to put our faith to a severe trial; but if we rely on his fidelity, and plead his promises, He will encourage and strengthen us in the midst of such trial, and will eventually confer upon us those blessings which are most adapted to our real necessities, and to the promotion of our truest good. These observations are peculiarly applicable to those afflictions which are of a spiritual nature. Jesus Christ alone can alleviate,— He alone can eventually remove the distresses of the soul. He has given pledges and assurances of his readiness to confer these inestimable blessings in answer to the prayer of faith. He is that "Lord over all" who is "rich unto all that call upon him." him." Oh then, ye that are afflicted, whatever be the nature and immediate cause of your afflictions, go to him as sinners, confessing your guilt, acknowledging your wretchedness as the merited consequence of sin, and imploring his pardoning mercy, and the support and consolation of his effectual grace. So doing, you shall not apply to Him in vain. So doing, you shall receive an answer suited to the exigency of your case. So doing, you shall" obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."

4. Finally. We should learn from this subject that the great things which the Lord Jesus Christ has done for his own peculiar people may well excite both their wonder and their praise. Was it an exercise of might and compassion by which the daughter of Jairus was raised from death to life, to the astonishment and gratitude of those who witnessed and were specially interested in that extraordinary event?

Re

member, thou that believest in Jesus, and hast a good hope through grace, that not less was the exercise of power and mercy, by which thou wast quickened from the death in trespasses and sins, and raised to newness of life. Oh then admire the riches of that grace which has been extended to thee, and gratefully adore thy Saviour and thy God, to whom thou art unspeakably indebted for the same. Thou art no more forbidden to proclaim, than thankfully to acknowledge, the inestimable blessings which thou hast received from the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, through his beloved Son. Tell then of his redeeming mercy; make known the powerful energy of his quickening Spirit; call upon sinners to look to Him for life and salvation. Nor address thyself to careless sinners only, but say to those who are partakers with thee of the same blessed hope,through the grace of the same mighty Deliverer," O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." And let this encouraging inference be the conclusion of the whole,"The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate."

DISCOURSE XX.

LAZARUS RAISED.

JOHN XI. 43-46.

And when he had thus spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him. But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.

OUR attention has already been directed to two instances in which our blessed Saviour signally manifested his Divine power in raising the dead. A third remains to be considered, which is peculiarly interesting from the very minute and circumstantial manner in which it is recorded by this Evangelist, as well as from the striking traits of character which it presents in the conduct of our Lord. Nor indeed was any event, antecedent to his own resurrection, so directly calculated to establish his exalted claims,

and to prove that He was indeed the Christ, the Son' of God. Let us then proceed to contemplate the resurrection of Lazarus, with fervent aspirations for the direction and blessing of that Holy Spirit, without whose presence and assistance all our efforts-all our meditations will be vain and useless. It may be proper to notice,

I. THE GRADUAL AND EXTRAORDINARY PREPARATION FOR THIS MIRACLE:

II. THE MIRACLE ITSELF: AND

III. THE EFFECTS WHICH FOLLOWED ITS PER FORMANCE.

I. We consider, in the first place, THE GRADUAL AND EXTRAORDINARY PREPARATION FOR THIS

MIRACLE.

The mind of our blessed Saviour seems to have been more deeply affected on this occasion, than on any other which preceded the agonizing scenes of his great conflict with the powers of darkness as the Captain of our salvation. Lazarus was his personal friend. The little family of which he was the head, was peculiarly dear to Jesus, who not unfrequently visited them he "loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus." Oh how great the privilege which these happy relatives were permitted to enjoy! a privilege infinitely more valuable than the highest earthly distinction; for the God of heaven was with them,the Lord of Glory condescended to be their guest. But, my beloved brethren, we would remind you, that" such honour have all his saints."-Having set

his love on them, he visits them, and takes up his abode with them: he holds converse with them, and instructs them: he lifts up the light of his countenance upon them, and blesses them with his presence and favour continually.

Sickness, however, invaded even the family in which Jesus delighted: in this present world our highest spiritual privileges do not free us from those natural evils which, as the consequence of sin, are attendant on mortality. May we at length attain that state of glory in the kingdom of our Lord, in which nothing sinful, nothing painful, will ever be known!

The sisters of Lazarus communicate information to Jesus concerning the state of his beloved friend. Doubtless they expected from the usual conduct of our Lord, that he would visit them without loss of time, and that when present, he would check the fatal progress of the malady. Such, however, was not the course which he saw fit to adopt, and in connection with which he had very important purposes before him. Having intimated that the present sickness of Lazarus would not issue in his permanent decease, but was " for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby,"-" he abode two days still in the same place where he was." He then proposed to return into Judea; and having answered the objection made by his disciples to that proposal, on the ground of the danger to which he would be exposed from those who but lately sought his life, he announced to them the dissolution of Lazarus, and