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Testimonies for the Church Volume 9
face to the ground. The elements of darkness were gathered about
the Saviour to discourage His soul.
Rising from the ground, Christ went to the place where He had
left His disciples, bidding them watch and pray with Him lest they
be overcome with temptation. He would see if they understood
His agony; He needed their human sympathy. But He found them
sleeping. Three times He went thus to them, and each time they
were asleep.
Three times the Saviour prayed: “Father, if it be possible, let
this cup pass from Me.” It was here that the destiny of a lost world
trembled in the balance. Should He refuse to drink the cup, the result
would be eternal ruin to the human race. But an angel from heaven
strengthened the Son of God to accept the cup and drink its bitter
woe.
How few there are who realize that all this was borne for them
individually! How few who say: “It was for
me
, that
I
might form a
character for the future immortal life.”
As these things were presented to me so vividly, I thought, I
shall never be able to present this subject before the people as it is;”
and I have given you only a faint representation of what was shown
me. As I have thought of that cup trembling in the hands of Christ;
[103]
as I have realized that He might have refused to drink, and left the
world to perish in its sin, I have pledged that every energy of my life
should be devoted to the work of winning souls to Him.
Christ came to the earth to suffer and die, that, through the exer-
cise of faith in Him and the appropriation of His merits, we might
become laborers together with God. It was the Saviour’s purpose
that after He ascended to heaven to become man’s intercessor, His
followers should carry on the work that He had begun. Shall the hu-
man agent show no special interest in giving the light of the gospel
message to those who sit in darkness? There are some who are
willing to go to the ends of the earth in order to carry the light of
truth to men, but God demands that every soul who knows the truth
shall seek to win others to the love of the truth. If we are not willing
to make special sacrifices in order to save souls that are ready to
perish, how can we be counted worthy to enter into the city of God?
There is an individual work to be done for each one of us. I
know there are many who are placing themselves in right relation to