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the disciples he found them asleep, and said to Peter,"Simon! sleepest thou? Are ye thus unable to watch with me a single hour? Watch and pray that ye may not fall into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."-Again withdrawing, he prayed a second time, saying the same words;-"My Father! if this cup cannot pass from me unless I drink it, thy will be done."-On returning, he found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy, and they knew not what to answer him. Again withdrawing from them, he prayed a third time, saying the same words; and there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. Then, falling into an agony, he prayed most earnestly, and his sweat became, as it were, clots of blood dropping to the ground. Rising from prayer, he returned a third time to the disciples, and found them asleep through sorrow, and said to them,-"Do ye sleep and rest till the last moment? Rise, and pray that ye may not fall into temptation. There is no longer time. The hour is come.* Behold! the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go. Behold! he that betrayeth me is at

hand."

While he was yet speaking, behold! Judas, one of the twelve, having taken the Roman guard, besides officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came thither with lanterns, and torches, and weapons. And he had appointed them a signal, saying,-["The man] whom I shall kiss is he, seize him, and lead him away securely."-So he instantly went up to Jesus, and said " Hail, Rabbi!"—and earnestly kissed him: but Jesus said to him,-" Companion! for what purpose art thou come? Judas! dost thou betray the Son of man by a kiss?”Then Jesus, knowing all that was about to befall him,

* Απέχει, ἦλθεν ἡ ὥρα. Mark, chap. 14, ν. 41.

† λaßwν Thν σTEîpav. John, chap. 18, v. 3.

went forth and said to them,-" Whom seek ye?"—They answered him,-"Jesus of Nazareth; "-Jesus said to them," I am he."-And Judas also who betrayed him was standing with them. As soon then as he had said to them, "I am he,"-they drew backward, and fell to the ground. Then he asked them again,-"Whom seek ye?"-They said,-"Jesus of Nazareth."-Jesus answered,—" I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, allow these men to depart;" thus fulfilling the declaration which he had made,-" Of those whom thou gavest me I have not lost one."-Then they advanced, laid hands on Jesus, and seized him. On this, those who were with him, perceiving what was about to happen, said to him, "Lord, shall we smite with the sword?" and Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's slave, and cut off his right ear: the slave's name was Malchus. Then said Jesus to Peter,—" Put the sword into the scabbard, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. The cup which the Father hath given me, shall I not drink it? Thinkest thou that I cannot even now request my Father, and he would send to my aid more than twelve legions of angels ?-[but] how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled, [which declare] that thus it must be?"-And he said," Suffer [me] thus far: "—and, touching the ear of Malchus, he healed him. Then said Jesus to the chief priests, commanders of the temple [guard], and elders, who had come forth against him,-" Are ye come forth as against a robber, with swords and staves, to seize me? I sat daily among you, teaching in the temple, and ye did not seize me; but this is your hour, and the power of darkness, in fulfilment of the writings of the prophets."-Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.

So the guard, and [their] commander, and the officers

of the Jews,* seized Jesus, and bound him. And there followed him a certain youth having no other clothing than a linen sheet, and the young men seized him; on which leaving the sheet he fled from them naked. They led Jesus, in the first instance, to Annas, for he was fatherin-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. Caiaphas was he who had counselled the Jews that it was expedient one man should die for the nation. Annas sent Jesus bound to Caiaphas, the high priest, at whose palace all the chief priests, scribes, and elders were assembled. Now Simon Peter had followed Jesus at a distance; another disciple also [followed him]: that disciple was known to the high priest, and entered with Jesus into the palace, but Peter stood without at the gate; so the other disciple who was known to the high priest went out, and spoke to the maid-servant who attended the gate, and obtained admission for Peter. Then said the maid-servant to Peter," Art not thou also [one] of this man's disciples ?"-He said,—“I am not: "—and he went in, and joined the officers, to see the end. The slaves and officers were standing round a fire of embers which they had kindled in the midst of the hall, for it was cold, and were warming themselves, and Peter stood with them, and warmed himself. While he was there, one of the maidservants of the high priest came, and seeing Peter sitting at the fire, after looking steadfastly at him, said,—“ This man also was with him,-Thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth: "--but he disowned him before them all, saying," Woman, I know him not, neither do I understand what thou meanest."-A little after another person saw him, and said,-"Thou also art [one] of them: "—but Peter said," Man, I am not: "-and he went out into the porch, and the cock crew. While he was there,

