Section of Sermon by Henry
Dublin Core
Title
Section of Sermon by Henry
Subject
Faith; Disciples; Jesus Christ--Divinity; Sermons; Religious persecution; Bible
Description
This sermon refers mainly to Mark 4:35-41, titled "Jesus Calms the Storm." The main takeaway message is that God puts his people's faith to the test. The speaker compares the challenges that God's followers face to challenges that the Church has faced throughout history, such as persecutions. Related to trials of faith, the speaker mentions disbelief and how sometimes people forget about God's power and rely too much on terrestrial tools as sources of relief. The sermon makes direct reference to the following: Matthew 11:28-29; Matthew 12:49; Matthew 6:26-33; Mark 4:38-39; Peter 4:12-19; Romans 5:1-5; Proverbs 3:5-6; Romans 8:28; James 5:15; Matthew 9:2; Psalm 77:9-12.
Creator
Noyes, Henry Varnum
Source
Loose, The College of Wooster, Special Collections,
Noyes Collection
Noyes Collection
Publisher
Unpublished
Date
n. d.
Contributor
Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant
Rights
Format
PDF
Language
eng (English)
Type
Text
Identifier
noyes_c_misc_826
Coverage
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
5
here in the very place where he had spent nearly
all of his earthly life, in the presence of these circling
hills which had looked down upon his mightiest
works. [u] It [/u] [u] was [/u] [u] not [/u] [u] the [/u] [u] Saviour's [/u] [u] fault [/u] [u] that [/u] [u] they [/u]
[u] doubted [/u]. They might and ought to have known that
he who by a word could raise a dead man to life,
could also command the stormy sea to be
still. Nor were their doubts in regard to his [u] care [/u]
[u] for [/u] [u] them [/u] any the less excusable. Of the hundreds
and thousands in sickness and distress
who had come to him for relief as he traveled
through the cities and villages of Galilee
[u] they [/u] [u] had [/u] [u] never [/u] [u] seen [/u] [u] one [/u] [u] refused [/u]. Over & over
again they had seen the bowed down lifted up;
had seen pain fly from the couch of suffering at
his approach, had seen the mourner's tears wiped
away; had seen joyous life beaming from coun-
tenances which had already been stamped with the
seal of death; and more than once had they heard
his voice in tender accents saying to the sorrow
stricken penitent "Thy sins be forgiven thee" They had
heard him say "Come unto me all ye that labor
and are heavy laden and I will give you rest."
They have heard him declare his strong special at-
tachment to [--these--] his disciples in particular, when he stretched
forth his hand toward[--s--] them and said "Behold
my mother and my brethren. For whosoever shall
do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the
same is my brother and sister and mother." They
had heard him say "Consider the lilies of the field
how they grow, they toil not neither do they spin; And
yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his
glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore
if God so clothe the grass of the field which to
day is and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall
he not much more clothe you O ye of little faith?"
They had heard him say "Behold the fowls of the air,
for they sow not neither do they gather into barns; yet
your heavenly Father feedeth them, are ye not much
better than they?"
They had seen and heard all this and
yet in the face of it all they could come and say
"[u] Master [/u] [u] is [/u] [u] it [/u] [u] no [/u] [u] care [/u] [u] to [/u] thee [/u] [u] that [/u] [u] we [u] perish [/u]?"
But for our knowledge of the Saviour's
loving heart, and that he knows how to have
6 compassion upon those who are ignorant and out of
the way, we could almost have supposed that he might
in judgement have left them to depend upon their
own resources in the midst of that raging sea. But
no there is forgiveness with him that he may be [?feared?].
Not with [u] judgement [/u] but with [u] mercy [/u] will he rebuke
their unbelief and in their hearts write [u] one [/u] [u] more [/u]
convincing proof of his [u] loving [/u] [u] care [/u] as well as
his [u] infinite [/u] [u] power [/u]. Rising up he calls to the stormy
sea "Peace be still" and lo! the [u] winds [/u] [u] retire [/u] and
the [u] waves [/u] [u] are [/u] [u] at [/u] [u] rest [/u].
And they feared exceedingly and
said one to another "What manner of man
is this that even the wind and the sea obey him."
[u] They [/u] [u] had [/u] [u] learned [/u] [u] a [/u] [u] lesson [/u] [u] which [/u] [u] they [/u] [u] doubtless [/u]
[u] never [/u] [u] forget [/u] [u] during [/u] [u] all [/u] [u] the [/u] [u] rest [/u] [u] of [/u] [u] their [/u] [u] lives [/u].
I draw from this account the
following practical observations.
1st God often allows his people
to meet with difficulties temptations and sor-
rows [u] for [/u] [u] the [/u] [u] trial [/u] [u] of [/u] [u] their [/u] [u] faith [/u].
