came to Jesus, implored his assistance with tears, she received a cold answer, a refusal to her prayer, but by this means shewed all Israel, and all succeeding generations, a striking example of victorious faith.The great apostle Paul prayed thrice to be delivered from a thorn in the flesh-he was answered in these words," My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in thy weakness." Thus the Lord guides his children; he may appear deaf to their prayers storms may thicken round them, their night becomes darker and darker; but it will serve to render their day of consolation more bright. Often, when that weary heart has ceased to send up prayers, that seem unanswered, when bitter anguish has extinguished the last ray of hope, and all human aid has failed, then Jesus visits his child, and turns his darkness into light, his weeping into songs of praise.Lazarus was struck by the cold hand of death and laid in the sepulchre, when his sisters weeping bitterly, and clad in mourning robes, had no other consolation than to lament over his remains, then Jesus, with sovereign power over death and the grave, appears in Bethany, and draws glory to God from out of the very tomb. O! the wisdom, power, and love of God! When shall we learn to know, and adore thee, and submit silently to all that thou doest for our eternal good!

Some Divines, of the present day, ignorant of God's intentions, and that he desires the sanctification

2 Cor. xii. 9.

of his children before all things, have imagined a thousand hypothesis to explain the reason why our Lord left his friend" two days in suffering. One says, he was detained by an indispensable engagement, another that he did not know Lazarus was in danger-Oh! ye fools, will ye always lose sight of the glory of God, and the salvation of man? Will ye always think of this carnal world instead of the eternal happiness of those immortal souls whom Jesus is preparing for Heaven? We must raise our eyes above, if we wish to compass the intentions of God towards us. "He desireth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he may turn from his wickedness and live;" he liketh not that his children, his already by conversion, should be enslaved by the servile chains and corruptions of this world; he bursts the bonds for them, and should the blow cut deep into our hearts, shall we not acknowledge the rod, and the hand that uses it? O God! what will thou that I do? What sacrifice have I to make, what idol to offer up? Since thou has loved me, and since thou hast saved me, by what path wilt thou lead me to Zion, to the assembly of thy first born, in the midst of the blessed spirits who adore and worship thee, and where nothing polluted by sin could be suffered to enter?

LECTURE IV.

THE HEROIC CONDUCT OF JESUS.-THE TWELVE HOURS.

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.-St. John, xi. 7, 8, 9, 10.

The two virtues which in our opinion constitute heroism are courage and devotion; the names that we see recorded with pompous eulogiums, are those of men who, forgetting themselves and their personal interests, devoted themselves to sufferings or death, either for the good of their country, the welfare of some one dear to them, or for some other cause equally praise-worthy. We admire their courage and devotion-we love to study the magnanimous traits of their character, but as a great writer of our time has observed, "There is no heroism which, when closely examined, has not its defects, great and pure as it may appear." What would this author say, if the heroism of man could be seen by the light of the truth of God? What would he say could he analyse, by the lamp of the divine word, all the sparks of pride, vanity, and self-love, which elicit the sublime flashes of the heroism so extolled by man. How then would appear the most brilliant actions of many, whose names resound from century to century, and whose memory appears surrounded by an egis of gloryO! what would be those brilliant actions if weighed

*Victor Cousins.

in the balance of eternal justice! Should we not see the mysterious hand which surprised the King of Babylon in the midst of his vanities, as it wrote the fatal "Tekel" of the prophet, "Thou art weighed in the balances and art found wanting"-thou knowest it, O God! and it is not for us to judge.

Let us, my dear brethren, bless God for having taught us another kind of courage and devotion, which is recorded not by mortals (who often call good evil and evil good) but by the angels on their golden harps of eternal praise.

We see in the Redeemer of the world, as well as in the sacrifice he made in leaving heaven for our sakes, as throughout his whole life, and particularly in the passage before us, we see in him the most perfect model of heroic devotion, and one that was approved by God; and he says to us all," + I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done to you."

Come then, ye disciples of Christ, and ye also men of the world, who know how to appreciate what is great and noble. Come let us study our model; do not let us confine ourselves to a vain and barren admiration, but let us with a courageous step begin the course which our heavenly master has run before us. The considerations which the sublime conduct of Jesus should inspire us with, are what we should learn from

our text.

• Daniel v. 27. ↑ John xiii. 15,

O Lord! destroy in us that cowardly apathy which renders us lukewarm to all that ought to inspire us with enthusiasm. Root out of us that selfishness which chills us and keeps us from rising to the contemplation of that divine example which thou hast placed before the eyes of a sinning world, and fitted for the admiration of the heavenly hosts, forming the subject of our songs to all eternity.

Jesus was beyond Jordan where he had been obliged to fly on account of the hatred and persecutions of the Chiefs of the people: he abode there two days after Martha and Mary had made known to him their uneasiness. They were two days of suffering to Lazarus, two days of painful suspense to his sisters; yet, no doubt, they were passed in works of charity by him who went about doing good," 66 † and whose meat was to do the will of him who sent him and to finish his work.", Yes, at the same time that illness and death caused tears and sorrow in the house of Lazarus-the kind hand of the Lord took comfort and peace to other trembling hearts, filling them with pardon and thankfulness. But should those whom Jesus most loved be sometimes the last to whom he lends his aid, they are not therefore forgotten by him. No, his power succours them; he "keeps him as the apple of his eye: as an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings." Jesus was

* Acts x. 38. ↑ John iv. 34. Deut. xxxii. 10, 11.