174 The NEW and COMPLETE LIFE of our BLESSED LORD human heart, when kept in due bounds ; that friendly forrow, when not immo- derate, and direfled to proper ends, is confiftent with the higheft fanf'ity of the foul, joined in the general mourning: he wept, even at the time that he was going to give the moll ample proof of his al- mighty power. Thus the Jews were convinced that he loved Lazarus exceedingly; but force of them interpreted this circumftance to his difadvantage : for according to their mean way of judging, they fancied that he had fuffered him to fall by the ftroke of death, for no other reafon in the world, but for want of power to refcue him. And think- ing the miracle, faid to have been wrought on the blind men at the feaft of taber- nacles, at leali as difficult as the curing an acute diftemper, they called the former in queffion, becaufe the latter had been ne- glef'ed : Could not this man, faid they, which opened the eyes of the blind, haze caufed that even this man fhould not have died ? But Jesus took no notice of their quef- tions ; but grieving at the hardnefs of their heart, and blindnefs of their infide- lity, groaned again within himfelf, as he walked towards the fepulchre of the dead. At his coming to the grave, he faid, Take ye away the (tone. To which Martha an- fwered, Lord, by this time he flinketh; for he hath been dead four days: or, as the paffage may be better rendered, hath lain in the grave four days. She meant to in- finuate that her brother's refurreklion was not now to be expelled. But Jesus gave her a folemn reproof, to teach her that there was nothing impoffible with God ; and that the power of the Almighty is not to be circumfcribed within the narrow bounds ofhuman reafon, Said I not unto thee, thát, if thou wouldeft believe, thou fhouldefl fee the glory of God? Martha's objerionsbeing thus obviated, the with the refi, waited the great event in frlencè ; and, in purfuance of the com- mand of the Son of God, took away the 2 (lone from the place where the dead was laid. Jesus had, on many occafions, publicly appealed to his own miracles, as the proofs of his million, though he did not generally make a formal addrefs to his Father before hè worked this miracle ; but being now to raite Lazarus from the . dead, he prayed for his refurreftion, to convince the fpef'ators that it could not be effefled, without an immediate interpo- fition of the divine power : rather, faid he, J thank thee, that thou haft heard me; and Iknew that thou haft heard me; and Iknew that thou heardme always : but becaufe of the people which Eland by, Ifaid it, that theymaybelieve that thou haftfont nze : I en- tertained no doubt of thy impowering me to do this miracle, and therefore, did not pray for my own fake ; I well knew that thou heareft me always : I prayed for the fake of the people, to convince them that thou loveft me, haft fent me, and art con- tinually owning the work I am come to do. Having returned thanks to his Father, for this opportunityof difplaying his glory, He cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. This loud and efficacious call of the Son of God, awakened the dead ; the breathlefs clay was inftantly re-animated, and he who had lain four days in the chambers of the tomb, obeyed immediately the powerful found: And he that was dead cameforth, boùndhand andfoot withgrave- clothes ; and his face was bound about with a napkin: Jefus faith unto then, LooJI him, and let him.go.. It would have been the leaf' part of the miracle, had Jesus, by his powerful word, unloofed the nap- kins, wherewith Lazarus was bound; but he brought him out in the fame manner he was lying, and ordered the fpeflators to bofe him, that they might be better convinced of the miracle : for, in taking off the grave-clothes, they had the fullell evidence both ofhis death and refurrefiion. As, on the one hand, the manner which he was fwathed, mull foon have killed him, had he been alive when 'buried ; and courtquentl '
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