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truly is ready, but the flesh is weak." From the disciples falling asleep while our Lord was away, as well as from his retiring to pray, it would appear, that he spent some time in his addresses. The sorrows of our Lord's soul still continuing, he went and prayed a second time to the same purpose. "He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done," Matt. xxvi. 42. "And he came and found them asleep again for their eyes were heavy," Matt. xxvi. 43. He returned thus frequently to his disciples, that by reading his distress in his countenance and gesture, they might be witnesses of his passion. Our Lord's pains on this occasion were intense beyond expression; for he went away the third time to pray. And notwithstanding an angel was sent from heaven, who strengthened him, they threw him into an agony: upon which, he prayed more earnestly. Yet the sense of his sufferings increased; for they agitated his whole body to such a degree, that his blood was pressed through the pores of his skin along with his sweat, and fell down in great drops on the ground. "And he left them, and went away again," Matt. xxvi. 44. "And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him," Luke xxii. 43. "And being in an agony, he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat* was as it were great drops of blood falling down

* His sweat, &c. Some expositors have thought that this expression implies that bis drops of sweat were large and clammy like clots of gore; and others have taken it in a metaphorical sense; fancying that as those who weep bitterly are said to weep blood, so they may be said to sweat blood, who sweat excessively, by reason of hard labour, or acute pain. But the greater part of good writers more justly affirm, that our Lord's sweat was really mixed with blood to such a degree, that its colour and consistency was as if it had been wholly blood. For the Greek particle, in the above sentence ou (as it were,) does not always denote similitude, but sometimes reality, as John i. 14, as the only begotten of the Father.

200;

Dr. Whitby observes that Aristotle, and Siculus mention bloody sweats as attending some extraordinary agony of mind. Leti, in his life of Pope Sixtus, v. p. Sir John Chardin, in his history of Persia; and Dr. Jackson, in his works, vol. ii. p. 819, all mention instances of this phenomenon. Voltaire also, in his Univers.

to the ground." Luke xxii. 44. Thus Jesus suffered unspeakable sorrows in his soul, as long as the divine wisdomsaw fit. At length he obtained relief, being heard on account of his perfect submission to the will of God. "And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow," Luke xxii. 45. This circumstance shews how much the disciples were affected with their Master's sufferings. The sensations of grief which they felt at the sight of his distress so overpowered them, that they sunk into sleep. cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on "Then now, and take your rest," Matt. xxvi. 45. This sentence may be read interrogatively, "Do ye sleep still, and take your rest? (see Mill on Mark xiv. 41,) behold the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners." "Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me," Matt. xxvi. 46.

While the blessed Jesus, with his disciples, continued in the garden, Judas repaired to the priests with whom he had agreed to betray him, and told them that this was the proper moment for the execution of their enterprise, for it was night. This was the advantage they desired, because they durst not seize him by day for fear of the people. Coming thither with an armed multitude* and the traitor Judas at their head, they enter the garden, where they soon found the object of their malice: but the Holy Jesus having by this time joined his disciples, and

Hist. ch. 142 says, "Charles IX. died in his twenty-fifth year. The malady he died of was very extraordinary: the blood gushed out of all his pores. This accident, of which there are some instances, was owing either to excessive fear, to violent passion, or to a warm and melancholy constitution."

* Armed Multitude. This was composed partly of a band of Roman soldiers, procured from the Governor by the Priests; and partly of a company of the Pharisees, Elders, and principal Priests, and their servants, carrying lanterns, to shew the way; for, though it was always full-moon at the passover, the sky might probably be clouded, and the place to which they were going shaded with

trees.

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standing among them, that the guards sent to apprehend him, might not mistake him, Judas had given them the hint, that he whom he should kiss was the person. But Judas might have spared this part of his treason, for the Divinity of his Master soon discovered him. However, approaching him with an address of seeming civility, he kissed him. Then Jesus, seeing the soldiers coming towards him, demanded whom they sought? They answer. ed, "Jesus of Nazareth;" upon which, knowing his time was now come, he tells them, "I am he;" thus intimating, that he was willing to put himself into their hands. Then offering, with their profane hands, to seize him, the impetuous rays of glory which issued from his Divine countenance, affected them so powerfully, that they fell to the ground. But these soldiers, true servants of the persecuting Jews, recovering from their fall, and raised by the permission of Jesus, still persisted in their enquiry after him, who was ready and desirous to be sacri. ficed. But Jesus, as he had done before, begins the enquiry, and informs them that he was Jesus of Nazareth, whom they sought upon which, one of the most bold and audacious advancing to seize him, Peter, as if ready singly to engage the whole band, drew his sword, and by a desperate blow at the head of Malchus, a servant of the HighPriest, cut off his right ear. But Jesus rebuked the intemperance of his passion, and commanded him to put up his sword, saying, "They that strike with the sword shall perish with the sword;" intimating hereby, that we ought to restrain all violent expressions of anger and revenge. And then turning to Malchus, he touched his wounded head and cured him; adding to the former instance of his power, in casting down to the ground those

