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Christ asserts himself to be the

CHAPTER X.

How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.

25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: *the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness

of me.

25 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 294 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all: and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 3011 and my Father are one.

Or, hatt-in easperne —z Ver 35. Ch.32 £5.8. — Ch.8.47. 1 Jn. 4. 6.- Ver. -cbs £21711, 12 & 18.9-1 Ch.14.25 — Ch. 17. 2, 6, &c.-1 Ch 17 11,22 who had all of them, until then, been employed in carrying on the works of the temple, would be all at once deprived of a livelihood.

21. How long dost thou make us to doubt ?] Or, how long dost thou kill us with suspense. Ews TOTE The boxy nu atpris, literally, how long wilt thou take away our life?" Mr. Markland would read optis, for apsts, which amounts nearly to the same sense with the above. The Jews asked this question through extreme perfidiousness; they wished to get him to declare himself king of the Jews, that they might accuse him to the Roman governor and by it they insolently insinuated that all the proofs he had hitherto given them of his divine mission, were good for nothing.

Messiah, and to be one with God.

31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.
32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I showed
you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone u.e!
33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone
thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a
man, makest thyself God.

34 Jesus answered them, i Is it not written in your law, I
said, Ye are gods ?

35 If he called them gods, kunto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;

n

36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctifled, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; " because I said, the Son of God ?

am

37 P If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.

g Cn 859-1 Ch 5.19.-1 Psa. 82.6.-k Rom 13.1-1 Ch.6 27.-m Ch 3.17. & 5.36. 37.& 8.42 --n Ch 5 17, 18. Ver.30-o Luke 15. Ch.9 T, 37--p Ch. 15.24.

Lev. xxiv. 14-16. because he said he was one with God. The evangelist adds the word again, because they had attempted to do this before, see chap. viii. 59. but it seems they were pre. vented from doing this now, by the following discourse.

32. Many good works have I showed you] I have healed your sick, delivered those of you who were possessed, from the power of demons; I have fed multitudes of your poor, and I have taught you in all places, at all times, without expense, with patience; and is this my reward?

To show good works, or good things, is a Hebraisin, which signifies to do them really, to give good things liberally. The phrase is similar to the following: Who will SHOW us any good? Psal. iv. 6. i. e. who shall give us good things. SHOW us thy mercy, Psal. lxxxv. 7. i. e. give us to feel the effects of thy mercy. Thou hast SHOWED thy people hard things, Psal. Ix. 3. i. e. thou hast treated them with rigour. Thou hast SHOWED me great and sore troubles, Psal. lxxi. 20. i. e. thou hast erposed me to terrible hardships.

25. I told, you, &c.] That is, I told you before what I tell you now again, that the works which I do bear testimony to me. I have told you that I am the light of the world: the Son of God: the good shepherd: that I am come to save: to give life to give liberty-to redeem you: that in order to this, I must die, and rise again: and that I am absolute master of my life, and of my death. Have you not noticed my omnis-original word Blacoquety, when applied to meu, signifies to cience, in searching and discovering the very secrets of your hearts? Have you not seen my omnipotence in the miracles which I have wrought? Have not all these been sufficient to convince you and yet ye will not believe! See the works which bore testimony to him as the Messiah, enumerated Matt. xi. 5.

26. Ye are not of my sheep] Ye have not the disposition of Chose who come unto mne to be instructed and saved: see what follows.

27. My sheep hear my voice] But ye will not hear; my sheep follow me; but ye will neither follow nor acknowledge me. Any person who reads without prejudice may easily see, that our Lord does not at all insinuate that these persons could not believe, because God had made it impossible to them; but siinply because they did not hear and follow Christ, which the whole of our blessed Lord's discourse proves that they might bare done. The sheep of Christ are not those who are inclu ded in any eternal decree, to the exclusion of others from the yearnings of the bowels of eternal mercy: but they are those who hear, believe in, follow, and obey, the Saviour of the world. | 2. They shall never perish] Why? Because they hear my voice, and follow me: therefore I know, I approve of, and love tem, and give them eternal life. They who continue to hear Christ's voice, and to follow him, shall never perish. They give theinselves up to God-believe so on Jesus that he lives en their hearts; God hath given unto them eternal life, and this life is in his Son, and he that hath the Son hath life, I John v. 11, 12. Now it is evident that only those who have Christ living in and governing their souls, so that they possess the mind that was in him, are his sheep; are those that shall werer perish, because they have this eternal life abiding in Chem therefore to talk of a man's being one of the elect-one that shall never perish-one who shall have eternal life-who shall never be plucked out of the hand of God, &c. while he lives in sin, has no Christ in his heart, has either never recei· red, or fallen away from the grace of God, is as contrary to cominon sense, as it is to the nature and testimonies of the Most High. Final perseverance implies final faithfulness-he that endures to the end shall be saved-he that is faithful unto death shall have a crown of life. And will any man attempt to say that he who does not endure to the end, and is unfaith. ful, shall ever enter into life?

