Folding Up a Cyclone on Gennesaret

©ENNESARET, Tiberias, Galilee — three names for the same lake. No other gem ever had so beautiful a setting. It lay in a scene of great luxuriance; the surrounding hills high, terraced, sloped, grooved, so many hanging gardens -of beauty, the waters rumbling down between rocks of gray and red limestone, flashing from the hills and bounding into the sea. On the shore were castles, armed towers, Roman baths, everything attractive and beautiful; all styles of vegetation in shorter space than in almost any other spot in ail the world, from the palm-tree of the forest to the trees of rigorous climate.

It seems as if the L,ord had launched one wave of beauty on all the scene, and it hung and swing from rock and hill and oleander. Roman gentlemen in pleasure boats sailmg the lake, and countrymen m fishing smacks coming down to drop their nets, pass each other with nod and shout and laughter, or swinging idly at their moorings. Oh, what a wonderful, what a beautiful lake!

It seems as if we shall have a quiet night. Not a leaf trembles in the air; not a ripple disturbs the face of Gennesaret; but there seems to be a little excitement up the beach, and we hasten to see what it is, and we find it an embarkation.

From the western shore a flotilla pushing out; not a squadron, or deadly armament, or clipper with valuable merchandise, or piratic vessels ready to destroy everything they can seize; but a flotilla, bearing messengers of life, and light and peace. Christ and His disciples are in a boat, and He weary with much speaking is put into somnolence by the rocking of the waves. If there was any motion at all, if the wind passed from starboard to larboard, or from larboard to starboard, the boat would rock, and by the gentleness of the motion put the Master asleep. And they extemporized a pillow made out of a fisherman’s coat. I think no sooner is Christ prostrate, and His head touched the pillow, than He is sound asleep. The breezes of the lake run their fingers through the locks of the worn sleeper, and the boat rises and falls like a sleeping child on the bosom of a sleeping mother.

Calm night, starry night, beautiful night. Run up all the sails, ply all the oars, and let the large boat and the small boat glide over gentle Gennesaret. But the sailors say there is going to be a change of weather. And even the

(304) passengers can hear the moaning of the storm, as it comes on with great stride, and all the terrors of cyclone and darkness. The large boat trembles like a deer at bay among the clangor of the hounds; great patches of foam are flung into the air; the sails of the vessel loosen, and in the strong wind crack like pistols; the smaller boats like petrels poise on the cliflF of the waves and then plunge.

Overboard go cargo, tackling and ma.sts, and the drenched disciples rush into the back part of the boat, and lay hold of Christ, and say unto Him: “Master, carest Thou not that we perish?” That great personage lifts His head from the pillo’v of the fisherman’s coat, walks to the front of the vessel,

To.MISS CARVKD IN THK ROi. i

and looks out into the storm. All around Him are the smaller boats, driven in the tempest, and through it comes the cry of drowning men. By the flash of lightning I see the calm brow of Christ as the spray dropped from His beard. He has one word for the sky and another for the waves. Looking upward He cries: “Peace!” Looking downward He .says: “Be still.”

The waves crouch like whipt spaniels at His feet. The extinguished stars relighv; their torches, The tempest falls dead. Christ stands with His foot on the neck of the storm. And while the sailors are bailing out the boats, and while they arc trMng to untangle the cordage, the disciples stand in amazement, now looking into the calm sea, then into the cahn sky, then into the calm Saviour’s countenance, and they cry out: “What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”

Dethroned Reason Crowned Again.

How softly dropped down the gentle breezes when the storm-giant had sped away, and clasping the sails in their arms they bore the boats lightly over the becalmed waters until the pebbly bank of Gadara was reached. But scarcely had the boats touched shore when, instead of joyful welcome to the tired and persecuted Christ, He was received by two. insane persons, one of whom was the most miserable and loathsome object that was ever ctothed in the form of manhood. Not a vestment covered his befouled, lacerated and distorted body; his bedraggled beard and hair were tlle repository of grime and filth that had not been cleansed in years, and his eyes flamed with wild distemper, reflecting the distraction and delirium of reason for a long time dethroned. With the strength and boldness of a maniac he and his unfortunate companion had terrorized the whole country thereabouts, and there was added to the fear which his frenzy and diabolism inspired the superstitious regard of the people who, because the demoniacs had taken up their abode among sepulchres and grave stones, believed that they were in league with Satan.

