[Songs in the Night - June 17]
Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. Matthew 26:36
ARE we not as the Lord's people in this harvest
time drawing close to the Gethsemane hour of the
church?
Are we not already in the hour of temptation
to a considerable extent?
Will not the last members
of the body soon follow the Head unto complete
sacrifice?
How ready are we for the ordeal?
Are
we asleep, or are we heeding the words of the apostle,
They that sleep sleep in the night, but we who
are of the day should be awake, sober, putting on the
whole armor of God that we may be able to stand in
this evil day, in the time of trial already upon us, and
in the still severer trials which no doubt will be ours
in the near future?
Are we prepared for the time
when there will possibly be a general scattering, as
these "all forsook him and fled"?
How courageous
we will be in our hour of trial will probably depend
much upon our following the Master's example and securing
first of all that positive conviction that we have
the divine approval.
Let us not, then, avoid the
Gethsemane moment if it come to us in the Lord's
providence, but let us also with strong cryings and
tears look up to him who is able to save us out of
death by the glorious first resurrection, and let us
remember that we have an Advocate, we have a helper.
The Lord is our angel who speaks to us the Father's
message, telling us that if we abide in his love all will
be right in the end, and that he is able and willing to
bring us off conquerors, yea, more than conquerors
through his own merit. Z'06-348 R3886:6 (Hymn 120)