Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-08-30

much. She would gladly have done
more. Nay, she would have given even
her own life to save his, If possible. But
she did what she could, and the proph-
ecy of Jesus has been fulfilled: Where
soever the gospel shall be preached
throughout the whole world, that also
which this woman hath done sail be spo-
ken of for a memorial of her" Mark
149) 1t was matter Of the deepest in
terest to go to Bethany where these
things occurred. 1t is now a struggling
village of about 1000 population. The
ruins of an old house are pointed out as
the home of Lazarus and Martha and
Mary. If this be the true place-and IL
may we'll be-then 1t was a small stone
house, with two rooms, or four, If there
was an upstairs, which was not usual.
What is said to be the TOMB of Lazarus
Is back of the house in deep cave. To
reach it, it is necessary to go down a
narrow fight of stairs. We are told
that the tomb was a cave, but i confess
had not thought OF the cave as being
so deep. 1t may. however, have got bur-
led deep under the rubbish OF the GEN.
turtles.
GETHSEMANE.
On the western slope Of the Mount Of
olives, just across the Kedron Valley
from Jerusalem, was the Garden of Geth
semane. You remember the tragedy en-
acted in that garden-how after the in
stitution of the Lords Supper, whose
broken bread and poured out wine SYM
bolized His body which was to be broken
and His blood whicn was to be shed.
and so foreshadowed His death, Jesus
repaired with His disciples to this garden
where He had been wont to go. Leaving
eight of the disciples on the outside, He
took with Him Peter, James and John
and went inside the garden to pray. He
then left these three and went a little
farther by Himself. He wanted TO be
alone but at the same time He wanted
some one near by who could sympath.ze
with Him. Have you never felt that way
in a time of deep distress? The shadow
of the cross was upon Him. The weight
of the sin of the world was pressing down
upon Him. Kneeling down in the cold
April night He prayed: 'If it be pos
sible, let this cup pass away from me-
If any other way can be found to save
the world, let me be spared the agony
of the cross. His humanity shrank from
the stupendous sacrifice which He was
called upon to make But instantly His
divinity asserted itself, and with sublime
I)resignation He added: Nevertheless,
not as I will but as thou wilt. Not my
He repeated the prayer After each
time He went back to the three disciples
whom he had left to watch while He
prayed, only to find them sleeping. 1t
was getting late into the night. They
were worn out by the soul-harrowing
experiences at the supper and the tender
discourse following it. Their spirit was
willing, but their flesh was weak. They
could not appreciate the awful tragedy
, 20 ha ted he though
had tried in every way to prepare them
for 1t. And so they slept-slept while He
prayed instead of watching, as He had
asked them to do. slept while He agonized
in the garden just beyond them. OH
that agony So great was it that He
sweat as it were great drops Of blood.
1t was terrible But out of it all He
always came back to the same conclu-
sion, Nevertheless, not my will, but
thine be DONE" The sacrifice was nee
essary. He rose from His knees with a
calm resignation to the will of the Father
and ready to go forth to meet the rabble,
led on by Judas, and overawe them by
the majesty of His presence, to receive
the Shiny kiss of the traitor, to endure
the terrible strain of six trials for His
life, all in the space Of a few hours,
to endure buffetings, scourgings, mock
ings, the crown of thorns and finally the
cross itself, but to endure them all with
PATIENCE with dignity, with victory.
Gethsemane was the precursor of Cal
vary. 1t paved the way for Calvary.
But for Gethsemane Calvary might not
have been. But with it, Calvary vast
was, thank God it was.
You remember the beautiful little poem
by Sidney Lanier, entitled, "a Ballad of
Trees and the Master:
, 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 we'll content.
Out of the woods my Master came,
Content with death and shame.