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The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Vol 1 - Predestination

The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Vol 1 - Predestination

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<strong>of</strong> such spring-time as only <strong>the</strong> East, <strong>and</strong> chiefly<br />

<strong>the</strong> Galilean Lake, knows—not <strong>of</strong> mingled<br />

sunshine <strong>and</strong> showers, <strong>of</strong> warmth <strong>and</strong> storm,<br />

clouds <strong>and</strong> brightness, when life seems to return<br />

slowly <strong>and</strong> feebly to <strong>the</strong> palsied limbs <strong>of</strong> our<br />

nor<strong>the</strong>rn climes, but when at <strong>the</strong> warm touch it<br />

bounds <strong>and</strong> throbs with <strong>the</strong> vigour <strong>of</strong> youth. <strong>The</strong><br />

imagery <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ' Sermon on <strong>the</strong> Mount' indicates<br />

that winter's rain <strong>and</strong> storms were just past.*<br />

Under that sky Nature seems to meet <strong>the</strong> coming <strong>of</strong><br />

spring by arraying herself in a garb more glorious<br />

than Solomon's royal pomp. Almost suddenly <strong>the</strong><br />

blood-red anemones, <strong>the</strong> gay tulips, <strong>the</strong> spotless<br />

narcissus, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> golden ranunculus' deck with<br />

wondrous richness <strong>the</strong> grass <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> fields—alas! so<br />

soon to wi<strong>the</strong>r **— while all trees put forth <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

firagrant promise <strong>of</strong> fruit.** As <strong>the</strong> imagery<br />

employed in <strong>the</strong> Sermon on <strong>the</strong> Mount confirmed<br />

<strong>the</strong> inference, o<strong>the</strong>rwise derived, that it was<br />

spoken during <strong>the</strong> brief period after <strong>the</strong> winter<br />

rains, when <strong>the</strong> * lilies' decked <strong>the</strong> fresh grass, so<br />

<strong>the</strong> scene depicted in <strong>the</strong> Parables spoken by <strong>the</strong><br />

Lake <strong>of</strong> Galilee indicates a more advanced season,

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