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circumstance of his sufferings in which he discovered a greater commotion of spirit. Nevertheless, his pure and holy soul bare all this without any irregular perturbation. In all this he sinned not by a murmuring word, or an impatient thought: he shone the brighter for the furnace of affliction, and gave us at once the most wonderful and the most amiable pattern of resignation to the divine disposal, when he said, Father, not as I will, but as thou wilt.-May this be our language under every trial! Lord, we could wish it was; and we would maintain a holy watchfulness over our own souls, that it may be so! But in this respect, as well as in every other, we find that even when the spirit is willing, the flesh is weak. How happy is it for us that the blessed Jesus knows our frame, and has learnt, by what he himself suffered in our frail nature, to make the most compassionate allowance for its various infirmities! Let us learn to imitate this his gentle and gracious conduct, even in an hour of so much distress. Let us bear with and let us pity each other, not aggravating every neglect of our friends into a crime; but rather speaking of their faults in the mildest terms, and making the most candid excuses for what we cannot defend. Let us exercise such a temper, even in the most gloomy and dejected moments of life; which surely may well be expected of us, who ourselves need so much compassion and indulgence almost from every one with whom we converse; and, which is infinitely more, who owe our all to the forbearance of that God, of whose mercy it is that we are not utterly consumed.

SECTION CIII.

MATT. XXVI. 47-56.

XXII. 47-53.

MARK XIV. 43-52. LUKE
JOHN XVIII. 2—11.

AND Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with his disciples.

And immediately, while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, Scribes and elders of the people, with lanterns and torches and weapons. Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto

them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground. Then asked he them again, Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he; if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way: That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none. Now he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, hold him fast, and lead him away safely. And he went before them. And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail Master, Master; and kissed him. And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.

When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword: And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus, Simon Peter, having a sword, stretched out his hand, drew it, and smote the highpriest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus.

And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him. Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up again thy sword into the sheath for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?

In that same hour said Jesus unto the chief priests and captains of the temple, and the elders, and to the multitudes which were come to him, Are ye come out as against a thief, with swords and with staves,

ness.

to take me? When I was daily with you in the temple, teaching, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkBut all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled. And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him and he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked.

The heroic behaviour of the blessed Jesus, in the whole period of his sufferings, will easily make itself observed by every attentive eye, though the sacred historians, according to their usual but wonderful simplicity, make no encomiums upon it. With what composure does he go forth to meet the traitor! with what calmness does he receive that malignant kiss! With what dignity does he deliver himself into the hands of his enemies, yet plainly shewing his superiority over them, and leading as it were even then captivity captive!

We see him generously capitulating for the safety of his friends, while he neglected his own; and afterwards, not only forbidding all the defence they attempted to make, but curing that wound which one of his enemies had received in this assault on him. With what meek majesty did he say, Suffer ye at least thus far! And he touched his ear, and healed him. We hear his words, we behold his actions with astonishment: but surely our indignation must rise within us when we see so amiable and excellent a Person thus injured and abused; when we see the Son of man betrayed with a kiss: betrayed by his intimate friend, who had eaten of his bread, and yet lifted up his heel against him, (John xiii. 18,) and at the same time forsaken by all his disciples, even by him whom he most tenderly loved, and who had so often leant on his bosom. Let us not wonder if some of our friends prove false; and others seem to forget us when we have the greatest need of their assistance. When we deserve so much less friendship than Christ did, let us not think it strange if we find but little more. Nor can we reasonably be so much amazed, as we might otherwise have been, to see sinners going on under the most awful rebukes of providence; when we consider that these wretches, who had been struck down to the ground by one word of Christ's mouth, should immediately rise up and stretch forth their impious hands against him, to seize and bind him; though they might well have known that they lived only by his indulgence and forbearance, and that the

same word that struck them down to the ground, could have laid them dead there. Touch our hearts, O Lord, by thy grace; or it will be in vain that we are smitten with thy rod!

In all the remainder of this story let us remember that Jesus voluntarily gave himself up to sufferings which he circumstantially foreknew; even though he could have commanded to his assistance whole legions of angels. His Father's will was an answer to all that nature could plead in its own cause; and the good hand from which this cup of his severest sufferings came, reconciled him to all the bitterest ingredients it contained. How reasonable then is it that we who, having had fathers of our flesh that corrected us, submitted to the rod, and gave them reverence, should much rather, after the example of our innocent and holy Redeemer, be in subjection to the Father of our spirits, and live! (Heb. xii. 9.)

SECTION CIV.

MATT. XXVI. 57-68. MARK XIV. 53-65. LUKE XXII. 54, 55, 63-65. JOHN XVIII. 19-24.

THEN the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him, and led him away to Annas first; for he was father-in-law to Caiaphas, which was the high-priest that same year. Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man should die for the people. And Annas sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high-prest: and with him were assembled all the chief priests, and the elders, and the Scribes.

And Simon Peter followed Jesus afar off unto the high-priest's palace, and so did another disciple. That disciple was known unto the high-priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high-priest. But Peter stood at the door without. Then went out that other disciple, which was known unto the high-priest, and spake unto her that kept the door, and brought in Peter, And the servants and officers had made a fire of coals in the midst of the hall, (for it was cold :) and were set down together; and they warmed themselves: and Peter sat down among,

them to see the end; and warmed himself at the fire.

The high-priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine. Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world: I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing. Why askest thou me? ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said. And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high-priest so? Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me? Now Annas had sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high-priest.

Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; but found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, and bare false witness against him, yet found they none: for their witness agreed not together. At the last came two false witnesses, and said, We heard this fellow say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands. But neither so did their witness agree together. And the high-priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? But Jesus held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the highpriest asked him, and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God the blessed? Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said. And Jesus said, I am: Nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high-priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. What

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