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The speech | pierce the rocks and divide the mountains, and fetch up the dead out of the lowest depths. Thy word made all, thy word shall repair all. Hence, all ye diffident fears! He whom I trust is omnipotent. — HALL.

was called from far? must be loud that shall be heard in another world. Was it in relation to the estate of the body of Lazarus, whom thou hadst reported to sleep? since those that are in a deep and dead sleep cannot be awakened without a loud call. Or was it in a representation of that loud voice of the last trumpet, which shall sound into all graves, and raise all flesh from their dust? Even so still, Lord, when thou wouldst raise a soul from the death of sin and grave of corruption, no easy voice will serve. Thy strongest commands, thy loudest denunciations of judgments, the shrillest and sweetest promulgations of thy mercies, are but enough.

How familiar a word is this, "Lazarus, come forth!" No other than he was wont to use while they lived together. Neither doth he say, Lazarus, revive; but, as if he supposed him already living, "Lazarus, come forth :" to let them know that those who are dead to us, are to and with him alive; yea, in a more entire and feeling society, than while they carried their clay about them. Why do I fear that separation which shall more unite me to my Saviour?

Neither was the word more familiar than commanding: "Lazarus, come forth." Here is no suit to his Father, nor adjuration to the deceased, but a flat and absolute injunction, "Come forth." O Saviour, that is the voice that I shall once hear sounding into the bottom of my grave, and raising me up out of dust; that is the voice that shall

my

And he that was dead came forth. It was much to turn water into wine; but it was more to feed five thousand with five loaves. It was much to restore the ruler's son; it was more to cure him that had been thirty-eight years a cripple. It was much to cure him that was born blind; it was more to raise up Lazarus that had been so long dead. As a stream runs still the stronger and wider, the nearer it comes to the ocean whence it was derived; so didst thou, O Saviour, work the more powerfully the nearer thou drewest to thy glory. This was, as one of thy last, so of thy greatest miracles: when thou wert ready to die thyself, thou raisedst him to life who smelt strong of the grave. None of all the sacred histories is so full and punctual as this, in the report of all circumstances. Other miracles do not more transcend nature, than this transcends other miracles.

This alone was a sufficient eviction of thy godhead, O blessed Saviour! None but an infinite power could so far go beyond nature, as to recall a man four days dead, from not a mere privation, but a settled corruption. Earth must needs be thine, from which thou rescuest his body; heaven must needs be thine, from whence thou fetchest his spirit. None but he that created man,

could thus make him new.-BP. | told them what things Jesus had HALL.

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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

done.

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47 Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, "What do we for this man doeth many miracles.

48 If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.

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

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there continued with his disci- not win belief from him; yet our

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experience daily makes good these ordinary proofs of the wonderful providence of the Almighty. Or, should I show a man, that is un

acquainted with these great marvels of nature, the small seed of the silkworm, lying scattered upon a paper, and seemingly dead all winter long; and should tell him, "These little atoms, so soon as the mulberry tree puts forth, will yield a worm, which

shall work itself into so rich a house, as the great princes of the earth shall be glad to shelter themselves with; and, after that, shall turn to a large fly, and in that shape shall live to generate, and then speedily die;" I should seem to tell incredible things; yet this is so familiar to the experienced, that

ych. ii. 23; & x. 42; & xii. 11. 18.-z Ps il. 2. Mat, they cease to wonder at it. If, from

xxvi. 3. Mark xiv. 1. Luke xxii. 2.-a ch. xii. 19. Acts iv. 16.-6 Luke iii. 2. ch. xviii. 14. Acts iv 6.-c ch. xviii. 14d 1s. xlix. 6. 1 John ii. 2.-e ch. x. 16. Eph. ii. 14, 15, 16, 17.-f ch. iv. 1,3; & vii. 1g See 2 Chr. xiii. 19.-h ch. ii. 13; & v. I; & vi. 4.—i ch. xi. 7.

READER.-Then many of the Jews believed.-If I should come to to a man, that is ignorant of these fruitful productions of the earth; and, shewing him a little naked grain, should tell him, "This, which thou seest, shall rot in the ground; and, after that, shall rise up a yard high into divers stalks, and every stalk shall bear an ear, and every ear shall yield twenty or thirty such grains as itself is ;" or, showing him an acorn, should say, "This shall be buried in the earth, and, after that, shall rise up twenty or thirty foot high, and shall spread so far as to give comfortable shade to a hundred persons;" surely, I should

these vegetables, we should cast our

eyes upon some sensitive creatures, do we not see snails, and flies, and some birds, lie as senseless and lifeless all the winter time; and yet, when the spring comes, they recover their wonted vivacity?

Besides these resemblances, have we not many clear instances and examples of our resurrection? Did not the touch of Elisha's bones raise up the partner of his grave? 2 Kings xiii. 21. Was not Lazarus called up out of his sepulchre, after four days' possession, and many noisome degrees of rottenness? Were not the graves opened of many bodies of the saints which slept? Did not they arise and come out of their graves, after my Saviour's resurrection, and go into the holy city,

and appear unto many? Matt. xxvii. mercy, and grace, and power to eschew 52, 53. Besides examples, have we not evil and do good, and all the blessings an all-sufficient pledge of our cer- we can ever have or desire, either in tain rising again, in the victorious this world or the next; that death, by resurrection of the Lord of life? Is virtue whereof he entered into heaven, he not our head? Are not we his now to appear in the presence of God members? Is he not the firstfruits for us; and therefore is able to save to of them that slept? 1 Cor. xv. 20. the utmost them that come unto God Did he not conquer death for us? by him, seeing he ever liveth to make 1 Cor. xv. 57. Can the head be intercession for them. alive and glorious, while the limbs do utterly perish in a final corruption? Certainly then, "If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also, which sleep in Jesus, will God bring with him." 1 Thess. iv. 14.-HALL.

He prophesied that he should die for that nation; and not for that nation only, but that he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.-The death, here spoken of, is the death of the Lord, the Almighty and eternal Son of God; that death which he suffered in the nature, and in the stead, of mankind in general; and particularly of us who are here present; that death, whereby he expiated our sins, and made complete satisfaction to the Divine truth and justice for them that death, whereby he appeased the wrath which he that made

us had justly conceived against us,

and hath reconciled him again unto us : that death, whereby he delivered us

HYMN.

Sprinkled with reconciling blood
I dare approach thy throne, O God!
Thy face no frowning aspect wears,
Thy hand no vengeful weapon bears.

Let me my grateful homage pay,
With courage sing, with freedom pray;
And, though myself a wretch undone,
Hope for acceptance through thy Son.

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passover came to Bethany,

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from the slavery of sin and Satan, and THEN Jesus six days before the asserted us into the glorious liberty of the sons of God: that death, whereby he redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made himself a curse for us: that death, whereby he purchased for us both pardon and peace, and

" where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.

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2 There they made him a

supper; and Martha served but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.

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3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.

4 Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him,

5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?

6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.

7 Then said Jesus, Let her alone against the day of my burying hath she kept this.

8 For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.

9 Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead.

10 ¶ But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death:

11 "Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went

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