Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/188

 His enemies  rush  upon  Him,  beating  and  insulting  Him  in a  most  outrageous  manner. Good God! what a  spectacle! "He who  sitteth  upon  the  cherubim,  is  trodden under  foot  by  the  wicked." (Ps. lxxix.  2;  Heb.  x.  29.) In the  same  manner  do  all  sinners  act;  for  "they  tread the  Son  of  God  under  foot." Take care  you  do  not  imitate their  example.

I. "Then  the  band  and  the  tribune  and  the  servants of  the  Jews  took  Jesus  and  bound  Him.  (John  xviii.  12.) Observe  the  meekness  with  which  Christ  suffers  His  sacred hands  and  arms  to  be  bound.  He  might,  notwithstanding, if  He  had  pleased,  have  as  easily  broken  the bands  asunder  "  as  a  man  would  break  a  thread  of  tow." (Judges  xvi.  9.)  It  was  love  alone  that  could  cast  fetters upon  those  hands,  that  framed  the  heavens  and  filled  the earth  with  wonders.  "  He  loved  me  and  delivered  Himself for  me."  (Gal.  ii.  20.)  Do  you  also  permit  yourself to  be  bound  with  the  bands  of  charity  and  the  tie  of  obedience, and  whatever  other  obligations  your  state  of  life imposes  upon  you.  "  Put  thy  feet  into  her  fetters,"  says the  Wise  Man  of  true  wisdom,  "and  thy  neck  into  her chains: bow  down  thy  shoulder  and  bear  her,  and  be  not grieved with  her  bands."    (Ecclus.  vi.  25,  26.)

II. "Then His  disciples  leaving  Him,  all  fled  away." (Mark xiv.  50.)  Think  what  a  deep  affliction  it  must have been  to  Christ,  to  see  Himself  thus  abandoned  by His  dearest  friends. Mark the  instability  of  human  nature. Christ frequently  complains  by  His  prophets  of this  desertion:  "Thou  hast  put  away  my  acquaintance far  from  me;  they  have  set  me  an  abomination  to  them-