36 Then cometh Jesus with them ] not into temptation : the spirit indeed ' /s willing, but the flesh i* weak.
42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Fa- ther, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
43 And he came and found them asleep again : for their eyes were heavy.
44 And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, say- ing the same words.
45 Then he cometh to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest : behold, the hour is at hand, iiud the Son of man is be-
and findeth them asleep, and saith j trayed into the hands of sinners, unto Peter, What, could ye not watch i 46 Else, let us be going ; behold, he with me one hour ? | is at hand that doth betray me.
41 Watch and pray, that ye enter i
The verses we have now read, describe what is commoDly called Christ's agony at Gethsemane. It is a passage which undoubtedly contains deep and mysterious things. We ought to read it with reverence and wonder, for there is much in it which we cannot fully comprehend.
Why do we find our Lord so '■'' sorrowful and very heavy,'' as he is here described ? What a^ we to make of His words, " my soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death?" Why do we see Him going apart from His disciples, and falling on His face, and crying to His Father with strong cries, and thrice-repeated prayer ? Why is the Almighty Son of God, who had worked so many miracles, so heavy and disquieted ? Why is Jesus, who came into the world to die, so like one ready to faint at the approach of death ? Why is all this ?
There is but one reasonable answer to these questions. The weight that pressed down our Lord's soul, was not the fear of death, and its pains. Thousands have en- dured the most agonizing sufferings of body, and died
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