indwelling of his Spirit, and of Himself within our hearts. Accordingly he on one occasion told his disciples that he was "the life";" and on another, "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you." So too, in allusion to this, we are taught by the apostle, that "the Spirit is life because of righteousness'."

This last remark leads me to notice also our Lord's declaration, "Verily I say unto you, that I will not henceforth drink of the fruit of the vine until I drink it new in the kingdom of God." Jesus never partook afterwards of the Passover, never, that we know of, celebrated the Eucharist with his disciples. It is said indeed, that after his resurrection, "He was known of them in breaking of bread'," but this can hardly be so applied. Rather say that the Holy Spirit of Christ is in his Church, which is, his new body, even as his fleshy frame was, when this declaration was madet. When, therefore, after the descent of the Holy Ghost-when, at this day, a Christian congregation partakes of the new

John vi. 53.

Rom.

• Rom. viii. 9, 10. P John xiv. 6. viii, 10. Luke xxiv. 35. t Eph. i. 23. ii. 22. Col. i. 24.

Passover, Christ is in the midst of them, they are his body and members in particular. He is then as truly present, and as truly a partaker in the ceremony of" drinking the fruit of the vine," as when his divine nature was united only with the man Christ Jesus. In this sense he fulfilled his declaration to the apostles, and in this sense continues, in every age of the Church, to drink the fruit of the vine in his own kingdom, the kingdom of God on earth. He said that he would drink it new; because it was thenceforth to assume a new character and efficacy. He came not to destroy, but to fulfil, God's former appointments-to make all things new.

CHRIST IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE.

Ver. 26-42.

And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives. And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered. But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee. But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I. And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any

wise. Likewise also said they all. And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray. And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy; and saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch. And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour? Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. And again he went away, and prayed, and spake the same words. And when he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither wist they what to answer him. And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand.

From the last supper our Lord, we observe, proceeds with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and in his way thither he foretells their general desertion of him, and appoints Galilee as the place where they were to meet him after that mysterious event-his rising from

the dead. Out of this prophetic declaration arose the strong protest, of St. Peter especially, and of the others, that, rather than forsake him, they would die with him—a protest which the remainder of the narrative shews to have been as weakly maintained in the case of St. Peter as of the rest. This inconsistency will be more intelligible, if we consider the remarkable scene which now took place in the garden of Gethsemane, and which Peter, James, and John were now especially selected to witness. For, considering the long and steady devotion of the apostles to Christ, their evident personal attachment to him, as well as their faith in him, (now put beyond a doubt it would seem by the accumulated evidence of miracles continued up to that very day,) it requires certainly more than the common failing of human nature observable in mankind to account for the denial of him by one, and the denial of him implied by the conduct of all, within a few hours after so sincere and hearty an avowal of their constancy, and so solemn a warning of the trial to which it would be exposed.

Our Lord's own part in the scene which is

described to have taken place at Gethsemane, is perhaps the most mysterious, solemn, and affecting picture in his history. On the cross itself, and amidst the sufferings and insults of the hour of atonement, he exhibits the placid composure of triumph. Death was there indeed embittered by much that is mysterious, awful, and overpowering, and by infinitely more, we feel, than man can appreciate or comprehend; but his words, his actions, his whole behaviour, bespeak the calm anticipation of a mind, either not susceptible of the terrors inspired by his situation, or previously steeled against them by a struggle with human weakness, as incalculably great, as the scene itself was both naturally and mysteriously dreadful. For the record of that effort to subdue human nature to an acquiescence so complete as was exhibited at the crucifixion, we must perhaps turn to the description of what occurred in the garden of Gethsemane. It can hardly be doubted, that during the whole of it we are to recognise the final renewal of the temptation which commenced with his retirement into the wilderness before his ministry began. When that was ended, we are expressly told, that the