"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."