and moreover demonstrated my divine commission by such proofs as ought to satisfy and convince the most doubting and suspicious minds, they might have had some plea and excuse of ignorance for their unbelief. But now, since all reasonable evidence has been offered them, and proper methods used for their conversion and salvation, and yet they willfully and obstinately reject these means of grace, it is plain they have no excuse for their sin; but they oppose and persecute you only because they will not forsake their worldly lusts, and out of mere malice will not bear to be instructed in the commands of the Almighty. So that they who oppose and persecute you, as they have before persecuted me, show plainly that they are haters of God, and of his most holy commandments; which is, as I have already told you, a plain evidence of the justice of your own cause, and of the injustice of your persecutors.

If I had not, I say, done such works among them as no man ever did, they might, indeed, have had some appearance of excuse for their sin. But now, having seen abundant proofs of my authority, and undeniable evidence of the truth of my doctrine, and yet willingly and obstinately persisting to oppose it, because inconsistent with their lusts, it is plain that their dishonoring me is a dishonor done to my Father himself, and a direct contempt of his commands; so that they are utterly inexcusable. But it is no wonder, when men have given themselves wholly up to be governed by worldly affections, passions, and vices, they should act contrary to all the reason and evidence in the world: for this is but the

natural consequence of obstinate and habitual wickedness; and hereby is only fulfilled in me what holy David long since prophetically complained of, that they hated him without a cause.

But notwithstanding all the opposition that wicked and incorrigible men will make against my doctrine, there will not be wanting powerful promoters of it, who shall effectually overcome all opposition. For the Comforter, whom I said, I will send you from heaven, even that "Spirit of truth" which cometh forth and is sent by the Father, shall, when he cometh, with wonderful efficacy, bear testimony to the truth of my doctrine, and cause it to be spread through the world with incredible success. Nay, and ye yourselves also, though now so weak, fearful, and doubting, shall then very powerfully bear testimony to the truth of all the things whereof ye, having been all along present with me, have been witnesses from the beginning.

Thus have I warned you, beforehand, of the opposition and persecution ye must expect to meet with in the world, that when it cometh ye may not be surprised and terrified, so as to be discouraged thereby from persisting in the performance of your duty.

Having finished his discourse, "Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven, and prayed," with great fervency, to his Father. [The prayer itself is recorded in the seventeenth chapter of John.]

His prayer being ended, Jesus and his disciples came down from the Mount of Olives, into a field below, called Gethsemane, through which the brook Cedron ran, and in it, on the other side of the brook,

was a garden, called the garden of Gethsemanc. Here he desired his disciples to sit down till he should retire to pray, taking with him Peter, James, and John, those three select disciples, whom he had before chosen to be witnesses of his transfiguration, and now to be eye-witnesses of his passion, leaving the other disciples at the garden door, to watch the approach of Judas and his band.

The sufferings he was on the point of undergoing, were so great, that the very prospect of them excited this doleful exclamation: "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death; tarry ye here, and watch." On this great occasion, he sustained those grevious sorrows in his soul, by which, as well as by dying on the cross, he became a sincere offering, and accomplished the redemption of mankind.

He now withdrew from them about a stone's cast, and his human nature being overburdened beyond measure, he found it necessary to retire and pray, that if it was possible, or consistent with the salvation of the world, he might be delivered from the sufferings which were then lying on him. It was not the fear of dying on the cross which made him speak or pray in such a manner. To suppose this, would infinitely degrade his character. Make his sufferings as terrible as possible, clothe them with all the aggravated circumstances of distress; yet the blessed Jesus, whose human nature was strengthened by being connected with the divine, could not but shrink at the prospect of such sufferings as he had to endure. He addresses his divine Father, with a sigh of fervent wishes, that the cup might, if

possible, be removed from him. In the Greek, it is, "O that thou wouldst remove this cup from me!" And having first knelt and prayed, he fell prostrate on his face, accompanying his address with due expressions of resignation, adding, immediately, "Not as I will but as thou wilt."

At length he obtained relief, being heard on account of his perfect and entire submission to the will of his heavenly Father. "And when he arose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow." This circumstance shows how much his disciples were affected with their Master's sufferings. The sensations of grief which they felt, on seeing his unspeakable distress, so overpowered them, that they sunk into a sleep.

Our blessed Saviour, for the last time, came to his disciples, and seeing them still asleep, he said, "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. Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me." Matt. xxvi., 45, 46. The event will soon be over, which causes your sorrow: I am betrayed, and ready to be delivered unto death.

CHAPTER XXVII.

The blessed Redeemer is taken by a band of Soldiers, at the information of the traitor Judas. Heals a Wound given the High Priest's Servant by Simon Peter.

JUDAS, who had often resorted to the garden of Gethsemane, with the disciples of our Lord, knowing the spot, and the usual time of his Master's repairing thither, informed the chief priests and elders that the time for apprehending Jesus was now come. They therefore sent a band of soldiers with him, and servants carrying lanterns and torches to show them the way; because, though it was always full moon at the passover, the sky might be dark with clouds, going was shaded

and the place whither they were with trees. At the same time, a deputation of their number accompanied the band, to see that every one did his duty.

Judas having thus received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, they went thither with lanterns, and torches, and weapons; for they were exceedingly anxious to secure and get him into their hands; and the soldiers having, perhaps, never seen Jesus before, found it necessary that Judas should distinguish him, and point him out to them by some particular sign.

The treacherous Judas went before the band, at a