Miserable, brain-racked, frantic bedlamite as one of these poor possessed men was, at intervals a ray of reason pierced for a short time the darkness of his intellect, and during these brief lucid moments, he would cry out for relief from his great torment. It was in one of these intervals of consciousness that the demoniac met Jesus, as the great physician stepped out of the boat, and through some unexplained power — possibly divine revealment — the unfortunate immediately recognized Him as the Lord and fell down in worshipful attitude, hoping to be released from his tormentors. Though conscious of the Divine presence, the man was not permitted to speak his own desires and confessions, being apparently so completely under the control of devils that these made him cry out in speech for them,” What have I to do with Thee, Jesus, Thou Son of the Most High God? Art Thou come hither to torment us before the time? I adjure Thee, by God, that Thou torment me not.” Therefore addressing the devils, Jesus asked: “What is thy name?” to which the response was made: “My name is Legion, for we are many.”

The devils recognized the omnipotent power of Jesus and knew Him to be their implacable adversary sent into the world to save men from evil influence, and that the time for their casting-out was now at hand. They therefore begged of Him “that He would not send them away out of the country, nor command them to go out into the deep.” A herd of swine were on the hill-side not far away.

RAISING THK.

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and into these the devils besought the Eord that they might be sent, which was accordingly done. No sooner had the word “Go” been spoken than the two thousand broke into panic and in mad distraction fled down a steep place and into the sea, where they all quickly perished, while the now dispossessed demoniac crouched in gratitude at Jesus’ feet clothed in a restored mind.

The Gadarenes were herders of swine, which was, indeed, their principal occupation. They not only ate the flesh so strongly prohibited by their Jewish neighbors, but ofiered swine in their sacrifices, and were therefore looked upon with profound contempt by the Jews, and their religious customs were regarded as abominations. The manner of restoring the demoniac, involving as it did such great destruction of swine, is difiicult to explain unless we accept it as a lesson which Christ imparted to both His disciples and the Gadarenes, as showing His approval of the Jewish laws prohibiting the use of pork and the raising of swine. It may have been also His purpose to fix, by such illustrations, the relationship of devils with scavengers and all manner of pollution, in order to make them the more repugnant in our estimation, and thereby to fortify us the better against their insinuations, whatever guise they may adopt.

The Gadarenes, while astounded at the miracle which had been performed, regarded the loss of their swine more than the possible good of Christ’s teachings, for they were a most debased and ignorant people, and instead of receiving Him, besought Him to immediately leave their country. For some reason, Jesus decided to forthwith return to Capernaum, but as He stepped again into-the boat, the restored man, with heart overflowing with thankfulness, prayed for permission to accompany his Saviour. This Jestis did not permit, for seeing in the subject a possible missionary in His cause. He was told to “go home to thy friends and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath compassion on thee.” Therefore, Decapolis rang for a time with praise of Jesus out of the mouth of the restored demoniac, who proclaimed to every one the merciful and mighty deed which the Lord had done for him.

White Lily of Death Blushes into Red Rose of Life.

