Lives of the apostles of Jesus ChristBacon, David Francis
Religion
Lives of the apostles of Jesus Christ
Bacon, David Francis
Apostles
employments, and immediately performed with them there, and, as is
evident, mainly for their benefit, a most remarkable miracle; and when
they had been thus impressed with his power and wisdom, summoned them
to his aid in converting the world; sagely and truly judging, that
those who had been faithful in few things, would be the best rulers
over many things,――that they who had steadily and faithfully worked at
their proper business, had the best talent and disposition for laboring
in a cause which needed so much patient industry and steady application
in its devotees. These were the men whom he hoped to make by his
instructions, the successful founders of the Christian faith; and these
were the very men whom, out of thousands who longed for the honors
of his notice, he now chose as the objects of his special instruction
and commission, and called them apart to view the display of the most
wonderful mystery of his life.
Among these three favored ones, we see Peter included, and his name, as
usual, _first_ of all. By this it appears, that, however great his late
unfortunate misapprehension of the character and office of Christ, and
however he may have deserved the harsh rebuff with which his forward
but well meant remonstrance was met; still he was so far from having
lost his Master’s favor on this account, that he yet held the highest
place in the favor of Jesus, who had been moved by the exposure of
his favorite’s ignorance, only to new efforts to give him a just and
clear view of the important truths in which he was most deficient; for
after all, there was nothing _very_ surprising in Peter’s mistake. In
pursuance of this design, he took these three, Peter, James and John,
with him, up into the high mountain peaks of Hermon, from which their
eyes might glance far south over the land of Israel――the land of
their fathers for ages on ages, stretching away before them for a vast
distance, and fancy could easily extend the view. In this land, so holy
in the recollections of the past, so sad to the contemplation of the
present, were to begin their mighty labors. Here, too, bright and early,
one of the three was to end his; while his brother and friend were to
spread their common Master’s dominion over thousands and millions who
had never yet heard of that land, or its ancient faith. Jesus Christ
always sought the lonely tops of mountains, with a peculiar zest, in
his seasons of retirement, as well as for the most impressive displays
of his eloquence, or his miraculous power. The obvious reasons were the
advantages of perfect solitude and security against sudden intrusion;
――the free, pure air of the near heaven, and the broad light of the
immense prospect, were powerful means of lifting the soul to a state of
moral sublimity, equal to the impressions of physical grandeur, made by
the objects around. Their most holy historical associations, moreover,
were connected with the tops of high mountains, removed from which, the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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