* Ἡ οὖν σπεῖρα, καὶ ὁ χιλίαρχος, καὶ οἱ ὑπηρέται τῶν Ἰουδαίων, etc. John, chap. 18, v. 12.

another [maid-servant] saw him, and said to those who were present,-"This man also was with Jesus of Nazareth.”—Again he denied [it] with an oath, [saying],— “I know not the man."-Now the high priest questioned Jesus concerning his disciples, and his doctrine. Jesus answered him," I spoke openly to the world, I always taught in synagogues, and in the temple, where all the Jews assemble,* and I have not taught any thing in secret. Why askest thou me? Ask those who heard [me] what I spoke to them. Behold! they know what I have spoken."-On his saying this, one of the officers who stood near struck him with his staff, saying,-" Answerest thou the high priest thus ?"-Jesus replied to him,—“ If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why strikest thou me?"-Then the chief priests, and the elders, and the whole Sanhedrim sought for evidence. against Jesus, that they might sentence him to death, but were unable to obtain it; for although many witnessed falsely against him, their charges did not agree. length two false witnesses came forward, and declared,— "This man said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and in three days to build it again.-We heard him say, I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days I will build another not made with hands: ". yet even thus their evidence did not agree. Then the high priest, standing up in the midst, questioned Jesus, saying, "Dost not thou make any answer? What is it that these men witness against thee?"—but he continued silent, and returned no answer; on which the high priest said to him,-"I adjure thee by the living God to tell us whether thou art the Christ, the Son of God."—Jesus said to him,―["It is as] thou hast said; [and] I further tell you, Hereafter ye shall see the Son of man sitting at the

* ὅπου πάντες οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι συνέρχονται. John, chap. 18, ν. 20.

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right hand of the Almighty,* and coming on the clouds of heaven."-Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying," He hath spoken blasphemy: what further need have we of witnesses? Behold! ye have now heard his blasphemy. What think ye?-They all answered,—“ He is deserving of death."-[Meanwhile] Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him,"Art not thou also [one] of his disciples?"-He denied [it], and said, "I am not."-One of the high priest's slaves, a relative [of him] whose ear Peter cut off, said,"Did not I see thee in the garden with him?”—Again Peter denied [it].-A little after another man confidently affirmed, saying,-"Certainly this man also was with him, for he is a Galilean."-So the bystanders came up, and said again to Peter,-" Certainly thou also art [one] of them, for thy [manner of] speaking is similar, [and] discovereth thee:"-but he began to utter oaths and curses [saying],-"Man, I know not what thou meanest : I know not this man of whom ye speak: "—and instantly, while he was yet speaking, the cock crew the second time. And the Lord turned and looked on Peter; and Peter remembered what the Lord had said to him,—“ Before the cock crows the second time thou wilt disown me thrice;" and he went out, and wept bitterly. The men who guarded Jesus mocked him, and beat him: some began to spit on him, and to blindfold him, and to buffet him, and the officers struck him [with their staves], saying, -"Divine to us, Christ: Who is it that smote thee?" -and many other blasphemies uttered they against him.

* καθήμενον ἐκ δεξιῶν τῆς δυνάμεως. Matt. chap. 26, ν. 64.

Before the second cock-crowing Peter denied Christ seven times. Four times he declared that he was not one of his disciples, and three times that he did not know him. It was the latter mode of denial which Christ had specially predicted. Luke, chap. 22, v. 34.

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