When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a great multitude met Him with hearty welcome, for it was with grief that they had seen Him depart from them, not knowing when He would come back. Many of these anxious waiters were sufferers from distressing afflictions which they knew Christ alone could heal, while others were firm believers and friends who constantly craved His presence. But scarcely had He stepped on .shore and met the glad tidings of the joyous crowd when He was surprised by the urgent petition of a chief ruler of the synagogue, Jairus by name, who, falling at His feet, begged Him with words and tears of extreme di.stress to come at once to his house and heal his dying daughter. What a condescending from the hard and cruel plottings and the murderous jealousies of his party, who were now employing all niaiuier of means to compass the destruction of Jesus! Being one of the hierarchal rulers and church dignitaries, Jairus must have joined with his colleagues in a persecution of Him whose aid he now sought. But how the lowering brow of insolence uplifts; and the eye of anger pales, and the rigid lip of scorn turns to quivers under the stroke of affliction. And so with Jairus; ready to condemn, to persecute, to destroy at the instigation of worldly preferment, he now discovers the emptiness of power, the mockery of ambition, as death stands in his doorway demanding the sacrifice of his daughter. The hand that was uplifted to strike is now extended to implore; the heart that was filled with bitter hate, now opens and pours out its devotion; the tongue that was loosed to imprecation, now gives utterance to praise. “And when Jairus saw Jesus he fell at His feet, and worshiped Him, and besought Him greatly, saying, ‘My little daughter (for he had only one daughter, about twelve years of age) lieth at the point of death; I pray Thee come and lay Thy hands on her, that she may be healed, and she shall live.’”

To this appeal Jesus was all sympathy, and without stopping to remind Jairus of the malignant spirit that actuated His enemies, or to ask him if indeed he felt contrition, or making belief on Him a condition of His healing the child, Jesus set forth presently for the house of affliction. But as they drew near the voice of lamentation and the soft whistle of dirge-flutes broke upon the ear, giving funereal announcement. How the heart of Jairus must have sunk, and all his energies been wrung into weakness, and existence have become to him an agony, as he thought of hisf only daughter in life; her sweet laugh, dancing feet, lute-like voice, cheering caress and love-lighted eyes; and then contrasted the happy days when she bounded before him in glowing health, with the pall, the cerements, the wails that now hung over the pulseless body of his child, the crushed and decayed blossom of his pride and hope; the feet that would dance no more, the caresses that would never be repeated, and the loving eyes that were closed till they open again in the light of a fadeless morning.

Jesus saw how Jairus’s heart was bleeding, and He turned with a look of divine compassion when one came out of the house to meet the sorrowing father with the news,” Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master,” and rescued him from the overwhelming tidal- wave of grief by saying to him: “Fear not, believe only, and she shall be made whole.”

It was the custom among the Jews to begin preparations for burial immediately after death ensued, so that when Jesus appeared at the house the body may have been laid out wrapped in its cerements only awaiting Jairus’s return to proceed with the interment. All this, while loud lamentations of relations and friends broke from the house of mourning, left no chance of doubting that the child was indeed dead. Jesus paused on the threshold and forbade any one entering the room of death except Peter, James, John and the father and mother. Then entering and approaching the body. He gazed upon the pallid features for a moment as if reflecting upon the solemnity of death, after which He turned 3.nd said, “Weep not: she is not dead, but sleepeth.” Instead of accepting His words in confidence, or understanding the true meaning of His declaration, they that were present made a scornful reply. At this Jesus bade them all leave the room a moment, and being now alone with the damsel, He took her by the hand and as one having power over death as well as over disease. He commanded her to rise. As He spoke the death-angel knew His voice .and returned again with the spirit, which was given back to the maid and she arose in perfect health, hungry from the fast of sleep. When Jesus restored her to the arms of her overjoyed parents. He only charged them to tell no one of what He had done.

Sensitive to a Touch.

But while on the way to Jairus’s house another wondrous miracle was performed, which startled the multitude that followed Him with reverent amazement. While going to minister in the house of a rich or influential man, to raise up the dead and bind up a wound of immeasurable depth, He gives of His healing virtue to a poor woman, who had secretly sought His all-powerful aid.

