Page:Lazarus, a tale of the world's great miracle.djvu/307

Rh Then, with the thought that the grief He was to bring upon them added yet another sorrow to His own, the Nazarene stood still near the entrance to Gethsemane and, turning to them in the shadow of the trees, He said: "All ye shall be offended because of Me this night; for it is written, I will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad."

"What meaneth this?" said one.

"He is our Shepherd, and when they take Him prisoner this night, maybe He thinketh we shall flee," said the desponding Thomas.

Then Peter rushed towards Him crying out: "Though all men shall be offended because of Thee, yet will I never be offended."

"Verily I say unto thee, that this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny Me thrice," was the sad reply. He believed in no promises, now the end had come.

But Peter cast himself at His feet. "Why sayest Thou this, Lord? Though I should die with Thee, yet will I not deny Thee."

And all the disciples, raising their hands to heaven, as if to call the moon, the whole creation nay, more, God the Father, to witness what they promised, cried: "We will die with Thee! We will die with Thee!"

"Be still," said Lazarus. "Raise not your voices, lest the enemy should hear you."

His warning, breathed on the stillness of the night, fell on their ears with startling force. The hour was indeed close at hand. Anxiously they peered between the olive trees, some even dividing the