III. Christ foretells that it will be the lot of all those who follow Him to suffer persecution: "They will put you out of the synagogues; yea, the hour cometh, when whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth a service to God." (John xvi. 2.) He encouraged His disciples to bear all these patiently, from three considerations. 1. " The servant is not greater than his Lord; if they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you." (John xv. 20.) 2. By pronouncing it a sign of predestination. " Because ye are not of the world, therefore the world hateth you." 3. By proposing the reward: "Your sorrow shall be turned into joy." (John xvi. 20.) Offer yourself to suffer what your Saviour may please to send you.
FRIDAY.
On Christ's Prayer in the Garden.
I. "And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to mount Olivet" (Matt. xxvi. 30), " over the brook Cedron, where there was a garden" (John xviii. 1), in order that where human nature fell it might begin to be restored. As He went along, " He began to fear and to be heavy" (Mark xiv. 3), saying to His three disciples, "My soul is sorrowful even unto death." (Matt. xxvi. 34.) The grief which He felt was equal to the pains of dying, and would have taken away His life had He not reserved it for other torments. Christ might, if He had chosen, been free from all these pains, and have gone to suffer with pleasure; because the beatific vision which He always enjoyed was capable of drowning all pain whatsoever. But He deprived Himself of its influence, in order that He might be like us in all things, and give us an example which we might imitate in our sufferings.
II. " When He was come to the place, He said to them, Pray, lest ye enter into temptation; and He was with
