"Abba, Father," He said, "all things are possible to Thee; remove this chalice from Me; but not what I will, but what Thou wilt."
He had offered Himself to take away the sins of the world, and now they all came distinctly before Him, every sin and every sinner. And He was to be punished as if He had done all those wicked things. He saw the punishment—the spitting, the scourging, the nailing to the cross, the hanging there for three long hours. He saw, too, that all He was going to suffer would be of no use to many souls that He loved.
The pain of all this was so dreadful that He went to His three disciples to get a little comfort from them. But they were asleep! Gently waking them, He said to Peter:
"What! Could you not watch one hour with Me? Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation."
Again He went and prayed saying the same words! His trouble of mind became so awful that it was like the agony of a dying man. He was bathed in a sweat of blood, which, after soaking His garments, trickled down upon the ground. Then an Angel came from Heaven to comfort Him by showing Him the good that from His bitter pains would come to us. And He said:
"O My Father, if this chalice cannot pass away unless I drink it, Thy Will be done."
He did not give up prayer on this dreadful night, but taught us by His example to pray more earnestly when we are in trouble; for "being in an agony He prayed the longer."
About midnight lights appeared behind the trees, and our Lord went to rouse His disciples, who had fallen asleep again.
