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But however mysterious tliis part of our Lord's history may seem to us, we must not fail to observe the precious
I lessons of practical instruction, which it contains. Let us now see what those lessons are.
I Let us learn, in the first place, that i^rayer is the best ]^radkal remedy tliat lue can use in time of trouble. We see that Christ Himself prayed, when His soul was sor- rowful. All true Christians ought to do the same.
Trouble is a cup that all must drink in this world of sin. We are '' born to trouble as the sparks fly upward." (Job V. 7.) We cannot avoid it. Of all creatures, none is so vulnerable as man. Our bodies, our minds, our fami- lies, our business, our friends, are all so many doors through which trial will come in. The holiest saints can
, claim no exemption from it. Like their Master, they
ji are often " men of sorrow."
I But what is the first thing to be done in time of trouble ? We must pray. — Like Job, we must fall down and worship. (Job i. 20.) Like Hezekiah, we must spread our matters before the Lord. (2 Kings xix. 14.) The first person we must turn to for help, must be our God. We must tell our Father in heaven all our sorrow. We must believe confidently that nothing is too trivial or minute to be laid before Him, so long as we do it with entire submission to His will. It is the mark of faith to keep nothing back
i from our best Friend. So doing, we may be sure we shall allowed to tempt our Lord in this hour, — the degree of suffering, both mental and bodily, which an entirely sinless person, hke our Lord would endure in bearing the sin of all mankind, — the manner in which the human and divine wills both operated in our Lord's expe- rience, since He was at all times as really man as God, — all these are points which I prefer to leave alone. It is easy on such questions to " darken counsel by words without knowledge."