self-confidence. If he could not keep awake and watch with the Saviour for one hour, how little probability was there that he would adhere to him in all the trials through which he was soon to pass!

That

41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. 'Watch.' See ver. 38. Greater trials are coming on. It is necessary, therefore, still to be on your guard. And pray. Seek aid from God in view of the thickening calamities. ye enter not into temptation.' That ye be not overcome and oppressed with these trials of your faith, so as to deny me. They had cherished the belief that he was to establish a kingdom while he lived. When they should see him, therefore, rejected, tried, crucified, dead; when they should see him submit to all this, as if he had not power to deliver himself, then would be the trial of their faith; and in view of it, he exhorted them to pray that they might not so enter into temptation as to be overcome by it, and fall. The spirit indeed is willing,' &c. The mind, the disposition is ready, and disposed to bear these trials, but the flesh, the natural feelings, through the fear of dangers, is weak, and will be likely to lead you astray when the trial comes. This was not intended as an apology for their sleeping, but to excite them, notwithstanding he knew that they loved him, to be on their guard, lest the weakness of human nature should leave them to fail in the hour of their temptation.

42 He went away_again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. 43 And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. 44 And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.

It is probable that our Lord spent considerable time in prayer, and that the evangelists have recorded rather the substance of his petitions than the very words. Luke adds, that amidst his agonies, an angel appeared from heaven strengthening him. It may seem strange, since Jesus was Divine, John i. 1, that the Divine nature did not administer strength to the human, and that he who was God, should receive strength from an angel. It should be remembered, that Jesus came not only to make an atonement, but to be a perfect example of a holy man ; that as such it was necessary to submit to the common conditions of humanity; that he should live as other men, be sustained as other men, suffer as other men, and be strengthened as other men ; that he should, so to speak, take no advantage from his Divinity,

but submit, n all things, to the common lot of pious men. Hence he supplied his wants, in the ordinary way of human life; he preserved himself from danger, by the usual ways of prudence and precaution; he met trials as a man; he received comfort as a man; and there is no absurdity in supposing that, in accordance with the condition of his people, his human nature should be strengthened as they are, by those who are sent forth to be ministering spirits to the heirs of salvation, Heb. i. 14.

Luke further adds, xxii. 44, that being in an agony, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. The word' agony' denotes extreme anguish of mind: the strong conflict produced between sinking human nature and the prospect of deep and overwhelming calamities. 'Great drops of blood,' Luke xxii. 44. The word here rendered 'great drops' means thick and clammy masses of gore, pressed by inward agony through the skin, and mixing with the sweat, falling thus to the ground. This effect of extreme sufferings-of mental anguish-has been known in several other instances. Bloody sweats have been mentioned by many writers as caused by extreme suffering. Dr. Doddridge says, (note on Luke xxii. 44,) that Aristotle and Diodorus Siculus both mention bloody sweats, as attending some extraordinary agony of mind; and I find Loti, in his life of Pope Sixtus V., and Sir John Chardin, in his history of Persia, mentioning a like phenomenon, to which Dr. Jackson adds another from De Thou.

Various opinions have been given of the probable causes of these sorrows of the Saviour. We may suppose, perhaps, without presumption, that many things combined to produce this awful suffering. It was a rush of feeling from every quarter: his situation, his approaching death, the temptations of the enemy, and the awful sufferings on account of men's sins, and God's hatred of it about to be manifested in his own death: all coming upon his soul at once-sorrow flowing in from every quarter -the concentration of the sufferings of the atonement pouring together upon him, and filling him with unspeakable anguish.

45 Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

Most interpreters have supposed that this should be translated as a question, rather than a command. 'Do you sleep now, and take your rest? Is this a time amidst so much danger, and so many enemies, to give yourselves to sleep?' This construction is strongly countenanced by Luke xxii. 46, where the expression, Why sleep ye? evidently refers to the same part of time. There is no doubt that the Greek will bear this

translation, and in this way the apparent inconsistency will be removed between this command, to sleep, and that in the next verse, to rise and be going. Mark adds, 'It is enough.' That is, sufficient time has been given to sleep. It is time to arise and be going. The hour is at hand. The time when the Son of man is to be betrayed is near. 'Sinners.' Judas, the Roman soldiers, and the Jews.

46 Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.

'Rise, let us be going.' The time when I must die is come. It is no longer proper to attempt an escape.

