November 23

John xi. — 18. (Now Bethany was high unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off.)

19. And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother. 20. Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him; but Mary sat still in the house. 21. Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 22. But I know that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. 23. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. 24. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 25. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; 26. And whosoever liveth, and believeth in me, shall never die. Believest thou this? 27. She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. 28. And, when she had so said, she went her

way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.

29. As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him. 30. Now, Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him. 31. The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary that she rose up hastily, and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there. 32. Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 33. When Jesus, therefore, saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled. 34. And said, Where have ye laid him? They say unto him, Lord, come and see. 35. Jesus wept. 36. Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! 37. And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?

Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows. He put himself into closest, tenderest sympathy with our humanity before putting forth the sublimest act of divinity. That act, in form, our Lord does not repeat for us by restoring the dead to hearts bursting with sorrow: that would be to annul death, and render the resurrection a thing of course. But the resurrection of Lazarus, followed so speedily by his own, was the promise to faith of the resurrection of all that should sleep in him; and the sympathy of Jesus in the present sorrow prepares the heart to receive that faith, and welcome that hope. How wondrous the power of sympathy that so stirred the Son of God! The tears of Mary moved her friends to a fresh outburst of grief: and, when Jesus saw them all weeping as with a hopeless sorrow, he groaned inwardly, taking upon himself, not their sorrow only, but the mighty

wows of our humanity crushed by the curse of death: and his heaving emotion found vent also in tears. This was a revelation of his character to those who were not of his disciples: such love, such sympathy, called forth their homage to the power which had opened the eyes of the blind, and could have kept back Lazarus from the grave. A belief in the resurrection was common among the Jews: only the limited sect of the Sadducees denied it. But Jesus offered to Martha a personal objective point for this faith to rest upon, — not a distant vague belief, but a living presence, a personal power; saying, not, "He shall rise," nor, "I will give him life;" but, "I owe the resurrection and the life:" the life-power is in me potentially, eternally; and he who joins himself to me by faith shall experience that power in resurrection from the dead and in life everlasting.

APPROPRIATE HYMNS.]

Prayer.

[Nos. 133, 148, 159.

Thou art the King of glory, O Christ! Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father. When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death, thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers. Thou sittest at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father. We believe that thou shalt come to be our Judge. We therefore pray thee help thy servants, whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood: make them to be numbered with thy saints in glory everlasting. Oh, may thy wonders among the dead cause us to fear thy name, and to hope in thy mercy! We believe in thee, O Lord Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life!

Upon this, the Lord's day, that brings into remembrance the rising of Jesus from the dead, may thy Church honor and serve thee with gladness of heart! Bless thy Word, in the family, in the Sun-

day school, in the house of God; and pour out thy Spirit upon all flesh.

O Thou who hast brought us again from sleep to behold the light of a new day! help us so to confide in thee, to keep thee ever so near and so precious to our thought, that we shall live above the fear of death, and look forward with joy to our final rest with thee. Grant us grace to bear all trials, resist all temptations, fulfil all duties, in the hope of thine appearing. As children of the light, may we shun all evil, and show forth thy praise! Comfort all in sorrow. Be the God of the widow and the fatherless. May this household, and all dear to us, be joined to the family of the saints on earth, and finally to the company of the redeemed in heaven, through Him who died for us! — to whom be glory forever. Amen.