Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/211

 comb" (Prov.  xxvii.  7),  that  is,  it  will  despise  the  vanities and  follies  of  the  world.  Lastly,  it  preserves  the spiritual  life  ,of  the  soul,  and  advances  it  to  immortality. "  He  who  eateth  this  bread,"  says  Christ  Himself, "shall  live  forever."  (John  vi.  59.)  How  great  a  happiness it  is  to  feed  upon  such  bread!

III. The most  wholesome  food  produces  no  good  effect on  the  body  if  the  digestive  powers  be  disordered. Distempered bodies  are  endangered  by  delicacies,  because what  would  otherwise  be  nutritive  is  converted into noxious  humors. Take care  then  to  prepare  your soul, if  you  desire  "to  taste  and  see  that  the  Lord  is sweet." (Ps. xxxiii.  9.)  Rid  your  soul  of  evil  inclinations, which  prevent  spiritual  digestion. " Let  a  man prove  himself,  and  so  let  him  eat  of  that  bread  and  drink of  the  chalice." (1 Cor.  xi.  28.)

I. From  Christ's  excessive  love  of  suffering  for  our sake, He  is  not  content  to  endure  ordinary  pains  only, but He  permits  the  soldiers  to  invent  an  unheard-of  manner of  torture. They strip  Him  of  His  clothes,  which  by this  time  clung  to  His  lacerated  body,  and  thus  opened His wounds  afresh;  then  they  clothe  Him  in  a  ragged purple robe,  as  a  mock-king. Observe how  this  meek Lamb of  God  suffers  His  persecutors  to  abuse  Him  at pleasure,  without  making  the  least  resistance  or  complaint. Then was  fulfilled  the  oracle  of  David,  "  I  became as  a  man  who  heareth  not,  and  who  hath  no  reproofs in  his  mouth." (Ps. xxxvii.  15.)

II. " And  platting  a  crown  of  thorns,  they  put  it  upon His  head." (Matt, xxvii.  29.)   "The  crown  of  thorns  was