What probability then was there that Jesus Christ, the most humble of all men, should obtain a hearing where only pageantry and pride prevail!  If He had been surrounded with honors and riches, He would have found partisans near Herod and in every other place.  But as He preached a renunciation of the world both to His disciples and to Himself, let us not be astonished that they treated Him with so much disdain.  Such is the prediction of the holy man Job, and which after Him must be accomplished in the person of all the righteous; “the upright man is laughed to scorn.”  In fact, my dear hearers, you know that, whatever virtue and merit we may possess, they are not enough to procure us esteem at court.  Enter it, and appear only like Jesus Christ, clothed with the robe of innocence; only walk with Jesus Christ in the way of simplicity; only speak as Jesus Christ to render testimony to the truth, and you will find that you meet with no better treatment there than Jesus Christ.  To be well received there, you must have pomp and splendor.  To keep your station there, you must have artifice and intrigue.  To be favorably heard there, you must have complaisance and flattery.  Then all this is opposed to Jesus Christ; and the court being what it is—­that is to say, the kingdom of the prince of this world—­it is not surprizing that the kingdom of Jesus Christ can not be established there.  But wo to you, princes of the earth!  Wo to you, men of the world, who despise this incarnate wisdom, for you shall be despised in your turn, and the contempt which shall fall upon you shall be much more terrible than the contempt which you manifest can be prejudicial.

A Savior placed upon a level with Barabbas, and to whom Barabbas is preferred by a blind and fickle rabble!  How often have we been guilty of the same outrage against Jesus Christ as the blind and fickle Jews!  How often, after having received Him in triumph in the sacrament of the communion, seduced by cupidity, have we not preferred either a pleasure or interest after which we sought, in violation of His law, to this God of glory!  How often divided between conscience which governed us, and passion which corrupted us, have we not renewed this abominable judgment, this unworthy preference of the creature even above our God!  Christians, observe this application; it is that of St. Chrysostom, and if you properly understand it, you must be affected by it.  Conscience, which, in spite of ourselves, presides in us as judge, said inwardly to us, “What art thou going to do?  Behold thy pleasure on the one hand, and thy God on the other:  for which of the two dost thou declare thyself? for thou canst not save both; thou must either lose thy pleasure or thy God; and it is for thee to decide.”  And the passion, which by a monstrous infidelity had acquired the influence over our hearts, made us conclude—­I will keep my pleasure.  “But what then will become of thy God,” replied conscience secretly, “and what must