Page:Philochristus, Abbott, 1878.djvu/128

120 "But what," I asked, "are these streams and currents?" Again Quartus was silent for a while, and longer than before, so that by this time we were almost come down from the mountain; but at last he said unto me, "What seemeth to thee the strongest current in the nature of men?" But, when I held my peace, not knowing what to answer, he spake again very earnestly, "Thou art a student of the sayings of the Wise, O Joseph, and canst answer with discerning. Tell me, then, on what standeth the earth?" Then I replied according to the saying, "Upon the pillars; and the pillars upon the waters." "Yea," replied Quartus; "and after these cometh the wind; and what after the wind?" Then I said, "Beneath the wind is the storm, and beneath the storm is the arm of the Holy One; for it is said, 'Underneath are the Everlasting Arms.'" Then said Quartus, "It is so; and verily the foundations of earth are the Everlasting Arms of the Father in Heaven: but if the Fatherhood of God be the strongest thing on earth, and if this be the mightiest stream or current in the nature of men, then how may we best sail with that current?" I remembered the words which Jesus had spoken that we were to become as little children; so I answered, "I suppose, by approaching Him as children."

Here Judas interrupted us and said, "Nay, but wisdom is the strongest thing in the world, for it is written of wisdom, 'The Lord possessed me in the beginning of His way, before His works of old. When He appointed the foundations of the earth, then I was by Him as one brought up with Him.'" "Thou sayest well," said Quartus, "but what human wisdom is like unto that wisdom which revealeth God to men? Now as no child can understand his father unless he love his father, so no man can know God (who is our Father in Heaven) unless he love Him; but whoso loveth, understandeth; therefore to