The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1889-12-18
THE STORMY PASSAGE
Dr. Talmage breaches a Sermon
at Capernaum
About Christ's voyage Across Lake Cali
Iee--How the Raging Tempest Was
stilled by the Words, "Peace be
still"-Lessons Learned From
That Memorable Text.

ISapbrnaum reCtnbly VOh BfVuP VI AAohue
on "The Stormy Passage" taking for
his texts the verses of the following
gospel; John vi, II: Entered intoa ship,
and went over the sea toward Caperna-
UNI" and Mark iv. 80: "And He arose
and rebul1ed the wind and the sea-" He
said, 49, ~ "a F E&pa
Here In this seashore village was the
temporary 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-Ican not
say the hope, for never expected the
privilege-to stand on the banks Of Cali
lee. What solemDity and what a rap
ture to be herel / can now understand
the feeling Of the immortal Scotchman.
Robert Mccheyne, when, sitting on the
banks Of this lake, he wrote: u k.&
1t Is not that the wild gazeile
Comes down TO drink thy tide,
But he that was pierced 10 save from hell
Oft wandered by thy side
Graceful around thee the mountains meet,
Thou calm reposing sea;
But ah far more. the beautiful feet
OF Jesus walked DER thee. t...f
can now easily understand from the
contour 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 II yesterday
one would have thought 4 incapable Of
paroxysm Of rage, but 1t was quite diff
ferent on both the occasions spoken Of
in my two texts. / close my eyes, and
the shore Of Lake Galilee as 1t now is,
with but little signs Of human life, dis
appears, and there comes back TO, my
vision the lake rs It was In Christ's time.
II lay in scene Of great luxuriance;
the surrounding hills, terraced, sloped,
grooved, SO many hanging gardens OF
beauty. On the shore we're castles,
armed towers, Roman baths, every
where 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
10 the trees Of rigorous climate.
II seemed as II the Lord had Launched
one wave Of beauty on all the scene, and
It hung and swung from rock and hill
and oleander. Roman gentlemen In
pleasure boats sailing this lake, and
,ountrymen in fish smacks coming down
10 drop their nots, pass each other with
nod and shout and laughter. or swinging
idly at their moorings. o, what beau
tiful scenel ntggu ,gIssyA
II seems as II we shall have q quiet
night. Not leaf winked In the air
not q ripple disturbed the face Of Gen
nesaret; but there seems TO be little
excitement up the beach, and We hastt 7
to SEQ what II is, and We find 1t an EN-
barkation.
From the western shore hotilla push
ing out; not squadron or deadly arma
ment, nor clipper with valuable mer
chandise, nor piratic vessels ready to de
stroy everything they could seize, butts
iotilla, bearing messengers Of light ant
life and peace. Christ is in the front O
the boat. His disciples are in a smallei
boat. Jesus, weary with much speaking
to large multitudes, is put into somno
lence by the rocking Of the waves. /
there was any motion at all, the shil
was easily righted; II the wind passet
from starboard TO larboard, or from lar
board to starboard, the boat would rock
and by the gentlenessof Of the motion put
ting the Master asleep. And they ex
temporized pillow made out Of fish
erman's coat. think no sooner Is Chris
PROSTATE, and His head touched the pill
low than He is asleep. The breezes o
the lake run their fingers through tn
locks OF the worn sleeper, and the boa
rises and falls like a sleeping child o.
the bosom OF sleeping mother.
Calm night, starry night, beautifu
night. Run up all the sails, ply all tn
oars, and let the large boatand the small
boat glide over gentle Gennesaret. Blu
the sailors say there is going to be
change OF weather. And even the pas
sengers can hear the moaning OF tn
storm, as 1t comes on with great stride
and all the terrors OF hurricane an
darkness. The large boat trembles lik
deer at bay among the clangor Of th
hounds; great patchesof foam are fun
into the afr; the sails Of the vesse
loosen, and the sharp winds crack lik
pistols; the smaller boats, like petrel
poise on the cliffs Of the waves and the
plunge, Ertl .ft
iOverboard 60 cargo, tachling, an
masts, and the drenehed disciples rus
into the back part Of the boat, and Ia
hold OF Christ, and say unto Him: ma
ter, carest Thou not that we perishi
That great personagelifts Hishead fro
the pillow OF the iisherman'scoat, wall
10 the front OF the vessel, and looks OF
into the storm, All around Him are II
smaller boats, driven In the tempes
and through It comes the cry Of drowl
Z ing men. BY the fash Of the lightnir
/ SEQ the calm brow OF Christ as II
spray dropped from His beard. He hi
one word for the sky and another \
the waves. Looking upward He erie
siPeace." Looking downward Ho say
s'Be still"
The waves fall fat on their faces, u
foam melts, the extinguished stars 7
lieht their torches. The tempest fal
dead and Christ stands with His feet
the neck Of the storm. And while b
sailors are bailing out the boats. al
while they are trying 10 untangle b
cordaee. the disciples stand In ramaz
ment now looking atthe calm sen, tn,
into the calm sky, then into the cal
Sayiour's countenance, and then cry o.
.What manner a man Is this that ev
tbe wind and III sea obey Him?"
The subject in the first place 4