CAUSED BY GREAT WICKEDNESS. 139 only reason why Demoniacal possession was permitted. Still this very case adds to our perplexity as to the reasons why the Almighty permitted evil spirits to "possess" men. If not really a child, the son of the distressed father who besought Christ so pitifully to heal him, must have been young, and, we are naturally disposed to conclude, not far gone in the paths of sin. Yet the suffering inflicted on this young man was very great! And, moreover, the hold which the evil spirit had upon the sufferer was such, that it could not easily be loosened for Jesus utters the strange and solemn words to the disciples, "This kind goeth not out, but by prayer and fasting." As Jesus did not come into the world to correct men's scientific errors, and explain to them the true form of the solar system, or to teach the doctrine of gravitation, or the facts of magnetism and chemistry and geology-so neither did He come to reveal to men during their abode in this mortal state, why the Divine Maker permits unseen spirits of evil to have " possession" of men, or how the nature of evil spirits enables them to 140 CHANGE OF CONVICTIONS. take and keep such "possession." "Possession" is one of the million-million facts we shall never understand in this world; but that forms no reason why we should disbelieve in the possibility of it. A man may think himself entitled to ask no end of quizzical questions about Demoniacal possession, at one time of his life; but he may live to think a little deeper, and find that all his old. questioning was but shallow trifling. MARRIAGE FEAST, AT CANA. 141 XIII. REVIEW OF THE RECORD OF CHRIST'S MIRACLES: HIS DISPLAYS OF POWER OVER INANIMATE AND T now remains, after considering as fully as IT time would permit the Gospel accounts of those miracles of Christ which consisted in healing of disease, raising the dead, and casting out demons -that we spend some moments in reflection upon the records left us by the Evangelists, which assert His miraculous power over inanimate and lower animal nature. Christ's first miracle, as related by John, is one of this order. I fear, some people wish the account of this miracle were not found in the New Testament. Ought we not, however, to be glad that it. is there? Surely it adds to the beauty and grace of the Saviour's character, that He can "rejoice with them that rejoice," as well as "weep with them that weep"-that He did not feel His purity to be sul 6 142 THE READING' IN GREGORY NYSSEN. lied in countenancing the mirth of chaste marriage. I shall not enter into 'Temperance' disputes about the kind of wine that was given by the miraculous act of the Saviour to the guests, or apologise for the seeming great quantity of it. Let objectors and cavillers read books on Eastern customs, and they will learn that wedding feasts often lasted several days, and were frequented by fresh arrivals of guests. Commentators hold that either the bride or bridegroom was related to the mother of Jesus, from the fact that she seemed deeply concerned in all that was going on, and directed the servants to do whatever Jesus bade them do. I wonder why more notice has not been taken of the interrogative form given to Christ's reply, by Gregory Nyssen : I mean His reply to His mother's words, "They have no wine." In our English translation, as in our common "recension" of the Greek Testament, Jesus replies, "Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come." The ancient Father I have named makes the second part of Christ's reply also a question: "What tie is there between FIVE OR SIX DISCIPLES PRESENT. 143 thee and me? Is not my hour yet come?" That is to say, "Do I not know that it is come?" I cannot help thinking that Gregory Nyssen's reading is the right one-for Mary instantly says to the servants, "Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it !" If Jesus had given the reply which He gives in our authorised New Testament-a reply which evidently repels her suggestion that He shall perform some signal deed to supply the company with wine-how could she have turned round and uttered the words to the servants, which plainly shew that she believed He would act miraculously on her suggestion? I repeat, that I wonder why scholars have not taken more notice of Gregory Nyssen's reading. "This beginning of miracles," says John, "did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth His glory, and His disciples believed on Him." Christ had but five or six disciples at that time: John himself was one, Andrew, Peter, Philip, and Nathaniel (or Bartholomew), and perhaps James the brother of John, were the others. John's language seems to affirm that a strong reason for |