Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-01-16
THE STORMY PASSAGE"
nr Talmage breaches a Sermon
at Capernaum
about Christ's Voyage Across Lake Cali
lee-How the Raging Tempest Was
stiIIed by the Words, "Peace be
still"-Lessons Learned From
That Memorable Text.

and went over the sea toward Cdpefna
m." and Mark iv. 80: "And He arose
and rebuked the wind and the sea-" He
said;
Here in this seashore village was the
Temporary home of that Christ who foI
the most of his life was homeless. On
the site of this village, now in ruins, and
LII around this lake, what scenes OF
Kindness and power, and glory and
spathos when our Lord lived herel 1t
has been the wish of my life-I can not
kay the hope, for l never expected the
briyilege-to stand on the banks of Cali
lee. What solemnity and what rap
4ure to be herel l can now understand
he feeling of the immortal Scotchman,
Robert McCheyne, when, sitting on the
banks of this lake, he wrote:
4 It is not that the wild gazelle
Comes down TO drink thy tide,
. But he that was pierced to save from hell
a Oft wandered by thy side.
Graceful around thee the mountains meet
Thou calm reposing sea;
9 But an far more, the beautiful feet
a OF Jesus walked DER thee.
n 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.
irons the gentle way this lake treated
bur boat when we sailed on it yesterday
sne would have thought it incapable of
paroxysm of rage, but it was quite diff
.ierent on both the occasions spoken of
Ia my two texts. / close my eyes, and
4he shore of Lake Galilee as it now is,
Nth but little signs of human life, dis
appears, and there comes back to my
tsion the lake as it was in Christ's time.
n lay in scene of great luxuriance;
De surrounding hills, terraced, sloped,
frOoved, so many hanging gardens of
Beauty On the shore were castles,
srmed towers, Roman baths, every
shere attractive and beautiful-all
syles of vegetation in shorter space than
u almost any other space in all the
forld, from the palm tree of the forest
n the trees of rigorous climate.
n Il seemed as if the Lord had launched
be wave of beauty on all the scene, and
II hung and swung from rock and hill
Did oleander. Roman gentlemen in
easure boats sailing this lake, and
Euntrymen in fish smacks coming down
u drop their nets, pass each other with
HOi and shout and laughter, or swinging
bly, at their mornings. o, what beau
tiul scenel
1t seems as If we shall have quiet
|1ight Not leaf winked in the air;
hi ripple disturbed the face of Gem
'sesaret: but there seems to be little
settlement up the beach, and we hastt n
"a see what it is, and we find it an en-
bprkation.
From the western shore fotilla push
BIZ out not squadron or deadly arma-
|nent, nor clipper with valuable mer-
shandise, nor pirate vessels ready tode
9roy everything they could seize, but a
1Otilla, bearing messengers of light and
ie and peace. Christ is in the front Of
ae boat. His disciples are in smaller
pat Jesus, weary with much speaking
q. large multitudes, is put into somno-
klce by the rocking of the waves. If
Rere was any motion at all, the ship
rs easily righted; if the wind passed
& ROm starboard to larboard, or from lar
kard to starboard, the boat would rock,
+. by the gentleness of the motion put
.Ang the Master asleep. And they ex-
8 tmporized a pillow made out of fish
nan's coat. / think no sooner is Christ
ostrate, and His head touched the pill
. hv than he is asleep. The breezes of
I lake run their fingers through the
~ ks Of the worn sleeper, and the boat
eS and falls like a sleeping child on
bosom Of sleeping mother.
calm night, starry night, beautiful
GIT. Run up all the sails, ply all the
Fl 3 and let the large boat and the small
ai glide over gentle Gennesaret. But
sailors say there is going to be a
ange of weather. And even the pas
*ngers can hear the moaning of the |
I'm, as it comes on with great stride,
ri all the terrors of hurricane and
'kness The large boat trembles like
Ger at bay among the clangor of the |
4 nds; great patches of foam are flung
Q the air; the sails of the vessel
sen, and the sharp winds crack like
ols the smaller boats, like petrels,
Sc on the cliffs of the waves and then |
nge.
B 'yerboard go cargo. tackling, and |
SIS, and the drenched disciples rush |
the back part of the boat, and lay |
Of Christ, and sayunto Him: MAS
earest Thou not that we perish?"
great parsonage lifts His head from
illow Of the fsherman's coat, walks
lt iront Of the vessel, and looks out |
ite storm. All around Him are the |
i-fr boats, driven in the tempest, |
Trough it comes the cry of drown
men. by the flash of the lightning |
the calm brow of Christ as the |
By dropped from His beard. He has
word for the sky and another for |
waves. Looking upward He cries:
ace Looking downward He says:
sdn."
De waves fall fat on their faces, the
melts, the extinguished stars re-
their torches. The tempest falls |
and Christ stands with His feet on
neck Of the storm. And while the |
y are bailing out the boats, and |
= they are trying to untangle the |
4arp. tho 1sarf.,1.. - :. 800