The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1856-02-16
Cite Californian.
MORAL. A\D RELIGION =.
TVIII "
AN HOUR IN GETHSEMANE.

those blessed feet which were nailed to the
cro... led me do wp the side Of Olvet to the
garden Of Gethsemane.
10 not know that this is the spot. the pre-
Else spot which was hallowed by the agony
and PRAYER. Of the Son of God. But it has
long been regarded a. the locality. and the
tradition is entitled to more respect than many
OF the authorities which have fixed the site
Of the sacred places in this holy land. 1t IS
better to accept the tradition and enter into
the emotions it awaktns, rather than to in
luyc in specnlations which can lead to no
more satisfactory conclusion. And there is
nothing to conflict with the belief that this is
the garden. X is over the brook KedrOn.
and at the foot of the Mount Of Olives. and
lust out Of the city, near enough to he the
,pot TO which the Saviour retired, and en-
dured that agony which no human heart has
ever felt. It is a field or garden about fifty
paces square. with few shrubs growing in
it and eigh. olive trees Of great antiquity. the
whole enclosed with stone wall. Around it
are other enclosures of the same kind, and
olive trees that are quite as old. But those
have stood here in all probability a thousand
wears or more. and such is the longevity Of
the tree, that many are willing to believe
that some Of these trees and more on the
Mount above it. are the same under the shade
Of which the Saviour sat, and Of whose fruit
he ate. DR.. Robinson SAYS, The spot was
not unprobably fixed upon durius the visit
Of Helena to Jerusalem in the year A. u. 326,
when the places Of the crucifxion were sup
posed to be identified Eusebius, writing ap-
parently few years afterwar Is, says Geth-
se,nane was as the Mount Of Olives, and wa
then place Of prayer for the faithful Six
~ wears or more afterwards, jerome places
it at the foot Of the mountain, and saws a
church had been built over it, which is also
mentioned by Throphanss as existing near
the end of the seventh century"
1t was in sympathy with the sorrows of the
Master, and with a stronger serse Of the lite
raj truthfulne.s Of the story of his agony
than | had ever felt, that now entered this
enclosure, and sat down under enc Of the Sc
venerable trees, and thought, as one can no
where else on earth he able to think Of Hin
who bore our sorrows here. The morning
sun was just rising over the eastern hill-tops
and the world was not astir. The silent c;,y
raised its walls above me, and the wide
sprcad land of .Judea seemed to enclose mt
~ i'll we're the only pilgrim now at the
shrine Of the sufferer Of Gethsemane. Her'
lie came with his dis,ipcs-ior 6 he Oftilne:
rSsorted th,thcr and when they were gath
cred within this GARDEN he said to his com
panions, "Sh ve here, while 90 and pra,
wonder" And he took with him Peter an'
james and John. and sought more SECLUDED
spot, and there gave up himself to those wave
Of anguish which human nature unsustaine'
BIZ the divine could not have borne. lie be
gan to be sorrowtul. and to be sore amazed
and to be very heavy. And he said to TIT
three disciples, My soul is exceeding sor
rowful even unto death: tarry We here, AM
watch with me-" And now came on the az
ony that n ~ of these thr e. that nome NIGH
bear will. him or helold. ii. left tlcn, an
went AWAY alone into the darkness and drev
or solitude. and tell on his face on tie ground
And he said abba. Father u my Fatl
or. If be possible. let this cup pass fror
nc nevertheless not nv will bu: thine b
done" And then an angel from hcave
came anil strengthened the man OF sorrows.
am now in the midst Of that s.cne, an
it needs but darkness to make me- almost sen
shlc Of the presence Of the sufferer and hi
heavenly friend But his anguish increase
in spite of the messages Of comfort brought t
him from his Father. E,H,j !" an ngony. h
prayed more earnestly: bis sweat was. as
were, great drops of blood falling down to tn
ground II is not said that the blessed Saw
our sweat blood; nor" hlodtlv sweat; an
I do not know that we have arv right to sur
nose that his suierings were such as to Pre-
duce thi. strange and awfu! effect. We hav
read. in the books. of cases Of human suite,
ing 20 excrucia,ing AZ to cause the sweat mix
e,l with blood, tc stand out on the body an
fall to the ground It might have been $
with the Lord Jesus. lie was now strivn
unto blood in the gre It struggle for mans re
demption. lie was now treating the win
press alone, and as he was wounded for on
transcressions and bruised for our inicuitie.
do not doubt that the load CT agony crushc
him beyond the capacity Of any man to er
,lure. The divinity that was in him did nc
suffer, but it c,hercaIized hi, sensibilite.
rendered every nerve more keenlv alive t
main. anil strengthened him to sustain III
wright Of a worlds misery as it pressed O.
his heart. lie did not die there lie was DIV
ing there. AMI so he was dying all the wav a
long from that Manager where we found hin
to the Calvary where we are soon to stand =
but the God within the man upheld the flesl
now sinking. sweating az it were great dron
OF blood, and ready to yield the spirit, Agar
he prayed and the third time. wonderful OK
ample for his people in all time to come, he
prayed saying. 80 my Father if this cur
may not pass away from me, except I drink
Il. thv will he done :" NOthino in tho h;s,o-