The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1865-08-11
IBistelIaneous.
For The Agis and Mtelligencer.
GETHsEMANE.

Twas night in Judah. Jerusalem the
mighty, in all her pride and grandeur, lay
sleeping amid the groves that surrounded
her temple-crowaed bills. flushed were
the sounds of labor and of trade, and the
hurrying to and fro of busy feet. flushed
the songs of birds in the olive groves; no
whispering breeze rustled their leafy Gov.
erts; silence rel ned supreme.
In the unclouded sky the planets wheel
ed their bright discs amid the constella-
tions, glowing in all the glory of the
brightness with which they first shone
upon Adam in Paradise. Above the
Southern horizon blazed the Cross and the
Grown, prophetic emblems of the suffer-
ing and reward of Him who that night
knelt in the garden of Gethsemanc, and
with gaze upturned prayed Father, if
it be Thy will, let this cup pass from me-"
While all within the great city was
peace and quiet and sleep, He knelt among
the damp heritage of the garden-Re-
deemer of the world, yet prey to human
agony; the Son of God, yet "tcmptcd in
all things as other menu the Prince of
Peace, yet deserted by all on earth; even
the beloved disciple slept while the mighty
agony overswept the Master of his love.
No earthly voice was near to soothe and
comfort; no hand to wipe the sweat of
agony. He was alone amid the silence
and darkness no human ear heard his
groans, but myriads of angels looked pity
ingly down, and waited but the bidding
of the Father to minister unto Him and
angel eyes wept tears of grief for every
bloody drop that stained the beautiful
brow of the Man of Sorrows. But He
must bear the burden alone; and who can
form an adequate idea of the awful an.
guish of those hours of darkness and soil
tude who can conceive of that passion Of
grief? A man, tempted in all things as
other men," earth had its attractions for
him. Mayhap earthly love added one
pang to the foreseen parting with all of
earth. AS man, He shrank from the ply
steal suffering that must be endured in
that last departure as Lord and Saviour,
lie sorrowed for the sins of an unregene-
rate world, and the great anguish and suf-
fering of that night were the preparation
for the rendering of Himself as the atom
ing sacrifice for the transgressions of man.
"Touched with feeling of our infrmi.
ties, He prayed that the end might not
yet be; but rapidly the hour was drawing
near when the great agony would close
the sacrifice be complete.
Soon was seen through the darkness an
approaching train of lights, and was heard
the confused murmur of an advancing
multitude. Saying again--"Nevertheless,
not my will but thino be done," He went
forth to meet them, with no word upon His
lips save the mild rebuke, care We come
out as against thief, with swords and
slaves, to take me?" They bound Him
as "lamb for the slaughter" and led
into the city, among the vile rabble who
Kissed at and reviled him, "the Mighty
One, beside whose greatness and grandeur
the monarchs of earth and their magnifi-
cence, were but as notes in tho beams of
the sun.
Twas for us and for our sins that He
who commanded the sea and it obeyed
Him; who might have called down lie.
gions from on high-knelt alone amid the
darkness, and suffered papgs compared
with which death was as nothing. Twas
for US He sweat drops of blood. Twas
for us He conquered fear and temptation
and earthly attachm nts. Twas for us