Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-16
ESPECIAL ro THK D1sP ArcH.i

Passage" taking for his texts the verses oi
the gospel following: John vi, II: entered
into a ship. and went over the sea toward
Capernaum;" and Mark iv, 80: "And he
srose and rebuked the wind and the sea. y
He said:
Here in this seashore village was the tenn
porsry home of that Christ who for the most
OF his life was homeless On the site Of this
village, now in ruins, and all around this
lake, what scenes of kindness and power.
and glory and pathos when our Lord lived
here! 1t has been the wish Of my life, I
cannot say the hope, for never expected
the privilege-to stand on the banks of Cali
lee. What a solemnity and what a rapture
to oe herei can now understand the feel
ing of the immortal Scotchman, Robert Nc
Cheyne, when, sitting on the banks Of this
lake, he wrote:
1t is not that the wild gazeIle
Comes down 10 drink thy tide.
But He that was pierced to save from hell,
Oft wandered by thy side,
Graceful around thee the mountains meet
Thou calm reposing sea,
But al! far more, the beautiful feet
or Jesus walked DER thee.
1 can now easily understand from the con-
tour OF the country that bounds this lake
that storms were easily tempted to make
these waters their playground. From the
gentle way this lake treated our boat when
We sailed on it yesterday, one would have
thought it incapable of paroxvsm of rage,
but it was quite different on both the occa-
sions spOked OF in my two texts.
THE OLD VISION RETURNS.
1 close nv eyes, and the shore of Lake
Calilee as it now is, with but little signs of
human lie, disappears, and there comes
hack to my vision the lake as it was in
Christ's time. 1t lay in a scene of great
luxurisnce; the surrounding hills terraced,
sioped. grooyed, so many hanging gardens
o. beauty On the shore were castles, armed
towers, Roman baths, everything attractive
and beautiful-all STYLES of vegetation in
shorter space than in almost any other
space in all the world, from the palm tree
OF the forest to the trees of rigorous climate
1t seemed as if the Lord had launched
one wave OF beauty on all the scene, and it
hung and swung from rock and hill and
oIeander. Roman gentleman in pleasure
boats sailing this lake, and countryman in
fish smacks coming down to drop their nets,
pass each other with nod and shout and
laughter, or swinging idly at their moorings.
o. what beautiful scenei
1t seems as if we shall have a quiet night.
Not a leaf winked in the air; not a ripple
disturbed the face OF Gennesaret: but there
seems to be little excitement up the beach,
and we hasten to see what it is, and we find
1t an emharkation.
From the western shore fotilla pushing
out: not a squadron, or deadly armament
ali r-if vol NJ n 1a ah1-
piratic vessel ready to destroy everything
they could seize, but flotilla, bearing mes
seugers of light and life and peace Christ
is in the front of the boat. His disciples
are in a smaller boat. Jesus, weary with
much speaking TO large multitudes, is put
into somnolence by the rocking of the waves,
IT CHANGED WHILE THE SAVIOR SLEPT.
II there was any motion at all, the ship
was easily lighted; IL the wind passed from
starboard to larboard, or from larboard to
starboard, the boat would rock, and by the
gentleness of the motion putting the Master
aisle p. And they extemporized pillow
made Jut Of fsherman's coat. 1 think no
sooner is Christ PROSTATE. and his head
touched the pill W, than he is sound asleep.
The breezes of the lake run their fingers
through the locks of tn worn sleeper, and
the boat rises and falls like a sleeping child
on the bosom Of sleeping mother.
Calm night, starry nigh, beautiful night.
Run up all the sails, ply all the oars, and let
the large boat and the small boat glide over
gentle Genuesaret. But the sailors say
there is going to be a change of weather
And even the passengers can hear the
moaning of the storm as it comes on with
great stride, and all the terrors of hurricane
ard darkness. The large boat trembles
like deer at bay among the clangor of
&c q
into the air; the sails of the vessel loosen,
and the sharp winds crack like pistols; the
smaller boats, like petrels, poise on the
cliffs of the waves and then plunge.
Overheard 60 cargo, tackling and masts,
and The drenched disciples rush into the
back part of the boat, and lay hold of
Christ, and say unto him: Master, carest
thou not that we perish?'' That great per-
sOnage lifts his head from the pillow of the
fsberman's coat, walks to the front of the
vessel, and looks out into the storm. All
around him are the smaller boats, driven in
the tempest. and through it comes the cry of
men.
SPEAKING PEACE TO THE STORM.
By the fash of the lightning see the
calm brow of Christ as the spray dropped
from His beard. He has one word for the
\ sky and another for the waves. Looking
upward He cries: "Peace!" Looking down
ward He says: "Be still"
The waves fall fiat on their faces. the
foam melts, the extinguished stars religkt
their torches. The tempest falls dead and
Christ stands with His feet on the neck of
the storm. And while the sailors are bail
ing out the boats, and while they are trying
to entangle the cordage, the disciples stand
in amazement, now looking into the calm
sea, then into the calm sky. then into the
ell Al.
out: ''W hat manner of man is this, that
even the winds and the sea obey him 90
The subject in the first place impresses me
with the fact that it is very important to
Christ in the ship; for all those boats would
have gone to the bottom Of Gennesaret if
Christ had not been present Oh, what a
lessen for YOU and for me to learn We
must always have Christ in the ship. What
ever voyage we undertake, into whatever
enterprise we start, let us always have Christ
in the ship. All you can do with utmost
tension of body, mind and soul, you are
bound to do; but oh have Christ in every
enterprise, Christ in every voyage.
There are men who ask Gods help at the
beginning of great enterprises. He has been
with them in the past; no trouble can over
throw them; the storms might come down
from the top Of Mount Hermon, and lash
GennesareG into foam and into agony, but it
could not hurt them.
WELL ENOUGH KNOWS NO GOD.
But here is another man W ho starts out in |
worldly enterprise, and he depends upon the |
uncertainties of this life. He mas no God to |
help him After while the storm comes |
and tosses of the masts of the ship; he puts |
out his lifeboat and the long boat; the sheriff |
aud the auctioneer try TO help him of; they |
can't help him off; he must go-no Christ in |
the ship. Your lie will be made up of |