29. My Father-is greater than all] More powerful than all the united energies of men and demons. He who loves God must be happy: and he who fears him, need fear nothing on this side eternity.

30. I and my Father are one.] If Jesus Christ were not God, could be have said these words without being guilty of blasphemy? It is worthy of remark that Christ does not-say, I and my Father, which my our translation very improperly supplies, and which in this place would have conveyed a widely different meaning: for then it would imply that the kumas nature of Christ, of which alene, I conceive, God is ever said to be the Father in Scripture, was equal to the Most High: but he says, speaking then as God over all, I and THE Father, you kat & Harnp iv soμev, the Creator of all things, the Judge of all men, the Father of the spirits of all flesh, are ONE, ONE in nature, ONE in all the attributes of Godhead, and ONE in all the operations of those attributes: and so it is evident the Jews understood him. See chap. xvii. 11, 22.

31. The Jews took up stones] To stone him as a blasphemer,

33. But for blasphemy] I have elsewhere shown that the speak injuriously of their persons, character, connexions, &c. but when applied to God it signifies to speak impiously, i. e. contrary to his nature, perfections, the wisdom of his providence, or goodness of his works.

Thou, being a man] That is, only a man-makest thyself God. When Christ said before, v. 30. I and the Father are one. had the Jews understood him (as many called Christians profess to do) as only saying he had a unity of sentiments with the Father, they would not have attempted to treat him for this as a blasphemer; because in this sense Abraham, Isaac, Moses, David, and all the prophets, were one with God. But what irritated them so much was, that they understood him as speaking of a unity of nature. Therefore they say here, thou makest thyself God; which word they understood, not in a figurative, metaphorical, or improper sense, but in the most literal meaning of the term.

34. Is it not written in your lar] The words which our Lord quotes are taken from Psal. Ixxxii. 6. which shows that under the word law, our Lord comprised the Jewish sacred writings in general. See also chap. xii. 34. xv. 25.

Ye are gods? That is, judges, who are called on elohim. That judges are here meant, appears from Psal. lxxxii. 2, &c. and also from what follows here. And this is probably the only place where the word is applied to any but the true God: see Parkhurst under the root .

35. Unto whom the word of God came] Bishop Pearce thinks that "the word Aoyos here, is put for Aoyos xpiocws, the word, or matter of judgment, as in 2 Chron. xix. 6. where Jehoshaphat, setting judges in the land of Judah says, take heed what ye do: judge not for men, but for the Lord, who is with you in judgment-λoyoi rns Kpiosos, in the words or matters of judgment, SEPT. which is nearly according to the Hebrew ña DoD bedebar mishpat, in the word or matter of judgment. In Deut. i. 17, when a charge is given to the judges, that they should not be afraid of the face of man, this reason is given: for the judgment is God's. Hence it appears probable, that Aoyos is here used for λoyos picos; and it is called Aoyos Osov, because it is the judgment that properly belongs to God, and which they who give it on earth, give only as acting in the stead of God. A way of speaking very like to this is found in Heb. iv. 13. where the writer says, "pos or ver o royos, with whom we have to do, i. e. by whom we are to be judged."

But the words Aoyos Ocwv may be here understood for the order, commission, or command of God: and so it properly signifies, Luke iii. 2. and in this sense it is found often employed in the Old Testament. When it is there said, that the word of the Lord came, &c. it means, God gave an order, commission, &c. to such a person, to declare or do such and such things.

And the scripture cannot be broken] Avŷnvat, dissolved, rendered of none effect, i. e, it cannot be gainsaid or set aside; every man must believe this, because it is the declaration of God. If those were termed gods who were only earthly magistrates, fallible mortals, and had no particular influence of the Divine Spirit, and that they are termed gods, is evident from that Scripture which cannot be gainsaid; what greater reason then have I to say, I am the Son of God, and one with God, when as Messiah, I have been consecrated, sent into the world to instruct and save men; and when as God, I have wrought miracles which could be performed by no power less than that of omnipotence?

Account of the

sickness of Lazarus 40 And went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized: and there he abode. 41 And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no mira. cle: "but all things that John spake of this man were true. 42▾ And many believed on him there.

ST. JOHN. 35 But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him. 391 Therefore they sought again to take him: but he esca:ed out of their hand,

q Ch.5.36. & 14.10.11-r Ch. 14. 10, 11. & 17.21.- Ch.7.30, 44. & 8.59. 37. If I do not the works, &c.] I desire you to believe only on the evidence of my works: if I do not do such works as God only can perform, then believe me not.

