ran when it was rain, but in time of drought it was dry. Now here was a garden, into the which the Lord entered, with his disciples, to the end, that even as in the garden (to wit, the garden of Paradise) the salvation of mankind was lost through the fall of Adam and Eve, even so in a garden the salvation of mankind should begin to be recovered. Christ began his agony and passion in this garden. There are sundry things concerning the suffering of Christ in this garden of purpose omitted, and left out by John, which is mentioned and set down at large by the rest of the Evangelists, by Matth. xxvi. 36; Mark xiv. 32; Luke xxii. 39. Only John speaketh of his taking and binding in the garden; the rest speak of that agony and conflict that he had with the wrath of his Father in the garden. They who are desirous to have these things more at large, let them read the rest of the Evangelists; only I shall touch that battle and agony that Christ had in his soul with the terrible wrath of his Father, before any laid hands upon him. When he entereth into the garden, the first thing he doth, he choosed out three' of his disciples, Peter, John, and James, and he calleth them aside from the rest, to the end, that as these three were witnesses of his glory, in that his glorious transfiguration upon Mount Tabor, when Moses and Elias appeared unto him, Matth. xvii. 1, even so the same three should be witnesses of his humiliation, and that dejection in the garden; and he commandeth the rest to sit down together. So these he calleth apart, Peter, John, and James, by name, and in their sight, first, he beginneth to enter into that combat, and he beginneth to shiver and quake, and to be exceedingly heavy; and he crieth out with a loud voice in their audience, My soul is heavy on all sides to the death.2 There beginneth he his agony and conflict with the wrath of the Father for our sins, wherewith he was burdened. After that, he went from these

It is singular, that, in his Latin Commentary on John, our author (p. 878) mentions only two, Peter and John; narratur Christum assumpsisse sibi duos, Petrum et Johannem.

2 I have been unable to discover this translation in any version. Similarly in his Latin Commentaries, he renders meginumos by undique tristis, evidently giving gl the force of undique, for valde. Similarly, Beza has undiquaque.

disciples about a stone cast, and he prayed to the Father with a loud voice, saying, "Father, if it be possible, remove from me this cup;" that is, this cup of wrath and death; "but not my will, but thy will, be done." Thirdly, he goeth forward in that conflict and battle with the wrath of his Father, he feeleth the wrath of God to increase, and he crieth again that they might hear, "Father, if it be possible, remove from me this cup." Then again the battle increaseth, and the agony groweth; and then the third time he prayeth the same words, Father, take this cup from me, that is, the cup of the heavy wrath of God; at the which time an angel came from heaven, and comforteth him. Yet the battle holdeth on, and he is in a greater agony with his Father than ever he was in before, and he prayeth at greater length, and more ardently and vehemently than ever he did of before, so that in his agony the drops of purple blood fell down from his face to the ground. Such a thing was never seen, nor never befel unto any man since the beginning of the world, as to sweat blood; no man was ever under such a terrible and horrible wrath of God as Christ was for our sins, and for the sins of the whole world.

Now, in all this meantime, he is not forgetful of his disciples, whom he brought with him to be witnesses of his suffering; he is aye going to them and from them, to hold them waking; and do what he could do, they are aye sleeping; the devil is busy with them, that in the suffering of Christ, (they being then sleeping,) they should bear no witness of the suffering of Christ: the devil was as busy to cast them in a sleep as the Lord was busy to hold them waking, to bear witness of that agony and conflict. I will not insist in this matter, read thereof in Matth. xxvi. and in Luke xxii. and in Mark xiv. and ye shall get this history at large. Only we have thus far of the suffering of Jesus Christ in the garden: First, how heavy and weighty a thing sin is; all this was not for his sin, but for our sins, for the sins of the world. Next, ye see how heavy a thing the wrath of God is, that followeth on sin; for as Jesus Christ took on his back the burden of our sins, so did he also the weight of the wrath of God, and the punishment that followeth

B

end of the

And, last,

upon sin; if ye know not this, ye know nothing of Christ. Thirdly, ye see the greatness of the love of Christ to man, that first took on his back so heavy a burden of sin, and, secondly, so heavy a burden of wrath, and all for mankind. If Christ had not suffered, never a man had been safe; but these burdens had pressed them down to hell, never a soul had been saved from Adam to the world. Look, then, what love he hath showed to us. this agony and suffering in the garden letteth us see that the Son of God, as he is very God, so he is very man also, and that he hath the body of a man and the soul of a man, for this suffering in the garden was especially in the soul. In this battle the soul of Jesus Christ was especially set on by the wrath of the Father. There was none touching the body of the Lord at this time; but the wrath of the Father was fighting with the soul. But to leave this, and to mark the purpose of John, his purpose is only1 to let you see, that when Jesus Christ died, he died with a great willingness and readiness; that willingly he goeth to death, and is not drawn out against his will, but knowing that Judas would come with a company of men of war to that place where he was wont to walk and pray, of set purpose that he should be taken, he resorted thither. So this is the purpose of John, to let us see that Jesus Christ offered up a voluntary sacrifice for the sins of the world, for, except he had offered up a voluntary sacrifice, his suffering had not been obedience to the Father, he had not been as is said, Phil. ii. 8, obedient to the Father. So the Lord died, and he died to be obedient to the Father; that is, he died willingly at the good will and pleasure of the Father. And if he had not been obedient, his sacrifice had never been a satisfaction for the sins of the world: and then what good had the sacrifice of Christ done to me, or thee, or to any man? And, therefore, hereupon is our faith grounded, that we know the Lord Jesus not only died, but also that he died will

