Philochristus: Memoirs of a Disciple of the LordAbbott, Edwin Abbott
Religion
Philochristus: Memoirs of a Disciple of the Lord
Abbott, Edwin Abbott
Christian fiction; Jesus Christ -- Fiction
Only concerning the sign in heaven, thus much was revealed unto me, that I
myself was not drawn unto Jesus by his signs and wonders, but by reason of
my love for him and trust in him; and the same was true also of the other
disciples. Moreover Jesus desired that men should be drawn unto him in
this way, by love and trust, and by feeling that he was needful to them,
and not by being astonished at signs and wonders. Further I questioned
myself and said, “If Jesus had caused the sun to stop still, would Abuyah
the son of Elishah, and Eliezer the son of Arak, and the chief ruler of
the synagogue straightway have loved Jesus and trusted in him, as Jesus
desireth his disciples to love and trust in him?” Now I knew that they
might have obeyed him and followed him, but they could not have loved him.
For Jesus was light: but they loved darkness. Wherefore Jesus could not
redeem them nor deliver them, even though he had worked a sign in heaven.
For he could not deliver them which loved him not; no, not though he had
worked ten thousand signs in heaven.
CHAPTER XX
As soon as day dawned on the morrow, we left the village where we had lain
that night, and journeyed northward; and Jesus set his face once more
toward Mount Hermon. We were all very silent, more than was our custom;
for we were downcast and dejected by reason of our often fleeing from
before the face of our enemies, and because of the delay of the day of
Redemption. And though we still loved Jesus and trusted him after a
manner, yet we knew not what to think concerning the things that he had
done of late. As we journeyed, Jesus spake much concerning faith, and how,
without faith, no one could truly believe in him. From time to time he
looked at us, as we went by his side; and he seemed as if he were
measuring our thoughts by our faces, and reckoning up the sum of our
strength: and now he seemed desirous to speak, and now to delay speaking;
watching over us as if some great burden were at hand, and as though he
feared lest the burden should be more than we could bear.
But as concerning faith he said some things hard to understand; to wit,
that if a man had not faith, there should be taken from him even that
which he seemed to have; and yet, at the same time, he said that no man
could have faith in him nor come to him unless he were drawn by the
Father. Moreover he said that whoso had faith as a grain of mustard‐seed,
should be able to overthrow trees or mountains. Likewise he added that, if
two or three would agree together touching anything that they would ask of
the Father in heaven, it should be done for them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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