35. Believe the works] Though ye do not now credit what I have said to you, yet consider my works, and then ye will see, that these works prove that I am in the Father, and the Fa ther in me; and consequently, that I and the Father are one. This seems to be the force of our Lord's argument; and every man must see and feel that it is conclusive. There was no possibility of weakening the force of this reasoning, but by asserting that these miracles were not wrought by the power of God and then they must have proved, that not only a man, but a bad man, such as they said Jesus was, could work these miracles. As this was impossible, then the argument of Christ had a complete triumph.

39. They sought again to take him] They could not reply to his arguments but by stones. The evidence of the truth could not be resisted; and they endeavoured to destroy the person who spoke it. Truth may confound the obstinately wicked, but it does not convert them: and it is a just judg. ment of God, to leave those to perish in their gainsayings, who obstinately continue to gainsay and disbelieve.

But he escaped] In such a way as we know not, for the evangelist has not specified the manner of it.

40. Beyond Jordan] Rather to the side of Jordan, not be yond it. See the note on chap. vi. 22. and Matt. xix. 1. Where John at first baptized] That is, at Bethabara: see chap. i. 23. Afterward, John baptized at Enon: chap. iii. 23.

42. Many believed on him there.] The people believed on him, 1. Because of the testimony of John the Baptist, whom they knew to be a good and a wise man, and a prophet of the Lord; and they knew he could neither deceive nor be deceived in this matter: and, 2. They believed because of the miracles which they saw Jesus work. These fully proved that all that John had said of him was true. The scribes and Pharisees, with all their science, could not draw a conclusion so just. Truth and common sense are often on the side of the common

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people, whom the insolently wise and the unsanctifiedly learned sometimes disingenuously brand with the epithets of mob and swinish multitude.

1. This and the preceding chapter contain two remarkable discomfitures of the Jewish doctors. In the former they were confounded by the testimony of a plain uneducated man, simply appealing to the various circumstances of a matter of fact, at which they cavilled, and which they endeavoured to decry. In this chapter the wise are taken in their own craftiness: the Pharisees are confounded by that wisdom which is from above, speaking of and manifesting the deep things of God. Sometimes God himself stops the mouths of gainsayers; at other times he makes the simplest of his followers too mighty for the most learned among the doctors. Ancient and modern martyrologies of the people of God abound with proofs of both these facts. And the persecutions of the Protestants by the Papists in the reign of Queen Mary afford a very large proportion of proofs. In these the mighty power of God and the prevalence of truth were gloriously apparent. Both the word of God and the Protestant cause were nobly illustrated by those transactions. May that abomination that maketh desolate never more sit in the holy place!

2. It must be remarked by every serious reader, that our Lord did frequently speak of himself to the Jews, as being not only sent of God as their Messiah, but as being one with him. And it is as evident that in this sense, the priests and Pharisees understood him: and it was because they would not credit this, that they accused him of blasphemy. Now, if our Lord was not the person they understood him to state himself to be, he had the fairest opportunity, from their strong remonstrances, to correct their misapprehension of his words, if they really had mistaken his meaning-but this he never at tempts. He rather strengthens his assertions in his conse quent discourses with them; which, had not bis positions been true, he could not have done, even as an honest man. He not only asserted himself to be equal with God, but wish ed them to believe it to be true: and he amply confirmed this heavenly doctrine by the miracles he wrought.

CHAPTER XI.

Account of the sickness of Lazarus, 1. His sisters Martha and Mary send for Christ, 2. Our Lord's discourse with his disciples on this sickness and consequent death, 3-16. He arrives at Bethany four days after the burying of Lazarus, 17, 18. Martha meets Christ—their conversation, 19-27. She returns, and Mary goes out to meet him, in great distress, 28-33. Christ comes to the grave-his conversation there, 34-42. He raises Lazarus from the dead, 43-46. The priests and Pharisees hearing of this, hold a council, and plot his destruction, 47, 48. The remarkable prophecy of Caiaphas and the consequent proceedings of the Jews, 49-53. Jesus withdraws into a city called Ephraim, 54. They lay wait for him at the pass-over, 55–57. [A. M. 4033. A. D. 29. An. Olymp. CCII. 1.] TOW a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of b Mary and her sister Martha.

N

2 ( It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)

a Mark 11.1, 12.-b Luke 10. 36. 39.

3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.

4 When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, d but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.

© Matt, 25.7. Mark 14 3. Ch. 12.3.-d Ch.9.3. Verse 40.

the death of Lazarus, which happened about the 18th of the same month.

Bishop Newcombe supposes that our Lord might have staid about a month at Bethabara.

The harmonists and chronologists differ much in fixing dates and ascertaining times. In cases of this nature, I be lieve men may innocently guess as well as they can; but they should assert nothing.

2. It was that Mary which anointed] There is much disagreement between learned men, relative to the two anointings of our Lord, and the persons who performed these acts. The various conjectures concerning these points, the reader will find in the notes on Matt. xxvi. 7, &c. but particularly at the end of that chapter.

