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.
THURSDAY.
Christ is Bound and His Disciples Fly.
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-
