The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1895-05-02
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FoE
MAY ..
Lesson Text; "Thc Agony In Geth-
scmanc," Mark XIV, 32-42
Golden Text: John xviii,
IL

49, "And they came to place which was
named Gethsemane. and esaith to His dis
| ciples, Sit ye here while I shall prav" ON
their way to the mount of Olives lie told
them that. according to the Scripturcs. Us
| would be smitten and they would iorsake
Him. He said also that Peter would dcny
Him, upon which Peter and all the others
said that they would never do such thing
oversees "a 10 80. They then come to Geth.
semane. which signifies an oil press su.ges.
tive OF the bruising which lie was here to un.
dergo that He might give to us the amounting
! OF the Holy Spirit For tho trials OF Goth.
semane special strength was needed, concern.
ing which He must talk with His Father. but
into this and many other communions His
disciples cannot enter, 50 He goes alone 10
pray.
33. "And He taketh with Him Peter and
| James and John and began 60 be sore amazed
and 10 be very heavy" Matthew saws
"sorrowtul and very heavy" II coald not
be anything H. did not know about hefore-
hand, for H. knew all things. but the powers
OF darkness were about 10 do their worst.
! the great crisis 60 which lie had looked for
! ward from eternity was Mt hand. and IL
might bc said that satan was about TO en-
gage Him In hand to hand conflict.
~. And saycth unto them, Nv soul is ex-
ceeding sorrowtui unto death. Tarry We
here aud watch In Math. XVI. 2S. il is.
| "Watch with Me-" His humanity crayrd
their sympathy. but how little Hc found!
| He was truly the lonely man ~ we'll as tho
man OF sorrows, and oven the favored three.
! OF whom the beloved John was nenrest to
Him, could not enter into His experiences.
III ever sense OF heavincss and darkness
| comes over you In your Christian life when
, you know in your heart that you desire
| above all things 20 serve tho Lord and do
only His Will, think upon lsa. l.. TO- and
praise God for fellowship with His Son
! Jesus Christ.
35. And He went forward little AMI
| Tell on the ground and prayed that II IL wars
! possible the hour might pass from Him"
! He seems &c have left eight OF the disciploa
llst inside tho garden. % have taken tho
/ three n little farther. and then To have gone
alone about n stones cast lukc NNit. Az
| anil to have knceled down, then fallen upon
| His face. He certainly did not shrink from
the cross and the atonemcnt which IIo came
| to make, but careful study of Heb. v. :
| Will show that the agony was 80 great that
| He feared lest He might die under IL and not
reach the cross TO finish tho great atone
ment.
| SO. "And He said: Ahbn. Father. all things
/ are possible unto Thee. Take away this Gun
from Me Nevertheless not what will, but
! what Thou wilt We read elsewhere that
! He prayed earnestly, with strong CRYING and
! tears, and sweat as il were drops OF blood,
and that an angel strengthened Him Ua
was willing To die In the garden and leave
His great work unfinished II II should pca,s
the Father TO have II So but the passage In
/ Hebrews says that He was heard and there.
/ Tore delivered from this premature death.
! This Is tho best light | have upon IL, aud
| present 1t as such, but let each search for
| himself in reliance upon the HOLY Spirit
There are mysteries in the a.onement which
| we cannot comprehend.
81. And He cometh and fndeth them
/ sleeping and saith unto Peter: Simon.
| sleepest thoup COudst not thou watch ons
hourS' The great glory OF the Translgura-
| tton rs well ~ the great sorrow OF Geth-
semane was too much for the flesh, for thoy
seem to have slept in the former (Lukc tx,
] 32) as well az in the latter.
! 80. "Watch ye and pray lest We enter into
temptation. The spirit truly IL ready. but
the nesh ~ weak Like as "A father piticth
his children. 50 the Lord pitieth them that
fear Him, for He knoweth our frame (P,
Gill. l3). What comfort 1t Is! But let ~
not pity ourselves "a satan through Peter
advised Jesus to do (Math. xvi, 22, margin).
Though our Lord recognizes aud pities our
weakness He Himself has provided that Ho
will be our strength so that we may sing.
The Lord Jehovah is my strength and my
scnG' (lsa. Kill, y. We are 20 realize our
weakness and never 10 rely upon ourselves,
Tor His strength IL made perfect In weak.
ncss, and 10 them that have no might lie in.
creaseth strength UI Cor, xii, .; Isa.
xl., 29).
80. And again He went away and prayed
and spake the same words" We need not
fear the repetition ot the same words in our
prayers provided they are from the heart. nor
need we fear 10 ask many times for the same
thing, for Paul also besought the Lord thrice
TO remove his thorn In the flesh, and Jesus
Himself has taught us 10 be importunate In
prayer on Cor. xii, 4; Luke xl., -. At tho
same time He has put us on our guard against
vain ropetitions for the sake Of much speak
Ing (Niath. vi, y.
40. And when He returned IIo found
them asleep again (for their eyes wers
heavy. Neither wist they what TO answer
Him" We think Of the ten virgins going
out to meet the bridegroom,yet all slumbered
and slept. We think OF Jonah asleep In
the storm, while the sailors called upon their
gods and put forth every effort. We think
OF the multitudes OF Chri who now
seem TO be asleep through one or other OF
satan's many soporihc doses, and OF the
preachers who seem TO be asleep, too, and
cry peace to the people when they ought TO
sound an alarm because Of the great apostasy
and the manifest nearness OF the end Of this
age.
Al. "And He cometh the third time and
saith unto them; Sleep on now and take your
rest. tits enough. The hour Is come. BE.
hold the Son OF Man Is betrayed into the
hands OF sinners" He had gone away tho
third time and prayed, saying tho same
words (Math. XVI. 44) and returning finds
them still asleep. Then He says these words.
Contrast the rest which He here calls ''yout
rest, as He thus addresses them. and the
rest which He has provided by these very
suiierings OF His (Math. XII, 2s), but TO which
the aiority OF believers are so indifferent,
for they seem to know nothing Of 1t. They
will not cease from their own works either
rs 10 salvation or service (Heb. w., l.; ". IL;
Rom. iy., 81 Eph. H., l0), and therefore canno,
know His rest.
AZ. "Rise up. Let us go. Lo, he that be.
trayeth Ne Is at hand" And so, being
strengthened, He goes forth to meet His ens-
mics and TO give Himself into their hands.
for His hour to die had come. and He was
ready for the sacrifice. No man took His life
from Him. He lait 1t down Of Himself (John