according to his wish, and accept him with unbounded devotion as their legislator and judge? some will answer, Because of the miracles which attested his divine character; others, Because of the intrinsic beauty and divinity of the great law of love which he propounded.  But miracles, as we have seen, have not by themselves this persuasive power.  That a man possesses a strange power which I cannot understand is no reason why I should receive his words as divine oracles of truth.  The powerful man is not of necessity also wise; his power may terrify and yet not convince.  On the other hand, the law of love, however divine, was but a precept.  Undoubtedly it deserved that men should accept it for its intrinsic worth, but men are not commonly so eager to receive the words of wise men nor so unbounded in their gratitude to them.  It was neither for his miracles nor for the beauty of his doctrine that Christ was worshipped.  Nor was it for his winning personal character, nor for the persecutions he endured, nor for his martyrdom.  It was for the inimitable unity which all these things made when taken together.  In other words, it was for this that he whose power and greatness as shown in his miracles were overwhelming denied himself the use of his power, treated it as a slight thing, walked among men as though he were one of them, relieved them in distress, taught them to love each other, bore with undisturbed patience a perpetual hailstorm of calumny; and when his enemies grew fiercer, continued still to endure their attacks in silence, until, petrified and bewildered with astonishment, men saw him arrested and put to death with torture, refusing steadfastly to use in his own behalf the power he conceived he held for the benefit of others.  It was the combination of greatness and self-sacrifice which won their hearts, the mighty powers held under a mighty control, the unspeakable condescension, the Cross of Christ.

And he goes on to describe the effect upon the world; and what it was that “drew all men unto Him":—­

To sum up the results of this chapter.  We began by remarking that an astonishing plan met with an astonishing success, and we raised the question to what instrumentality that success was due.  Christ announced himself as the Founder and Legislator of a new Society, and as the Supreme Judge of men.  Now by what means did he procure that these immense pretensions should be allowed?  He might have done it by sheer power, he might have adopted persuasion, and pointed out the merits of the scheme and of the legislation he proposed to introduce.  But he adopted a third plan, which had the effect not merely of securing obedience, but of exciting enthusiasm and devotion.  He laid men under an immense obligation.  He convinced them that he was a person of altogether transcendent greatness, one who needed nothing at their hands, one whom it was impossible to benefit by conferring riches, or fame, or dominion