This life is a life of probation not
of fruition. The Saviour never promised his disciples
freedom from trials. Nay he assured them of nothing
in more positive terms than that they should meet
with them. It was in the midst of temptations and trials
that they were to fight the good fight of faith and lay
hold on eternal life. A [u] cross [/u] on earth was made the
condition of a [u] crown [/u] in heaven. The eternal crown of
heavenly glory is to rest upon those who have come out of [u] great [/u] tribulations & washed
their robes and made them white in the blood of the
Lamb "Beloved think it not strange" says the apostle
Peter concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as
though some strange thing had happened unto you
But rejoice inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's
sufferings; that when his glory shall be revealed ye
may be glad also with exceeding joy. And Paul
says "the glory in tribulations also; knowing that tribu-
lation worketh patience, and patience experience and
experience hope; And hope maketh not ashamed be-
cause the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts
by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."
God's dealings with his people now
are not essentially different from his dealings with
them in the days of the Apostles. Now as then he purifies
his own children by the fires of adversity. It is a
subject of frequent remark by those who watch care-
fully the course of his providence that often when he
wishes to call [--away--] any of his people to places of
7
peculiar responsibility he first leaves them to feel
their own utter helplessness and entire dependence
upon him. He lets the storms of life beat fiercely around
them; he lets the waves of affliction dash heavily a-
gainst them until every human helper fails and they
are ready to cry out "Lord save us we perish" and falling
at the Saviour's feet they hear him saying "Peace be still"
"Why are ye so fearful?" "How is it that ye have no faith."
And thus they learn the lesson not to be forgotten, [?very?],
that peace and joy and rest of soul depend not on
the outward circumstances of life. They are found,
when found at all, while bending low before the
mercy seat.
The experience of the church is anal-
agous to the experience of individuals. All along the
line of history persecutions have been allowed to wax
hot against her for the trail and development of her faith,
but out of all these persecutions He in his own good
time delivers her. She comes forth from them as gold
tried in the fire, and presses forward in her con-
quering march fair as the [?moon?], clear as the sun,
and terrible as an army with banners."
(2d) Disciples in our day often manifest
the same kind of unbelief as did the disciples in the
days of our Saviour.
We, as they did, are doubtless often
much inclined to lean unto our own under-
standings and leave too much out of sight our
Saviour's power and willingness to bless.
Is it not often true in business now
that when hard times come and men see their
fortunes going to wreck on the uncertain sea of
commercial life, they instinctively turn for relief,
rather to skilfull business management than to him
who holds all destinies in the hollow of his hands. And
when every human resource fails and they are driven to
look upward for help do they not sometimes feel as did
the disciples when they came and said "[u] Master [/u] [u] carest [/u]
[u] thou [/u] [u] not [/u] [u] that [/u] [u] we [/u] [u] perish [/u]"? And yet I have known
those who after just such experiences, have been
ready to thank God for them, and to give their joy-
ful testimony that the losses which they had sus-
tained were not worthy to be compared with
the blessings which they found at the Saviour's feet.
They had learned as perhaps they could not [--otherwise--]
and could not otherwise have so fully learned
[--that--] the meaning of that exhortation "Trust in
the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto
thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowl-
edge him and he shall direct thy paths." They
go on in life's journey more trustingly than ever
before and with deeper feeling can say "For we know
that all things work together for good to them that
8 love God, who are the called according to his pur-
pose" The [u] Saviour [/u] has said to them "[u] Peace [/u] [u] be [/u]
[u] still [/u]" [u] and [/u] [u] there [/u] [u] is [/u] [u] a [/u] [u] great [/u] [u] calm [/u].
What is true in business misfor-
tunes is also true in regard to other afflictions.
We are attacked by dangerous disease, and
weary days and nights are appointed unto us.
We seek the [u] physician [/u], as it is right that we
should, but do we not sometimes in a measure
forget the great physician whose power is
infinite, and whose blessing upon human
effort or whose power put forth, if he please,
independently of human effort is the real
source of relief upon which our souls should
rely; and does it not often happen that only
after the earthly physician has given the
dread announcement that he can do no more
are we brought honestly with our whole hearts to
the Saviour's feet crying "[u] Lord [/u] [u] save [/u] [u] us [/u] [u] or [/u] [u] we [/u] [u] perish [/u]"
And yet it is doubtless as true now as it was when
the apostle James wrote his epistle to the twelve
tribes which were scattered abroad that "the prayer of
faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise
him up, and if he have committed sins they shall
be forgiven him". Many are the living witnesses who
can testify to this. But if it please not the Lord,
in any particular case to remove disease the
sufferer will at least hear the healer of [u] souls [/u] saying
"Son be of good cheer; thy sins are forgiven thee."
will hear the same voice which rebuked the
stormy waves of the sea of Galilee saying to the
agitations of his troubled heart "Peace be still"
and there will be a great calm.
