Correspondence

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8. “T. H.,” Port Glasgow. The subject of the Lord’s agony in the garden is so solemn, we feel our words must be few. The distinction betwixt His bearing our griefs and carrying our sorrows in Isa. 53:44Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. (Isaiah 53:4), and His atonement for us in verse 5, is most clear. But to make His agony in the garden any kind of mere human fear of dying, or death then, in the garden, and that He was answered in being saved from dying in the garden, would be a most serious mistake, and would greatly tend to take away the true, awful character of bearing the wrath of God due to us. Whether in Matthew, Luke, or John 18, it was the one and same cup of awful wrath against sin that was before His soul. That the angel took it away is untrue. In Luke the terrible agony came after the angel strengthened Him. (Luke 22:4345.) And in John the cup is still before Him, after the agony and prayer in the garden., as he rises strengthened to meet all that was before Him. It was on that cross, on which He voluntarily offered Himself, that the awful cup of divine wrath against sin must be drunk. He must suffer and rise again. It is remarkable, that in these days, all theories are welcome to men, that lessen the true loathsome character of sin, and the true awful character of the cup of wrath, infinitely loathsome to the Holy, Holy, Holy Jehovah Jesus. But He must, and did drink it on the cross. “I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Gal. 2:2020I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20).)