ground. This is what our sins cost Him. The torture of His mind forced from His sacred body these tokens of His anguish. By all these pangs our Lord has shown us how valuable He thought our souls, and how He suffered to save them. O what love, gratitude, and obedience, we owe to Him who endured so much to rescue us from everlasting misery. Let us follow the exhortation of our Saviour to "Watch and pray lest we enter into temptation," for the devil is always ready to tempt those who are off their guard, and who neglect to pray for the help of the Holy Spirit, and let us also imitate His resignation to His Father's will, and on all occasions say from our hearts, "not my will but thine be done." LESSON TWENTY-NINTH. JOHN XVIII. 3-13. LUKE XXII. 54-63. JU-DAS then, hav-ing re-ceiv-ed a band of men and of-fi-cers, from the chief priests and Pha-ri-sees, com-eth thi-ther with lan-terns, and torch-es, and weap-ons. Je-sus there-fore, know-ing all things that should come up-on Him, went forth, and said un-to them, "Whom seek ye?" They an-swer-ed him, "Jesus of Na-za-reth." Je-sus saith un-to them "I am he." And Judas al-so, which be-tray:ed Him, stood with them. As soon then as He had said un-to them I am he, they went back-wards, and fell to the ground. Then ask-ed he them a-gain, "Whom seek ye?" And they said, "Je-sus of Na-za-reth." Je-sus an-swer-ed, "I have told you that I am he: if there-fore ye seek me, let these go their way." That the say-ing might be ful-fill-ed which he spake, Of them which thou gav-est me, have I lost none. Then Si-mon Pe-ter, hav-ing a sword, drew it, and smote the high priest's ser-vant, and cut off his right ear. The ser-vant's name was Mal-chus. Then said Je-sus un-to Pe-ter, "Put up thy sword in-to the sheath: the cup which my Fa-ther hath giv-en me, shall I not drink it." Then the band and the cap-tain and of-fi-cers of the Jews took Je-sus, and bound him. Then took they him, and led him, and brought him in-to the high priest's house. And Pe-ter fol-lowed a-far off, and when they had kin-dled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down to-ge-ther, Pe-ter sat down a-mong them. But a cer-tain maid be-held him as he sat by the fire, and ear-nest-ly look-ed up-on him, and said, "This man was al-so with him." And he de-ni-ed him, say-ing "Wo-man, I know him not." And after a lit-tle while, an-o-ther saw him, and said, "Thou art al-so of him,” and Pe-ter said "Man, I am not." And a-bout the space of one hour af-ter, a-no-ther con-fi-dent-ly affirm-ed, say-ing, "This fel-low also was with him: for he is a Gal-li le-an. And Pe-ter said, "Man, I know not what thou say-est." And im-me-di-ate-ly, while he yet spake, the cock crew. And the Lord turn-ed, and look-ed up-on Pe-ter. And Pe-ter re-mem-ber-ed the word of the Lord, how he had said un-to him, "Be-fore the cock crow, thou shalt de-ny me thrice." And Pe-ter went out, and wept bitter-ly. QUESTIONS. Who came to the garden of Gethsemane with lanterns and torches and weapons? Judas Iscariot, with a band of men and officers. Did our Lord try to escape from them? |