NOTES.-Verse 1. Lazarus of Bethany] St. John, who seldom relates any thing but what the other evangelists have omitted, does not tell us what gave rise to that familiar ac quaintance and friendship that subsisted between our Lord and this family. It is surprising that the other evangelists have omitted so remarkable an account as this is, in which some of the finest traits in our Lord's character are exhibited. The conjecture of Grotius has a good deal of weight. He thinks that the other three evangeliste wrote their histories during the life of Lazarus; and that they did not mention him for fear of exciting the malice of the Jews against him. And indeed we find from chap. xii. 10. that they sought to put La zarus to death also, that our Lord might not have one monument of his power and goodness remaining in the land. Probably both Lazarus and his sisters were dead before St. John Dr. Lightfoot inquires, why should Bethany be called the wrote. Bethany was situated at the foot of the mount of town of Martha and Mary, and not of Lazarus 1 And he thinks Olives, about two miles from Jerusalem. Bishop Pearce ob- the reason is, that Martha and Mary had been well known by serves that "there is a large gap in John's history of Christ in that anointing of our Lord, which is mentioned Luke vii. 37. this place. What is mentioned in the preceding chapter pass- (see the note there,) but the name of Lazarus had not been od at the feast of the dedication, ver. 22, about the middle of mentioned till now, there being no transaction by which he our December: and this miracle of raising Lazarus from the could properly be brought into view. He therefore thinks dead, seems to have been wrought but a little before the fol- that the aorist, a cupana, which we translate anointed, should lowing pass-over, in the end of March, at which time Jesus have its full force, and be translated, who had formerly was crucified, as may (he thinks) be gathered from verses 54 anointed; and this he thinks to have been the reason of that and 55 of this chapter, and from chap. xii. 9." John has familiarity which subsisted between our Lord and this family; therefore, according to the bishop's calculation, omitted to and on this ground, they could confidently send for our Lord mention the several miracles which our Lord wrought for when Lazarus fell sick. This seems a very reasonable conabove three months after the things mentioned in the prece-jecture; and it is very likely that the familiarity arose out of ding chapter. the anointing.

Calmet says, Christ left Jerusalem the day after the dedication took place, which was the 18th of December. He went then to Bethabara, where he continued preaching, and his disciples baptizing. About the middle of the following January, Lazarus fell sick: Christ did not leave Bethabara till after

Others think that the anointing of which the evangelist speaks, is that mentioned chap. xii. 1, &c. and which happened about six days before the pass-over. St. John, therefore, is supposed to anticipate the account, because it served more particularly to designate the person of whom he was speakin☛

Account of the

CHAPTER XI.

& Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
6 When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode
two days still in the same place where he was.

7 Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Ju
dea again.

8 His disciples say unto him, Master, f the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?

9 Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.

10 But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.

11 These things said he; and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus i sleepeth: but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.

12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. 13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.

Ch.10.40-f Ch. 10.31-g Ch.9.4-h Ch.12.36.-i So Deu. 31. 16. Dan. 12.2. 3. He whom thou lovest is sick] Nothing could be more simple, nor more modest, than this prayer: they do not say, Come and heal him; or, Command the disease to depart even where thou art, and it will obey thee: they content themselves with simply stating the case, and using an indirect, but a most forcible argument, to induce our Lord to show forth his power and goodness:-He is sick, and thou lovest him therefore thou canst neither abandon him nor us.

4. This sickness is not unto death] Not to final privation of life at this time; but a temporary death shall be now permitted, that the glory of God may appear in the miracle of his resurrection. It is very likely that this verse contains the message which Christ sent back, by the person whom the af flicted sisters had sent to him: and this, no doubt, served much to strengthen their confidence, though their faith must have been greatly exercised by the death of their brother: for when this took place, though they buried him, yet they be lieved even then, probably on the ground of this message, that Jesus might raise him from the dead. See ver. 22.

5. Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.] Therefore his staying two days longer in Bethabara, was not through lack of affection for this distressed family: but merely that he might have a more favourable opportunity of proving to them how much he loved them. Christ never denies a less favour, but in order to confer a greater. God's delays in answering prayers offered to him by persons in distress, are often proofs of his purpose to confer some great kindness: and they are also proofs, that his wisdom finds it necessary to permit an increase of the affliction that his goodness may be more conspicuous in its removal.

& The Jews of late sought to stone thee] It was but a few weeks before, that they were going to stone him in the temple, on the day of the feast of the dedication, chap. x. 31.

9. Are there not twelve hours in the day?] The Jews, as well as most other nations, divided the day from sun-rising to sun-setting, into twelve equal parts: but these parts or hours, were longer or shorter, according to the different seasons of the year. See the note on chap. i. 39.

