The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1895-10-04
ROUGH SAILING"
Rev. Dr. Talmage Discourses on
Christ Among the Fishermen
Lessons to be Drawn From the Miracle en-
She Sea OF GRliIee-FolIowerH OF
Jesus Must Expect Some
BuGetinHa.


sojourn among the fishermen Of Cali
lee, Ia prepared by Rev. 4. Dewitt Tai
mage for publication this week. It Ia
based upon the texts
And there werS also with Mn other little
ships ano mere Arrest great storm OF wind
Mari ~, as1s7.
liberals, Galilee and Gennesaret
were three names for the same lake.
1t lay In c scene OF great luxuriance.
The surrounding hills, high, te-raEsd,
sioping. gorged, weFs 10 many hang
Ing Pardess 81 beauty. The streams
fnfn1led down through rocks Of gray
and red limestone, and flashing from
the hillside. bounded to the sea. In
the time of our Lord the valleys, head
lands and ridges were covered thicklT
with vegetation, and, so great was the
variety Of climate, that the palm tree
of the torfid and the walnut tree of
rigorous climate were only 4 little
way apart Men In Vineyards and
olive gardens were gathering mp the
riches Tor the oil press The hills and
valleys were starred aud crimsoned
with flowers, from which Christ took
His text. and the disciples learned les
sons of patience and trust. Il seemed
as II God had dashed wave OF beauty
on all the scene until It hung dripping
from the rocks, the hills, the clean
ders. On the back OF the lebanon
range the glory of the early Scene tSat
carried up as If to sst ~ Id range with
the hills Of Heaven.
No other gem ever had so exquisite
a setting as beautiful Gennesaret.
The waters were clear and sweet, and
thickly inhabited, tempting innumera-
bic nets, and affordipg a livelihood for
great populations. Bethsaida, Cho-
razin and Capernaum stood on the
bank. roaring with wheels OF traffic
and flashing with splendid equipages,
and shooting their vessels across the
lake, bringing merchandise for pertss-
Gus and passing great cargoes of
wealthy product. Pleasure boats of
Roman gentlemen, and fishing smaclks
of country people who had come down
TO cast net there, passed each other
with nod and shout and welcome; OF
side by side swung Idly at the mOoring.
Palace and iuxuriant bath and vine
yard, tower and shadowy arbor, looked
off upon the calm, sweet scene as the
evening shadows began to drop, and
Hermon, with its head covered
with perpetual snow, in the glow
Of the setting sun looked like a
white-bearded prophet ready to ascend
In n chariot of fire. think we shall
have a quiet Dightl Not leaf winlxs
In the air, or ripple disturbs the sur
face of Gennesaret. The shadows of
l. u
the water, The voices CT evening"
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
niRhtfall.
You hasten up the beach of the lake
little way, and there you find an ex-
element as of embarkation. A ffotilla
is pushing out from the western shore
of the lalSe-not a squadron with
deadly arma ment. not clipper to ply
with valuable merchandise; not pirate
vessels with graphing hook, to hug to
death whatever they could seize, but
hqtilla 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
see Him in the stern of the boat,
with a pillow perhaps extemporized
out of a frsherman's coat, sound
asleep. The breezes Of the lake run
their fingers through the locks of the
worn-out sleeper, and on its surface
there riseth and falleth the light ship,
like child on the bosom of its sleep
Ing 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 the gentle Gennesaret
The sailors prophesy change in the
weather. Clouds begin to travel up
the sky and congregate. After awhile,
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 a 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
terrific swOop until a wave strikes
them with thunder-crack. and over
board go the cordage, the tackling.
and the masts, and the drenched dis
ciples 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 cot
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 light
ming / see the calmness of the I'M
covered brow of Jesus, and the spray
of the sea dripping from His beard.
He has two words of command-one
for the wind, the other for the sea. He
looks into the tempestous Heavens,
and He cries, "PeaceI'' and then He
looks down into the infuriate waters,
and He SAYS: BE still" The tlrunders
beat retreat. The waves fall fat on
their faces. The extinguished stars
rekindle their torches. The foam
melts. The storm is dead And while
the crew are untangling the cordAge
aud the cables, and bailing out the
water from the hold of the Ship, the
disciples stand wonder-struck, now
gazing into the calm sea, now gazing
into the calm face of Jesus, and whis-
pering one TO another: What manner