Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-05-02

strengthening of the disciples and
the cross for the finishing of
the work, this was for the
strengthening and comforting of him who
gave bread for the supper and an offering
for the cause. The closing hymn was
sung at the Pascal feast, and they went
out, only one of them knew to what.
Across the Kidron, under the gloom of
night, they bent their steps, and up the
lower slopes Of Olivet. Here was the
cool retreat of garden where they had
often met; to Jesus a fit closet for his
communings with the Father; to Judas
a suitable place of betrayal. Thus often
are the most sacred spots dishonored and
dishallowed. When the sons of God
come to present themselves before the
Lord, Satan comes also among them. We
shall presently see even his holy of holes
invaded with sword and lance and false
kiss.
As sang the loved poet Sidney Lanier;
'Into the woods my Master went
Clean fOrspent, forspent.
Into the woods my Master came
Forspent with love and shame.
But the olives they were not blind to him,
The little gray leaves were kind to him.
The thorn-tree had a mind to him
When into the woods he came.
Out of the woods my Master went
And he was well content.
Out of the woods my Master came,
Content with death and shame.
When death and shame would WOO hins
last.
From under the trees they drew him last;
Twas on tree they slew him last
When out Of the woods he came"
'"They came to a place" A place or
dained of God from the foundation of the
world, the last station on the way to the
cross. 1t was named "Gethsemane."
Gethsemane means oil-press. Have you
been through it? Do you know anything
of its fruits! Better still, have you been
touched with the well-refned oil of
Christ's Gethsemane!
'Sit We here, while 1 shall pray" We
do little better to-day. We sit here, part
of the time asleep. Christ is yonder pray
ing. Lord, relax not thy vigilance. Our
strength, at best, is so weak. Pray on.
20 hands that were extended
Upon the awful tree,
Lift up those previous nail-prints
And intercede for me-"
"Tarry We here and watch" 1t IL
our part. Christ is the author and finish
er of our faith. In very large sense the
battle is his; he wrestles for us and wins
the victory A faithful watching people
he most desires. We stand, as it were,
still upon the edge of Christ's achieving.
There within he is, again, holding audi
ence with the Father and working out great
IL. ha xx-;l
he said then he says to his church still
"Watch! "And pray" This also for us.
See the lame and limping disciples when
the soldiery came upon them. Only Christ
was ready; only he had prayed. Prayer
is wonderful revealer of character.
When trouble comes, and it comes upon
all alike, you can tell Christ's own by the
cry of prayer that springs to the lips.
Thank God, then, for trouble, too, il only.
it bring us to deeper prayer. For re.
member this. the leaves of the thicket
hide Gods angels unawares.
Hints and Illustrations.
We have our Gethsemanes, all of us:
"They came to q place which was named
Gethsemane." Have you reached il
yet? Gethsemanes there are of grief, of
loss, of struggle. of bereavement. and
you have the record within a record both
of loss and gain. We ought to get bless
ing and help out of our Gethsemanes.
Christ did. Shall not we!
Gethsemane means suffering. 1t means
also solitude in suffering, and particularly
and pre-eminently was this the case with
Jesus who trod the wine press alone, and
of the people there was none with him.
This is true also in degree of all suffer
ng. We can go to a certain distance
with those who are in grief or pain. Our
brotherly sympathy keeps company bit
of the way, but presently we reach limit,
we can go no farther, and the soul in
affiiction or bereavement goes on alone
we standing afar as it were with our sig.
nails Of solicitude and love. in this sense
1.-The heart knoweth its own bitterness
But God knows il, too, and the heart is
not alone since Jesus has trodden this
way of the olives before us; aye, he
treads it with us.
"And the feeble hands and helpless,
Cropping blindly in the darkness,
Touch Gods right hand in that darkness
And are lifted up and strengthened
And strength out of suffering. There
seems new majesty and power in tina
calm face on the edge of the thicket AZ
Christ says to his slayers. Whom seek
YEP" Indeed he is the only one who is
unperturbed and self-possessed. While
his disciples were sleeping he has been
watching. Have you not seen it so, the
strength and beauty of character that
has been developed after long days of sick
ness, sickness that has been taken Alright
Could Charles Sturgeon speak great com.
fort and especially in his later years? He
was great sufferer and he knew Geth.
semane.. Pain makes sinners worse sin.
ners perhaps, but il also makes saints
more verify saints. Therefore we are
fain to keep on singing it.
"Out of my stony griefs
Bethel Ill raise;
So by my woss to be
Nearer, my God, to thee,
Nearer to thee