to be eye-witnesses of his passion, leaving the other disciples at the garden door, to watch the approach of Judas and his band.

The sufferings he was on the point of undergoing were so great, that the very prospect of them terrified him, and made him express himself in this doleful exclamation, My soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death; tarry ye here, and watch." On this great occasion he sustained those grievous sorrows in his soul, by which, as well as by dying on the cross. he became a sin-offering, and accomplished the redemption of mankind.

He now withdrew from them about a stone's cast, and his huinan nature being overburdened beyond measure, he found it necessary to retire and pray, that if it was possible, or consistent with the salvation of the world, he might be delivered from the sufferings which were then lying on him. It was not the fear of dying on the cross, which made him speak or pray in such a manner. To suppose this would infinitely degrade his character. Make his sufferings as terrible as possible, clothe them with all the aggravating circumstances of distress; the blessed Jesus, whose human nature was strengthened by being connected with the divine, could not shrink at the prospect of sufferings, or betray a weakness which many of his followers, who, though mere men, were strangers to. He addresses his divine Father with a sigh of fervent wishes that the cup might, if possible, be removed from him in the Greek it is, "O that thou wouldest remove this cup from me!" And having first kneeled and prayed, he fell prostrate on his face, accompanying his address with due expressions of resignation, adding, immediately, "Not as I will,

but as thou wilt.'

Having prayed, he returned to his disciples, and finding them asleep, he said to Peter, "Simon, sleepest thou? couldest thou not watch one hour?" Thou, who so lately didst boast of thy courage and constancy in my service, canst thou so soon forget thy Master?

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But in his greatest distress he never lost sight of that kind concern he had for his disciples. "Watch ye," said he, " and pray, lest ye enter into temptation." Neither was he, on those extraordinary occasions, in the least chagrined with the offences which they had committed through frailty and human weakness; on the contrary, was always willing to make excuses for them; alleging, in their defence," that the spirit" truly "was willing, but the flesh was weak." It seems, from these particulars, that he spent some considerable time in his addresses; because the disciples fell asleep in his absence, and he himself retired again to pray; for the sorrows of our Lord continuing to increase upon him, affected him to such a degree, that he retired a second time, and prayed to the same purpose, saying, "O my

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Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done:" after which he returned again to them, and found them asleep, "for their eyes were heavy.'

He returned thus frequently to his disciples, that they, by reading his distress in his countenance and gesture, might be witnesses of his passion, which proves, that his pains were beyond description intense, and complicated; for he went away the third time to pray, and notwithstanding an angel was sent from heaven to comfort and strengthen him, yet they overwhelmed him, and threw him into an agony: upon which he still continued to pray more earnestly.

But the sense of his sufferings still increasing, they strained his whole body to so violent a degree, that his blood, as it were, was pressed through the pores of his skin, which they pervaded, together with his sweat, and fell down in large drops on the ground "And he left them and went away again. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed the more earnestly; and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground." Thus did he suffer unspeakable sorrows in his soul, as long as the divine wisdom thought proper.

At length he obtained relief, being heard on account of his perfect and entire submission to the will of his heavenly Father. "And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow." This circumstance shows how much the disciples were affected with their Master's sufferings. The sensations of grief which they felt on seeing his unspeakable distress, so overpowered them, that they sunk into sleep.

Our blessed Saviour, for the last time, came to his disciples, and seeing them still asleep, he said, "Sleep on now, and take your rest; 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. 45, &c. The event will soon be over, which causes your sorrow; I am betrayed, and ready to be delivered unto death.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

The blessed Redeemer is taken by a band of Soldiers, at the information of the traitor Judas.-Heals a wound given the High Priest's servant by Simon Peter.

JUDAS, who had often resorted to the garden of Gethsemane with the disciples of our Lord, knowing the spot, and the usual time of his Master's repairing thither, informed the chief priests and elders that the proper time for apprehending Jesus was now come. They therefore sent a band of soldiers with him, and servants carrying lanterns and torches to show them the way; because, though it was always full moon at the passover, the sky might be dark with clouds, and the place whither they were going was shaded with trees. At the same time a deputation of their number accompanied the band, to see that every one did his duty.

Judas having thus received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and pharisees, they went thither with lanterns, and torches, and weapons; for they were exceeding anxious to secure and get him into their hands: and the soldiers having. perhaps, never seen Jesus before, found it necessary that Judas should distinguish him, and point him out to them by some particular sign.

