One morning a short time ago, I was dreaming of a very dear relative who had recently been married.
In the dream I saw beautiful gifts, and was talking with different ones about the marriage, when suddenly some noise aroused me, and the dream faded rapidly away, while the following words—came clearly and distinctly to my mind:
“Hark! what sounds of bitter weeping
From you lonesome garden sweep?
‘Tis the Lord His vigil keeping
Whilst His followers sink in sleep.”
and at once I was wide awake.
There seems no special connection between the dream and the words that followed, and yet there is a lesson there.
The dream did not breathe of hilarity nor anything in itself objectionable, but it had to do with the affairs of this life. These necessarily demand much of our time and thought, and there is danger of our becoming discouraged with the difficulties of the path, or so engrossed with its cares and pleasures that the Lord’s claims are neglected or perhaps entirely forgotten. And thus “His followers sink in sleep.”
When in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus said to His disciples— “Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak” Matthew 26:4141Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. (Matthew 26:41); and three times He departed from them to pray. But each time He returned “He found them sleeping for sorrow.” Luke 22:4545And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, (Luke 22:45).
Be it sorrow or pleasure, or the cares of this life—whatever causes us to fall asleep, interrupts communion with our blessed Lord. So He tells us to “watch and pray that we enter not into temptation.”
The spirit may be willing—we may have a sincere desire to please the Lord and be faithful to Him, but “the flesh is weak,” and in our own strength we can only fail.
Diligent watching and prayer are necessary to overcome the lethargy with tends to creep over us. Only with the eye fixed on the Lord Himself can we be kept from sinking in sleep.
“Blest Savior, keep our spirits stayed,
Hard following after Thee.
Till we in robes of white arrayed,
Thy face, in glory see.”