LESSON TWENTY-EIGHTH.

MATTHEW XXVI. 36-47.

THEN Com-eth Je-sus with His disci-ples un-to a place call-ed Gethse-ma-ne, and saith un-to His disci-ples. Sit ye here, while I go and pray yon-der, and He took with Him Pe-ter and the two sons of Zeb-i-dee, and be-gan to be sorrow-ful and ve-ry heav-y. Then saith He un-to them, "my soul is ex-ceed-ing sor-row-ful, e-ven un-to death: tar-ry ye here, and watch with me." and he went a lit-tle farther and fell on his face, and prayed, say-ing, "O my Fa-ther, if it be pos-si-ble, let this cup pass from

He

me; ne-ver-the-less not as I will, but as thou wilt. And he com-eth un-to the dis-ci-ples, and find-eth them a-sleep, and saith un-to Peter, "What! could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye en-ter not in-to tempta-tion the spirit in-deed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” went a-way a-gain the se-cond time, and pray-ed, say-ing, "O my Father, if this cup may not pass a-way from me, ex-cept I drink it, Thy will be done. And He left them, and went a-way a-gain, and there appear-ed an an-gel un-to Him from heav-en strength-en-ing Him. And being in an ag-o-ny, He pray-ed more earn-est-ly: and His sweat was as it were great drops of blood

fall-ing down to the ground. Then com-eth He to His dis-ci-ples, and saith un-to them, "Sleep on now and take your rest: be-hold the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is be-tray-ed into the hands of sin-ners. Rise, let us be go-ing, be-hold he is at hand that doth be-tray me.".

QUESTIONS.

Where did our Lord go with His dis

ciples ?

To Gethsemane.

Whom did He take with Him?

The two sons of Zebedee, and Peter.
Who were the sons of Zebedee ?

James and John.

What did He say unto them?

"My soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death."

What did Jesus do ?

He went a little farther and fell on His face and prayed.

What was His prayer?

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"O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me, nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt."

What did our Lord mean by the cup which He prayed might pass from Him? His sufferings.

Did He find His disciples watching when He returned to them?

No, they were asleep.

What did He exhort them to do?

"To watch and pray, lest they should

enter into temptation."

Did our Lord pray again?

Yes.

Who appeared to Him from heaven?
An angel, strengthening Him.

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Was not our Lord in a very great agony? Yes.

What showed that He was so ?

His bloody sweat.

In what nature did our Lord suffer this agony?

In His human nature.

Was it not the duty of the three apostles to watch with their master when He was so distressed?

Yes.

In the portion of scripture you have just been reading, we have an account of the great sufferings our blessed Saviour underwent in the garden of Gethsemane; we are told that He was sore amazed and very heavy, that He fell upon the ground in prayer, and in His agony, His sweat was as it were, great drops of blood falling down to the