Our Lord alludes to the case of a traveller, who has to walk the whole day: the day points out the time of life-the night, that of death. He had already used the same mode of speech, chap. ix. 4. I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. Here he refers to what the apostles had just said-The Jews were but just now going to stone thee. Are there not, said he, twelve hours in the day? I have not travelled these twelve hours yet-my last hour is not yet come; and the Jews, with all their malice and hatred, shall not be able to bring it a moment sooner than God has purposed. I am iminortal till my work is done; and this that I am now going to Bethany to perform is a part of it. When all is completed, then their hour, and that of the power of darkness, shall conimence. See Luke xxii, 53.

death of Lazarus

[graphic]

If any man walk in the day he stumbleth not] A traveller should use the day to walk in, and not the night. During the 17. He had lain in the grave four days already.] Our Lord day he has the sun, the light of this world: he sees his way, and does not stumble: but if he walk in the night he stum- probably left Bethabara the day, or the day after Lazarus bleth, because there is no light in it, ver. 10. i. e. there is no died. He came to Bethany three days after: and it appears un above the horizon. The words ev avro, ver. 9. refer not that Lazarus had been buried about four days, and conse to the man, but to the world, the sun, its light, not being above quently that he had been put in the grave the day, or day after the horizon. Life is the time to fulfil the will of God, and to he died. Though it was the Jewish custom to embalm their prepare for glory. Jesus is the light of the world: he that dead, yet we find from ver. 39. that he had not been embalmwalks in his Spirit, and by his direction, cannot stumble-ed; and God wisely ordered this, that the miracle might apcannot fall into sin, nor be surprised by an unexpected death. pear the more striking. But he who walks in the night, in the darkness of his own heart, and according to the maxims of this dark world, he starbles-falls into sin, and at last falls into hell. Reader! do not dream of walking to heaven in the night of thy death. God has given thee the warning: receive it, and begin to live to him, and for eternity.

11. Lazarus sleepeth] It was very common among the Jews to express death by sleep; and the expressions, fulling in a sleep sleeping with their fathers, &c. were in great use among them. The Hebrews probably used this form of speech, to signify their belief in the immortality of the soul, and the resurrection of the body.

It is certain that our Lord received no intimation of Laza

18. Fifteen furlongs] About two miles: for the Jewish miles contained about seven furlongs and a half. So Light. foot, and the margin.

19. Many of the Jews came] Bethany being so nigh to Jerusalem, many of the relatives and friends of the family came, according to the Jewish custom, to mourn with the afflicte.t sisters. Mourning, among the Jews, lasted about thirty days During the three days, the the three first days were termed days of weeping: then fol. lowed seven of lamentation. mourner did no servile work: and if any one saluted him, he did not return the salutation. During the seven days, he did no servile work, except in private-lay with his bed on the 295 floor-did not put on his sandals-did not wash nor anoint

Conversation between

ST. JOHN.

our Lord and Mary,

24 Martha said unto him, I know that he shall rise again in | comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily the resurrection at the last day. and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there.

25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life; Phe 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

m Luke 14.14 Ch.5.99-n Chap. 5. 21, & 6.39, 4), 44.5 Ch. 1. 4.& 6. 35. & 14. 6. Col. 3. 4. 1 John 1 1, 2 & 5 11-p Ch. 3.36. 1 Joha 5. 10, &c.

himself had his head covered-and neither read in the Law, the Mishnah, nor the Talmud. All the thirty days he conti nued unshaven, wore no white or new clothes, and did not sew up the rents which he had made in his garments. See Lightfoot, and see on ver. 31.

20. Martha-went and met him] Some suppose she was the eldest of the two sisters-she seems to have had the management of the house. See Luke x. 40.

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 said unto hin.. 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?

q Matt. 16 16. Ch. 4. 42. & 6. 14, 69.-r Verso 19-a Verse 21. Or. be troubled himself -u Luke 19.41.-v Ch. 9. 6.

sent resurrection, she waited for no further instruction, but ran to call her sister.

28. The Master is come] This was the appellation which he had in the family and from these words it appears that Christ had inquired for Mary, desiring to have her present, that he might strengthen her faith previously to his raising her brother.

Mary sat still in the house.] It is likely that by this circum stance, the evangelist intended to convey the idea of her sorrow and distress; because anciently, afflicted persons were accustomed to put themselves in this posture, as expressive-See the note on Luke vii. 12. of their distress: their grief having rendered them as it were immoveable. See Ezra ix. 3, 4. Neh. i. 4. Psa. cxxxvii. 2. Isai. xlvii. 1. Luke i. 79. and Matt. xxvii. 61.

