Life of Ahmad — Page 327
as CHRIST-LIKE JOURNEYINGS 327 Messiah as. He preached during the day and prayed during the night, beseeching God to have mercy on mankind and reveal His face unto them. In spite of his age and weak health, he neither tired nor grew weary and went about the Lord’s work ever cheerful and happy. He heeded not the opposition which was offered to him nor the abuse which was heaped upon him, and returned a stern answer only when he was afraid that truth would suffer for lack of it, and even then his object always was to admonish and not to inflict pain. In all his journeyings—under every species of insult, opposition and misrepresentation—he most perfectly illustrated the precepts and principles of the religion he taught. His love and compassion; his forbearance and forgiveness; his meekness and wisdom; his simplicity and purity; his equanimity and self-possession can find a parallel only in Jesus as or the Holy Founder sa of Islam. It is true that the people did not recognise their promised Teacher, for he came not in a manner corresponding to their vain and worldly anticipations. If he had appeared in conformity to the views which the Christians and Muslims entertained of a temporal Messiah, it would have been direct evidence that he was an impostor; because their conception of his character and reign was selfish, ambitious, imperfect and partial. If an impostor wished to pass himself upon the people as their Messiah, 'He must', says a writer, 'assume that character and conform to that