyage lasting several days.
It was on Saturday that they left Portland; the Sabbath found them far
from land, and, as at former times, services were conducted on board
the yacht with the singing of hymns, the offering up of prayers, the
reading of the Scriptures, and of a sermon by Captain Raymond.
After that they formed themselves into a Bible class, and Mr. Lilburn
was persuaded to take the lead, choosing the subject while the others
sat about him, Bibles in hand. Opening his, the dear old gentleman
began:
"Let us take for our theme Jesus Christ our Lord, and what it is so
to know him that we shall have eternal life. Here in the seventeenth
chapter of John's gospel in his--the Master's--wonderful prayer we
read, 'And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only
true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.' Paul tells us in
his letter to the Philippians, 'I count all things but loss for the
excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.' His acquaintance
was not with the Christ of Galilee, whom he had not known, but with the
ascended Christ; he who said to the Apostle John on Patmos, 'I am he
that liveth and was dead, and behold I am alive again forever more.'
In the tenth verse of the first chapter of his gospel John tells us,
'He was in the world and the world was made by him and the world knew
him not.' In first John third chapter and last clause of the first
verse, 'Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.'
A self-seeking, worldly-minded man does not know Christ, and cannot
understand him who is aiming day by day to live above the world and get
the Christ view of life. Captain, can you tell us why it is that the
worldly-minded do not know Jesus?"
"Because," replied the captain, "the cares and pleasures of this world
are crowding Him out of their hearts, as he himself tells us in the
parable of the sower. But some of those who loved him failed for a time
to recognize him when he was close to them. In the last chapter of his
gospel John tells us, 'But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood
on the shore; but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.' Mary also
had failed at first to recognize him when he spoke to her as she stood
weeping beside his sepulchre. And how long he talked with those two on
the way to Emmaus, and they did not recognize him until he sat down to
eat with them, took bread, and blessed and brake it, and then vanished
out of their sight! Ah, Jesus is often near us and we know him not."
"And he is our Master," said Mrs. Travilla, in her low, sweet tones.
"In John thirteen, thirteenth, talking with his disciples Jesus says,
'Ye call me Master and Lord; and ye say well, for so I am.' And Paul
tells the Ephesians that their Master is in heaven. 'And ye masters do
the same things unto them, forbearing, threatening, knowing that your
Master also is in heaven.'"
"There are five Greek words translated Master," continued the captain;
"one meaning overseer, another teacher, still another signifying
absolute ownership; another, leader--one who goes before us; still
another, one exercising supreme authority or power. Oh, that to-day
each one of us may know Christ as our supreme Lord and Master who alone
has absolute ownership of our lives and all our powers."
"Let us look for other texts bearing upon this subject," said Mr.
Lilburn. "Have not you one for us, Harold?"
"Yes," replied Harold, "here in first John, second chapter, is given a
test of our knowledge of Christ. 'Hereby do we know that we know him if
we keep his commandments. He that saith I know him and keepeth not his
commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him.'"
"And here in John's gospel," said Mrs. Lilburn, "where Jesus is talking
with his disciples, that same night in which he was betrayed, he says:
'A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have
loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know
that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.'"
"And again," said Evelyn, "in the fifteenth chapter and twelfth verse,
'This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for
his friends.'"
"What wonderful love--oh, what wonderful love was His!" exclaimed Mrs.
Travilla, in low moved tones. "And how sweet are those words: 'I have
loved thee with an everlasting love.' 'For a small moment have I
forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.'"
"Let us sing to His praise," suggested Mr. Lilburn, and Violet, seating
herself at the instrument, struck a few chords, then started the hymn:
"Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing,
My dear Redeemer's praise,"
the others joining in with a will--evidently singing with spirit and
understanding, for the sweet words were familiar to all.
The short service over, they scattered in groups here and there,
chatting quietly with each other.
For a few moments Mrs. Travilla and her cousin and old-time intimate
friend, Annis--now Mrs. Lilburn--were together a little apart from the
others, talking low and confidentially. They talked of the past, the
present, and the future, as regarded life in both this world and the
next.
"How sweet is that Bible lesson which we have just had," said Annis,
at length. "How I love those words of Jesus--'Ye call me Master and
Lord; and ye say well; for so I am.'"
