This, however, was the character of the Lord Jesus Christ—
[Never was a being more despised than he. His whole appearance was contemptible in the eyes of those who looked for a temporal prince ; so that he was indeed " a root out of a dry ground, having no form nor comeliness; and they who saw him could find no beauty in him, for which he was to be de- sired \" In truth, he was as "a worm," and no man ; a reproach of men, and despised of the people b." Nothing was too con- temptuous to say of him, nothing too insulting to do unto him. Some said of him, " He is a gluttonous man, a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners0 :" others even appealed to him- self for the justness of their reproaches ; " Say we not well, that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devild?" And when they could not deny his miracles, they denounced him as a confederate with Beelzebub, and as acting by a power derived from hime. To express their utter contempt of his preten- sions as the promised Messiah, they " arrayed him in mock majesty, and spat upon him, and smote him, saying, Tell us who smote theef?" In this " the whole nation" concurred.
a Isai. liii. 2. t> Ps. xxii. 0.
c Matt. xi. 19. (i John viii. 48.
e Matt. ix. 34. f Matt, xxvii. 29, 30. Luke xxii. 64.
The Rulers would on no account suffer Pilate to release him : the people " with one voice cried out, Crucify him ! crucify him!" and "desired that Barabbas, who was a murderer, should be granted to them in preference to him." Crucifixion was a death to which none but slaves were doomed: but nothing less than that would satisfy the Rulers ; who having dragged him before the different tribunals of Pilate, and Herod, and the High Priest, consigned him over, at last, to that death which was regarded as accursed both by God and mang.]
And that same character attaches to him at this
very hour —
[I need not say how his name is cast out both by Jews and Gentiles. I will speak of him rather as he still appears even in the Christian world. I grant that nominally he is re- garded with great veneration and respect ; but really he is treated, and that too even by his professed followers, just as he was in the days of old.
What is there in his religion that conciliates the regards of men ? It is at this very hour, no less than in former ages, to self-righteous pharisees " a stumbling-block," and to those who are wise in their own conceit " foolishness11." To stand indebted wholly to the Lord Jesus Christ for righteousness and strength, and to give the whole glory of our salvation to him alone, is thought as absurd in this day, as it was, in the Apostle's days, to look for salvation to one who saved not himself, but was crucified as a malefactor. In like manner to devote oneself entirely to him, and to live altogether to his glory, is deemed a ridiculous excess at tins day, just as much as it was in the days of old. Does any one doubt this ? Look then at any person who preaches fully and faithfully the cross of Christ ; and say whether his doctrine be not despised as in days of old ? or look at any one that truly follows Christ, and see whether there be not, as arising out of that very circum- stance, a good measure of contempt and obloquy cast upon him by his friends and relatives. See whether " the offence of the cross have ceased1." See whether Christ be not still hated and persecuted in his members, just as he was in his own person, though not altogether with the same malignity. Yes truly, his obedient followers are still regarded as " the filth of the world, and the offscouring of all things k:" and if they be not treated as in former days, it is not owing to any change that has taken place in the hearts of their enemies, but to the protection afforded by the laws, where Christianity is the reli- gion of the land.