against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.  And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household."[1] “I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?"[2] “They shall put you out of the synagogues,” he continued; “yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you, will think that he doeth God service."[3] “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.  Remember the word that I said unto you:  The servant is not greater than his lord.  If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you."[4]

[Footnote 1:  Matt. x. 34-36; Luke xii. 51-53.  Compare Micah vii. 5, 6.]

[Footnote 2:  Luke xii. 49.  See the Greek text.]

[Footnote 3:  John xvi. 2.]

[Footnote 4:  John xv. 18-20.]

Carried away by this fearful progression of enthusiasm, and governed by the necessities of a preaching becoming daily more exalted, Jesus was no longer free; he belonged to his mission, and, in one sense, to mankind.  Sometimes one would have said that his reason was disturbed.  He suffered great mental anguish and agitation.[1] The great vision of the kingdom of God, glistening before his eyes, bewildered him.  His disciples at times thought him mad.[2] His enemies declared him to be possessed.[3] His excessively impassioned temperament carried him incessantly beyond the bounds of human nature.  He laughed at all human systems, and his work not being a work of the reason, that which he most imperiously required was “faith."[4] This was the word most frequently repeated in the little guest-chamber.  It is the watchword of all popular movements.  It is clear that none of these movements would take place if it were necessary that their author should gain his disciples one by one by force of logic.  Reflection leads only to doubt.  If the authors of the French Revolution, for instance, had had to be previously convinced by lengthened meditations, they would all have become old without accomplishing anything; Jesus, in like manner, aimed less at convincing his hearers than at exciting their enthusiasm.  Urgent and imperative, he suffered no opposition:  men must be converted, nothing less would satisfy him.  His natural gentleness seemed to have abandoned him; he was sometimes harsh and capricious.[5] His disciples at times did not understand him, and experienced in his presence a feeling akin to fear.[6] Sometimes his displeasure at the slightest opposition led him to commit inexplicable and apparently absurd acts.[7]

[Footnote 1:  John xii. 27.]

[Footnote 2:  Mark iii. 21, and following.]

[Footnote 3:  Mark iii. 22; John vii. 20, viii. 48, and following, x. 20, and following.]

[Footnote 4:  Matt. viii. 10, ix. 2, 22, 28, 29, xvii. 19; John vi. 29, etc.]

[Footnote 5:  Matt. xvii. 16; Mark iii. 5, ix. 18; Luke viii. 45, ix. 41.]

[Footnote 6:  It is in Mark especially that this feature is visible; iv. 40, v. 15, ix. 31, x. 32.]