"Yes," returned Elsie; "they are very dear to me. Oh, how sweet to know
that he is ever with us--always close at hand, full of love, infinite
in power and willingness to bless; to help in every trouble, to give
'the oil of joy for mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit
of heaviness.' Oh, how true are the words: 'The joy of the Lord is your
strength.' If we only have that we can bear all troubles and trials.
It makes one happy in the present, and takes away all dread of the
future; so sweet and sustaining is it to know that He who has all power
in heaven and on earth is your friend, loving you with an everlasting,
infinite love; caring for you at all times and in all places."
"Yes, yes," said Annis softly. "'Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout,
O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all thy heart, O daughter of
Jerusalem' ... 'The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he
will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his
love, he will joy over thee with singing.' Are they not sweet words,
Elsie?"
"Indeed they are! These others too--'God commendeth his love toward us,
in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.'"
There was a moment of silence; then Annis said, "You seem to me a very
happy Christian, Elsie. Is it not because the joy of the Lord is indeed
your strength?"
"Oh, Annis, who could be otherwise than happy in the consciousness of
that love; and in the thought of how soon one will be with the Master,
and like Him; and with all the dear ones gone before, never, never to
be separated from them again?"
"Yes, dear cousin, and how blest are we in the knowledge that our dear
ones gone before were His, and are with Him now, and will be ready to
greet us with great joy when we too shall reach that blessed shore."
"'The joy of the Lord is your strength,'" again quoted Mrs. Travilla,
in her low, sweet tones. "Don't you think, Annis, that the Covenanters
and Puritans,--good, devoted Christians as most of them were,--in
opposing the lightness, worldly-mindedness, and frivolity of their
foes, went too far to the other extreme, leaving out from their
teachings the joy of the Lord? Do you not remember that the Jews were
told by Nehemiah, Ezra, and the others, 'This day is holy unto the Lord
your God; mourn not nor weep. Go your way, eat the fat and drink the
sweet; and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for
this day is holy unto our Lord; neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the
Lord is your strength. So the Levites stilled all the people, saying,
Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved. And all
the people went their way, to eat, and to drink, and to send portions,
and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that
were declared unto them.'"
"Yes," said Annis, "it seems to be human nature to go to extremes,
and I think much harm is often done in that way. For instance, the
Covenanters and Puritans of old times were so disgusted with the
errors and selfish indulgences of the Papists--their turning the
Sabbath into a holiday, which might rightly be spent in merrymaking and
sport--that they themselves robbed it of all enjoyment, and made it a
dull, gloomy time to their young people, with little or no hint in it
of the strengthening joy of the Lord."
"I think you are right," returned Mrs. Travilla, in a musing tone.
"The Sabbath is not a day for frivolity, but it is one for joy and
gladness--the joy of the Lord strengthening us for duty, trial, and
temptation. What but that sustained the martyrs when called upon to
lay down their lives for the sake of Him who died to redeem them? And
oh, how that gracious, precious promise, 'As thy days, so shall thy
strength be,' relieves one of the dread of what the future may have
in store for us; what bereavements, losses, sufferings, mental or
physical! How often and sweetly He bids us fear not. 'O Israel, Fear
not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art
mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and
through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest
through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flames
kindle upon thee. For I am the Lord, thy God, the Holy One of Israel,
thy Saviour.'"
"Yes," said Annis, "oh, how often, how tenderly he bids us fear not. It
is like a mother hushing her frightened child. 'Say to them that are of
a fearful heart, fear not.... Fear thou not, for I am with thee.... For
I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying to thee, fear not,
I will help thee. Fear not, I have redeemed thee, thou art mine....
Fear not, O Jacob my servant, and Jeshurun whom I have chosen.'"
"'Whom I have chosen,'" repeated Elsie. "How those words bring to mind
what Jesus our dear Master said to his disciples in that last talk with
them in the room where they had eaten the passover--'Ye have not chosen
me, but I have chosen you.' Oh, what love and condescension to choose
us sinful creatures for his own!"
"'And ordained you that ye should go and bring forth fruit,'" said
Annis, going on with the quotation, "'and that your fruit should
remain; that whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will
give it you.' I remember," she went on musingly, "that when I was a
little girl I used to think I should like to be a Christian, and would
be if only I knew how. The way seems very easy now--just to listen to
the dear Saviour's gracious invitation, 'Come unto me all ye that labor
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,' accept it, and give
myself to him."
"Yes," said Elsie, "his promise joined to that--'and ye shall find rest
unto your souls'--is sure; it never fails."