Page:SermonsFromTheLatins.djvu/240

 Satan to  torture  Job  He  bade  him  to  spare  Job's  life, but not  so  now;  it  was  completely  the  devil's  hour and the  hour  of  the  power  of  darkness. Christ saw Himself like  another  Isaac  bearing  on  His  shoulders the wood  of  the  sacrifice,  while  by  His  side,  like  a  second Abraham,  walked  His  Father,  bearing  in  one hand, yes,  the  fire  of  love,  but  in  the  other,  alas! the sword of  justice. In all  heaven  there  was  no  angel  to come  and  stay  His  hand  or  point  to  a  substitute  victim. Aye, and  another  sword  He  saw  of  keener  blade, the sword  that  was  to  pierce  the  heart  of  Mary  standing by  the  cross. Eve looked  upon  the  forbidden  tree and Adam  wrought  our  ruin  by  eating  from  it,  and justice demanded  that  Mary  should  gaze  on  Jesus while dying  on  the  rood. Abandoned by  all  she  yet would cling  to  Him,  but  her  very  constancy,  He  saw, would only  serve  to  aggravate  His  torments.

Brethren, the  horror  Christ  conceived  from  His foreknowledge of  His  sufferings  was  justified  by  the event. The first  indignity  heaped  upon  Him  was that of  being  sold  as  a  slave  or  a  beast,  sold  by  His friend to  His  bloodthirsty  enemies,  sold  for  the paltry sum  of  thirty  pieces  of  silver. Such was  man's estimate  of  Christ's  value— of  Christ,  who  did  not reckon His  own  heart's  blood  too  dear  a  price  wherewith to  purchase  man. But even  the  silver  pieces were considered  on  second  thought  beyond  His worth, for  presently  He  was  auctioned  off,  He  and the outlaw  Barabbas,  and  the  multitude  cried:  "  Give us  Barabbas,  but  as  for  Christ,  crucify  Him,  crucify Him." The healer  of  bodily  ills,  the  restorer  of  the