John Wesley, at a considerable party, had been maintaining with great earnestness the doctrine of Vox populi, vox Dei, against his sister, a lady whose talents were not unworthy the family to which she belonged. At last the preacher, to put an end to the controversy, put his argument in the shape of a dictum, and said, “I tell you, sister, the voice of the people is the voice of God.” “Yes,” she replied, mildly, “it cried, ‘Crucify Him, crucify Him.’” A more admirable answer was, perhaps, never given.
The world’s treatment of Christ
Dr. Blair, at the conclusion of a sermon in which he had descanted with his usual eloquence on the loveliness of virtue, gave utterance to the following apostrophe: “O virtue, if thou wert embodied, how would all men love and imitate thee.” His colleague, the Rev. R. Walker, preached that afternoon, and took occasion to say, “My reverend friend observed in the morning that, if virtue were embodied, all men would love and imitate her. Well, virtue has been embodied; but how was she treated? Did all men love her? Did they copy her? No! She was despised and rejected of men, who, after defaming, insulting, and scourging her, led her to Calvary, where they crucified her between two thieves.”
Fickleness of the populace
When Napoleon was returning from his successful wars in Austria and Italy, amid the huzzas of the people, Bourrienne remarked to him that “it must be delightful to be greeted with such demonstrations of enthusiastic admiration.” “Bah!” replied Napoleon, “this same unthinking crowd, under a slight change of circumstances, would follow me just as eagerly to the scaffold.” (Dictionary of Anecdote.)
An indictment against man
I. Here we have the basis of a tremendous indictment against human nature.
1. Human nature does not know good. It if had, it would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
2. Human nature hated goodness in its most attractive form.
3. Humanity is guilty of the utmost possible folly, because in crucifying Jesus it crucified its best friend.
4. Human nature destroyed its best instructor.
5. Human nature submitted to the insolent tyranny of the priests.
6. Human nature was guilty of craven cowardice in striking One who would not defend Himself.
II. Let me shut the door against some self-righteous disclaimers.
1. “I should not have done so.” Of whom wast thou born, but of a woman, as they were?
2. “I would have spoken for Him.” Yes; and dost thou speak for Him now? What have you done already? Have you sneered at the gospel? Have you rejected it? Are you ignorant of it? Have you ever doubted His power and His willingness to save? For believers-oh what a sorrow to think we stabbed our Friend to the heart. If we have crucified Him-let us resolve to crown Him. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