21. If thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.] Mary said the same words to him a little after, ver. 32. which proves that these sisters had not a complete knowledge of the omnipotence of Christ-they thought he could cure at hand, but not at a distance; or they thought that it was because he did not know of their brother's indisposition, that he permitted him to die. In either of these cases, it plainly appears they had not a proper notion of his divinity; and indeed the following verse proves, that they considered him in no other light than that of a prophet.-Quere-Was it not proper that Christ should, in general, as much as might be, hide the knowledge of his divinity from those with whom he ordinarily lodged? Had they known him fully, would not the reverence and are connected with such a knowledge, have overwhelm

ed them?

22. I know, that even now] She durst not ask so great a fayour in direct terms; she only intimated modestly, that she knew he could do it.

23. Thy brother shall rise again.] That is, directly for it was by raising him immediately from the dead, that he intended to comfort her.

24. I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection] The doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, was then commonly received and though it was our Lord who fully exemplified it by his own resurrection; yet the opinion was cominon, not only among God's people, but among all those who believed in the God of Israel. The Jewish writings, after the captivity, are full of this doctrine. See 2 Macc. vii. 9, 14, 23, 36. xii. 43. xiv. 46. Wisd. v. 1, 7, 17. vi. 6, 7. See also Josephus, and the Targums, passim.

25. I am the resurrection, and the life] Thou sayest that thy brother shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day; but by whom shall he arise if not by ME, who am the author of the resurrection, and the source of life? And is it not as easy for me to raise him now, as to raise him then? Thus our blessed Lord raises her hope, animates her faith, and teaches her that he was not a mere man, but the essential principle and author of existence.

Though he were dead] Every man who has believed or shall believe in me, though his believing shall not prevent him from dying a natural death, yet his body shall be reanimated, and he shall live with me in an eternal glory. And every one who is now dead, dead to God, dead in trespasses and sins; if he believe in me, trust on me as his sole Saviour, he shall live, shall be quickened by my spirit, and live a life of faith, working by love.

26. Shall never die.] Or, shall not die for ever. Though he die a temporal death, he shall not continue under its power for ever; but shall have a resurrection to life eternal.

Believest thou this ? God has determined to work in the behalf of men, only in proportion to their faith in him; it was necessary therefore, that these persons should be well in. structed concerning his nature, that they might find no obsta. cles to their faith. These sisters had considered him only as a prophet hitherto; and it was necessary that they should now be further instructed, that as God was to exert himself, they might believe that God was there.

30. Jesus was not yet come into the town] As the Jewish burying places were without their cities and villages, it ap. pears that the place where our Saviour was when Martha inet him, was not far from the place where Lazarus was buried. 31. She goeth unto the grave to weep: there.] It appears that it was the custom for the nearest relatives of the deceased to go at times during the three days of weeping, accompanied by their friends and neighbours, to mourn near the graves of the deceased. They supposed that the spirit hovered about the place where the body was laid, for three days, to see whether it might be again permitted to enter: but when it saw the face change, it knew that all hope was now past. It was on this ground, that the seven days of lamentation succeeded the three days of weeping, because all hope was now taken away. They had traditions that in the course of three days, persons who had died were raised again to life. See Lightfoot.

33. He groaned in the spirit, &c.] Here the blessed Jesus shows himself to be truly man: and a man too, who, notwithstanding his amazing dignity and excellence, did not feel it beneath him to sympathize with the distressed, and weep with those who wept. After this example of our Lord, shall we say that it is weakness, folly, and sin, to weep for the loss of relatives? He who says so, and can act in a similar case to the above, according to his own doctrine, is a reproach to the name of man. Such apathy never came from God --it is generally a bad scion, implanted in a nature miserably deprav ed, deriving its nourishment from a perverted spirit, or a har dened heart; though in some cases, it is the effect of an erroneous, ascetic mode of discipline.

It is abolishing one of the finest traits in our Lord's human character to say, that he wept and mourned here, because of sin and its consequences. No. Jesus had humanity in its perfection; and humanity unadulterated, is generous and sympathetic. A particular friend of Jesus was dead; and as his friend, the affectionate and friendly soul of Christ was troubled; and he mingled his sacred tears with those of the afflicted relatives. Behold the man, in his deep, heart-felt trouble, and in his flowing tears! but when he says, Laza rus, come forth! behold the Gop! and the God too of infinite clemency, love, and power. Can such a Jesus refuse to comfort the distressed or save the lost? Can he restrain his mer. cies from the penitent soul, or refuse to hear the yearnings of his own bowels? Can such a character be inattentive to the welfare of his creatures? Here is God manifested in the flesh! living in human nature, feeling for the distressed, and suffer. ing for the lost! Reader! ask thy soul, ask thy heart, ask the bowels of thy coinpassions, if thou hast any, could this Jesus unconditionally reprobate from eternity any soul of man? Thou answerest NO! God repeats NÓ! Universal nature re-echoes NO! and the tears and blood of Jesus eternally say, NO!

