himself before the throne of God to receive from his hands the awful book sealed with seven seals, which no man in heaven nor in earth was able to look upon; or to open that book and unloose the seals thereof, Rev. v. 1-5; or to blot out all that was written there, and thus take out of the way the dreadful monument of the iniquity of all ages. Oh, this, indeed, is a situation which no human language can describe, no human heart conceive. But if it would be impossible to describe, or even to conceive such a situation, the gospel, in order that we may have some faint idea of those awful moments, declares to us, that in the depth of his agony his anguish was such that his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. It was at this moment that Jesus experienced, in its fulness, all the bitterness of that cup in which was poured the whole wrath of God, and drank it to the very dregs. I will add no observations to this recital. Woe unto him who does not here see the enormity of sin, and the heavy penalty which it incurs; who does not perceive with what horror we should look upon it, and with what ardour we should

go to Him, who can and will deliver us from its heavy burden.

I should indeed tremble, if I saw my debt discharged by weight and by measure, and if I knew that the ransom common to all sinners had been sparingly dealt out on the part of our Deliverer; for I feel that any thing but that which is unlimited would not be sufficient for me, seeing the immensity of my debt. But when I look upon the agony of Christ carried to such an extremity, I have nothing to fear, excepting my own unbelief and ingratitude, which can alone deprive me of the inestimable fruits of his sacrifice.

IV.

JESUS GOING FORTH TO MEET THE SOLDIERS,
JUDAS BEING THEIR LEADER.

THE soldiers who had been sent to take Jesus had now approached the place where he was. Jesus himself goes forth to meet them, and in doing so shows how willingly he offers himself up to death. He asks them, "Whom seek ye?" and, upon their answering, "Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus saith unto them, I am he." At this single expression, "they went backward, and fell to the ground," John xviii. 4-6. We may wonder that Christ should have reserved this astonishing spectacle for the time of his greatest humiliation; for till that moment, when his enemies had consulted together to take him, he had either hidden himself, or had disappeared, or had become as it

were invisible, passing through the midst of his enemies, or had converted those who were sent to seize him into admirers of him and of his doctrines. But here, when he is ready to deliver himself up to death, he speaks and acts as God.

And he did this because it was of infinite necessity to us to have the undeniable proof that his death was entirely voluntary. And it was of still greater importance to us to be assured, that though he was going forth to suffer death as the Son of man, yet that he was the Son of God. Before his hour was come, he was satisfied simply to frustrate the projects of his enemies; but when he was about to offer his life for us, it was necessary to take from men the presumptuous idea, that his life was in their power; his glory required that at the time when he became obedient to the death of the cross, he should plainly show that he was equal with the Father.

Judas was the one who introduced the soldiers into the garden! Is it possible to conceive such base ingratitude? Judas, honoured with the apostleship, the witness of the miracles of his Divine Master, his disciple and familiar friend for the space of three years,-hearing his word,

beholding his example, distinguished as his steward and purse-bearer,—Judas is the leader of the band of his Master's enemies! In the baseness of his treachery, he had even "given them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast." And coming to Jesus, he did not blush to say to him, “Hail, Master! and kissed him," Matt. xxvi. 48, 49.

One might have supposed that Jesus would have destroyed the traitor with a single look : but he was come to teach us how to suffer, and not how to avenge ourselves. In his gentleness and kindness he asked him, "Friend, wherefore art thou come?" Matt. xxvi. 50. Friend! Who would have expected such an epithet, or such calmness of demeanour? What! the traitor is known,--his treachery is discovered, he comes forward to put the seal to it by a last act of baseness; and the Lord condescends to call him, Friend! He wished by doing this to teach those who would one day have part in his ministry, never to reject any one; but to continue their endeavours even towards those who appear the most unworthy; to make a distinction between the sinner, upon whom they should ever have