Other forms of perplexity and trouble
may cast us down and lead our desponding
hearts to say with the psalmist "Hath God forgotten
to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his ten-
der mercies?" and we may be tempted to think
that the Master is sleeping and cares not for us
but when our faith returns we shall be ready to
say as did also the psalmist "This is only [?infirmity?]"
but I will remember the years of the right hand
of the Most High, I will meditate also of all thy
work and talk of thy doings, Who is so great
a God as our God?"
here in the very place where he had spent nearly
all of his earthly life, in the presence of these circling
hills which had looked down upon his mightiest
works. [u] It [/u] [u] was [/u] [u] not [/u] [u] the [/u] [u] Saviour's [/u] [u] fault [/u] [u] that [/u] [u] they [/u]
[u] doubted [/u]. They might and ought to have known that
he who by a word could raise a dead man to life,
could also command the stormy sea to be
still. Nor were their doubts in regard to his [u] care [/u]
[u] for [/u] [u] them [/u] any the less excusable. Of the hundreds
and thousands in sickness and distress
who had come to him for relief as he traveled
through the cities and villages of Galilee
[u] they [/u] [u] had [/u] [u] never [/u] [u] seen [/u] [u] one [/u] [u] refused [/u]. Over & over
again they had seen the bowed down lifted up;
had seen pain fly from the couch of suffering at
his approach, had seen the mourner's tears wiped
away; had seen joyous life beaming from coun-
tenances which had already been stamped with the
seal of death; and more than once had they heard
his voice in tender accents saying to the sorrow
stricken penitent "Thy sins be forgiven thee" They had
heard him say "Come unto me all ye that labor
and are heavy laden and I will give you rest."
They have heard him declare his strong special at-
tachment to [--these--] his disciples in particular, when he stretched
forth his hand toward[--s--] them and said "Behold
my mother and my brethren. For whosoever shall
do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the
same is my brother and sister and mother." They
had heard him say "Consider the lilies of the field
how they grow, they toil not neither do they spin; And
yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his
glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore
if God so clothe the grass of the field which to
day is and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall
he not much more clothe you O ye of little faith?"
They had heard him say "Behold the fowls of the air,
for they sow not neither do they gather into barns; yet
your heavenly Father feedeth them, are ye not much
better than they?"
They had seen and heard all this and
yet in the face of it all they could come and say
"[u] Master [/u] [u] is [/u] [u] it [/u] [u] no [/u] [u] care [/u] [u] to [/u] thee [/u] [u] that [/u] [u] we [u] perish [/u]?"
But for our knowledge of the Saviour's
loving heart, and that he knows how to have
6 compassion upon those who are ignorant and out of
the way, we could almost have supposed that he might
in judgement have left them to depend upon their
own resources in the midst of that raging sea. But
no there is forgiveness with him that he may be [?feared?].
Not with [u] judgement [/u] but with [u] mercy [/u] will he rebuke
their unbelief and in their hearts write [u] one [/u] [u] more [/u]
convincing proof of his [u] loving [/u] [u] care [/u] as well as
his [u] infinite [/u] [u] power [/u]. Rising up he calls to the stormy
sea "Peace be still" and lo! the [u] winds [/u] [u] retire [/u] and
the [u] waves [/u] [u] are [/u] [u] at [/u] [u] rest [/u].
And they feared exceedingly and
said one to another "What manner of man
is this that even the wind and the sea obey him."
[u] They [/u] [u] had [/u] [u] learned [/u] [u] a [/u] [u] lesson [/u] [u] which [/u] [u] they [/u] [u] doubtless [/u]
[u] never [/u] [u] forget [/u] [u] during [/u] [u] all [/u] [u] the [/u] [u] rest [/u] [u] of [/u] [u] their [/u] [u] lives [/u].
I draw from this account the
following practical observations.
1st God often allows his people
to meet with difficulties temptations and sor-
rows [u] for [/u] [u] the [/u] [u] trial [/u] [u] of [/u] [u] their [/u] [u] faith [/u].
This life is a life of probation not
of fruition. The Saviour never promised his disciples
freedom from trials. Nay he assured them of nothing
in more positive terms than that they should meet
with them. It was in the midst of temptations and trials
that they were to fight the good fight of faith and lay
hold on eternal life. A [u] cross [/u] on earth was made the
condition of a [u] crown [/u] in heaven. The eternal crown of
heavenly glory is to rest upon those who have come out of [u] great [/u] tribulations & washed
their robes and made them white in the blood of the
Lamb "Beloved think it not strange" says the apostle
Peter concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as
though some strange thing had happened unto you
But rejoice inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's
sufferings; that when his glory shall be revealed ye
may be glad also with exceeding joy. And Paul
says "the glory in tribulations also; knowing that tribu-
lation worketh patience, and patience experience and
experience hope; And hope maketh not ashamed be-
cause the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts
by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."
