ye shall weep and lament, enlarged, your sorrow shall be turned but the world shall rejoice: into joy. and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. 22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your 23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father. At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: for the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father. His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb. Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee by this we believe that thou camest forth from God. Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe? Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone : and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. 22 Such joy as the world giveth, a passing world must take away; but in the Lord we may "rejoice always." (Phil. iv. 4.) joy no man taketh from you. 23 We ask of God the Father, through Jesus Christ the Son. : 32 32 These words were verified, when at the seizure of our Lord by his enemies, sudden terror so acted upon the infirmity of his disciples, that they all forsook Him, and fled; and He was left alone. CHAPTER XVII. MARCH 30, JULY 29, Nov. 25. Under all circumstances you will be peaceful or restless, happy or miserable, as your heart is either devoted to God, or alienated from Him. 'THESE words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: as thou hast given him power over all 2 1 Well was this prayer answered. The hour came-the hour of death: but it came, the hour of triumph; and the Father and the Son were together glorified. 2 To Gentiles as well as Jews, to whom my name shall be revealed. flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. 3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and 3 Other Gods, are "no Gods, but the work of men's hands; wood and stone." Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 5 The required recompense was, that his human nature be exalted to I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. I have mani 8 heaven, where He might resume the glory which He had before the world was. 8 If thou too hast received "the words" of life, blessed be thy faith! fested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and have known surely that I have believed that thou didst send me. 9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them." And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given and they have received them, came out from thee, and they 9 His anxious care that all should be saved, is evidenced in his earnest prayer for those, through whose ministry salvation was to be offered to all. 11 When He thinks of his Apostles, left to the overwhelming anxieties awaiting them in the world-Himself no longer present in person to counsel and encourage them-his whole heart is poured out for them. He pleads by the honour of his Father's holy name, that they may be his special care saved from the misery of division; and strengthened and blessed at once in their unity. me, that they may be one, as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might selves. "I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, 15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21 that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us that the world may "And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one I in them, and thou in me, that they may be have my joy fulfilled in them 14 Do you too sometimes meet hatred for your good will?-Be patient, even as your Master was. even as I am not of the world. 15 Religion does not require exclusion from intercourse with societyfar from it. We are to pray and guard against an abuse of it *. He not of the world. 17 Study well the word. It is that word, which sanctifieth to the saving our souls in life. 18 Hence the Church claims divine authority for her ministers +. 21 Having first prayed that the Apostles be sanctified in their work, He prayed for their successors, the future ministers of his church; and for every member thereof. believe that thou hast sent me. 22 How pointedly does our Saviour enforce both the duty and the importance of Unity. Jesus prays that his servants being in the world-fulfilling all its duties, and enjoying humbly and thankfully, such blessings as God's bounty provides may by his grace be delivered from all the evils incident to them in it. Unnecessary seclusion often deadens those sympathies, the exercise of which tends to produce peace on earth, good will towards men. The Father sent the Son-the Son of God sent his Apostles-the Apostles ordained their immediate successors. They, in their turn, ordained others. Thus, to this day, the Church has been blessed with an Apostolical succession. made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. 24 O blessed Jesus! keep me in safety here on earth, and at last admit me where thou art-to the blessed rest of heaven. 21 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. 26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. 26" Take them, O Father, to thy care, as sons of adoption-born again through Faith in me." Lo! the Son of God flees to prayer. Behold him, so committing to the care of his heavenly Father, the loved disciples and friends whom He was about to leave to scorn, and contempt, and ignominy, and death. In the prospect of that sharp trial He is sustained by prayer. And did ever tongue utter a prayer so noble-so affecting! Who can contemplate the fulness of heavenly love by which it is marked, without sharing in some degree the lofty aspirations which breathe through it. He in life's last hour, thought for you-for you He prayed-for you He pleaded, -you He blessed! What affecting solicitude on his part! Let not gratitude be wanting on yours! CHAPTER XVIII. MARCH 31, JULY 30, Nov. 26. GOOD FRIDAY, morning. Having strengthened his heart by prayer, Jesus advances to fulfil the work appointed Him. 1 'As the garden of Eden witnessed man's fall, so the garden of Gethse mane saw the early promise of his recovery. 1 WHEN Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into which he entered, and his disciples. And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with his disciples. Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons. Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, 5 This is indeed courage. Dangers foreseen, are calmly met; and death is welcomed by Him who is yet Lord of life. I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell them again, Whom seek ye? teth. Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way: that the saying might be fulfilled, which Such was the power of his heavenly Majesty. to the ground. Then asked he And they said, Jesus of Naza Mark his anxiety for others! Behold how He loved them! Reckless of his own safety, all his care was for them. 9 This refers to ch. xvii. 12. he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none. Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus. "Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it? Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him, and led him away to Annas first; for he was father in law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year. Now Caiaphas was he which gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man should 15 That other disciple was St. John himself, the writer of this Gospel. 11 Is the cup of affliction thy portion ? Let the meek language of the Saviour be thine-" Shall I not drink it ?" die for the people. : and so did another disciple: that disciple was known unto the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest. But Peter stood at the door without. Then went out that other disciple, which was known unto the high priest, and spake unto her that kept the door, and brought in Peter. Then saith the damsel that kept the door unto Peter, Art not thou also one of this man's disciples? He saith, I am not. And the servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals; for it was cold: and they warmed themselves and Peter stood with them, and warmed himself. The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine. Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing. Why askest thou me? ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said. 22 And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his courage! 22 Among the trials of a christian life, perhaps the hardest to bear is contempt, and the mean scorn of base minds. Yet our Lord bare even that with meekness. O noble |