He could and did preserve and save the bodies of His disciples out of the hands of their enemies, which was a pledge that he would preserve and save their souls unto His everlasting kingdom and glory.

"Then Simon

Peter is then rebuked for his rashness. Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear." Was it not a wonder, that he did not cut off his head? The wisdom of God directed the hand which wielded the sword with such nicety to wound but not to kill. The Kingdom of Christ was to be set up, not by carnal weapons, but by the Spirit and power of the Gospel. We read, "And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear." (Luke xxii., 50.) "The servant's name was Malchus." St. John is the only writer who gives the name of the Apostle who cut off the servant's ear, and the name of the servant. The first three Gospels were probably written during St. Peter's life time, and this may have been one reason for omitting the mention of his name. They would not willingly wound his feelings or prejudice his hearers. They stated the facts, but did not mention names. St. John wrote his Gospel several years after the death of St. Peter, and supplied the omission by giving the name of him who handled the sword so dexterously to the wounding, but not to the killing of Malchus. The Saviour rebuked Peter, saying unto him, "Put up thy sword into the sheath." He did not tell the Apostle to throw away his sword for he might need it hereafter, according to what He had said to His disciples in the supper chamber. "He that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one." (Luke xxii. 36.) The rashness of Peter made way for the exercise of the miraculous power of Jesus of Nazareth. "Jesus answered and said, suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear and healed him." (Luke xxii. 51.) Jesus had on many occasions acted the part of the good Physician both to the bodies and souls of men. This healing of the ear of Malchus was the second miracle which our Lord wrought in the Garden before the eyes of those

who came out to take Him. He made His enemies feel His power, and His disciples obey His word. The Saviour had no need of the sword to defend Himself, nor yet to promote His cause. "Then said Jesus unto him (Peter), put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword." The Jews and the Romans may kill each other with the sword, but this is not to be the conduct of My followers. "Thinkest thou (Peter) that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He shall presently give Me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the "The

Scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be ?" cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it ?" And now we see :

Christ's readiness to drink the cup of suffering.

"Shall

I not drink the cup?" The word cup is sometimes used literally, and sometimes figuratively. It is the figurative use of the word which I must dwell upon briefly. In many passages of Scripture, it denotes the wrath or judgment of God upon the wicked. (Psalm xi. 6, lxxv. 8. Rev. xiv. 10.) The sufferings of Christ in the stead of His people is the full cup which He drinks for their redemption. "Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" This is the baptismal cup of suffering which our Lord undertook to drink that His people might be saved with an everlasting Salvation. He drank the cup of wrath, that they might drink the cup of blessing. "The cup which My Father hath given Me." "MY FATHER." Here, Divine relationship between the Father and the Son is expressed. It was meat and drink for Christ to do the will of His Father. The cup was full and very bitter, but then it came from a loving Father. My Father hath given it me." It It may be the cup of astonishment, which He has to drink, but it will bring glory to God and joy to His saints. "Shall I not drink it?" There is nothing now said about the cup passing from Him. All is submission, all is readiness to drink it. Christ drinks the cup of Divine wrath that His disciples may

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drink the cup of Divine blessing. The symbolical cup in the Lord's Supper reminds us of the blessings of redemption and salvation through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The Psalmist could say, "I will take the cup of Salvation." What a cup full of grace! And having taken it, "I will call upon the Name of the Lord." Salvation belongeth unto the Lord, and I will magnify His Name for ever. I would here note, that the children of God have their cup of suffering and affliction. Now, observe well what I say, their cup of suffering is always in measure. The very idea of a cup implies this. He afflicts in measure. He tries and tempts in measure. He never overfills the cup. He gives sufficient, but not more than sufficient. Read 1 Cor. x.

13. But how is it with the cup of blessing? This cup is without measure. "The Lord is the portion-of my cup. My cup runneth over." Now ye mourning Christians, what have you got to say? You have a full cup of affliction, but then, you have a cup of blessing which runs over. Your griefs, troubles, and sorrows are all measured, but your joys, pleasures, hopes, and blessings are all unmeasured, boundless, and eternal. (Psm. xvi. 5, xxiii. 5.) Wonderful! Now for :

Christ's voluntary surrender of Himself. No power on earth could have taken Christ, had He not voluntarily surrendered Himself. He had finished His work in the Garden, and "Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound Him, and led Him away to Annas.' God had said, "Bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar." Christ the Sacrifice is first bound, and then led away to the high priest for inspection. He is the holy and acceptable offering in the sight of God. Type and prophecy are fulfilled:-" He is brought as a Lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment. He was cut off out of the land of the living. He was stricken for the transgression of His people." "He laid down His life that He might take it again. No man took it from

Him, but He laid it down of Himself. He had power to lay it down, and He had power to take it again. This commandment He had received of His Father."

I must now conclude this subject. I have taken you over a wide field for thought and reflection this evening. I feel that it is right to do so when I address you on these occasions. I have not hammered out in detail the subject under consideration, still, I have brought before you the scene which took place on our Lord's last visit to Gethsemane. We have touched upon the name, the situation, and the use of the Garden. We have dwelt upon some of the remarkable sayings and "doings of our Lord both before and after His betrayal by Judas. We have seen Him agonizing in prayer with His Father. We have seen Him commanding His disciples to watch and pray lest they should enter into temptation. We have seen Him confounding His enemies, performing miracles, fulfilling prophecies, rebuking His rash disciple, encouraging others, submitting readily to drink the cup of suffering, and finally, yielding up Himself to God as a lamb without blemish and without spot. May it please God to bring each of us into an experimental knowledge of these Divine truths. May we know more and more of Christ's work for us and in us by the enlightening influences of His Spirit. And to our Triune Jehovah, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, shall be ascribed all the honour and the glory both now and for evermore. Amen! Amen!!

Pamphlet 15 is now ready, price 6d., postage 1d.

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SERIES VIII. No. 7.

GOD'S INHERITANCE
REFRESHED."

A SERMON

PREACHED BY THE

Rev. J. BATTERSBY

(Vicar of St. James', Sheffield),

AT VERULAM MISSION CHURCH, KENNINGTON ROAD,

LAMBETH, LONDON,

THURSDAY EVENING, MAY 3RD, 1883.

In the 68th Psalm, and at the 9th verse, you will read these words:

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'THOU, O GOD, didst send a PLENTIFUL RAIN, WHEREBY THOU DIDST CONFIRM THINE INHERITANCE, WHEN

IT WAS WEARY."

In the Prayer Book version, our text is rendered a little differently:-" Thou, O God, sentest a gracious rain upon Thine inheritance, and refreshedst it when it was weary." Both are choice translations, and convey some very sweet and precious truths. There are several references in this Psalm to the dealings of the Lord with His ancient people Israel, as you read in the 7th and 8th verses. "O God, when Thou wentest forth before Thy people, when Thou didst march through the wilderness: The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel."