Connecticut western news., 1890-10-22
JESUS IN GETHSEMANE,
LESSON W, FOURTH QUARTER, IN
 TERNATIONAL SERIES, OCT. 26.

LESSON W, FOURTH QUARTER, IN-
 TERNATloNAL SERIES, OCT. 26. Text of the Lesson, Luke xii, 39-53.
 Commit Verses 4043-Golden Texs.
 Isa. lii, 3-Commentary by Rev. D. M.
 Stearns.
 Compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by per.
 uission oe H. s. Hoffman. publisher, Philadel-
 phia.1
 S0. "And He came out and went as He was wont to the Mount of Olives; and His disciples also followed Him." After the last lesson we must listen to His most gracious words as recorded in John xiv, xv, xvi, then we hear them sing a hymn, and then bow our heads and hearts in deepest adoration as we hear Him pray as never man prayed before (John xviD. He prayed so earnestly for them, and for us who believe on Him through their word, and again as He thinks of His finished work the glory fills His vision, and He asks that for us, too. Then they follow Him, no doubt silent and wondering, hay ing heard such strange things about an- other to take His place as their comforter, teacher, friend. He had often gone to this mount before in the evening (chap. xxi, N; John viii, D, but perhaps never so late as this; and now it was the last time, and He was more alone than ever as far as human sympathy went. His disciples fol low. but they do not understand.
 70. "And when He was at the place He said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation" They had all joined Peter in saying that they would never deny Him CMark xiv, s1), and now they are about to have little test of how far they can go with Him and how much they can bear for Him. According to Mark, He left the eleven (perhaps just inside the garden), and took Peter, James and John, and be- gan to be sore amazed and very heavy, say ing, My soul Is exceeding sorrowful unto death" As He enters into the deep pening shadows of the cross only these three are privileged to come near
 Al. "And He was withdrawn from them about stone's cast and kneeled down and prayed" The shadows still deepen, and these, too, must be left.
 z2. Saying, Father, if thou be willing remove this cup from Me; nevertheless, not My will but Thine be done" He can not mean the cross and His being made curse thereon, for to that He steadily and unfltnchingly iourneyed; but this Is an- other cup, a sore conflict with the enemy of which we can understand but little. Let me state 1t as see 1t and then prove it. In His great atonement which He came to ac- comphsh He was to be made curse by be- ing hung upon 8 tree Gal. i'll, 13). His hands and feet were to be pierced Ps. xxu, 16E yet not 6 bone was to be broken Ex. xh, 40. Thus His death by cruci1xfon was plainly foretold and must be fulfilled. Now if Satan could manage to kill Him in this Gethsemane conflict, then the work that Be eame to do would be undone. This seems to have been the aim of the adver- saxy. And if the Father should SO will 1t, Jesus would submit.
 43. "And there appeared an angel unto Him from heaven strengthening Him." One of those blessed ones 30 ready to wait upon Him and upon all who are His; who announced and heralded His birth, and who waited upon Him at His resurrection, and spoke to Mary and the other women % kindly.
 A. "And being in an agony He prayed more earnestly; and Ills sweat was, as 1t were, great drops of blood falling down to tho ground" Being strengthened He con- t1Dues the conflict and is victor; but who can ts1 tho agony which caused this sweat like drops of blood,
 x "And when He rose up from prayer 8k20 W00 COu10 IO O48Clple8 do IOUuO them sleeping for sorrow."
 lh "And said unto them, Why sleep yei Rise and pray lest ye enter into tempta- don-" It was 8 poor fulf1llment of their readiness to die with Him; but as He said, while their spirit was willing their flesh was weak" and He pitied them.
 7. "And while He yet spake, behold . multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss Him." He has been contending with the adversary in pefson, and now He Is about to meet him in ono of His professed disciples, who while pxofeasing friendship has murder in his bsArt. From the supper Judas went out, Satan having entered into him (John xiii, N- And having received from the chief priests . band of officers and men, they eame with lanterns and torches and wea- pons to arrest Jesus (John Xviii, 3. From bsdng treasurer of the twelve, and out ward1y a disciple of Christ, he has now cone out in his true colors as an adversary, devil While of the number of the twelve he he'd never been a truly chosen one (John xiu. 1g.
 46. "But Jesus said unto him, Judas, be- txayest thou the Son of Man with kissf' Mark says that Judas said, Master, mas ter," and kissed him.
 70. "When they which were about Him saw what would follow, they said unto H1m, Lord, shall we smite with the swordf" Had He not spoken of sword and advised their obtaining thems This, then, was surely the time to use them. But ah they knew Him not, they understood Him not, they had not much of His spirit; while we may lawfully defend, we must not attack.
 50 And one of them smote the servant aA AA.h h{rvI, A<v1% O Tho servants name was Malchus, and 1t was Simon Peter who blundered (John Xviii, 10. Had Peter been watching and praying instead of sleeping he had not acted thus rashly and unbddden.
 H. "And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far, and He touched his ear and healed him" Suffer ye thus far is not as If He said to Peter, You have gone far enough, be content, for Peter had gone too far and Jesus gently rebukes him, and also ad3s, 'oThinkest thou that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He shall presently givs nc more than twelve leetons of an 6nls" QGatt. xxvi, 51-6s). But Re says to those who would apprehend Him, who wore probably making noise enough about Pster's ac*, and ready to kill Peter, 'tBear edy 1t" and at the same time He restores the mans car. His last act of healing is upon an enemy who has suffered at the hands o& one of Hs disciples.
 "And Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of tho temple, and the elders, which wore come to Him, Be ye come out e a0sjns4 . thief, with swords and stavesi" Had He been sonne robber chief they could hardly have made greater preparation to take Him. But when we consider that He vas the Prince of Peace, the meek and lowly Jesus, harmless as a dove, how strange it all ses1nedi
 & "When I was daily with you in the