| 36 something peculiar to himself, but all agreed in one point viz.: to oppose the Redeemer. So that we discover he could with the utmost propriety exclaim, notwithstanding their synagogue and temple worship, 'The foxes have holes, the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head.' He took occasion here to remark that such diversity of sentiment ever had and ever would obtain when people were not led by present revelation. This brought him to the inevitable conclusion that the various sects of the present day, from their manifesting the same spirit, rested under the same condemnation with those who were coeval with the Savior. He admitted there were many houses, many sufficiently great, built for the worship of God; but not one except this, on the face of the whole earth, that was built by divine revelation; and were it not for this, the dear Redeemer might in this day of science, this day of intelligence, this day of religion, say to those who would follow him, 'The foxes have holes, the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head.'
"Here his whole soul appeared to be fired with his subject. Arguments, strong and conclusive, seemed almost to vie with each other for utterance. Indeed, there was no sophistry in his reasoning, no plausible hypothesis on which the whole rested, but on the contrary, plain scripture facts. Therefore his deductions and inferences were logical and conclusive.
"The comparison drawn between the different religious sects of ancient and modern times was perfectly natural and simple, yet it was done in that confident, masterly manner, accompanied with those incontrovertible proofs of his position, that was directly calculated to cheer and gladden the hearts of the saints, but to draw down the indignation of the sectarian world upon him; and we have no doubt, had our speaker uttered the same sentiments, with the same proof of their correctness, had there been those present that we might name, his voice would doubtless have been drowned, as was that of the ancient apostle in the Athenian temple, when his auditors cried incessantly for about two hours 'Great is Diana of the Ephesians.'
(page 36) |