God's dealings with his people now
are not essentially different from his dealings with
them in the days of the Apostles. Now as then he purifies
his own children by the fires of adversity. It is a
subject of frequent remark by those who watch care-
fully the course of his providence that often when he
wishes to call [--away--] any of his people to places of
7
peculiar responsibility he first leaves them to feel
their own utter helplessness and entire dependence
upon him. He lets the storms of life beat fiercely around
them; he lets the waves of affliction dash heavily a-
gainst them until every human helper fails and they
are ready to cry out "Lord save us we perish" and falling
at the Saviour's feet they hear him saying "Peace be still"
"Why are ye so fearful?" "How is it that ye have no faith."
And thus they learn the lesson not to be forgotten, [?very?],
that peace and joy and rest of soul depend not on
the outward circumstances of life. They are found,
when found at all, while bending low before the
mercy seat.
The experience of the church is anal-
agous to the experience of individuals. All along the
line of history persecutions have been allowed to wax
hot against her for the trail and development of her faith,
but out of all these persecutions He in his own good
time delivers her. She comes forth from them as gold
tried in the fire, and presses forward in her con-
quering march fair as the [?moon?], clear as the sun,
and terrible as an army with banners."
(2d) Disciples in our day often manifest
the same kind of unbelief as did the disciples in the
days of our Saviour.
We, as they did, are doubtless often
much inclined to lean unto our own under-
standings and leave too much out of sight our
Saviour's power and willingness to bless.
Is it not often true in business now
that when hard times come and men see their
fortunes going to wreck on the uncertain sea of
commercial life, they instinctively turn for relief,
rather to skilfull business management than to him
who holds all destinies in the hollow of his hands. And
when every human resource fails and they are driven to
look upward for help do they not sometimes feel as did
the disciples when they came and said "[u] Master [/u] [u] carest [/u]
[u] thou [/u] [u] not [/u] [u] that [/u] [u] we [/u] [u] perish [/u]"? And yet I have known
those who after just such experiences, have been
ready to thank God for them, and to give their joy-
ful testimony that the losses which they had sus-
tained were not worthy to be compared with
the blessings which they found at the Saviour's feet.
They had learned as perhaps they could not [--otherwise--]
and could not otherwise have so fully learned
[--that--] the meaning of that exhortation "Trust in
the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto
thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowl-
edge him and he shall direct thy paths." They
go on in life's journey more trustingly than ever
before and with deeper feeling can say "For we know
that all things work together for good to them that
8 love God, who are the called according to his pur-
pose" The [u] Saviour [/u] has said to them "[u] Peace [/u] [u] be [/u]
[u] still [/u]" [u] and [/u] [u] there [/u] [u] is [/u] [u] a [/u] [u] great [/u] [u] calm [/u].
What is true in business misfor-
tunes is also true in regard to other afflictions.
We are attacked by dangerous disease, and
weary days and nights are appointed unto us.
We seek the [u] physician [/u], as it is right that we
should, but do we not sometimes in a measure
forget the great physician whose power is
infinite, and whose blessing upon human
effort or whose power put forth, if he please,
independently of human effort is the real
source of relief upon which our souls should
rely; and does it not often happen that only
after the earthly physician has given the
dread announcement that he can do no more
are we brought honestly with our whole hearts to
the Saviour's feet crying "[u] Lord [/u] [u] save [/u] [u] us [/u] [u] or [/u] [u] we [/u] [u] perish [/u]"
And yet it is doubtless as true now as it was when
the apostle James wrote his epistle to the twelve
tribes which were scattered abroad that "the prayer of
faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise
him up, and if he have committed sins they shall
be forgiven him". Many are the living witnesses who
can testify to this. But if it please not the Lord,
in any particular case to remove disease the
sufferer will at least hear the healer of [u] souls [/u] saying
"Son be of good cheer; thy sins are forgiven thee."
will hear the same voice which rebuked the
stormy waves of the sea of Galilee saying to the
agitations of his troubled heart "Peace be still"
and there will be a great calm.
Other forms of perplexity and trouble
may cast us down and lead our desponding
hearts to say with the psalmist "Hath God forgotten
to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his ten-
der mercies?" and we may be tempted to think
that the Master is sleeping and cares not for us
but when our faith returns we shall be ready to
say as did also the psalmist "This is only [?infirmity?]"
but I will remember the years of the right hand
of the Most High, I will meditate also of all thy
work and talk of thy doings, Who is so great
a God as our God?"
Original Format
Sermon
Collection
Citation
Noyes, Henry Varnum, “Section of Sermon by Henry,” Letters from Harriet Noyes: Missionaries and Women's Education in Nineteenth Century China, accessed April 25, 2024, https://noyesletters.org/items/show/902.