35. Jesus wept.] The least verse in the Bible, yet inferior to none. Some of the ruthless ancients, improperly styled Fathers of the church, thought that weeping was a degradation of the character of Christ; and therefore, according to the testimony of Epiphanius, Anchorat. c. 13. razed out of the Gospel of St. Luke, the place (chap. xix. 41.) where Christ is said to have wept over Jerusalem.

36. Behold how he loved him!] And when we see him pouring out his blood and life upon the cross for mankind, we may with exultation and joy cry out, Behold how he hath loved vs!

37. Could not this man, which opened the eyes, &c.] Through the maliciousness of their hearts, these Jews considered the tears of Jesus as a proof of his weakness. We may suppose 27. Yea, Lord: I believe] Пlerievka, I have believed. Ei them to have spoken thus: "If he loved him so well, why ther meaning that she had believed this for some time past, or did he not heal him? And if he could have healed him, why that since he began to teach her, her faith had been consider did he not do it, seeing he testifies so much sormw at his death? ably increased: but verbs præter, in Greek, are often used to Let none hereafter vaunt the miracle of the blind man's cure : signify the present. Martha here acknowledges Christ for if he had been capable of doing that, he would not have per the Messiali pronised to their fathers, but her faith goes no mitted his friend to die." Thus will men reuson, or rather further; and having received some hope of her brother's pre-madden, concerning the works and providence of God; ti!

Christ raises Lazarus

CHAPTER XI.

38 Jesus, therefore, again groaning in himself, cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.

39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of nim that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stink. eth: for he hath been dead four days.

40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that if thou Wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard ine.

42 And I know that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.

43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

Verne 4.2-w Ch.12.30.-x Ch. 20.7.-y Ch. 2. 23, & 10.42, & 12. 11, 18.-2 Psa. 22 Matt. 2. 3. Mark 14, 1. Luke 22.2

by his further miracles of mercy or judgment, he converts or confounds them.

38 It was a cave, &c.] It is likely that several of the Jewish burying-places were made in the sides of rocks; some were probably dug down like a well from the upper surface, and then hollowed under into niches, and a flat stone laid down upon the top, would serve for a door. Yet from what the evangelist says, there seems to have been something pe. culiar in the formation of this tomb. It might have been a natural grotto, or dug in the side of a rock or hill, and the lower part of the door level with the ground, or how could Lazarus have come forth, as he is said to have done, ver. 44 33. Take ye away the stone] He desired to convince all those who were at the place, and especially those who took away the stone, that Lazarus was not only dead, but that putrescence had already taken place, that it might not be afterward said that Lazarus had only fallen into a lethargy: but that the greatness of the miracle might be fully evinced.

He stinketh] The body is in a state of putrefaction. The Greek word, oto signifies simply to smell, whether the scent be good or bad: but the circumstances of the case sufficiently show that the latter is its meaning here. Our translators might have omitted the uncouth term in the common text: but they chose literally to follow the Anglo-Saxon, nu he remco; and it would be now useless to attempt any change, as the common reading would perpetually recur, and cause all attempts at mending, to sound even worse than that in the For he hath been dead four days.] Terapratos yap sort, this is the fourth day, i. e. since his interment. Christ himself was buried on the same day on which he was crucified, see chap. xix. 42. and it is likely that Lazarus was buried also on the same day on which he died. See on ver. 17.

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40. If thou wouldest believe, &c.] So it appears that it is faith alone that interests the miraculous and saving power of God in behalf of men. Instead of dogav, the glory, one MS. reads dvvauty, the miraculous power.

41. Where the dead was laid] These words are wanting in BC DL, three others, Syriac, Persic, Arabic, Sahidic, Ethio. pic, Armenian, Vulgate, Saxon, and in all the Itala. Gries. back leaves them out of the text.

Father, I thank thee] As it was a common opinion, that great miracles might be wrought by the power and in the name of the devil, Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven, and invoked the supreme God before these unbelieving Jews, that they might see that it was by his power, and by his only, that this miracle was done; that every hinderance to this peu. ple's faith might be completely taken out of the way, and that their faith might stand not in the wisdom of man, but in the power of the Most High. On this account our Lord says, he spoke because of the multitude, that they might see there was to diabolic influence here; and that God in his mercy had visited this people.

43. He cried with a loud vioce] In chap. v. 25. our Lord had said, that the time was coming in which the dead should hear the voice of the Son of God, and live. He now fulfils that prediction, and eries aloud, that the people may take notice, and see that even death is subject to the sovereign command of Christ.

Jesus Christ, says Quesnel, omitted nothing to save this dead person: he underwent the fatigue of a journey, he wept, he prayed, he groaned, he cried with a loud voice, and commanded the dead to come forth. What ought not a minister to do in order to raise a soul, and especially a soul long dead in trespasses and sins.

from the dead. 44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave-clothes: and his face was bound about with a nap. kin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. 45 Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him." 46 But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.

