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also calculated to try the faith of the Sisters. What say they, this sickness is not unto death; but did not Lazarus die in this sickness? Can Jesus be mistaken? what can his meaning be?

Lazarus dies, and is buried. Is it then from the tomb that the Son of God is to receive glory and praise? The rest of the history will explain to us, as it did to Martha and Mary, all that now seems obscure; mean while I pray to receive instruction, and to learn to adore the dispensations of my God, even should they be veiled in mystery, "* For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord, for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Martha and Mary speak to Jesus only of the illness of their brother: Jesus answers them as the Prince of Life, having dominion over death and the grave; he speaks only of the glory of God, and the glory of the Son of God. What a lesson for us, my beloved brethren, in our limited and narrow views! We only see the present moment Christ in his dispensations for us, looks to our eternal destiny. We see only the wants that assail us, the relief which we ask for with tears. Christ looks to everlasting life, and desires we should attain it by unknown paths. We see our mortal bodies, Christ our immortal souls. We see

* Isaiah lv. 8 9.

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time, Christ eternity, and above all and in all the glory of God. Whoever we may be, whatever our rank in life, we only exist in common with the whole universe for one object, and for that all things have been and were created, "the glory of God, the glory of the Son of God."

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Could we but rightly understand this important truth and possess our whole souls with it, we should soon lose that little miserable self-love which makes us set up ourselves as our own idols, and is the cause of all our misdeeds. We should soon feel that we ought to present ourselves and all belonging to us "*a living and holy sacrifice to the glory of God, and to the glory of the Son of God." We should tread under foot our inordinate pride, that hideous monster, and give all glory to him who created and saved us. should tear the last blossom from the crown which our presumption had usurped, and place it with perfect submission on the divine head of the Son of God; in short, the eternal order of creation would be restored.

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What signifies to us the method which God uses to obtain for us this sublime end? Lazarus is stretched upon a bed of sickness, and is thus ordained to manifest the glory of God. St. Paul and St. John are appointed to the same work by preaching the cross of Christ.Lazarus died and was buried, and by that death and burial proclaimed the glory of the Son of God as

Rom. xii. 1.

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triumphantly as did the worlds of the vast universe when they poured forth in endless multitudes from his creating hand. O! let us learn to know God! Let us remember that the sole object of our existence is his glory, that by glorifying him we accomplish his sovereign will, which is ever good and perfect. Let us remember that we may accomplish that will as fully on a bed of straw, groaning with pains and trials, as if we were following the most brilliant career! Alas! we are so blind, and so often judge from outward appearances, that the words happiness and misfortune are totally misapplied by us. If an angel of God, endued with all knowledge, would look down from heaven into the obscure life of some person whom his fellow-creatures term unfortunate; he would perhaps seize his harp to sing praises for his happiness, and were that angel not in a kingdom where there are no more tears, he might weep bitterly at the misery of some other person whose lot is envied by all. Some obtain, through severe trials, the great end of their existence, the glory of God, while it is wholly forgotten by others who are nursed in the lap of prosperity. What an awful consideration! In the fulfilment of time all created beings must, before the assembled universe, proclaim the glory of God, either by sounding the hymn of everlasting praise with the pure spirits of heaven, or by bearing a desponding testimony of God's justice in chastisement with the condemned. Oh God! may I hasten while it is yet time to lay my rebellious will at thy feet-may the

affections of my heart as well as the actions of my life repeat before the heavenly host, Glory be to thee! May the last accents of my dying lips bear to the foot of thy throne of Mercy, this cry of praise and love, Glory be to thee, Oh God!

LECTURE III.

LOVE FOR JESUS.-A TRIAL OF FAITH.

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.-St. John, xi. 5, 6.

"Lord! behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.". Such was the affecting appeal of Martha and Mary when their brother was attacked with a grievous illness. "This sickness is not unto death," replied Jesus, "but for the glory of God that the Son of God might be glorified thereby." This answer gave the sisters much hope and expectation; the Evangelist takes us first beyond Jordan, where we shall listen to Jesus and his Disciples, then back to Bethany to the tomb of Lazarus.

St. John continues his narrative by shewing us that "his Lord abode two days still in the same place where he was," although he had heard of the illness of him he called his friend;"" this was contrary to all expectations, as he was ever ready to relieve the afflicted. But the beloved disciple knew that the natural bent of our hearts is to judge, with precipitation and temerity,

the ways of the Lord-he knew how prone we are to doubt his love, though he gives us such abundant proofs of it; he knew how easily we think ourselves forgotten, rejected, and abandoned; he knew how weak is our trust if our wishes are not immediately complied with-he knew all our ingratitude, therefore before even he acquaints us that Jesus "remained two days in the place where he was," before he tells. us of the mysterious conduct of our Lord, which might be discouraging to persons naturally incredulous, his pious feelings urged him to justify the love of his master by seeking to prevent the possibility of a rash judgment. Wishing us to read the very heart of Jesus, and to see its kind and generous affection, he "Jesus loved Martha and Mary, and Laza

tells us,

rus."

What delicacy and feeling? What a deep knowledge of our passions and of our infirmities does this Disciple possess! Before he shews us his master's actions he wishes us to understand his motives. We should seek to know the thoughts of Jesus as he knew them; we are persuaded that this knowledge would give us a thousand inducements for loving him and his dispensations, however mysterious, and however gloomy they may appear at first-sight. After being told that Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, dare any one accuse him of negligence towards that afflicted family, even though he delayed for two days giving them the assistance of his almighty power?

Dear brother in the Lord! are you in trouble? Though you have not St. John at your side whispering

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