The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 136

solemn prolude to thBt Bgony of tho gBrrlen DeAB which might ha.ve rebelled in the iu- which the eynoptists 11lone record, while they tolerablednrkness of thBt hour. J'ather, save omit this. me from this hour; the equivalent to tho Vere. 27-30.-(2) The anlioipation of pmyer, "It it be possible, let this cup pnee Get118emane. from me," with ite gmnd "nevertheless," Ver. 27.-Now, at this moment, has been eto. If this be ite me,ming, we have a and yot ii my soul troubled (" concurreb11t scene ne1nly, if not closely, identifiable with horror morlls et 1udor oberlientiro," Bengel). the agony of the go.rden. The correction In eh. xi. 83 we heo.r thnt he troubled himself, which immediately follows augments th0 and shuddered wrathrul!y in his "spirit" compo.rison with the scene in Gethsemane (,r~•~µ,m) at the contemplation of all the recorded by the synoptists. The R.T. and evils and curse of dcBth; now his whole Revised Version have put their note of in- ,t,ux{,, i.e. his life centred in its corporenl terrogation n.fter -rarn-11r into the margin, and environment as o. m11n, the eelf which the not into the text. Ewald, Lange, Kling, Bon of God hnd tnken up into the Divine Tholuck, Lachmann, accept this punctu- essence, was in depth of ngony, preluding ation, and Godet regards it a.e an hypo- the strong crying nnd tenrs to which Heh. v. thetico.1 prayer, although he does not pince 7 refers. These perturbations of his soul the interrogation after -ra6-r11r. The self- o.nd spirit 011n only be accounted for by the interrogation of the previous utterance at uniqueness of his Personality, t!Je co.pncity least reveals the presence of such a desire, for suffering, and the extent to which he but oue·which vanishes Be the mysterious hour was identifying himself with the sinful engulfs and wraps him round. Ir this be nature with which be hnd invested himself. the true interpreto.tion, then the clause that Bin is the sting of death. He hnd by the follows must be, Nay, this I cannot say, for nature of his incarnation become sin for us. on account of this very conflict-for this Martyrs, freed from sin, delivered from its cause-only to fight this great battle-I curse and shame o.nd power through him, came steadily forward to this hour. I can- fo.ce it with calmness and hope : but there not pray to escape from it. If, however, we was infinite space in his breast for all the have the •expression of an actual though curse of it to rBin its horrible tempest. He momento.ry prayer, and if we give it the felt that the hour of his extremest travail meo.ning, "bring me safely through and out had come upon him. And what shall I of this hour," it corresponds with the Di vine (must I) say 1 What is the regal passion of trust in the Father's love which, in the my heart? Wha.t is the right revelation for extremity of the anguish and desertion, he me to make to you? What is the prayE:r yet reveals, and the a.>..11.ci. becomes equiva- for me to offer to the Fo.tber? It remains lent to "Nay, this I need not so.y; the end B great question whether the next utterance is known" (Westcott). I know that I shall is the primary answer of the question itself, be delivered, for this cause, viz. that I should or whether it continues the interrogation- encounter and pass through the hour I came whether, i.e., the Lord lifts up for B moment into the world, and have reached the lino.I the cry of heart-rending grief, Father, save crisis. This is, to my mind, more satis- me from this hour!' or whether he said, factory; the interrogative prayer gi~es a Shall I say, Father, save me from this hour, sentimental character to the utterance out The first view supposes in the first place actual of harmony with the theme. Godet thinks uncertainty and e.wful bewilderment, and that the fact that, according to the synoptiats, thon a most intense cry (Heh. v. 7) to him our Lord in the garden did actually offer who was able to save him from death. Save the prayer which he here hesitates to present, me either from the death itself, or from tho is evidence of the historic character of both fear and horror which Bccompa.nies it (Lucke, accounts. I differ from him, because the Meyer, Hengstenberg, and Moulton). It sublime answer to the prayer here given need not be a prayer to leave the world would seem to preclude the necessity of the unB1tved, to sacrifice all the work on which final conflict. The circumstance that he he had come. We are told by tho apostle did offer the prayer as interpreted above, (Heh. v. 7) thnt he was "heard" (c't1ro -rijs a prayer which was veritably heard, is in •v/\a/J•las) and delivered from human weak- harmony with the narrative of the agony. Vera. 28, 29.-A heavy thunder-cloud 1 Compare the note of Professor Milligan, seems to he.ng over him; for e. moment e. • Resurrection of our Lord,' and note 48, p. break in the darkness, a rift in the clouds, 271, on this passage. Iluttman says that i1< presents itself, and, though he might have and u,,-1, are frequently interchangeable-a prayed for legions of angels, he did not. position which Milligan contends. He gives The second Adam knows the issue of the to i1< its strictest meaning, "out of," o.nd tremendous trial, and, in full apprehension trRnslatee, "Bring mo out of this hour"- of the anew-er to his deepest pre. yer, he cries, ,, safely through and out of thia conflict." Father, glorify thy Name. The ••thy" is  142 THE GOSPEL .A.OOORDING TO ST. JOHN. [ou. 1lL 1-50.