Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/196

 book of  Job,  "  What  doth  God  know?  the  clouds  are  His covert,  and  He  doth  not  consider  our  things.  (Job  xxii. 13.)  Take  care  that  you  never  endeavor  to  stifle  the  remorse of  conscience  by  means  like  these.

III. " They  buffeted  Him,  and  others  struck  His  face with  the  palms  of  their  hands." Represent to  your  imagination this  cruel  and  ignominious  scene,  and  contemplate every  part  of  it. View these  ruffians  vieing  with each other  in  their  outrageous  insolence. Then was  literally accomplished  the  prophecy  of  Jeremias,  "  He  shall give  His  cheek  to  him  who  striketh  Him;  He  shall  be filled  with  reproaches." (Lament, iii.  30.)

I. The  fourth  insult  which  was  offered  to  the  Son  of God  in  the  house  of  Caiphas  was  the  cruel  act  of  His enemies, when  they  plucked  His  sacred  hair  and  beard. By suffering  this  insult,  He  verified  the  prediction  of Isaias,  "  I  have  given  My  body  to  the  strikers,  and  My cheeks  to  those  who  plucked  them." (Is. l.  6.)  Samson consented that  his  hair  should  be  cut  off,  from  a  blind attachment to  Delila,  which  proved  very  injurious  to him;  but  Christ,  from  a  better  love  to  mankind,  suffered Himself to  be  despoiled  of  His. Learn from  this  example to  reject  and  rid  yourself  of  superfluities,  and  to follow  Christ  in  naked  simplicity  and  unadorned  sincerity.

II. The fifth  species  of  ignominy  which  our  Redeemer had to  endure  consisted  in  the  reproachful  language  in which  His  enemies  addressed  Him. " Prophesy  unto  us, O  Christ!  who  is  he  that  struck  thee.  And  many  other things  blaspheming,  they  said  against  Him." (Luke