FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159  
160   161   162   163   164   165   166   >>  
n; and the only thing I have ever regretted since I knew you is, that I have not one of them here to comfort and bless us and our children." * God. Though I was sorry for the oddity of her conceptions, I was almost glad to find her so ignorant, and pleased myself with thinking that as she had already a confused notion of a Supreme Power, I should soon have the satisfaction of bringing her to a more rational knowledge of Him. "Pray, Youwee," says I, "what is your God made of?"--"Why of clay," says she, "finely painted, and looks so terrible he would make you tremble to behold him."--"Do you think," says I, "that is the true Collwar's real shape, if you could see Himself?" She told me yes, for that some of His best servants had seen him, and took the representation from Himself. "And pray, do you think He loves His best servants, as you call them, and is kind to them?"--"You need not doubt it," says she.--"Why, then," replied I, "how came He to look so terrible upon them when they saw Him, as you say they did? for I can see no reason, how terrible soever He looks to others, why He should show Himself so to those He loves. I should rather think, as you say He is kind to them, that He should have two images, a placid one for His good, and a terrible one for His bad servants; or else, who by seeing Him can tell whether He is pleased or angry? for even you yourself, Youwee, when anything pleases you, have a different look from that you have when you are angry, and little Pedro can tell whether he does well or ill by your countenance; whereas, if you made no distinction, but looked with the same face on all his actions, he would as readily think he did well as ill in committing a bad action." Youwarkee could not tell what to say to this, the fact seeming against her. I then asked her if she thought the image itself could hear her petitions. She replied, "Yes."--"And can he," says I, "return you an answer?"--She told me he only did that to his best servants.--"Did you ever hear him do it?" says I. "For unless he can speak too, I should much suspect his hearing; and you being one of his best servants, seeing you love him, and pray heartily to him, why should you not hear him as soon as others?"--"No," says she, "there are a great number of glumms on purpose to serve him, pray for us to him, and receive his answers."--"But to what purpose then," says I, "is your praying to him, if their prayers will serve your turn?"-
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159  
160   161   162   163   164   165   166   >>  



Top keywords:
servants
 

terrible

 

Himself

 

purpose

 

replied

 
Youwee
 
pleased
 

action

 
Youwarkee
 

committing


actions

 

readily

 
thought
 

tremble

 
countenance
 

regretted

 
looked
 
distinction
 

petitions

 

glumms


number

 

receive

 

answers

 

prayers

 

praying

 

heartily

 

answer

 

return

 

hearing

 

suspect


pleases

 
notion
 

confused

 

finely

 

Collwar

 
thinking
 

Supreme

 
rational
 

knowledge

 
representation

bringing
 

satisfaction

 
ignorant
 
painted
 

Though

 

placid

 
children
 

comfort

 
behold
 

images