A great crowd of excited people elbowing each other this way and that, and Christ in the midst of the commotion. They were on the way to see Him restore to complete health a dying person. Some thought He could effect the cure, others that He could not. At any rate, it would be an interesting experiment. A very sick woman of twelve years’ invalidism is in the crowd. Some say her name was Martha, others say it was Veronica. I do not know what her name was; but this is certain: she had tried all styles of cure. Every shelf of her humble home had medicines on it. She had employed many of the doctors of that time when medical science was more rude and rough and ignorant than we can imagine in this time, when the word physician or surgeon stands for potent and educated skill. Professor Lightfoot gives a list of what he supposes may have been the remedies she had applied. I suppose she had been blistered from head to foot, and had tried the compress, and had used all styles of astringent herbs, and had been mauled and hacked and cut and lacerated until life to her was a plague. Beside that, the Bible indicates her doctors’ bills had run up frightfully and she had paid money for medicines and for surgical attendance and for hygienic apparatus until her purse was as exhausted as her body.

What, poor woman, are you doing in that jostling crowd? Better go home and to bed and nurse vour disorders. No! Wan and wasted and faint she stands there, her tace distorted with suffering, and ever and anon biting her lip with

jiiSUS BI^ESSING THE RESTORKD WOMAN. — Drawu by Bida. some acute pain, and sobbing until her tears fall from the hollow eye upon the faded dress; only able to stand because the crowd is so close to her, pushing her this way and that. Stand back! Why do you crowd that poor body? Hare you no consideration for a dying woman? But just at that time the crowd parte and this invalid comes ahnost up to Christ; but she is behind Him and His human eye does not take her in. She has heard so much about His kindness to the sick, and she does feel so wretched, she thinks if she can only just touch Him once it will do her good. She will not touch Him on the sacred head, for that might be irreverent. She will not touch Him on the hand, for that might seem too familiar. She says: “I will, I think, touch Him on His coat, not on top of it or on the bottom of the main fabric, but on the border, the blue border, the long threads of the fringe of that blue border; there can be no harm in that. I don’t think He will hurt me, I have heard so much about Him. Beside that, I can stand this no longer. Twelve years of sufifering have worn me out. This is my last hope.” And she presses through the crowd still further and reaches for Christ, but cannot quite touch Him. She pushes still further through the crowd and kneels and puts her finger to the edge of the blue fringe of the border. She just touches it. Quick as an electric shock there thrilled back into her shattered nerves and shrunken veins and exhausted arteries and panting lungs and withered muscles, health, beautiful health, rubicund health — God-given and complete health. Twelve years’ march of pain and pang and suffering over suspension -bridge of nerve and through tunnel of bone instantly halted.

Christ recognizes somehow that magnetic and healthful influence through the medium of the blue fringe of His garment had shot out. He turns and looks upon that excited crowd, and startles them with the well-known interrogatory: “Who touched Me?” The insolent crowd in substance replied, “How do we know? You get in a crowd like this and you must expect to be jostled. You ask us a question you know we cannot answer.” But the roseate and rejuvenated woman came up and knelt in front of Christ, and told of the touch, and told of the restoration, and Jesus said: “Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole. Go in peace.” So Mark gives us a dramatization of the Gospel.

Optic Nerves Wakened.

The stopping of a poor woman’s hemorrhage, and restoring to life of Jairus’s daughter served to increase His fame among the people, but it increased the bitterness of His foes. Every step forward in the affections of the multitude was, to the Pharisees and rabbis, made at the expense of their popularity. Jesus was increasing while they were decreasing; to relax their persecutions or their contumacious bearing would but hasten the threatened downfall of their influence, hence their continued activity in propagating unbelief in Him, bj’ ascribing His acts to power borrowed from Satan. And over all Galilee and Tudah these tares of enmity and malicious jealousy were sown by active hands. But Christ departed not from His holy purpose either to placate enemies or gratify friends. His mercy

and His love were alike boundless, and the field of His labors all the world, recognizing no distinctions either in class or religion, in poverty or wealth, in influence or obscurity.

