-that they are essentially redemptive in their character. I explained that every miracle that Christ did was, not like Loyola's, or Xavier's, or Liguori's, a wild, arbitrary display of power, but one of the fore-lights of the restoration of all things, an earnest of what shall be. When he healed the sick, for instance, that was an earnest and a fore-taste of a sickless state; when he stilled the waves and the storm, it was an earnest of the perfect calm that shall be; and when he raised the dead, it was the first-fruits of the first resurrection. And I may notice this most interesting fact, that, just in proportion as men grow Christ-like in character, they become Christ-like in power. I believe that greater skill in medicine, greater attainments in science, greater loyalty among our people, are all associated by an indissoluble law with greater grace in men's hearts. It is in the most Christian lands that famine is the least felt, and that the few loaves are multiplied most into the many. It is in Christian lands, too, that man gains the greatest supremacy over nature around him. What monarch rules the waves? The monarch that rules by the grace of God— "Dei gratiâ," as the humblest of our coins tell. What monarch is admiral of the seas? The monarch that is

most Christian. In proportion as Christianity spreads, you see medical skill, military power, (as far as it is defensive,) naval power, scientific knowledge, spreading too. The fact is, Christianity is a glorious tree; and science and literature and power are the parasite plants, that twine around it, draw their nutriment from it, depend for support and endurance on it. This is a most delightful fact, that just as a country becomes Christian, that country excels in lordship over disease, over sea, and land, and science, and literature, and philosophy. If you were now to institute a comparison between the nations of the earth, you would find that the land that has most Christian light in it,

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has the most science, literature, philosophy, poetry, and genius in it too. I believe medicine is a science constantly progressing; and I have no doubt that, as we become more Christian, there will be more control over disease. I look upon the discovery of vaccination as only a shadow of the great fact of Christ's healing diseases; and upon every brilliant discovery in medicine, (and many brilliant ones have been made lately,) as a fore-light of that day when there shall be no sickness, nor death, nor any more sin. I believe there is a deeper and more intimate connection, underlying what we see, between grace in the heart and light in the intellect, and power over all that is around us, than many generally suppose. If this lesson could be impressed upon us-that they that are richest in grace shall be mightiest also in power-we might gain, perhaps, another step toward that glorious consummation when Christ shall reign in every heart, and be all and in all.

The result of this miracle was that the disciples worshipped Christ. That should be the result of its study to us. Have you been delivered from affliction? Worship Christ. Have you been prospered in the world? Worship Christ. Have you escaped a watery grave? Have you been saved in a railway accident? Have you been spared in circumstances of imminent danger? Have you been recovered from disease? Be thankful for the physician's skill, for the medicine's power; but look beyond the physician, and above the medicine, and, like the disciples who were delivered from the storm, worship Jesus.

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LECTURE V.

THE SORROWING SISTERS.

Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was. Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judea again. His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again? 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. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him. These things said he and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit, Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him. Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellow disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him. Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already. Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off; and many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him but Mary sat still in the house. Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yes, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.

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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. As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him. Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him. 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. 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. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, and said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! 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? Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. Jesus saith unto her, Said not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? 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 me. And I knew 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. And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave-clothes: 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.-JOHN xi. 1-46.

I HAVE read what may seem a long, but what must appear to you all a beautiful, account of one of the greatest and most impressive miracles wrought by our Lord, namely, the resurrection of Lazarus from the dead. It will be impossible to enter upon the part which is strictly the accomplishment of the miracle in this lecture. It will be sufficient to dwell upon some of those exquisite touches of true poetry, of deep sentiment, of instructive religion. which immediately precede the actual miracle. Often what accompanies the miracle is as beautiful and impressive as the miracle itself; for, in the whole history of Jesus, each act of power is set and embosomed in many acts of good

ness, like the full ripe fruit amid the leaves and petals that surround it. We may enjoy the fragrance of the last before we gather and feed upon the preciousness of the first.

In looking at what is recorded as introductory to the immediate miracle, we fine one great fact: first, that suffering is the lot of all: there is no exception. Sorrow enters the heart that is bounding, and death smites the heart that is breaking: there is none exempt. God's people and they that are not are subject to suffering. We may not trace out who are the Lord's people by their outward sufferings; we can only trace this by their inward and moral character. Often the greatest sufferer is the greatest saint. Frequently God's hand lies the heaviest where God's heart overflows the most with beneficence, sympathy, and love.

Let us notice where this miracle was done. It was in a town called Bethany, but it is distinguished by one characteristic feature; it was the town of Mary and her sister Martha. There is something beautiful in this allusion. I have no doubt that Bethany had given birth to some heroes, poets, statesmen, philosophers; and that if you had asked some rabbi what was the greatest glory of Bethany, he would have pointed to some tall tapering spire, some exquisite specimen of architectural grandeur, or he would have unfolded the page that contains the name of some great poet who was born in it, or illustrious hero who bled and suffered for his country. But these characteristics are all restricted to this world. The sounds of the fame of heroes, poets, and philosophers, are spent before they reach the skies, but the sigh of the broken heart is heard in heaven. louder than the seven thunders; the simple petition of a contrite spirit rises to God swifter than an angel's wings can clip, and rises higher than an archangel's pinions can