When Jesus was come down from the mount, He found the disciples, who had not accompanied Him, surrounded by a great crowd, and the Scribes questioning, or disputing with them. A man, whose only child was possessed of an evil spirit, had brought him to the disciples, begging them to cast out the devil; "but they could not." This failure of the Apostles gave the Scribes an opportunity of trying to persuade the people, that the power of Jesus was not so great as His disciples taught; and most likely what they said made the poor father doubt the power of Jesus, in whose name he had expected the Apostles to heal his son. When Jesus heard all that had passed, He lamented the perverse want of faith, which prevented men from believing in Him. Then He said to the man, "Bring thy son hither." Even whilst He was coming, the Devil gave a proof of his power over this poor child; and still more to convince all who stood round, that the boy really was possessed by a devil, and could not be cured by any human means, Jesus asked his father some questions on the subject: He then told the poor man, that if he could really and truly believe, there was nothing too difficult for God to do. The father did believe; but fearing that his faith was weak, and that he had sinned in allowing the Scribes to raise a doubt in his mind, he "cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief!" This was enough, and "the child was cured from that very hour." Chapter XX.--JESUS GOES TO THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES. When the disciples were alone with their Master, after the miracle of casting the devil out of the child, they naturally asked, Why, as He had given them authority to cast out evil spirits, they had not in this case been able to do so? Jesus told them plainly, that it was because their faith was weak; for that no miracle would be too hard for them if they had a lively and increasing faith, or "faith as a grain of mustard seed." This was an expression in common use amongst the Jews, to signify something very _very_ small, because the mustard seed was the least of all seeds. But when sown in the ground, the plant grows from it quickly, and spreads in every direction, so as to become quite a large plant: and thus it was very properly compared to faith, which should always be increasing and growing stronger. Jesus ended by reminding His disciples that, though He had given them permission to work miracles, they would not have power to do so, unless they prayed earnestly for it, and tried to lead holy lives.