The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1895-09-27

~ ing gardens of beau
ty. The streams
rumbled down through rocks or grey
lime stone, and flashing from the hill
side, bounded to the sea. In the time
Of our Lord the valleys. headlands. and
ridges were covered thickly with vege'
tation, and, so great was the variety OF
climate, that the palm tree OF the torrid
and the walnut tree OF rigorous climate
were only little way apart. Men in
vineyards and olive gardens were gath
ering up the riches for the oil-press.
The hills and valleys were starred and
crinsoned with flowers. from which
Christ took his text. and the disciples
learned lessons of patience and trust.
1t seemed as II God had dashed a wave
of beauty on all the scene until 1t huns
dripping from the rocks, the hills, the
oleanders. On the back of the Lebanon
range the glory OF the earthly scene
was carried up as If to set 1t in range
with the hills of heaven.
No other gem ever had so exquisite
setting as beautiful Gennesaret. The
Z
ly inhabited, tempting innumerable
nets, and affording a livelihood for great
populations. Bethsaida, Chorazin and
Capernaum stood on the bank, roaring
with wheels of traffic and flashing with
splendid equipages. and shooting their
vessels across the lake. bringing mer-
chandise for Damascus and passing
great cargoes OF wealthy product Pleas
ure boats of Roman gentlemen, and
fishing smacks of the country people
who had come down to cast net there,
passed each other with nod and shout
| and welcome. or side by side swung
idly at the mooring. Palace and lux
uriant bath and vineyard. tower and
shadowy arbor. looked off from the
calm, sweet scene as the evening shad-
ows began to drop. and Hermon. with
| Its head covered with perpetual snow
in the glow of the setting sun looked
like a bearded prophet ready TO
ascend in a chariot of fire. | think
We shall have quiet night! Not leaf
winks In the air. or ripple disturbs
the surface OF Gennesaret. The shad-
ows of the great headlands stalk clear
across the water. The voices of even
| ing-tide, how drowsily they strike the
ear--the splash of the boatman's oar,
and the humping Of the captured fish
on the boats bottom. and those indie
scribable sounds which fill the air at
nightfall. You hasten up the beach
Of the lake a little way, and there
you find an excitement as Of an en-
barkation. A fiotilla Is pushing out
from the western shore Of the lake
not a squadron with deadly armament;
not a clipper to ply with valuable mer-
chandlse; not pirate vessels with Crap
pling-hook. to hug TO death whatever
they could seize, but a flotilla laden
with messengers OF light, and mercy,
and peace. Jesus is in the front ship;
his friends and admirers are in the
small boats following after. Christ, by
the rocking OF the boat and the fatigues
of the preaching exercises of the day,
is induced to slumber. and l see him
in the stern OF the boat, with n pillow
perhaps extemporized out OF a fisher
mans coat, sound asleep. The breezes
OF the lake run their fingers through
the locks of the WORKOUT sleeper, and
on its surface there riseth and falleth
the light ship, like child on the bosom
of its sleeping motherl Calm night.
Starry night. Beautiful night. Run up
all the sails, and ply all the oars, and
let the boats-the big boat and the
small boats - go gliding over gentle
Gennesaret.
The sailors prophesy a change in the
weather. Clouds begin to travel up the
sky and congregate. After a while,
even the passengers hear the moan of
the storm, which comes on with rapid
strides, and with all the terrors of
hurricane and darkness. The boat.
caught in the sudden fury, trembles
like deer at bay, amid the wild
clangor of the hounds. Great patches
of foam are flung through the air. The
loosened sails, tapping In the wind.
crack like pistols. The small boats
poised on the white cliff OF the driven
sea tremble like ocean petrels, and
) then plunge into the trough with ter
with thunder-crack, and overheard go
the cordage. the tackling. and the
masts, and the drenched disciples rush
into the stern of the boat, and shout
amid the hurricane, Master, carest
thou not that we perish?" That great
Parsonage lifted his head from the
fsherman's coat, and walked out to the
prov of the vessel. and looked upon the
storm. On all sides were the small
boats tossing in helplessness. and from
them came the cries Of drowning men.
BY the flash of lightning see the calm
ness Of the uncovered brow of Jesus,
and the spray of the sea dripping from
his head. He has two words of COM
mand-one for the wind. the other for
the sea. He looks into the tempestuous
heavens, and he cries, "Peacer and
then he looks down into the infuriatc
waters, and he says, BE stillw The
thunders beat retreat The waves fall
fiat on their faces. The extinguished
a. Il IL Al Il III. A..