The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1895-09-27
ROUGH SAILING.
Lessons Drawn from the Miracle
on the Sea of Galilee.
Latest Sermon by DIR. TaImage-PeOple
Who Follow Christ Must Not Always
Expect smooth saiIing-Christ
Should BE on the Ship.


T. Dewitt Talmage preached on a dra-
matte incident during the Saviour 5
life among the Gallilean.fsherman,a and
drew from it a striking lesson for the
men and women of the present day.
The subject was, Rough Sailing, "
and the text, Mark iv. $685.: And
there were also with him other little
ships, and there arose great storm of
wind" DIR. Talmage said:
Tiberias. Gallilee and Gennesaret
were three hames for the same lake. 1t
lay in a scene of great luXuriauce. The
surrounding hills, high, terraced, slop-
ing. gorged, were so many hanging gar
dens of beauty. The streams rumbled
down through rocks of gray and red
limestone. 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
vegetation. and, so great was the vari-
ETY. of climate. that the palm tree of
the torrid and the walnut tree of rig
orOus climate were only little way
apart. Men in vineyards and olive
gardens were gathering up the riches
for the oil press. The hills and valleys
were starred and crimsoned with flow
ers. from which Christ took his text
and the disciples learned lessons of
patience and trust. 1t seemed as if
God had dashed wave of beauty on
all the scene until it hung dripping
from the rocks, the hills, the oleanders.
On the back of the Lebanon range the
glory Of the early scene was carried up
as if to set 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
thickly Inhabited. tempting innumer-
able nets. and affording a livelihood
for great populations. Bethsaida.
ChoranZin and Capernaum stood on
the bank, roaring with wheels of
traffic and fishing with splendid equip
ages, and shooting their vessels across
the lake, bringing merchandise for
Damascus and passing great cargoes of
wealthy product. Pleasure 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 well
come, and side by side swung idly at
the mooring.
Palace and luxuriant 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 set
ting sun looked like a white bearded
prophet ready to ascend in a chariot
of fire. I think we shall have quiet
night. Not a leaf winks in the air. or
a ripple disturbs the surface of Gen
neSaret. The shadows of the great
headlands stalk clear across the water
The voices of 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 indescri bable
sounds which fill the air al nightfall
You hasten up the beach of the lake
a little way. and there You find an ex-
element as of an embarkation. 4
fotilla i pushing out from the western
shore of the lake-not a squadron
with a deadly armament; not a clipper
to ply with valuable merchandise; not
pirate vessels with graphing hook. to
hug TO death whatever they could
seize, but a fiotilla laden with mes
sengers 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 IA
tigues of the preaching exercises of
the day, Is induced to slumber and I
see Him in the stern of the boat. with
a pillow perhaps eXtemporized out of
a fsherman's coat. sound asleep. The
breezes Of the lake ran their fingers
through the locks of the WORKOUT
sleeper, and on its surface there riseth |
and falleth the light ship. like a child |
on the bosom of its sleeping mother.
Calm night Starry night. BeaKiful !
night. Run up all the sails, and ply |
all the oars, and let the boats-the big
boat and the little boats-go gliding |
over the gentle Gennesaret
The sailors prophesy a 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 hur- |
ricane and darkness. The boat, caught |
IN the sudden fury, trembles like a |
deer az bay, amid the wild clangor of |
the hounds. Great patches of foam
are flung through the air. The loos-
ened 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 handkerchief.
and overheard go the cordaqe, the
tackling. and the masts, and the
drenched disciples rush into the stern
of the boat, and shout amid the hurri-
cane: 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
fash of lightning / see the calmness of
the uncovered 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 tempestuous heavens.
and He cries: Peace and then He
looks down into the Infatuated waters.
and He says: BE stillr' The thunders
beat retreat. The waves fall fat on
their faces. The extinguished stars
their torches The foam melts
The storm is dead. And while the crew