MR. ALCOTT. Have any of you guile, that is, cunning, pretension, prejudice, deceptive habits? (Several held up hands.) Have any of you guile in yourselves, pretence, deception? EMMA. Very likely I have guile, but I do not know it if I have. MR. ALCOTT. Who have guile in themselves? (All rose but Emma.) What does beguiled mean? Deceived. Led away. SEVERAL. MR. ALCOTT. What "greater things" did Spiritual CHARLES. Jesus mean that Nathanael should see? Miracles. FRANKLIN. Such as raising the dead, &c. FRANKLIN. God's power and Jesus' faith. MR. ALCOTT. If any one had his faith, could he have God's power also? FRANKLIN. Yes; but nobody has. MR. ALCOTT. What was the greatest thing which Jesus did? EDWARD J. and OTHERS. Raising Lazarus. EMMA. I cannot tell what was greatest. CHARLES and JOHN B. The Crucifixion; because it had so much self-sacrifice. AUGUSTINE. The Transfiguration, for that showed he could make their thoughts open, so they could see heaven. LEMUEL. The Crucifixion, because he bore it so. FRANKLIN. And was so patient with the insults. EMMA. And he had such patience with his disciples, who went to sleep that night when he asked them to pray for him. MR. ALCOTT. Those who think that these virtues are greater, more wonderful, require a higher power, than raising the dead, may rise. Intuition of Spirit. (All rose.) CHARLES. What does it mean by the angels of God "ascending and descending upon the Son of man"? The inward Spirit opens, and good thoughts go out and come in to the Soul. MR. ALCOTT. Do the rest think Charles is right? WELLES. I think he meant something besides. (All the rest agreed with Charles.) Corporeal MR. ALCOTT. Why is Jesus called "the AUGUSTINE. Because God is the only real Man; common men are not perfect men. CHARLES. He was called "Son of man" because he was the child of earthly parents. LEMUEL. Because his body was the Son of man; but his spirit was the Son of God. WELLES. I don't know why he should be called the Son of man more than any body else. وو MR. ALCOTT. The "Son of man may mean his Humanity, and the "Son of God" his Divinity. He was surely the Son of man; and some deem him so perfect that they make him God, as Augustine has said, CONVERSATION XXIV. SPIRITUAL REFINEMENT. CHASTITY. Human Su Marriage Festival at Cana, from the Sacred Text. Affability.premacy. - Views of Phenomena. - Idea and Emblem of Purity.- Views of Phenomena. - Intermission. — Origin and Cause of Miracles in Spirit.— Types of Miraculous Agency. - Apprehension of Phenomena. - Type of Marriage and Chastity. Recorder's Remark. Review. 1 MR. ALCOTT. Where did we leave Jesus? SEVERAL. In Galilee, with John, and An drew, and Peter. MR. ALCOTT. Do you remember the last words? GEORGE K. "Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man." FREDERIC. And we said, that meant good thoughts entering in and proceeding from the Spirit of man. Mr. Alcott then read the MARRIAGE FESTIVAL, AT CANA, IN GALILEE. Before the Vulgar Era, 27. Julian Period, 4740. Cana, in Galilee. Affability. JOHN ii. 1- 12. 1 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. 3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. 4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. 5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. Before the 6 And there were set there six water-pots of stone,* after Vulgar Era, 27. the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or Julian Period, 4740. three firkins apiece. Cana in Galilee. *Mark vii. 3. † Ch. 1. Capernaum. 7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the water-pots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the Governor of the feast. And they bare it. 9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew ;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, 10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. 11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples be lieved on him. 12 After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days. and asked the usual question. Human JOSIAH. The changing of the water into wine interested me most. If we had faith, and were as good as Jesus, we could change water into wine. MR. ALCOTT. Do all think so? Views of Phenomena. NATHAN. I liked the water changing into He had more spirit than we have, but I don't see how he did it. EDWARD J. I liked his mother telling him there was no wine. I MARTHA. I was most interested in his answer. thought it meant that his time to do the miracle would come. I was rather surprised that his mother told him they had no wine. It seemed as if she believed he could make some, and yet he had worked no miracles before. GEORGE K. I thought, when he said, "My hour is not yet come," that he meant his hour to die was not yet come, so he would do this miracle. ANDREW. I cannot express my thoughts about his turning water into wine. JOHN B. And I cannot express my thought about his saying, “Woman, what have I to do with thee?" and yet I think I know what it means. MR. ALCOTT. Do you often have thoughts which you cannot express? JOHN and ANDREW. AUGUSTINE. Yes. I had some thoughts I could not express about the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man. FRANKLIN. I thought in this place, that Mary had faith that Jesus would do the miracle, and his answer meant that he would, bye and bye. It is plain she expected it, from what she said to the servants. FREDERIC. I think as George said. (He repeated it.) LEMUEL. I thought "mine hour is not yet come," meant the hour to do the miracle. GEORGE B. I saw the stone watering pots in the court. ALEXANDER. I do not think we could turn water into wine, even if we were as good as Jesus. SAMUEL R. I think his answer meant, that there was no need of making the wine quite yet. MR. ALCOTT. Was it such wine as we have in our decanters? SAMUEL R. No; it tasted like wine, but it was like water. It would not intoxicate. GEORGE K. I think it was a mysterious medicinal wine. LEMUEL. I think they were made to think it was wine. |