St. Luke, chap. xxiii. ver. 28.) tells the women of Jerufalem: "Weep not for 66 me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children:" and although by this our Saviour foretold the deftruction of Jerufalem, and the fufferings the inhabitants would draw upon themfelves, as a punishment for their wickedness to him, it also teaches us that, when we mourn our Lord's fufferings, we fhould not forget ourselves, and the fhare we had in them. This seriously and rightly attended to, cannot fail to work in us a thorough reformation and amendment of life: and if our forrow produces this bleffed effect, we may be affured it is fuch a forrow as will be acceptable in the fight of God, and the best and truest return of homage and gratitude we can offer him, for his infinite goodness in that firft and greatest of bleffings-the redemption of mankind, by the fufferings and death of his Son, Jefus Chrift, our Lord.

As

As there are many particulars of this affecting story mentioned by the other evangelists which are omitted by St. John, I fhall (as upon former occafions) introduce them into fuch parts of the text as they appear to me to belong to.

"1. When Jefus had spoken these "words, he went forth with his disciples " over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he entered, and "his disciples.

"2. And Judas alfo, which betrayed "him, knew the place; for Jefus oft"times reforted thither with his difciples."

Our bleffed Lord taught the multitude daily, in the fynagogues and public places; but it appears to have been his practice, when he would inftruct his disciples privately, to retire with them, as he did now, to a garden near to Jerufalem, over the brook Cedron, (probably at the foot of the mount of Olives, and which we are, told by St. Matthew was called Gethsemane). Thither

he

he now repaired with his disciples, to prepare for the approaching awful scene, and to give them his last instructions.

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(St. Matthew, chap. xxvi. ver. 37. to 45. inclusive): "And he took with him "Peter, and the two fons of Zebedee, and began to be forrowful and very heavy. "Then faith he unto them, My foul is exceeding forrowful, even unto death: "tarry ye here and watch with me.

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And "he went a little farther, and fell on his

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face, and prayed, faying, O my Father, "if it be poffible, let this cup pass from "me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as "thou wilt. And he cometh unto the

difciples, and findeth them asleep, and faith unto Peter, What, could ye not "watch with me one hour? Watch and 06 pray, that ye enter not into temptation: "the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh " is weak. He went again the fecond time, and prayed, faying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. And he came and found them asleep

"if

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again, for their eyes were heavy. And "he left them, and went away again, and

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prayed the third time, faying the same "words. Then cometh he to his difciples, "and faith unto them, Sleep on now, and "take your reft: behold, the hour is at

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hand, and the Son of man is betrayed "into the hands of finners."

As forrow ever wishes to withdraw from common obfervation, our Lord felects three of his difciples, (Peter, James, and John,) and taking them apart from the reft, charges them to watch with him, that he might not be interrupted in the performance of his religious duties; then, retiring to a still more private place, he gives himself up entirely to prayer. And to fuch excefs did his agony now arife, that human weakness, for a moment overcoming the fortitude of his foul, forced from him a prayer, That if it were poffible, confiftently with the task he had undertaken, the cup might pass from him; yet, in the fame inftant, qualifying his prayer by implicit fubmiffion to his Father's will. 4 G

Let

1.

Let us not pass over this part of the fubject without calling to mind that the perfon fuffering all these agonizing torments, which were to be concluded by a painful and ignominious death, was the King of kings, the Son of God himself, the glory of Heaven and earth, and that he fubmitted to them all to enfure eternal life, not for faithful fervants and friends, but for an ungrateful race, who had from the beginning been traitors and rebels to his own and his Father's authority. How wonderfully does this confideration add to the condefcenfion and generofity of such a facrifice; which exceeds every thing our confined faculties can comprehend, and affords an instance of fuch love, as none but God himself could fhew. Can any one, then, feriously reflecting upon his own wretched condition without his bleffed Saviour's aid and affiftance, hesitate one moment to accept of falvation on the gracious terms he offers it?

Jefus then returning to his difciples, and finding them afleep, gently rebukes them,