Page:Lazarus, a tale of the world's great miracle.djvu/316

304 to Peter, He continued, "Put up again thy sword into its place : for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He shall presently give Me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?"

Poor foolish Peter, where, indeed, was thy faith, if thou didst think to protect the King of kings with thy feeble hand?

But the hour was wearing on. These miracles and incidents were beginning to influence the little crowd; the officers must allow no superstitious fears to animate them; they must perform their duty. This Man needed no binding and no force, but the law must be obeyed; that grinding millstone that for so many years had pounded and ground down the brains and hearts of man, till they had become but a mingled dust of foulness and evil and severity, a very powder of Satan's own compounding.

So His sacred hands were bound and tied behind His back, and chains were set round Him who in one brief moment could have burst them all, if so He would. What scorn in the words He addressed to them while their clumsy fingers fumbled with cord and band! Yet in their fear lest He should escape what homage to His power!

"Are ye come out as against a thief, with swords and staves, for to take Me?"

But to their hearts He seemed to say: "Are ye too blind to see the difference between an evil-doer, who would escape death, and one wholly good, who seeks to die?"