471 Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we for this man doeth many

miracles.

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49 And one of them, named ↳ Caiaphas, being the high-priest that same year, said unto them, Ye'know nothing at all,

a Chapter 12. 19 Acts 4. 16. Matt, 26, 3. Mark 14. 1. Luke 22.2.--b Luke 3.2. Ch. 18.14. Acts 4.6.

power and goodness of God. Several of the primitive Fathers have adduced this resurrection of Lazarus as the model, type, proof, and pledge, of the general resurrection of the dead." Loose him, and let him go.] He would have the disciples and those who were at hand take part in this business, that the fullest conviction might rest on every person's mind con cerning the reality of what was wrought. He whom the grace of Christ converts and restores to life, comes forth at his call, from the dark dismal grave of sin, in which his soul has long been buried; he walks according to the command of Christ, in newness of life; and gives, by the holiness of his conduct, the fullest proof to all his acquaintance that he is alive from the dead.

45. Many of the Jews-believed on him.] They saw that the miracle was incontestable; and they were determined to resist the truth no longer. Their friendly visit to these distressed sisters, became the means of their conversion. How true is the saying of the wise man, It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to the house of feasting, Eccl. vii. 2. God never permits men to do any thing, through a principle of kindness to others, without making it instrumental of good to themselves. He that watereth shall be watered also himself, Prov. xi. 25. Therefore, let no man withhold good, while it is in the power of his hand to do it. Prov. iii. 27.

46. But some of them went their ways] Astonishing! some that had seen even this miracle, steeled their hearts against it; and not only so, but conspired the destruction of this most humane, amiable, and glorious Saviour! Those who obsti nately resist the truth of God, are capable of every thing that is base, perfidions, and cruel.

47. Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council) The Pharisees, as such, had no power to assemble councils; and therefore only those are meant who were scribes or elders of the people, in conjunction with Annas and his son-in-law Caiaphas, who were the high-priests here mentioned. See chap. xviii. 13, 24.

What do we? This last miracle was so clear, plain, and incontestable, that they were driven now to their wit's end. Their own spies had come and borne testimony of it. They told them what they had seen, and on their word, as being in league with themselves against Jesus, they could confidently rely.

48. All men will believe on him] If we permit him to work but a few more miracles like these two last, (the cure of the blind man, and the resurrection of Lazarus,) he will be universaily acknowledged for the Messiah; the people will proclaim him king, and the Romans, who can suffer no government here but their own, will be so irritated, that they will send their armies against us, destroy our temple, and utterly dis solve our civil and ecclesiastical existence. Thus, under the pretence of the public good, these men of blood hide their hatred against Christ, and resolve to put him to death. To get the people on their side, they must give the alarm of destruc tion to the nation; if this man be permitted to live, we shall be all destroyed! their former weapons will not now avail. On the subject of keeping the Sabbath, they had been already con. founded, and his last miracles were so incontestable, that they could no longer cry out, He is a deceiver.

Both our place and nation.] Literally, this place, TOV TOTOV: but that the temple only is understood, is clear from Acts vi. 13, 14. 2 Macc. i. 14. ii. 18. iii. 18. v. 16, 17. x. 7. where it is uniformly called the place, or the holy place, because they considered it the most glorious and excellent place in the world. When men act in opposition to God's counsel, the very evils which they expect thereby to avoid, will come upon them. They said, If we do not put Jesus to death, the Romans will destroy both our temple and nation. Now it was because they put him to death, that the Romans burnt and razed their temple to the ground, and put a final period to their political existence. See Matt. xxii. 7. and the notes on chap. xxiv.

44. Bound hand and foot with grave clothes] Swathed about with rollers-Keipiais, from Ketpw, I cut. These were long slips of linen a few inches in breadth, with which the body and limbs of the dead were swathed, and especially those who were embalmed, that the aromatics might be kept in contact with the flesh. But as it is evident that Lazarus had not been embalmed, it is probable that his limbs were not swathed together, as is the constant case with those who are em-life, and the son of Aaron's race always succeeded his father. salmed, but separately: so that he could come out of the tomb at the command of Christ, though he could not walk freely, till the rollers were taken away. But some will have If that he was swathed exactly like a mummy, and that his coming out in that state was another miracle. But there is no seed of multiplying miracles in this case: there was one wrought which was a most sovereign proof of the unlimited

49. Caiaphas, being the high-priest that same year] By the law of Moses, Exod. xl. 15. the office of high-priest was for But at this time the high-priesthood was almost annual: the Romans and Herod put down and raised up whom they pleased, and when they pleased, without attending to any other rule than merely that the person put in this office should be of the sacerdotal race. According to Josephus, Ant. xviii. c. 3. the proper name of this person was Joseph, and Caiaphas was his surname. He possessed the high-priesthood for eight or

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