Читать книгу Ancient Apostles - David O. McKay - Страница 17

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Sunday Morning.

Before daylight came, however, Jesus arose quietly, and walked out into the morning air, sought a quiet, "solitary" place, and there prayed.

"His pure thoughts were borne

Like fumes of sacred incense o'er the clouds,

And wafted them on angels' wings, to ways

Of light, to the bright source of all."

Peter must have been surprised when upon going to greet Jesus with a bright "Good-morning," he found the guest-chamber empty. Perhaps he guessed where Jesus had gone; for we are told that, "Simon and they that were with him followed after Him. And when they had found Him, they said unto Him,

"All men seek Thee!"

What a glorious condition will be in this old world when it can be truthfully said to Christ,

"All men seek Thee!"

"All Men Seek Thee."

Selfishness, envy, hatred, lying, stealing, cheating, disobedience to parents, cruelty to children and to dumb animals, quarreling among neighbors, and fighting among nations—all will be no more when it can be truthfully said to the Redeemer of mankind,

"All men seek Thee!"

Around Galilee.

It seems that Jesus and His friends left Capernaum that day, and "Preached in synagogues throughout all Gililee, and cast out devils." Wherever they went the sick were healed, and the lepers were cleansed. Some days afterwards, they returned to Capernaum. No sooner did the people learn that Jesus was in "the house" (undoubtedly Peter's house) than "Straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and He preached the word unto them."

A Man Sick of Palsy.

It was on this occasion that four men brought a man sick of palsy. The poor man lay on his bed, each corner of which was held by one of the four men. Finding it impossible because of the crowd to gain entrance to the house by the door, they went on the roof. Here they made an opening into the room below, "And let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay."

"When Jesus saw their faith, He said unto the sick of palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.

"And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying: We never saw it on this fashion." All these glorious manifestations of divine power, and, undoubtedly, many, many more, Jesus had given even before He chose His Twelve Apostles.

Peter's Faith Strengthened.

Peter, as you see, was a witness of them all. If he had had any doubts a few months previous, when his brother Andrew said, "We have found the Messiah," surely they had long since been banished from his mind; and we can readily understand why, when Jesus said, "Henceforth thou shalt catch men," Peter "forsook all and followed Him."

But even yet, notwithstanding all his experiences, Simon's faith is not the Rock that Jesus would have it become.