The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1901-02-21
TIE SUNDAY SCHOOL.

Prepared by II. c. Lenington.l
THE LESSON TEXT.

49, Then cometh Jesus with them unto
place called Gethsemane, and saith unto
the disciples, Sit ye here, while go and
pray yonder.
81. And He took with Him Peter and the
two sons of Zebedee, and began to b.
sorrowful and very heavy.
3S Then saith Ha unto them. MY sou
Is exceeding sorrowful. even unto death;
tarry ye here, and watch with me.
80. And He went a little farther. and fell
on his face. and prayed, saying. y my
Father. If 1t be possible, let this cup
pass from me; nevertheless not as l Will,
but as thou will.
40 And He cometh unto the disciples,
and fndeth them asleep, and saith unto
me one hour?
Il. Watch and pray, that ye enter not
into temptations the spirit indeed Is will
ing, but the flesh is weak,
a.. He went away again the second
time, and prayed, saying, my Father
If this cup may not pass away from me-
except l drink it. thy will be done.
43. Ane He came and found them asleep
again. for their eyes We're heavy.
Al. And He left them, and went away
again, and prayed the third time, say
ins the same words.
As Then cometh lie to his disciples. and
saith unto them, Sleep on now, and
take your rest: behold, the hour Is at
hand. and the Son of man is betrayed
into the hands of sinners.
i6. Rise. let us be going: behold he Is
at hand that doth betray me.
GOLDEN TENT.-Not my will, but
thine be done.-Lukc 2.' ~.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
The scripture TO be studied includes
chiefly the account of Christ's suffering
in the garden of Gethsemane. This
was on the lower slope of the Mount
of Olives, just opposite and little
ways from Jerusalem There is, how.
ever, one incident that is as approprl-
ate TO this lesson as to the last. That
is Jesus foretelling the fall of Peter
and Peters mphaticdenial. This warn
ing was given in the upper room at the
close of the supper which Jesus had
Just established as a memorial OF Him
self. On the way out from Jerusalem
on the way to the Mount Of Olives
Jesus gave His disciples farewell talk
All this should he studied to get a
proper appreciation of the lessons
which Jesus suiferings and death were
meant to teach the world. Taking the
Scripture selections should be read:
Peters fall foretold............Luke 22:Sl-9s
Peters fall foretOld .John l3.3b-Ss
Jesus farewell discourse John chaps. li-lt
lnterceSsory prayrr..............Juh IL III
Peters confidence Matt. Gb:dO-5s
Peters confidence. ...........M Mark li.Zh-dl
The agony in the Barden..... Matt. 26.3i-it
The agony in the garden......M Mark li:32-l.
The agony in the garden. Luke 22:4O-it
Peters Fall Foretold.-There are
limitations to every character. Jesus
knew those of His disciples and OF
other men and women with whom he
came in contact. Peter was one of the
most self-confdent of the disciples
Herein lay both his great strength and
chief weakness. Jesus saw danger
ahead and did not hesitate to warn him
of it. although such warning was sure
not to be needed. Simon" said Jesus,
Satan hath desired you that he may
sift you as wheat There is a great
deal of chaff to most of us, and very
little of the nutritious grain of the
wheat. "But," added the Master, 81
have prayed for thee, that thou fail
not But the self-suflicient Peter
thought he was ready for any tempta.
ton, no matter how severe, even prison
or death. Jesus had counted the cost,
Peter had not. and He knew he charac.
ter of Peter through and through
when He said: ",Ihe cock shall not crow
this day, before that thou shalt thric,
deny that thou knowest me-"
Jesus Farewell Discourse Then fol.
lows talk with His disciples that was
both comforting and saddening. Sad.
dening, because it showed the great
change that was about to come upon
surance of Divine care in all the in.
evitablc yicissitudes that must over.
take us in this life. This farewell talk
is contained in chapters A. Is and 16 OF
Johns Gospel, perhaps the most ia.
milar portion of Scripture 10 untold
numbers of people. Here it is that we
are encouraged in the hope for a bet
ter life than this beyond death, that
Jesus declares Himself the Way. the
Truth and the Life. We are assured
that prayers in His name will be heard
and answered.
The Agony in the Garden.-Among
the causes of Christ's agony the
thought of death probably figured not
at all. Even among those less firmly
organized than was Jesus, mental suf.
fering has become so great that death
in any form would be welcome. But we
know the emphasis Jesus always laid
on the fact of human sin, and the fresh
illustration of it in the character of
Judas was in itself overwhelming. He
felt with the greatest intensity the sin
of the world. Death means more than
physical suffering. 1t is the penalty OF
sin, and so in some sort, however, we
explain it, Jesus suffered for the sin of
the world, and in part at least became
its propitiation. The sublime part OF
it is that Jesus was not merely going
through form, but here was suffer.
ing He shrank from, but in this su.
preme hour He showed absolute sub
,,;Svinp sNof ypu will h,,t tb;,a l.