Come to the grave of Lazarus, and contemplate the humanity, the sympathy, and the strong affection of the Redeemer of the world.

The family to which Lazarus belonged seems to have been peculiarly dear to our Lord, as he had often sojourned with them, and no doubt received from them many tokens of good will. Accordingly, from the moment that the news was carried to him that Lazarus was sick, he manifested the most tender interest concerning him; and when he spake to his disciples of his death, he gently and tenderly said, "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth." The subsequent interview with the sisters was characterized by the most exquisite sensibility; and when he approached the grave, though he knew that Lazarus was to be given back to his weeping sisters, yet he was so tenderly affected by their sorrows that he even wept. Never was there a more sublime exhibition of sympathy than that occasion presented. From which we may derive consolation, in knowing that there is a Saviour who can sympathize with us in the time of our deepest affliction and most trying bereavement.

Our Redeemer, blessed be God, was truly and properly a man; and it became him to be such, that, as the Captain of our salvation, he might be made perfect through suffering. Had he not assumed some other nature than that which originally belonged to him as he was in the bosom of the Father, he could never have offered himself a sacrifice for our sins; because the Divinity is essentially incapable of suffering. And there were other most important purposes answered in his assuming the nature of man; for thereby he was enabled to exhibit a more appropriate and impressive example; and he has the quality of a sympathizing Advocate; and having been himself tempted, he knows how to succour them that are tempted. There are those who, instead of admitting the scripture doctrine, that Jesus Christ is both God and man, deny that he is either, and maintain that he is only an angelic being in a human form. But while this representation of his character is perhaps more irreconcilable with scripture than almost any other, it manifestly does not meet the exigencies, the feelings, the instinctive desires of human nature. Man wants a Saviour, who, on the one hand, can put an everlasting arm round about him in time of need; and, on the other, can meet him in his sorrows and conflicts with that tender sympathy which is the result of his having experienced the same. Admit both the humanity and the divinity of the Redeemer, and both these exigencies of human nature are fully met; but admit any other doctrine respecting him, and the scheme of redemption is incomplete.

How delightful, how elevated a principle is christian sympathy! Imitate your Redeemer, then, Christian, in the cultivation of this principle-and God has placed you in a world in which you have every advantage for cultivating it. On every side of you are passing from time to time scenes of mourning and death; and sometimes your own beloved friends are seen sinking amidst the billows of trouble. But whether they be friends or strangers, count it a privilege to weep with them who weep. You cannot indeed perform a miracle to bring back a beloved relative to weeping friends; you cannot dissolve the bands of death, and bring out the tenant of the tomb in his grave clothes by a word; but you can mingle your sympathies in the scene of bereavement, and you can open the Bible, and read its precious promises, and present its divine consolations to those who are bereaved; and in this way you may help not only to alleviate the sorrows of the heart, but to accomplish God's gracious purposes in sending them. Whose conscience does not decide that it is a far more becoming, a far more honourable employment for man to cheer his fellow-man, by sympathy, and counsel, and prayer, in the season of adversity, than to busy himself in the levities and gaities of life? In such a world of trouble as this, have levity and gaiety a right to find a place?

Come to the grave of Lazarus, and contemplate the power, the majesty, the divinity of Jesus.

If there be any one distinctive attribute of divinity mentioned in the Bible, it is the giving of life, or the restoring it after it has been taken away. But this Jesus did; and he did it in a manner which showed clearly enough that there was an original and independent energy adequate to the mighty effect dwelling in him. Lazarus lies in the grave, wrapped up in the habiliments of death; and everything looks as if he is to slumber there till the resurrection day. But, lo! Jesus approaches the sepulchre, and bids the dead man come forth; and if this had been the command of a mere man, or even of an angel, who can believe that it would have been obeyed? But it was obeyed! There went forth with those gracious words a mysterious energy, which unlocked the senses, and unclenched the hands, and in the twinkling of an eye changed a corpse into a living man. Can you conceive of anything more simple-more sublime? The Creator said, "Let there be light!" and there was light. The Redeemer said, "Lazarus, come forth!" and he came forth. Who does not perceive in the two cases not only a resemblance in the effect, but in the manner in which it was produced? If Jesus Christ were anything less than God,

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might he not justly be considered as here arrogating to himself not only Jehovah's peculiar work, but Jehovah's peculiar manner of doing it? And if Jesus be not God, in what way will you know the true God by any of his works?

But Jesus is the true God. So says the apostle;"This is the true God, and eternal life;" and the same doctrines shine in letters of light from every part of the Bible.

Take from the Bible this doctrine in connexion with that of Christ's atonement, and there is nothing left that I would dare offer to a sinner as an antidote against despair; nothing that would be any better than a mockery of his woe. But give me the doctrine of redemption through the merits of a divine Saviour, and I can meet the sinner, even while writhing in an agony of conviction, and show him a consistent ground of peace and comfort. And into whose hands does the dying Christian most frequently commend himself at his entrance into the dark valley? To whom was the parting spirit of Stephen intrusted amidst the horrors of martyrdom? To whose protection, Christian, would you be most ready to confide your own spirit and body too, in the last hour? To whose, rather than to that of Him who hath redeemed both body and spirit; who in respect to the one hath proclaimed himself the resurrection, and in respect to both hath proclaimed himself the Saviour? But would Stephen have dared to do this-would any Christian dare to do it, who believed that Jesus was a mere creature? If this were so, I could not acquit the martyr, or any other Christian who does as the martyr did, of having ventured on an experiment fraught with infinite danger. But when I stand at the grave of Lazarus, and see what Jesus did there, I have confidence that he will take good care of every interest which the believer may commit to him: because I have irresistible evidence that he is both all-gracious and almighty.

