when labour and anxiety are succeeded by festivity and mutual congratulation.

It was the prospect of this sublime gratification which caused the Son of God to come in our nature, and to endure the death which he was now on the point of suffering. "For the joy set before him, he endured the, cross, despising the shame." " For the joy set before him, of " bringing many sons to glory."9 This was the fruit "of the travail of his soul," which the predicted Messiah was to "see," and be satisfied with seeing. And the thought of this occurs to cheer him now, when that travail was about to be undergone. Now, there is to all a season of affliction. Hereafter shall be a season of festivity, when "the ransomed " and their Deliverer shall meet together, and those whom God hath given him shall "receive the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world." Then they shall fully understand the extent of his mercy and love. They shall know what he has saved them from suffering: they shall know what he has brought them to enjoy.

Among other lessons here to be learnt, this must not be forgotten. Those who were to drink of the new wine in the kingdom of God, partook of the cup which Jesus drank of here. They partook with him,

at this feast of the passover, of the cup of love and fidelity. They constantly drank of the cup of humiliation and self-denial. So must his disciples in the world. They must be ready to follow his example through any trials, and to obey his precepts through any sacrifices.

Heb. xii. 2.

9 Heb. ii. 10.

We should often try and examine ourselves by tests of this kind. The disciples, when the Lord said, One of you shall betray me, began to say unto him one by one, Is it I? and another said, Is it I? Let us make the like inquiry, Lord, is it I who shall sit down at thy banquet, and partake of thine heavenly blessings? "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." 9

LECTURE LXXXVI.

THE AGONY AT GETHSEMANE.

MARK XIV. 26-36.

26. And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.

27. And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.1

28. But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee.2

9 Ps. cxxxix. 23.

1 Zecb. xiii. 7.

2 Keeping up the metaphor of the shepherd, our Lord says, I will go before you into Galilee. I will lead you, and ye shall follow me thither. "My sheep hear my voice, and they follow me."

F F

29. But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I.

30. And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, that this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.

31. But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also

said they all.

And doubtless, so saying, they spoke sincerely, and did not believe it possible that any occasion of danger should so overwhelm them as to make them faithless. But to the Lord's mind all things were present; both what should happen to himself, and be done by others; and he says, All ye shall be offended because of me this night; shall stumble and fall from your stedfastness. Even thou, Peter, who art ready" to go with me to prison and to death;' even thou, before the crowing of the cock gives notice of to-morrow's dawn, shalt deny me thrice: deny all knowledge of me.

In the same manner the prophet Elisha foresaw a sin in the heart of Hazael, of which he declared himself incapable. It had been revealed to Elisha that Hazael should murder the king his master, and take possession of his throne. And as Hazael stood before him, Elisha "settled his countenance stedfastly, until he was ashamed; and the man of God wept. And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel; their strong holds thou wilt set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay

32 Kings viii. 11-14, &c.

Yet

with the sword, and wilt dash their children" against the stones. "And Hazael said, But what, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this thing?" he committed that, which seemed to him impossible: the instigation of Satan prevailed, the king died by his hand, and he afterwards became the implacable oppressor of the people of God.

This however, was wickedness: the desertion of the apostles would be weakness, not settled wickedness; the weakness of the flesh, even when the spirit was ready, and rightly inclined. But it shows the importance of the prayer, "Lead us not into temptation." It shows also the blessedness of the promise given to all who commit themselves to God, that they shall not be placed in circumstances too difficult for the strength imparted to them: for that God is faithful, and will not suffer them to be tempted above that they are able, but will with the temptation make a way to escape, that they may be able to bear it. In the present case, their fall showed them their own infirmity, and gave them future strength, by proving to them on what it must depend, and from whom it must be derived: taught them experience like that of St. Paul, who affirms, "When I am weak, then am I strong :" when I am most afraid safely upheld: when I

of failing, then am I most cast myself on God for help, then I am enabled to do all things to which he calls me.

32. And they came to a place which was called Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray.

4 2 Cor. xii. 10.

33. And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy;

34. And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch.

35. And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.

36. And he said, Abba, Father, All things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.

Many lessons may be learnt from this affecting passage. But the lesson which it most powerfully impresses on us, is that which men are slowest to receive; the dreadful consequences which await unrepented and unpardoned sin. For these consequences were the bitter cup which the Saviour was now about to drink, and which he prayed, if possible, might pass from him. We see him, as man, contending against the foreknowledge of dreadful suffering, against all that our nature most shrinks from: and we see him, not supported, as many of his disciples have since been in similar trials, by a strength beyond their own, but left, as it appears, to experience all the bitterness of unmitigated anguish. No doubt, for a purpose: that we, for whose instruction it is recorded, may be convinced of the reality of that misery which awaits the hardened sinner. The prayer which he utters is of all things most calculated to convince us of that reality. Abba, Father, if it be possible if it be possible that sin can be remitted without the actual payment of this its penalty; or can be remedied without this display of its consequences;-take away this cup from me let me re