Thus  I  have  endeavoured  to  transfer  in  a  figure
the  words  of  Christ  to  other  men,  that  we  may  see
in  a  glass  imperfectly  the  nature  of  that  struggle
which  was  passing  in  His  mind.  The  life  of  Christ
in  the  Gospels  seems  to  become  sadder  as  we  draw
nearer  to  His  death.  This  sadness  is  not  caused  by
the  prospect  of  lingering  suffering;  the  ingratitude
and  hardheartedness  of  men  pierce  sharper  than
that.  But  He  is  more  and  more  alone,  as  He
approaches  to  the  end  of  His  work  on  earth.  No
one  seems  to  understand  Him ;  even  His  brethren
and  His  apostles  constantly  mistake  the  meaning
of  His  words.  And  more  and  more,  if  I  may  use
such  an  expression,  He  retires  into  Himself  and
God.
And  now  I  shall  proceed  to  ask  the  second  ques
tion  :  If  Jesus  Christ  were  to  come  again  upon  the
earth,  how  would  He  regard  us  who  are  called  by
His  name,  and  the  bodies  of  Christians  who  acknow
ledge  Him  to  be  their  founder  ?  Would  He  belong
to  any  of  them,  or  would  He  have  something  to  say
to  all  of  them  in  common  ?  We  know  that  the

F  2


68  COLLEGE  SERMONS  [v-

founder  of  a  religion  is  not  like  the  teachers  of  it
in  after  ages;  he  is  not  bound  by  convention  and
tradition,  and  he  has  a  high  and  different  standard.
