Jesus, rejected with insult and outrage by the people of Nazareth, repaired to Capernaum, on the shores of the lake. This body of water, so renowned in the life of Jesus, is the only sea referred to in the gospel history. It is alike called the “Sea of Galilee,” the “Sea of Tiberias,” and “Lake Gennesaret.” In Capernaum he took up his residence for a time, “preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God;” that is, preaching the glad tidings of full and free remission of sins through faith in him as the Messiah, and his coming kingdom. “The time,” said he, predicted by the prophets, “is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent ye, and believe the gospel.”[4] Walking one day on the shores of the lake, he met Simon Peter and his brother Andrew, engaged in their occupation as fishermen. It will be remembered that they had met Jesus before, at the time of his baptism by John, and had become convinced that he was the Messiah. On some of his journeyings they had accompanied him. But they had not, as yet, permanently attached themselves to his person. He said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Their unwavering faith in him is manifest from the fact, that leaving their boat and their net, and their earthly all, in their humble garb of fishermen they followed him. Continuing the walk along the water’s edge, they met two other young fishermen, also brothers, James and John. They were sitting upon the shore with their father Zebedee, mending their net. Jesus called them also to follow him; which they promptly did, leaving their father behind them. Jesus had selected them to be preachers of his gospel; and they were to be with him, that, listening to his addresses, they might learn the doctrines which they were to preach. Accompanied by these four disciples, Jesus returned into the city of Capernaum; and probably the next day, it being the sabbath, he entered the synagogue, and addressed the people. We have no record of his address. Mark simply informs us that he “taught; and they were astonished at his doctrine; for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.”[5] Luke says, “His word was with power.”[6] Among the crowd assembled there was a man possessed of a devil. He startled the whole assembly by shouting out, “Let us alone! What have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou come to destroy us? I know thee whom thou art, the Holy One of God.” “Accepting, with whatever mystery the whole subject of demoniac possession is clothed, the simple account of the evangelists, it does appear most wonderful,――the quick intelligence, the wild alarm, the terror-stricken faith, that then pervaded the demon world, as if all the spirits of hell who had been suffered to make human bodies their habitation grew pale at the very presence of Jesus, and could not but cry out in the extremity of their despair.”[7]