*

manner;

Sword. There were two swords in Christ's family, and St. Peter bore one: Either because he was to kill the paschal-lamb; or according to the custom of the country, to secure them from beasts of prey, which in those parts were frequent and dangerous in the night. But now St. Peter used it in an unjustifiable for as the kingdom of Christ is not of this world, the defence of it is not of a secu lar nature. The weapons of the Christian warfare, are not carnal but spiritual; yet rendered invincible by his mighty power.

who came to take him, an act of miraculous mercy, in curing the wound of an enemy inflicted by a friend. But further to convince Peter of the uselessness of human power in his defence, he tells him, "If* I would forcibly be relieved, I could pray to my Father, who would immediately furnish me with an army of angels. But the prophets have foretold that I must suffer, and their predictions must be accomplished." He therefore permitted himself to be taken, but not his disciples;† for he it was that set them their bounds; and he secured his apostles to be witnesses of his sufferings and glory, after which they were to have their share and fellowship in affliction.

When our Blessed Lord, in humble resignation to his Father's will, and for the redemption of the world, had yielded himself into the hands of his enemies, his disciples fled; among whom was a young man, that had a linen cloth cast about his naked body, whom the soldiers endeavoured to apprehend by laying hold on the linen; but he left it in their hands, and fled from them naked, though Peter followed his Master at a distance.

After the soldiers had bound Jesus, they dragged him away to the High-Priest's, but the house of Annas, which stood on mount Sion, being in the way to the house of Caiaphas the High-Priest, he was led thither, as to the first stage of their triumph over him. When the band of soldiers arrived at the High-Priest's with Jesus, they found many of the chief priests, and the Scribes, and the

If. See Matt. xxvi. 53, &c.

+ Disciples. See John xviii. 8.

Fled. See Matt. xxvi. 56. Mark xiy. 50, 51, &c,

Young Man. This is by some supposed to be John the Evangelist, who through grief had forgot to lay aside his upper garment, which in festivals they used to put on, and began to make his escape; but being arrested by this linen garment, he was forced to leave that behind him, that himself might avoid his Master's danger. But it is far more probable that this young man was the proprietor of the garden, who being awakened by the noise, came out of his adja. cent apartment with the linen cloth in which he had been lying, and having a friendship for Jesus followed him, forgetting his dress.

1 Fled. When John had conquered the first emotions of his terror, he returned, and was shortly after in the High-Priest's hall. See John xviii. 16,

elders, assembled there. Some persons of distinction, however, may have been absent, whose coming the rest would wait for. Wherefore, although the soldiers brought Jesus to the High-Priest's shortly after midnight, his trial did not begin till about three in the morning; the intermediate time being spent in procuring witnesses, in sending for the absent members, and in gathering the clerks and officers of the court. For that Jesus was tried by the council, not in the temple as many suppose, but in the High-Priest's palace, is evident from John xviii. 28, where we are told, that they led Jesus from Caiaphas's house to the prætorium.*"And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people, and the chief priests, and the Scribes, came together, and led him into their council." The court therefore being duly constituted, and the prisoner placed at the bar, the trial began about break of day. "The High-Priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine:" he asked him who his disciples were, for what end he had gathered them, whether it was to make himself a king; and what the doctrine was which he taught them? In these questions there was a great deal of art. For as the crime laid to our Lord's charge was, that he had set himself up for the Messiah and deluded the people, they expected he would claim that dignity in their presence, and so without farther trouble they would have condemned him on his own confession. But to oblige a prisoner, to confess what might take away his life, being an unjust method of procedure, Jesus complained of it with reason, and bade them prove what they laid to his charge by witnesses. "Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the tem ple, whither the Jews always resort, and in secret have I said nothing. Why askest thou me? ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them; behold, they know what I said." It was greatly to the honour of our Lord's character, that all his actions were done in public,

* Prætorium. Luke xxii, 66.

† Day. John xviii, 19.. Witnesses. John xviii. 20...

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