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MR. ALCOTT. Was the miracle worked in their minds or upon the water?

(Half thought one way, half the other.)

EMMA. I think his mother telling him there was no wine, shows her faith in him.

LUCIA. I have nothing to say, but I was interested. MR. ALCOTT. I like to have you say freely, that you have nothing to say, when you have nothing.

But now can you tell me what is the significance of this?

(None answered.)

Idea and Em

blem of Purity.

What does marriage mean?
GEORGE K. Deep love.

CHARLES. Union of Spirit.

MR. ALCOTT. What did Jesus mean to teach by this miracle?

HALES. What he could do.

EMMA. His faith and power.

NATHAN. For us to believe in God as he did.
CHARLES. It was to teach temperance.

FREDERIC. Faith in God.

(The rest said they did not know.)

MR. ALCOTT. Do you think that you see all the meaning of this miracle?

(All.)

When you were talking of the Temptation, you were somewhat puzzled, as you are now,

thinking altogether of outward things.

for you were The mountain,

the pinnacle of the temple, troubled you. Can you not turn your thoughts inward, as you did then, and ask yourselves, what these things may be emblems of ? CHARLES. Water is an emblem of purity.

[blocks in formation]

LEMUEL. Of growing better; making good better. ONE. The bride was purity.

MR. ALCOTT. Charles said marriage was spiritual Can you work up these emblems into some

union.

thing?

NATHAN. The water meant purity, the wine good

ness.

MR. ALCOTT. And did Christ's presence sanctify the union ?

View of
Phenomena.

AUGUSTINE. There must have been real wine made, for the governor of the feast tasted it.

MR. ALCOTT.

Do you think that to view it all as an outward fact, would be more interesting and wonderful, than to view it as emblematic?

AUGUSTINE. No; not more wonderful; but that is the way it really was.

MR. ALCOTT.

tites?

Did he do this to gratify their appe

AUGUSTINE. No; but to supply their wants.

MR. ALCOTT. Do you think that the whole matter was simply that there was a wedding, and there was not wine enough, and Jesus being there, kindly made them some wine?

AUGUSTINE and OTHERS. Yes.

MR. ALCOTT.

more?

(Some rose.)

Do any of you think that it means

Now all who think Jesus turned water into wine, literally and actually, may rise.

(All rose.)

And as an emblem of a beautiful truth?

(They still stood up.)

Intermission.

(Here there was an intermission, and when

they assembled again, Mr. Alcott again read

the

passage, paraphrasing the fourth verse,

"Wo

man, my thoughts are not like yours; you are thinking of making wine; I am thinking what wine signifies.")

MR. ALCOTT. What does this whole story signify? (No answer.)

Which do you think was the greatest miracle, to change water into wine, or to open the minds of men into the real meaning of marriage?

(No answer.)

Origin and Cause

of Miracles in

Spirit.

Where do miracles begin?
(No answer.)

Do they begin in the Spirit, and flow out

into things, or begin in things?

SEVERAL. In the Spirit.

MR. ALCOTT. Where is the cause of miracles?

SEVERAL. In the Spirit.

MR. ALCOTT. Where is the Life that causes a seed

to spring out and seek the light?

LUCIA. In God.

MR. ALCOTT. Where is God?

LUCIA. In the seed.

MR. ALCOTT. How is spiritual "glory" shown forth?

LUCIA.

Types of Miraculous Agency.

By being good.

MR. ALCOTT.

Give me some fact of Nature, by which spiritual glory is shown forth AUGUSTINE. In the oak coming out of the acorn. ANDREW. In the rose coming out of the bud, for there is power.

FRANKLIN. Dr. Channing shows forth spiritual glory in his thoughts and feelings, when he preaches and tries to make people good.

EMMA. God shows forth glory in Nature, and in the Soul of man.

SAMUEL T. A little baby shows forth spiritual glory. MARTHA. A dove shows forth God's glory.

ALEXANDER. nobleness.

An elephant shows forth patience and

GEORGE K. A lion shows forth the power of God. OTHERS. The sun. The moon. The stars, &c. MR. ALCOTT. The glory is not of things themselves; but things shadow forth the glory of God.

Does any outward thing show it forth completely? Lions, flowers, stars?

(They signified dissent while he remained in the Outward creation; but when he said,)

In Human Nature?

ALL. Yes; in Jesus Christ.

MR. ALCOTT. Do you think that Jesus showed forth all the glory of God; that nothing at all was withheld? (Some said yes, some no.)

Apprehension

of Phenomena.

Now tell me, do you think the change of water into wine was actually made in the outward world?

(All held up hands but Francis and Franklin.) Was that all the miracle?

(All said no, but Alexander and Augustine.) AUGUSTINE. I think he had no other meaning than to show that he was willing to supply their needs.

MR. ALCOTT. Had Jesus never performed any other miracle, should you have regarded this as something very great?

(Most held up hands.)

WELLES. If he had not done any other miracle, I should have thought that Jesus brought the wine himself.

FRANKLIN. I think the miracle was em

Type of Marriage blematic.

and Chastity.

MR. ALCOTT. Do others think so? and of what?

JOHN B. It was emblematic of power.

FRANKLIN. I think it was emblematic of purity, united to greater purity to faith and love.

EMMA. And that is marriage.

MR. ALCOTT. Is marriage an emblem?

EMMA. Yes; it is an emblem of two spirits united in purity and love.

SAMUEL R. I think the whole story is an emblem of changing good into better.

George K. I think water was pure, and wine was purer, and it signified that they must purify their spirits. MARTHA. The wine was purer than the water.

AUGUSTINE. Wine is not so pure as water - water represents truth.

ANDREW. I think the wine was the Spirit of Jesus. WELLES. Water represents purity, but wine means more things, love, faith, &c.

MR. ALCOTT. Did you ever hear the word Chastity? That word represents something more than purity, for it implies self-restraint. This story may represent deep love, as one of you said at the beginning of the Conversation, and when deep love is restrained by principles, it is chastity.

Recorder's
Remark.

RECORDER. I think you have led the children into an allegorical interpretation of this passage, when their own minds did not tend towards it. In no conversation has it been so difficult to keep them to the subject, nor have you suggested so much. I cannot help being gratified at this, myself; because I do not believe the Evangelist had any idea of setting forth any thing but the kind sanction of Jesus to the innocent festivities which celebrate marriage.

MR. ALCOTT. It is remarkable, that this is the only instance in which I have premeditated one of these

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