"Ve

Our author, in his Latin Commentary, is more express on this point. rum Evangelista noster," &c., p. 879. "But our Evangelist has purposely omitted these circumstances, being satisfied with showing how willingly our Lord encountered death, while he tells that he entered a spot familiarly known to Judas.”

ingly; and so willingly, and with such a readiness to pleasure his Father, and to satisfy the wrath of the Father, as no tongue of man nor angel can express. And whenever thou settlest thine heart on the death of Christ, look that thine heart settle it on a willing and obedient death; for if thou think not that he died willingly and cheerfully for thee, thou canst have no comfort.

Now, to come to Judas' part, Judas knoweth the place where the Lord was; he knoweth the garden well enough, because Jesus oftentimes was wont to resort thither with his disciples, and Judas was one of them; for many times he was there with the rest of his disciples, and he knew that commonly the Lord was wont to resort thither with his disciples, and on this he taketh occasion to betray him: and when he hath gotten a band of men of war, and the servants of the high priests and Pharisees, he as a captain to them, and they as a guard, with swords and staves enter within the garden to take the Lord Jesus.

Well, brethren, it is the acquaintance and familiarity that Judas had with Christ, and with the place where he was wont to resort, that was the occasion of the betraying of the Lord. If Judas had not been acquainted with Christ, Judas had not come to this place to take him. It is familiarity that makes traitors; he that will betray a man must be a domestic and a household man to him. Will every man betray Christ? No, not every man; he that will betray Christ must be one that knoweth him and his truth in some measure. Then thou that knowest Christ, take good heed to thy knowledge, and to thy familiarity; take good heed that that knowledge of Christ be in sincerity, and that thou be not a hypocrite, but be a friend indeed, and not outwardly; otherwise, if thy knowledge be but in hypocrisy, and if thy friendship be coloured, thou shalt be a traitor, and in the end thou shalt make apostacy with Judas from Jesus Christ. What is the cause that men become apostates and traitors, and after that they have professed and subscribed, they fall away from Jesus Christ? What, but because they were never true nor sincere friends to Jesus Christ? All was but dissimulation, and shall end in persecution of Jesus Christ and his members, and

they shall end in destruction as Judas did; for after that he had once made apostacy from the Lord, and betrayed his Master, he never took rest till he hanged himself. If ye will mark well, ye will find in the company of Judas two ranks and sorts of men; the first is a band of men of war of the Roman Deputies, that was one part of the guard; the other was the officers and ministers of the high priest, they make out the other part. Then the third' guard is partly of Gentiles and partly of Jews. How came they? they came with lanterns, and weapons, and lights, on a naked man with fear of war; they needed not. What needed all this company, the Lord Jesus being a naked man in the garden, not minded to fight? What needed Judas to bring such a guard with him? The Spirit of God marketh in this narrative, that Judas, in doing this, had an evil conscience through his evil doing.

The man that taketh an evil or a wicked deed in hand will think that he can never get men enough to do it with him, he shall fear for no cause; if ye should guard him with all the world, scarcely shall he be in security, for he wants that peace of God. Paul to the Philippians (iv. 7) calls it that all unpasses peace that derstanding, and that guards the heart of man, for peace is nothing but a good conscience, and he who wants this good conscience, which is the inward guard, that man can never be saved with an outward guard. If all the world should stand about that man, he will ever be in fear, and albeit he were in the midst of an army, he will tremble and quake, but a good conscience will rest in peace; as David saith, "Although I were hemmed about with ten thousand men, yet would I not be afraid; for I know assuredly that thou wilt be with me." That heart is well guarded that hath a good conscience; for it will have peace inwardly, and will not seek that outward guard. The same thing is set out in the manner of his coming. He cometh with lanterns, and he cometh with lights, and in the night. This coming in the night manifesteth that he had an evil conscience, for he that doeth evil hateth the light. What needed all this company? Was not the Lord Jesus daily

This must be a misprint. The sense evidently is, "Consequently this guard."