As He came out of the house of Jairus, the great throng pressed about Him ac before and among those who followed in the long train of afflicted persons were two blind men who ceased not to hail Him as the Messiah, and to cry to Him, ‘’Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.” Jesus saw that the faith of these two unfortunates was indeed great, and He therefore rewarded their trustfulness by touching their eyes and saying to them, “According to your faith be it unto you,” and immediately the darkness in which they had long groped was dispelled, beclouded vision became glorious sight, so that though they were warned against speaking of the mercy that had been shown them, their joy and gratitude were so great that tongue could not withhold praise-giving.

Soon after, possibly immediately after, a dumb demoniac was brought to Jesus, a poor unfortunate who was not only deprived of the power of speech, but who was also possessed of a devil, so that his mind was distracted and he was only a gibbering idiot. Such an object of human affliction appealed so strongly to the Divine healer, whose heart was the fountain from whence flowed only mercy and compassion, that He cast out the devil and gave speech to the tongue that had moved for years without expression. Thousands saw how with a word the speechless idiot had been made a sane man and heard Him utter words of generous thankfulness, and again the multitude marveled, saying, “No such things were ever done before by any one in Israel.” But the Pharisees were ready with an explanation, and they went about among the crowd declaring, with blatant avowals,” He casteth out devils through the prince of devils.” Jesus had answered this accusation more than once and confused his critics by their own admissions, but for want of a better explanation they continued still to use this one, to which Jesus did not make any further reply, as to have done so would be to repeat Himself and intensify a useless contention.

He is again Rejected at Nazareth.

The more that Jesus multiplied His noble deeds and increased His popularity with the people, the more earnest became His enemies in traducing Him, until utterances against Him were even made in the smagogue, where the rabbis vehemently declared that all His works were but instrumentalities of Satan, and His claims to Messiahship blasphemy of God. This boldness of the Pharisees however was not manifested until His appearance again in Nazareth, whither He went from Capernaum to attempt again to preach to His towns-people. He had believed that His works in the region of Gennesaret must have become known and authenticated in Nazareth, and that on His return to the place He would be accorded a hearty welcome. But the Nazarenes were no more receptive to His ♦cachings than before, for they still regarded Him as a false pretender, an unbelief which could not be overcome by deeds because He was known there in His youth and lowly condition, which to their minds made it impossible for Him to have developed Godly attributes, and they therefore refused to receive Him. Jesus marveled at their unbelief, but rather than enter into controversy with His own towns-people, after laying hands on and healing several of the sick who were brought to Him, He departed into another part of Galilee, where the people accepted Him with great enthusiasm, for in the country districts the influence of hostile rabbis was not felt so seriously.

As He made His third circuit of Galilee, crowds followed Him in greater number than before, and with such reverence and persistence that He found it necessary to make provision for better ministering unto them.

His Twelve Disciples sent forth by Twos.

The year or more which had now been spent by the disciples in attendant duties as the followers of Jesus was a period of preparation, during which they had been taught by illustration, by example, and by explanation, the requirements of true apostleship in the serldce of bringing souls to repentance and for the firm establishing of Christ’s church and kingdom. They had been schooled also in adversity, and had learned to estimate the unyielding enmity, hostility and influence of the rabbis, Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes and priests, who strove mightily to bring them into disrepute. Jesus therefore felt that their mental equipment was now complete for entering upon evangelistic labors among the people. He accordingly called them together and first conferring upon them power, which He had up to this time alone exercised — authority to cast out devils, and an enablement to heal the sick, and a control over all manner of sickness — He sent them forth by twos to preach the kingdom of God and to do works of mercy among the afflicted. He recognized the temperaments that were best fitted to work in unison, and appointed them in this wise: Simon Peter and Andrew, his brother, were sent out together; then James and John, also brothers; Philip and Bartholomew (Nathanael); Thomas (Didymus) and Matthew; James the son of Alpheus, and Judas his brother, who was also called Lebbeus Thaddeus; Simon Zelotes and Judas Iscariot. In making this selection and appointing them by twos, who should conduct their mission jointly Jesus had special regard for temperament to the end that they might work in sympathy. It would not do to thus associate two who were timorous and weak-spirited; or two who were querulous; or two who were super-sensitive; or two who were tempestuous. For even though all were men of great faith and strong convictions, and earnest in their avowals, yet there were some more faithful than others; some that were more temperate an’d forbearing than others. Jesus therefore associated His apostles with special regard for their personal attachments and their counteracting dispositions, so that in their labors they would be balanced, or starting on converging lines they would be drawn to a common point in results.

But before sending them out He had a few parting instructions to give. As they were Jews, they must at first confine their labors to Galilee, rather than attempt to carry the gospel into Samaria or among the Gentiles. The seed which He had sown was now ripening, and the disciples must become the harvesters; the sheep were everywhere in Galilee, but they were scattered and among wolves and needed shepherds to bring them into the fold. But while laboring they must also watch, for enemies were everywhere about who would seek their ruin, “Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” That they might not be influenced by bribes, or promises of earthly reward, and become covetous, Jesus told them to provide nothing for their comfort or protection, nor to receive any gifts, but depend upon the charity of those among whom they preached. If any town rejected them they should shake the very dust of the ground off their feet as a sign of the supreme sinfulness of its people. If arrested or maltreated they were not to answer for themselves, but trust to God, who would reply for them; but they must flee from the persecutions offered them in one city and go directly into another, regarding such hardships as great favors, for their reward at last should be in proportion to the evil suffered for His sake. Fear not what the -enemies might do, for the soul is beyond their power to harm. As God protects even the ^rarrow, so much more will He graciously regard those who confess Him before men. Even dissension that divides a household, if it proceed from one believing and another rejecting, must not be permitted to repress zeal for spreading the gospel, for” He that loveth father or mother more than Me, is not worthy of Me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me, is not worthy of Me.” They that received the disciples were to be rewarded the same as if they had received the Master;” and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man, shall receive a righteous man’s reward.”

Having thus given His last instructions, the disciples took their leave and went in twos through the cities and towns preaching repentance, while Jesus resumed His ministrations among the people.

A Rocking Throne.

By this time the fame of Jesus had spread so far and His wondrous works and teachings were exerting such an influence upon the Galileans, that Herod became deeply concerned, and desired much to see Him. Many persons had believed that John was the reincarnated Elijah, and Herod now began to believe that this common report must be true. He had beheaded John; but if Elijah appeared from the dead, might it not be that he had risen from the executioner’s axe not only to declare a new gospel, but to establish a new kingdom and to punish the of fences of the nation? But Herod knew how superstitious were the people, and must have presently dismissed his forebodings but he determined to at least set a watch upon Jesus, and would have accepted small pretext to order His arrest.

Jesus, how
ever, was kept
apprised of the
fresh enmity of
Herod by His
friend Chuza,
Herod’s steward, and to avoid
apprehension
He met His disciples again,
probably at Capernaum, and
with them
crossed over into
the tetrarchy of
Philip, seeking
seclusion on the
north shore of
I^ake Gennesaret. But thougfh

THE TYPICAL EASXKRN SHKl’HERD, FROM WHOM THE SAVIOUR DREW
SO MANY BEAUTIFUIv SIMILES.

anxious for rest and privacy, where He could hear the report of His disciples, so closely was He followed by great crowds that His cinbarkment in a boat foi

Bethsaida, or Batiha, was quickly noted. Many must have learned of His destination, for immediately every available boat was launched and filled with people determined to follow after, while those who could not go by water went along the shore on foot, or on horse, or donkey, or camel, the banks being covered with a moving army of believers, of curious, of sick, of distressed; in disordered files, in broken ranks, in confused columns; men, women and children; old age keeping step with young paces, the diseased carried on pallets by strong arms, the weak and failing helped along by assisting hands, every one encouraged by the hope of soon meeting again with the Holy Teacher, the Omnipotent Healer.

The Miraculous Biscuit.