The treacherous Judas went before the band, at a small distance, to prepare them for the readier execution of their office, by kissing his Master, which was the token agreed upon, that they might not mistake him, and seize a wrong person. “And he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near unto Jesus, to kiss him." Stung with remorse at the horrid engagement into which he had entered, and not being now able to retract from the execution of it, he determined to make use of art in his vile proceedings, and weakly imagined he could deceive him whom he was about to betray, on a supposition, that when he should give the kiss, it might be considered by his Master as a singular mark of his affection. When, therefore, they approached near the spot, Judas (who was at the head of the band) suddenly ran forward, and coming up with Jesus, said, "Hail, Master! and kissed him. And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?" Before, however, Judas could make any reply, the band (who had fixed their eyes on the person he had kissed) arrived immediately, and surrounded Jesus.

The artifice and wicked design of the base and perfidious Judas are here manifestly displayed. In order to conceal his villany from his Master and his disciples, he walked hastily, and without waiting for the band, went up directly and saluted him; wishing, perhaps, to have that considered as a token for apprising him of his danger. But Jesus did not fail to convince him that he knew the meaning and intent of his salutation, saying, "Betravest thou the Son of man with a kiss?" Judas certainly concealed his treachery so well, that Peter did not suspect him, as it is probable he would have struck at him, rather than at Malchus, the high priest's servant.

The appointed time of our Lord's sufferings being now come, he did not, as formerly, avoid his enemies; but on the contrary, on their telling him they sought Jesus of Nazareth, he replied, "I am he:" thereby intimating to them, that he was willing to put himself into their hands. At the same time to show them that they could not apprehend him without his own consent, he, in an extraordinary manner, exerted his divine power; he made the whole band fall back, and threw them to the ground. "Jesus, therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus said unto them, I am he. And Judas also who betrayed him, stood with them. As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground." But the soldiers and the Jews, imagining, perhaps, that they had been thrown down by some demon or evil spirit, with whom the Jews said he was in confederacy, advanced towards him a second time. "Then asked he them again, Whom seek ye? and they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he," expressing again his willingness to fall into their hands. "If, therefore, ye seek me, let these go their way." If your business be with me alone, suffer my disciples to pass: for the party had surrounded them also. He seems to have made this request to the soldiers, that the saying might be fulfilled which he spake, "of them which thou gavest me have I lost none." For as he always proportioned the trials of his people to their strength; so here he took care that the disciples should escape the storm, which none but himself could sustain.

At length one of the soldiers, more daring than the rest, rudely caught Jesus, and bound him; upon which Peter drew his sword, and smote off the ear of the high priest's servant, who probably was showing greater forwardness than the rest in this business. "Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear; the servant's name was Malchus." The enraged disciple was on the point of singly attacking the whole band, when

Jesus ordered him to sheath his sword; telling him that his unseasonable and imprudent defence might prove the occasion of his destruction. "Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword." Matt. xxvi. 52. He told him likewise, that it implied both a distrust of God, who can always employ a variety of means for the safety of his people, and also his ignorance in the Scriptures. "Thinkest thou, said he, "that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must be?" Matt. xxvi. 53.

The word legion was a Roman military term, being the name which they gave to a body of five or six thousand men : wherefore, in regard that the band which now surrounded them was a Roman cohort, our Lord might make use of this term, by way of contrast, to show what an inconsiderable thing the cohort was, in comparison of the force he could summon to his assistance; more than twelve legions, not of soldiers, but of angels. He yet was tenderly inclined to prevent any bad consequences which might have flowed from Peter's rashness, by healing the servant, and adding, in his rebuke to him, a declaration of his willingness to suffer. "The cup which my Father has given me, shall I not drink it?"

The circumstance of his healing the ear of Malchus, by touching it, evidently implies, that no wound, or distemper, was incurable in the hands of Jesus: neither was any injury so great that he could not forgive. It seems somewhat surprising that this evident miracle did not make an impression upon the chief priests, especially as our Lord put them in mind, at the same time, of his other miracles; for having first said, "Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear and healed him:" he added, "Be ye come out as against a thief, with swords and staves? When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness." Luke, xxii. 51, &c. The priests had kept at a distance, for some time, but drew near, when they understood that Jesus was in their power; for they were proof against all conviction, being obstinately bent on putting him to death. And the disciples, when they saw their Master in the hands of his enemies, forsook him, and fled, according to hist prediction: notwithstanding they might have followed him with out danger, as the priests had no design against them. "Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled. Then the band and the captain and officers took Jesus and bound him." But it was not the cord which held him; his immense charity was by far the stronger bond. He could have broken those weak ties and