What infinite sense of the poverty and feebleness of mankind, the inveteracy of selfishness, the uncertainty of human impulses and aspirations and promises; what poignant questioning of the necessity, the utility of self-immolation must have tortured the soul of Jesus in that hour! It was His black hour. None can imagine the depth of that darkness but those who have themselves passed through some of its outer shadows, in the times when love seems vain, and sacrifice futile, and friendship meaningless, and life a failure, and death intolerable. Jesus met the spirit of despair in the Garden of Gethsemane; and after that meeting, the cross had no terrors for Him, because He had already endured them; the grave no fear, because He had already conquered it. How calm and gentle was the voice with which He wakened His disciples, how firm the step with which He went to meet Judas! The bitterness of death was behind Him in the shadow of the olive-trees. The peace of Heaven shone above Him in the silent stars. _A PSALM OF SURRENDER_ _Mine enemies have prevailed against me, O God: Thou hast led me deep into their ambush._ _They surround me with a hedge of spears: And the sword in my hand is broken._ _My friends also have forsaken my side: From a safe place they look upon me with pity._ _My heart is like water poured upon the ground: I have come alone to the place of surrender._ _To thee, to thee only will I give up my sword: The sword which was broken in thy service._ _Thou hast required me to suffer for thy cause: By my defeat thy will is victorious._ _O my King show me thy face shining in the dark: While I drink the loving-cup of death to thy glory._ V AN EXCURSION TO BETHLEHEM AND HEBRON I BETHLEHEM A sparkling morning followed a showery night, and all the little red and white and yellow flowers were lifting glad faces to the sun as we took the highroad to Bethlehem. Leaving the Jaffa Gate on the left, we crossed the head of the deep Valley of Hinnom, below the dirty Pool of the Sultan, and rode up the hill on the opposite side of the vale.