Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-10-18
Sunday School Lesson Notes.
BY REV. j. o. sHERBURN.

lesson are the most thrilling and touching
OF any portrayed by human language
Noble and devoted men have been scorned
and rejected of their fellows; have even
died at the hands of those they sought to
serve, but none under such a weight OF
shame, or such Il load of imputed guilt as
| did the Son of man.
From the solemn exercises of the pa IS.
over, and the more touching scenes Of the
Lords supper. Jesus goes out from Jeru
salem TO garden, east of the city, where
be and his disciples had often resorted tc
avoid the crowds and turmoil of the town
We may suppose that it was near mid
night as their sop in the supper room
bad been protractel both by the added
services of the newly Instituted feast, ant
| oY the loving Discourse h III with the
Master. The passover fclsls were aiwtv,
arIi al the tut m)on hnnra one nav
Inige that thr niE1, WAS not DARK, indeed
The disciples could see Jesus, tbuuph p,
"a- withdrawn from them by the distance
"l stones east, rnd the maid seryan
saw and remembered the ficr of P,. =
Sill, we are told that .he company comm,
u arrest him were furnished with lantern,
and torches. The day hid doubtless been
warm AS would be natural in Juiea u,
Lnat season but the night was cold ant
became 50 chilly toward dawn tut in the
palace oftha high priest u fire va, KNITTED
for comfort, It's mD),.l.a n,.Lplnlni
ot these circumstances trivial tn Ough they
are, VIII N We seek to form mental pict.
ure of that night in the garden
Into The garden of Ge'hsemane. or the
olive press, Jesus came with the eleven
Eight of the number we're dismissed nra,
the entrance rs we suppose while the
chosen three, who hll alsI bonn, with lin
on tho mount of TRANSPORTATION, wGnl
Oh with nlm ia o tn1 interior o. the iuelo.
sure. He gave the disciples to understand
that he was about to withdraw for PRAYER
and up to this -Im3 it appears that they
saw no unusual manifestations of sorrow
or alarm. But now he began to be sore
amazed, and very heavy. He declares
tha! his soul is exceeding sorrowful, even
dealhly anguish had come upon him.
We must not with irreverent hands seek
to tear the veil from this mystery of sorrow
or presume nppontly to expltin its mean.
ing.
Some things we can readily appreciate
10 nature so finely organizodas was lha,
OF Oar Master, to soul 50 generous,
unselfish and tender, the abuse heapec
upon him by his own people. and the
treachery of Judas must have been very
great sorrow. There is also mystery oil
foreknown pain and torture which we may
partly appreciate, but can never know rs
Christ did, because with him there was
a divine provision of these things. The
shrinking from torture of any kind does
not argue cowardice, but only a nature that
has not been hardened and rendered strong
by long training to insensbility in these
things. But these various items. which
were as aggravating circumstances in the
sorrow that fell upon Jesus in the garden
do not make up the sum total, or even
the large part, of that sorrow. He suffered
for sin. He incurred the wrath of God
for ii ime the Fathers face was turned
away from him. All the meaning of tina
dreadful agony we may not know. Blu
if we have ever felt the infinite illdesert
of sin and seen the curse hanging over us
we can reflect that not only was the chas.
tiscment of our peace, but that of olr
race upon him. "Ihou Son of Col and
son Of NJ IN, was ever grief like thine y!
Jesus Withdrew a little from even the
most favored of ms followers, AMI falling
upon his face. the position of humhlcs
"taRo nwar this cup from me Much
discussion has tri1rn rs to the rnll puC
port of Christ'' words as here given DiI
he really falter ia his mission or crave tc
b. released when the stern OF led clmaa
Such 4 view would greatly degrade him
in our eyes, and give us altogether Il false
nD'io1 of his chTlcter Hni3 rp)3trs
q setsonable eXpllnl'tpl Of the prayer
the nature OF Christ was infinitely pure
the approach of sin was u terrible shock
to that ntture Ega1 impl'el guilt wts
4 h)rror t. his soul Nigh not h. ir
some way do his work and become The
worlds redeem n withou""b com ng sin.
rs the scripture hls il, or ac'uLlY taking
the condemned sinners plNct IN Htln line
under the wrath Of the Almighty. We cal
never gat 1t tho full me lnlnT Of this mat
ter inasmuch rs we can never porfectl,
understand the mysterious union Of th'
human and divine in Christ. This We mt7
in measure appreciate however; the
burden folr sins was so gceat upou hin
that in the agony of his soul he cried on
10 be spared, though he had no though
Of giving up the purpose Of his mission
or of leaving fallen man to perish. Tht
prayer may with propriety be termed al
ejaculation uttered when anguish over
came reflection, and the impulse, frs
arising in the heart, sprang instantly t
the lips.
The next incident mentioned my seen
strange to us at first but not passin;
strange think when the circumstance
are considered. The disciples slept! Ho,
could they sleep Mt such time, some or
is ready to sayp But let us reflect mC
ment. The week had been an unusuall
busy one. They had been going to an
from Bethany each day. Both food an
+ rest had been irregular. Once coming t
the city in the morning Christ sought
, vain for food upon a wayside tree. tt
excitement had been intense. Ambition