Come to the grave of Lazarus, and contemplate the union of divine and human agency.

The sepulchre in which Lazarus was laid was a cave, after the manner of the Jews, and a stone lay upon it. When they came to the spot, Jesus said to those who attended him, "Take ye away the stone." The question may arise, Why did not Jesus make the whole work a matter of miraculous agency? Might not the stone have been removed by the same omnipotent call that brought Lazarus out of his grave? Why, then, does Jesus direct that it should be removed by human hand, as if he were dependent for the performance of the easiest part of his work?

I answer, herein appears one striking uniform feature of the

divine administration. Neither God the Creator, nor God the Redeemer, ever makes an exertion of direct or miraculous power in any of his works when the circumstances of the case do not absolutely demand it. For whatever human agency can accomplish human agency is employed; divine power comes in only to accomplish that for which human power is inadequate. Man can cultivate the earth: God alone can render it productive. God might have caused it to bring forth spontaneously, without human labour, but he has been pleased to ordain that man shall bear a part in procuring his own subsistence; and if he neglect to do his part, he has no right to expect a blessing. God determined that Cornelius should be made acquainted with the gospel, and that there should be a miracle wrought in connexion with it; but then that miracle was not to supersede the necessity of all efforts on the part of Cornelius. God might have revealed the truth to him immediately by his Spirit; but, instead of doing so, he miraculously instructs him to send for Peter, and hear the gospel from his lips. In like manner Jesus might by a word have removed the stone from the grave of Lazarus; but as this part of the work was fairly within human power, human power was employed for its accomplishment. The Jews were able to take away the stone, and they were required to do it; but they were not able to bring back the body to life, and therefore for this Jesus put forth his miraculous power.

Need I say that this same feature pervades the economy of divine grace in respect to the salvation of the soul? You cannot become a new creature by the simple and unassisted exercise of your own powers; but you have much to do in the work of your conversion, notwithstanding. Your faculties are to be brought into vigorous exercise, and the Holy Ghost is to work in you and by you. If you attempt to throw your part of the work upon God, the work will never be performed; or, if you undertake to assume that part of it which belongs to God, it will never be performed. You must work out your own salvation, and God must work within you to will and to do. Nothing short of this will secure your conversion.

Come to the grave of Lazarus, and contemplate the truth of the gospel, and the stability of the Christian's hope.

The miracle which Jesus performed on this occasion was of such a character as to preclude the possibility of deception. That Lazarus was dead was a fact well known, not only to his intimate friends, but in the neighbourhood in which he resided. And he had lain in the grave three days-a period long enough to put beyond all question the reality of his death, even if it

had before been the subject of doubt. And there was everything in the manner in which the miracle was performed to prove that there could have been no imposture connected with it. There was no parading or mysterious process; nothing calculated to impose upon the senses; but a simple call to the dead man, as if he were to be awakened only out of an ordinary sleep. And he arose at the call, and came forth in the livery of the grave; and they who had known him before, recognised him still; and his weeping sisters had their sorrow turned into joy by having their brother restored to them. There was therefore no mistake in this matter; it could have been no other than a real miracle. And if it was a real miracle, it certainly proved that Jesus, as Messiah, acted under a divine commission; then is the gospel of divine authority, and his words are the words of eternal life.

And if it be established that the gospel really came down from heaven, need I say that it follows beyond a peradventure that the Christian's hope is well founded? Yes, Christian, the gospel which you receive is true, and on it you do well to rest your hope of everlasting life. And that hope being founded on the merit of your Redeemer's blood, shall never fail you. It will stand you in death; and after death will be exchanged for an eternal weight of glory.

Come to the tomb of Lazarus, and contemplate that glorious resurrection which awaits every believer.

In the conversation which our Lord had just held with the sisters of Lazarus, he had proclaimed himself the resurrection, declaring that all who are in their graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and come forth. And here he is giving a pledge of the fulfilment of that promise. He is proving his ability on the one hand, and his covenant faithfulness on the other. You see here, Christian, a specimen of what he will do at the last day. He will unlock every sepulchre; will call forth each slumbering tenant; and will enrobe every one of his disciples with the glories of immortality.

I know how nature shudders in the prospect of death. The thought that this body must be reduced to corruption, and be locked up in the sepulchre for ages, is what no man without the consolation which the gospel yields, can admit to his mind with composure. But to the Christian it is given to triumph even amidst such reflections; because he can look forward with confidence to the day of redemption. Even that body will gain rather than lose by the dissolving process; for it shall be rebuilt with greater beauty and more exquisite