Matthew 24:9

Then shall they deliver you up, &c.— Had Jesus been an impostor, he would, like all other impostors, have fed his followers with fair hopes and promises; but on the contrary, we see that he denounces persecution to be the lot of his disciples; he pointeth out to them the difficulties they must encounter, the fiery trials they must undergo, and yet they did not stagger in their faith; did not therefore, like faint-hearted soldiers, forsake their colours, and desert his service. One hardly knows whom to admire most, him for dealing so plainly, or them for adhering so steadily to him.