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CONVERSATION XXXVI.

SUPREMACY OF SPIRITUAL FORCE.

AWE.

Reading in the Synagogue at Nazareth, from the Sacred Text. Awe.Moral Fearlessness. Forbearance. - Self-Reproof. Awe of Innocence. -Natural in the Supernatural. - Preaching.- Prejudice and Partiality.-Moral Influence.

MR. ALCOTT.

Jesus was at Cana the last time we read of him, and received a visit from a nobleman of Capernaum. To-day we find him at Nazareth.

Mr. Alcott read the

FIRST PREACHING OF JESUS AT NAZARETH.

Vulgar Era, 27. Inspiration.

Julian Period,

4740.

Nazareth.

LUKE iv. 16-30.

16 And he came to * Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the

* Matt. xiii. 54. prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he

found the place where it was written,

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The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

Because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel

to the poor;

He hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted,

To preach deliverance to the captives,

And recovering of sight to the blind,

To set at liberty them that are bruised,

To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Vulgar Era, 27.

20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the Julian Period, minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.

4740.

Nazareth.

Matt. xiii. 57.

† 1 Kings xvii. 9.

2 Kings v. 14.

21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears.

22 And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they

said, Is not this Joseph's son ?

23 And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.

24 And he said, Verily I say unto you, No * prophet is accepted in his own country.

25 But I tell you of a truth, † many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;

26 But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. 27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.

28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,

29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.

30 But he passing through the midst of them went his way.

Awe.

EMMA. I think there was something miraculous in the escape of Jesus.

ELLEN. He would not have escaped, if he had deserved to be cast down.

MR. ALCOTT. What preserved him?

ELLEN. The spirit that was in him; they were awed by his looks.

JOHN B. God was in him.

AUGUSTINE. He did not escape because he deserved to. He deserved not to be crucified.

ELLEN. He escaped then, because it could not have done good to others to have him killed then ; as it did when he was crucified.

Moral Fearlessness.

Indignation.

MR. ALCOTT. What was that in him which produced the awe, of which Ellen spoke? SEVERAL, (at once.) Conscience. Truth.

CHARLES. The Supernatural.

FRANKLIN. I think it was because they saw him go along without the least fear. This surprised them so, that they were motionless, until he was gone; and I think they were all left standing in amazement.

ANDREW. As he did not seem afraid of them, they thought it would be of no use to throw him down the hill. They feared he would do something to them.

SAMUEL R. His not being afraid made them afraid. CHARLES. It seemed to me that they carried him to the very verge, before he looked at them. Then, I thought, he turned and looked, and they were so struck, that they stood motionless, with their hands up all ready to strike.

GEORGE K. I think their hands fell when Jesus turned upon them.

MR. ALCOTT. Did you ever have any person look at you, as if they saw every thing in you?

(Several held up hands.)

Forbearance.

MR. ALCOTT. What if you should try this method of looking, when you are struck or injured by boys in the street?

CHARLES. Suppose a look does not do?

MR. ALCOTT. It will be time then to try some other means. Try this first.

Self-Reproof.

MR. ALCOTT. Can you tell when you have seen a similar effect produced?

CHARLES. Yes; I have seen it among boys. When some boys were once abusing a little boy, they stopped short as I saw them; there seemed no reason but his looking at them. And once I was going to drown a puppy, and he looked up at me so that I could not.

EMMA.

Once you looked at me when I was whispering, and I could not look at you.

JOHN B. I have felt that when I was playing in school, very often.

SAMUEL R. I once wanted a dog to do something, he did not want to; and I was going to beat him, and he looked at me so that I could not.

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MR. ALCOTT There is a creature very feeblewho lives in your house, but in whose feebleness there

is a power

Awe of Innocence.

HERBERT.

SEVERAL. Little Babies.

MR. ALCOTT. Have any of you ever been awed by a Child's face?

I have.

LUCY. So have I. I have tried to take a baby, and it did not want to be taken, and I did not want to, then.

MR. ALCOTT. Did any of you ever take a little baby, and swing and toss it round, without observing how it looked, or feeling any awe? How many take away things from children, without caring how they feel or look?

SAMUEL R. Yes; sometimes I have wanted to take away something from my little sister, and could not, because she looked so innocent.

MR. ALCOTT. How many think there is something Supernatural in a Babe?

(Several held up hands.)

How many of you think there was a good Natural in the deal of this look in Jesus, that helped him

Supernatural.

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ELLEN. I do not think it was a miracle. It was natural that he should look so, and that they should feel it.

MR. ALCOTT.

Is a miracle unnatural?

ELLEN. It has not a natural cause.

MR. ALCOTT. Could there be any thing natural without the Supernatural? Supernatural means above nature; and does not the power above nature show itself in nature, and cause those acts which you call miraculous?

(No answer.)

Preaching.

JOHN B. I liked the passage that Jesus read. 66 Preaching the gospel to the poor" means, that he would teach them how to get their living. "Healing the broken-hearted " means, to comfort them when their brothers and sisters die. I don't understand about "preaching deliverance." "Recovering sight to the blind" means, curing spiritual blindness, and curing outward eyes too; so that the outward eyes may see the emblems of spiritual things. I don't understand the

rest.

GEORGE K. I think "the Spirit of the Lord" is God. "The poor" means poor in money, and the preaching is to make them good and go to meeting. To "preach deliverance to captives" is, to preach in prisons, that if they would repent God would not punish them. To recover sight to the blind " is, to clear out the Spirit's eye as well as the Body's. To "bind up the bruised" is to heal them.

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MARTHA, I think to "preach to the poor" is, to preach to the poor in spirit, to those who have not goodness in their spirit; and to "heal the brokenhearted" is, to comfort the sorrowing for friends.

MR. ALCOTT. What else causes sorrow but loss of friends?

FRANKLIN. The wickedness of our friends.

CHARLES. Those would be comforted by explaining the uses of the punishments.

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