At last the prow of Jesus’ boat touches shore, the sail is furled, the oars unshipped, and the line run out for anchorage. Weary, pale, overworked, the Master sees how He is being followed by crowds in boats, but He hardly reckons what a multitude is trudging along the shore in pursuit. He must have a few hours of privacy; not only His half-exhausted nature demands it, but affairs of His church require that He should hold counsel with His disciples. So leaving the seaside He takes His apostles up into a mountain and holds audience with them. The Feast of the Passover was near at hand, and this celebration must have been talked of among them, and whether it were best to go down to Jerusalem and brave the dangers of such a visit, or to celebrate the feast there in the mountain, that they might not withdraw from the field where the harvest was so great and the laborers were so few.

After some hours of counsel with His disciples, Jesus came down from the mountain, and was confronted by a crowd of ten thousand persons who had sat about the shore of the lake impatient for His return, but whose reverent respect had prevented them from going up to His retreat to intrude upon His privacy. “And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion towards them, because they were as sheep having no shepherd; and He received them, and began to teach them many things, and spake unto them of the Kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing.”

Jesus continued His loving ministration to the multitude until the day was so far spent that little time remained before night-fall, but yet He took no care of the passing hours, so bound up was He in His gracious labors. At length the disciples ventured to remind Him that they were in a desert place, and that if He did not send the crowd away, night would overtake them without food to feed any of the hungry ones. So anxious had the multitude been to reach Jesus that none of the people had thought to carry any provisions with them, and this army of improvidents was now in a state of half-famishment. There must have been ten thousand to feed, for Matthew says there were five thousand men, besides women and children.

How shall this great multitude be supplied? I see a selfish man in that crowd pulling a luncheon out of his own pocket, and saying:” L,et the people starve. They had no business to come out here in the desert without any provisions. They are improvident, and the improvident ought to sufifer.” There is another man, not quite so heartless, who says: “Go up into the village and buy bread.” What a foolish proposition. There is not enough in all the village for this crowd; besides, who has the money to pay for it? Xerxes’ army, one million strong, was fed by a private individual of great wealth for only one day, but it broke him. Who then shall feed this multitude?

I see a man rising in that great crowd and asking: “Is there anyone here who has bread or meat?” A kind of moan goes through the whole throng. “No bread — no meat.” But just at that time a lad steps up. You know when a great crowd goes off upon an excursion, there are always men and boys to go along for the purpose of merchandise and to strike a bargain; and so I suppose this boy had gone along for the purpose of merchandise; but he was nearly sold out, having only five loaves and two fishes left. The loaves were only biscuits, about the size of your fist. He is a generous boy and turns them over to Christ.

But these loaves would not feed twenty people, how much less ten thousand. Though the action was generous on the part of the boy, so far as satisfying the multitude it was a dead failure. When Jesus comes to the rescue. He is apt to come when there is a dead lift. He commands the people that they sit down “in ranks, by hundreds and by fifties,” as much as to say: “Order! order! so that none be missed.” It was fortunate that that arrangement was made; otherwise, at the very first appearance of bread, the strong ones would have clutched it, while the feeble and the modest would have gone unsupplied.. I suppose it was no easy work to get the crowd seated, for they all wanted to be in the front row, lest the bread give out before their turn should come. No* sooner are they seated than there comes a great hush over all the people. Jesus stands there. His light complexion and auburn locks illumined by the setting sun. Every eye is on Him. They wonder what He will do next. He takes one of the loaves that the boy furnished and breaks off a piece, which immediately grows to as large a size as the original loaf, the original loaf staying as large as it was before the piece was broken off. And they leaned forward with intense scrutiny, saying:” I^ook! look!” When some one, anxiotis to see more minutely what was going on, rises in front, they cry: “Sit down in front! Let us look for ourselves!”

