O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? Psalm 4 verse 2

An instructive writer has made a mournful list of the honors which the blinded people of Israel awarded to their long-expected king.

1. They gave him a procession of honor in which Roman legionnaires, Jewish priests, men and women took a part, he himself bearing his cross. This is the triumph which the world awards to him who comes to overthrow man's direst foes. Derisive shouts are his only acclamations, and cruel taunts his only pains of praise.

2. They presented him with the wine of honor. Instead of a golden cup of generous wine, they offered him the criminal's stupefying death draught, which he refused, because he would preserve an uninjured taste, wherewith to the taste of death. And afterwards, when he cried, I thirst, they gave him vinegar mixed with gall thrust to his mouth upon a sponge. Oh, wretched, detestable inhospitality to the king's son!

3. He was provided with a guard of honor, who showed their esteem of him by gambling over his garments, which they had seized as their booty. Such was the bodyguard of the adored of heaven, a Coturnian of brutal gamblers.

4. A throne of honor was found for him upon the bloody tree. No easier place of rest would rebel men yield to their liege lord. The cross was in fact the full expression of the world's feeling towards him. There they seem to say, Thou son of God, this is the manner in which God himself should be treated could we reach him.

5. The title of honor was nominally King of the Jews but that the blinded nation distinctly repudiated and really called him King of thieves by preferring Barabbas and by placing Jesus in the place of the highest shame between two thieves. His glory was thus in all things turned into shame by the sons of men.

But it shall yet gladden the eyes of saints and angels, world without end.