47 And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people.

The account of Jesus' being betrayed by Judas is recorded by all the evangelists. See Mark xiv. 43-52. Luke xxii. 47-53. John xviii. 2-12. This was done while he was addressing his disciples. John informs us that Judas knew the place because Jesus was in the habit of going there with his disciples. A great multitude with swords and staves.' John says, that he had received a band of men and officers from the chief priests, &c. Josephus says, that at the festival of the passover, where a great multitude of people came to observe the feast, a band of men was commanded to keep watch at the porches of the temple, to repress a tumult, if any should be excited. This band, or guard, was at the disposal of the chief priests, Matt. xxvii. 65. In addition to this, they had constant guards stationed around the temple, composed of Levites. The Roman soldiers were armed with swords. The other persons that went out probably carried whatever was accessible as a weapon. These were the persons sent by the priests to apprehend Jesus. 'Staves.' In the original wood;' used here in the plural number. It probably means rather clubs or sticks, than spears. John says, that they had lanterns and torches. The passover was celebrated at the full moon. But this night might have been cloudy. The place to which they were going was also shaded with trees, and lights, therefore, might be necessary.

48 Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomscever I shall kiss, that same is he hold him fast.

Gave them a sign.' It was night. Jesus was, besides, probably personally unknown to the Romans, perhaps to the others also. Judas, therefore, being well acquainted with him, to

prevent the possibility of mistake, agreed to designate him by one of the tokens of friendship.

49 And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, Master; and kissed him.

Hail, Master.' The word translated hail,' was used by the Jews and Greeks as a mode of salutation among friends. It would here seem to express the joy of Judas at finding his master, and again being with him. 'Master.' In the original, Rabbi. See note, Matt. xxiii. 7. Kissed him.' Gave him the common salutation of friends, when meeting after absence. This mode of salutation was more common among eastern nations than with us.

50 And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.

In the Greek there are two words which our translators have rendered 'friend' one implying affection and regard, the other not. One is properly rendered friend; the other expresses more nearly what we mean by companion. It is this latter word which is given to the disaffected labourer in the vineyard: 'Friend, I do thee no wrong;' Matt. xx. 13, to the guest which had not on the wedding garment, in the parable of the marriage feast, Matt. xxii. 12; and to Judas in this place. 'Wherefore art thou come?' This was said, probably, to fill the mind of Judas with the consciousness of his crime: by a striking question to compel him to think of what he was doing.

51 And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest, and smote off his ear.

'One of them which were with Jesus.' John informs us that this was Peter. Drew his sword.' The apostles were not commonly armed. On this occasion they had provided two swords, Luke xxii. 38. They were under a necessity of providing means of defending themselves against the robbers that infested the country. This will account for their having any swords in their possession. See note on Luke x. 30. Josephus informs us, the people were accustomed to carry swords under their garments, as they went up to Jerusalem. A servant of

the high priest.' His name, John informs us, was Malchus. Luke adds, that Jesus touched the ear, and healed it; thus showing his benevolence to his foes when they sought his life, and giving them proof that they were attacking Him that was sent from heaven.

52 Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy

sword into his place: for all they that take the sword, shall perish with the sword.

Thy sword into his place.' Into the sheath. 'For all they which take the sword,' &c. Peter was rash. Alone, he had attacked the whole band. Jesus told him that his unseasonable and imprudent defence might be the occasion of his own destruction. În doing it, he would endanger his life, for they who took the sword perished by it. This was probably a proverb, denoting that they who engaged in wars commonly perished in them.

53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?

Peter's conduct implied a distrust of the protection of God, and was an improper resistance of his will. If it had been proper that they should be rescued, God could easily have furnished far more efficient aid than that of Peter-a mighty host of angels. 'Twelve legions.' A legion was a division of the Roman army, amounting to more than six thousand men, See note, Matt. viii. 28. The number twelve was mentioned, perhaps, in reference, to the number of his apostles, and himself.

54 But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?

That is, the scriptures which foretold of his dying for the world. This was said doubtless to comfort his disciples; to show them that his death was not a matter of surprise or disappointment to him; and that they, therefore, should not be offended and forsake him.

55 In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me.

'Against a thief.' Rather, a robber. It adds not a little to the depth of his humiliation, that he consented to be hunted down thus by wicked men, and to be treated as if he had been the worst of mankind. 'Daily with you in the temple.' For many days before the passover, as recorded in the previous chapters.

56 But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.

"The scriptures of the prophets.' He alludes to those parts of the prophets' writing which foretold his sufferings and death. "Then all the disciples,' &c. Overcome with fear, when they saw their