The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1910-05-05


have come out Of great tribulation."
8. The third instance is His agony
in the Garden. And this, too, is SYM
pathy. Not now for the Jewish peo-
pie. nor for the world at large in life's
ordinary troubles, but for His own
disciples, whose awful grief and dis
appointment He foresees.
| know that some think that His
agony in the Garden was due to His
dread of physical suffering. But |
do not believe II. That would con-
tradict all l have said about the Man
liest of Men. have nobler concep-
tion of Jesus. Other mon have faced
death in the most excruclating forms
without a murmur. His followers
without number have died for Him
rejoicing. They have been beheaded,
crucified head downward, burned at
the stake, and have bathed their
hands in the fire and sung praises to
God while breath lasted. Jesus was
no coward "And the disciple Is not
greater than His Lord"
But others think that we must add
to this the 'loss of the conscious
fellowship OF the Father, which was
hell for Jesus" But He evidently
did not anticipate this. That is cry
of surprise He utters on the cross
when He says, MY God My God!
Why hast Thou forsaken Me?" Bad
enough for His disciples to forsako
Him, and reason enough for II, but
Thou? why hast Thou forsaken
Me?"
And there are still others who say
it was the horror of being made an
Offering for sin" But He knew this
all along. He faced this from tho
beginning OF His ministry. And Hd
said once that He was "straitened un-
til it be accomplished.
l see in Christ's agony in the GAR
demand 1t is beautiful as a revela.
ton of His character--His sympathy
for His disciples in the awful agony
His death was to occasion them. You,
too, may see it, If you will read atten-
lively the story in Johns Gospel be-
ginning with the thirteenth chapter
Note how He labors to make them
comprehend what must happen to
Him, and how utterly He fails
Though He tells them over and over
again that He must leave them, that
He will be crucified, and that it is abb
solutely necessary that He should
be, they cannot entertain the thought
So far from it that they insist on be-
lieving that He is still speaking to
them in parallels. But He is so ex-
ceedingly eager to forewarn them
and thus fortify them for their trial
that He utters that remarkable prayer
of John II in their hearing. Surely
they will believe and understand
when they hear Him speaking the
same things to God and praying for
them that the Father might keep
them in His absence? But it Is in
vain. So foreign to their preconcep-
tions is it that His words make no
impression upon them. And so they
must hear the awful downfall of all
their hopes and the loss of all their
faith in Him. Dull pupils were The
apostles until after Pentecost.
1t was in this spirit that Christ en-
tered Gethsemane. Why did He take
aside the brightest three of His apos-
ties and why did He bid them watch
Him as He went and prayed, unless it
were to show them the eager earnest
ness of His own heart for them? They
could not think that parable. But
they were too heavy-eyed to watch.
So / believe that even the agony in
the Garden was vicarious. Jesus who
refused to exercise His power for
Himself at the beginning did not
weep for Himself at the end of His
ministry.
l Now what could show US the-heart
side of the Saviour so clearly as His
tears? We need no feminine inter
mediary, for Christ has the tender
ness of a woman. He knows your
sorrow. He appreciates its weight to
the full. He considers 1t more awful
than YOU do. How gloriously will He
/ reward them that endure TO the end ?
/ He feels for all mankind. His own
| ministry was largely to the desolate
and He waits for you, His disciples
to hear His message of hope and love
I and comfort to every one.
He has not forgotten nor cast OF
/ His ancient people. They, too, IN
/ Gods good time, shall come to know
/ His love for them. And in that day
! the city that crumbled beneath the
{ Saviour's tears shall be glorifed with
I His smile.
THE LION AT NIGHT.
Once in the lion country, you learn
/ the real reason why he Is termed the
King of Beasts. He looks 1t. Be-
sides, there is the terror he casts
over all the brute creation about him
And as for terror. there Is one fea
ture of life in East Africa that the
traveller never forgets-the lion!
roaring. To me, no other sound II
nature is more awe-inspirlng. more
appalling, especially II heard at reall!
close range, or among hills, wher'
the echo resounds In it's rolling doubl,
bass Contrary to the common idea
lions do not confine their thunderou
calls to the night only; frequently II
open daylight one may be startled b,
a sudden outburst. They are neis
lot, too. At night, I have heard
band keep up the dire chorus 70
hours at time. blood-curdling con
cert that brings to mind every tale
fanciful or true, OF their daring. O
their fierce rapacity and might.
seems. still further, TO have an adde
dreadfulness when one is lying with
In the frail walls of a tent, wit
only its canvas between one and til
formidable musician.
Listen now! There goes one boon
ing In the distance, a roaring obi
cato that breaks into from six to
dozen calls. From the first to III