Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-10-10
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
LESSONS FitOM THE MIRACLE ON
THE SEA OF GALILEE.
Ii il Always Wen Ia Have Christ ON
the ship - People Who Follow
Christ Must Not Expect smooth
Sailing All the Time.

Savior's life among the Galilelian fish
ormen, and draws from it a striking
lesson for the mel and women of the
present day. The subject a Rough
Sailing" and the text, Mark iv., 80,
81: And there We're also with him
other little ships, and there arose a
great storm of wind"
Tiberias, Galilee and Gennesaret
were three names for the same lake.
1t lay in a scene of great luxuriance.
The surrounding hills, high, terraced,
slipping, gorged, We're so many hang
ing gardens of beauty. The streams
rumbled 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 thickly
with vegetation, and 70 great was the
variety Of the climate that the palm
tree of the torrid and the walnut tree
of rigorous climate We're only a little
way apart. Men in vineyards and
olive gardens were gathering up the
riches of the oil press. The hills and
valleys were starred and crimsOned
with flowers. from which Christ took
his text. and the disciples learned les
sons of patience and trust. 1t seemed
as il God had dashed a wave OF
beauty on all the scene until 1t hung
dripping FROM the rocks, the hills, the
OleanderS. On the back of the LeD-
anon range, the glory of the early
scene was carried up as if to set it in
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
tnickly inhabited. tempting innumer-
able 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 acrOs the
lake, bringing merchandise for Da-
uascus and passing great cargoes of
wealthy product. Pleasure boats Of
Roman gentlemen. and fishing smacks
of the country people who had come
down to east a net there, passed each
other with nod and shout and wei
come, or side by side swung idly at
the mooring. Palace and luXuriant
bath and vineyard, tower and shad-
owy arbor, looked off upon the calm,
sweet scene as the evening shadows
began to drop; and Hermon, with it's
head covered with perpetual snow. in
the glow of the setting SUI looked like
n white bearded prophet re2dy to as
cend in a chariot of fire. / thin we
shall have a quiet night! Not a leaf
vsuIE -, tha nt. nr an fnrlA lfpt,rplSs
the surface Of GenncSaret. The shad-
owS of the great headlandS stalk clear
across the water. The voices of even
ing-tide, how drowsily they strike the
oar-the splash of the bOatman's oar,
and the humping Of the captured fish
on the boats bottom, and those indie
scribab BILE sounds which fill IL air at
nightfall.
You hasten up the beach OF the lake
n little way, and there you find an ex-
element rs OF IN embafkation. a
flOtilla is pushing out from the west
ern shore of the lake-not a squadron
with a deadly armament; nor a clipper
to ply with yaluabl merchandise; not
pirate vessels with graphing hook to
hug to death whatever they could
seize, but a fiotilla laden with messen-
gers 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 rock
Ing of the boat and the fatigues Of the
preaching exercises of the day, Is in
duced to slumber. and / sc. him in the
stern Of the boat, with a pillow per-
haps extemporiZed out of a fisher
mans coat, sound asleep. The breeZes
of the lake run their fingers through
the locks Of the worn-out sleeper. and
on it's surface there riseth and falleth
the light ship, like a child on the
bosom Of its sleeping mother! 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 a change in the
weather. Clouds begin to travei 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 q deer at bay, amid the wild
clangor Of the hounds. Great patches
OF foam are flung through the air. The
~iooseniGg sails, tapping in the wind.
crack like pistols. The small boats
poised on the white cliff of the driven
sea trcmble like ocean peIreis ami then
plunge into the trough with terrific
swoop until a wave strikes them with
thunder-cfack, and overheard 60 the
coIdage, the tackling, and the masts,
and the drenched disciples rush into
the stern of the beat and shout amid
the hurricane. Master, carest thou
not that we perish?" That great per-
soma lifted his head from the fisher
man cot and walked out 10 the prov
of vessel and looked upon the
storm On all sides were the small
boats tossing helplessly, and frcm
them came the cries Of drowning men.
BY the fash of lightning | see the calm
ness Of the uncovered brow of Jesus,
and the spray of the sea dripping from
his beard. He has w words OF COM
mand-one for the wind, the other for
the sea. He looks into the tempest
Gus heavens, and he cries, Peace
and then he looks down Into the In
furiated waters and be says, b still.,
The thuGders beat a retreat. Tie
wave. fall flat on their faces. The
extinguished stars rekindle their torch
nj. Thn fonY melt, uNhA ctarfn 10