American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-08-22

helpless suffering But listen again. prayer
is ascending the heavens: and what prayer,
and in what tones it is uttered. Such accents
never before rung on the ear of God or man:
"Father, I'LL be possible, let This cup pass from
me-" 1t is still again, and nature herself seems
to gasp for breath: and 10, there arises another
voice in tones of resignation sweeter than an
gels use, "Father, not mig will but thine be done.
Oh, what inexpressible tenderness is poured in
that word "Father"-the very passion and soul
OF love is breathed forth in it. Wearied and
worn, that lettering form slowly rises and moves
through the gloom towards where the three
friends are sleeping-going iii its humanity at-
ter sympathy. The pressure is too great-the
sorrow and despair too deep, and the human
heart reaches out its hands imporingly for help.
"What could you not avatch lUith me one hour?"
falls on their sunberous ears, and the lonely
sufferer turns again to his solitude and his woe.
Prone on the earth he again casts himself, and
the wave comes back with heavier and dar-
ker flow. Bursting signs and groans that rend
the human heart again startle the midnight air,
and adown those pale checks the blood is trick
ling, and the dewy grass turns red as if woun-
ded man were Welterng there. The life stream
is flowing from the crushed heart, as it trem-
bles and wlestles in the grasp of its mighty Ag-
ony. Wee and darkness, and horror incon-
! ceivable, understandable, gather in fearful COM
partnership around that PROSTATE form, but still
the prayer goes up, and still the voice of resig-
nation hoVers amid the tumult like the breath
OF God over world in chaos, ruling the wild
scene.
Oh, is this the form that few days ago stood
on this same height and looked off on Jerusalem
sleeping below, while the sunlight around, and
the fragrant breezes loaded with the scent of
the pomegranate and vine, visited in kindness
his brow, and the garden smiled up in his face
from beneath, and garments were srowed be-
fore him, and branches of palm waved around
him, and "HosANNA TO THE HIGHEsT!" shook
the hill Alas, what a change has passed over
him. No hosannas greet his ear, but deep
within his soul are voices of terror and dsmay,
striving, but in vain, to shake his constancy or
darken his faith.
AT length the sacrifice was paid, the faithful
baptism endured, and the brow prepared for its
chaplet of thorns. The agony was over, but
the Son Of God, weak and exhausted, lay help
less on the earth, when 10, bright wing flash
ed through the gloom, and ''an angel appeared
strengthening him." Oh no wing ever before
passed the portals of heaven with such light
nng-llke rapdty, nor even when the birth
song arose from the manager of Bethlehem, as
! :
and never before did they so iovously enclose
with their bright toldings human or divine
form: as when they wrapped the bloody, ex-
hausted body of the Son of God.
The first act in the fearful tragedy had now
passed, and the second was soon to commence.
| There was, however, to be an interval of in
| suits, scorn and mockeIy.
Christ arose from the earth he had moisten-
ed with his blood, and stood beneath the stars,
that still shone on as TRANQUILITY as if all UNI
conscious of the scene that had transpired in
their light. Kedron still murmured by, and
the night air stirred the leaves as gently as
ever. All was sweet and tranquil, when torches
were seen dancing TO and fro along the slopes
of the hill, and the heavy tread of approach
ing feet was heard, and rough voices broke the
holy quiet of nature; ana soon Roman helmets
flashed through the gloom and swords glittered
in the torchlight, and band of soldiers drew
up before 'the man of sorrows" "Whom seek
ye?" fell in lanquid and quiet accents on their
ears. "Jesus of Nazareth was the short and
stern reply. 81 am he," answered them, but in
tones that had more of God than man in them,
tor swords and torches sunk to the earth at
their utterance, and those mailed warriors
staggered back and fell like dead men. 1t was
not the haggard and blood-streaked face over
which the torches shed their sudden glare, that
unnerved them so, for they were used to scenes
of violence and of murder-it was the God
speaking from the man.
"But it must be, that the Scriptures may be
ful6lled;" and the betrayer and his accomplices
take up their fallen weapons, and freed from
the sudden awe that overwhelmed them, close
threateningly around their unresisting victim.
With their prisoner they clatter down the de-
clivity Of Olvet, cross Kedron, and soon their
heavy tread resounds along the streets of Jeru-
salem as they hurry on to the house of the
high priest.
The night wanes away-the morning-the
last dreadful morning approaches, and the
scenes of Mount Olvet are to disappear before
the terrible tragedy of Mount Calvary.