And when the bread is passed around, they taste of it skeptically and inquiringly, as much as to say: “Is it bread? Really, is it bread?” Yes, the best that was ever made, for Christ made it. Bread for the first fifty and the second fifty. Bread for the first hundred and for the second hundred. Bread for the first thousand and for the second thousand. Pass it all around the circle: there, where that old man sits leaning on his staff, and where that woman sits with the child in her arms. Pass it all around. Are you all fed? “Ay! ay!” One basket would have held the loaves before the miracle; it takes twelve now! No wonder that the people were amazed, and that they said: “This is of a truth that Prophet that should come into the world.”

Pavements of Crystal.

After miraculously feeding the multitude, Jesus was in such favor with the people that they conceived the idea of taking Him by force to make Him king, knowing that His aversion to worldly honors would cause Him to decline with displeasure any proposal to raise Him to such earthly dignity To escape the crowd, therefore, He sent His disciples back to Capernaum in a boat, while He retired alone into a mountain to pray. The disciples had lingered about Bethsaida, thinking that Jesus would return to them before night-fall, but as the shades of evening deepened they gave over this hope and started for Capernaum, leaving their Lord alone to His communings in the mountain fastnesses. The disciples pulled away from the shore in confidence, for they were nearly all practiced boatmen, but directly upon starting, a furious storm arose, such as sweep down upon Gennesaret with the fury of a demon and the suddenness of an attack out of ambush. Away went the sail, if the boat had one, and the wind-lashed waters rose up until they showed their whitened crests like gravestones, and their darkened swirls like sepulchres. The oars became almost useless, for strain and pull and dip, were counteracted by lash and beat of billow. So wild was the storm, so tempestuous the waves, that though Capernaum was scarce four miles from Bethsaida, after nearly eight hours of toilsome and energetic rowing the Apostles were still two miles from their destination. Through the gloom of night, perhaps by lightning torch, or divine radiance, the exhausted disciples descry an object moving over the tossing waves; first like a misty vision, then like a shadowy form, until it approached nearer, and they perceive that it is a human form walking on the maddened waters, with step as firm, with gait as steady, with concern as indifferent, as though moving along a pathway through ripening fields.

In the mind of anyone such a vision would inspire alarm, and even though the Apostles had seen many remarkable things transcending natural laws, they were now afraid. But their tremblings and disquiet were quickly stilled by a cheerful voice ringing like a benediction above the dash of waves, “Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.” Thus did Jesus reveal Himself to His tired and terror-stricken Apostles, and they hailed Him now not only as their Master, but as a deliverer who could bind the winds and fold up the beating waves’ and give them safe and speedy passage to Capernaum. In loving enthusiasm Peter cried out to Jesus, “lyord, if it be Thou, bid me come unto Thee on the water,” and He said,” Come. ’ * Peter leaped out of the boat onto the solid wave that bore him up, and started towards Christ, but beside him rolled up the angry waters in such mad threatenings that Peter’s faith began to fade, and as it diminished his feet sank lower and lower at each step, until in despair he cried, “Lord, save me.” The appeal was not in vain, for Christ gave him His hand and lifting Him up, said, by way of rebuke for his lack of confidence, “O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased, and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure and wonder.

When Xerxes resolved upon invading Greece he bridged the Dardanelles with boats to afford passage for his army of nearly two million men; but a storm destroyed the pontoons, which so enraged him that he ordered fetters to be thrown into the sea in his senseless effort to bind it, and then commanded three hundred men to lash the tempestuous waters with chains by way of punishment. But the waves gave no heed to his passion, nor did his impotent rage curb their wild and destructive dashings. Canute was powerful enough to hold Denmark and to conquer England, but when he sat by the seaside and commanded the incoming tide to approach no closer to his chair, the rolling waves poured their flood upon the sands with recurring encroachment and would have seized him, powerful king that he was, with their deadly arms, and carried him into the sepulchre of the deep, had he not retreated before their resistless advance. But Jesus, clothed in humility and insensible to the flattery of man, with no earthly possessions, a companion of poverty, and whose friendships were among the afflicted, the poor, the accused and the rejected, was yet mightier than all earthly kings, for the sea and the winds were His slaves.