2. It lays upon men commands contrary to the flesh, viz., the love of enemies and the bearing of the Cross. 

3. It makes promises which are seemingly incredible, which cannot be realized or obtained till after this life and founded on the miracle of resurrection.

4. To seal "the faith" against success, it promised persecutions.

A good argument indeed.  However, we are convinced that the Christian faith succeeded, not in spite of these things, but because of them.  In the Cross of Christ is displayed the very "wisdom of God" as well "the power of God." In the Cross is exhibited the whole principle of the Christian faith and life.  In Christ's Cross (and in ours as we follow Him), all the seeming beauty of "life under the sun" is stripped away, and we are left with--only God.  The world's joys and pleasures are "for a season." The Christian forfeits the present, and chooses to suffer "for a season."

A heathen of 100 Ax., Lucian of Samosata says: "The Christians still worship that great man who was crucified . . . these wretched people have persuaded themselves that they are absolutely deathless, and will live forever, for which reason they think slightly of death, and many willingly surrender themselves." Little wonder that the Cross created such consternation with its inroads into heathenism.  The Cross captured men and carried them carefree and happily, yea, even recklessly, through the midst of the most excruciating agonies and tortures and deaths.  These saints became such free citizens of heaven that they could not be subdued to the customs of that sunken society.  This contemptible "third race" perplexed the sane (?) among all men.  They wore the livery of humiliation and heaven, treated the trifles of time with contempt, and lived the life eternal.  To the heathen the doctrine of the Cross seemed, in all its invisible mysterious power, a veritable plague, an infection, a strong invincible--once it seized the simpletons!  And so it was.  In those days the Crucified was known by His followers.  They embraced the Cross so fully because they were so sure of the crown.  They took the way of death because it was and is the gateway to fife.  "Why are you Christians so bent upon death?  You are so bent upon death that you make nothing of it." To which the disciple nobly replied: "We are bent, sir, not upon death, but upon life."

We are commanded, "Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus," who humbled himself (Phil. 2:5, A.S.V.). Thus Christ embodied all He taught.  He himself summarized the principles of all recompense, when He said: "Every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." This principle Christ exemplified.  From the heights of glory Christ descended, from the Godhead to manhood.  As a man, He descended to a servant.  From life, He descended to death.  From a common death, He descended to that of a criminal.  And having plumbed the depths, He is highly exalted or "exalted with all exaltation." His exaltation is measured by His humiliation.  His ascent is but His "descent re-versed." And ours will be the same.  These fearful facts must so seize upon us that we will begin here and now to shape our lives by this unbreakable law of recompense.  Shall we reap what we have never sown?  Do we prize seats on the right hand and on the left in the kingdom?  God have mercy on any lazy, ambitionless reader who does not care.  The Saviour rebuked no one for aspiring to the highest.  "Covet earnestly the best gifts." We have no option but to choose the very highest.  Someone says:

With the first two lines we agree; with the last two we cannot.  He who "picks and chooses," refuses.  As we face the Cross we have no option, no alternative.  We must descend to the dust in utmost humiliation.  But that must is never by coercion.  We must choose; we must choose the highest; and the choice must be purely voluntary.  We have been destined for a crown only if we choose the Cross.  It is for this reason that someone so well says, "If I covet any place on the earth but the dust at the foot of the Cross, then I know nothing of Calvary love."

Is it but a Christmastide sentiment that the Christ of glory was born of a lowly maiden, entered our world in a