32 And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane : and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray.
33 And he taketk with him Peter and James and John, and hegan to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy ;
34 And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death : tarry ye here, and watch.
35 And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.
36 And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee ; take away this cup from me : nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.
37 And he cometh, and findeth
them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, steepest thou? couldcst not thou watch one hour ?
38 Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.
39 And again he went away, and prayed, and spake the same words.
40 And when he returned, he found them asleep again (for their eyes were heavy), neither wist they what to an- swer him.
41 And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest : it is enough, the hour is come ; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
42 Eise up, let us go ; lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand.
The history of our Lord's agony in the garden of Geth- semane is a deep and mysterious passage of Scripture. It contains things which the wisest divines cannot fully explain. Yet it has upon its surface plain truths of most momentous importance.
Let us mark, in the first place, how keenly our Lord felt the burden of a world's sin. It is written that He " began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy ; and saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death,"— and that " he fell on the ground, and prayed, that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him."