Female Scripture Biography Volume II Part 9
The value of the mercies we are required to seek is such as ought to excite our utmost importunity. If the Syrophenician woman were so eager and so persevering in order to obtain a temporal blessing, surely it becomes us to manifest at least an equal zeal for spiritual good. She entreated the cure of her possessed daughter; we are a.s.sured that "ALL things whatsoever we ask in prayer, believing, we shall receive." At the voice of prayer the treasures of grace are unlocked, the windows of heaven opened, the riches of eternity dispensed. The language of _pet.i.tion_ ascends above the language of _praise_, and is heard amidst the songs of angels. "O thou that hearest _prayer_, unto thee shall all flesh come."
The interesting consideration, that this woman was a _Canaanite_, ought not to be overlooked. This people was particularly denounced by Noah in the person of their guilty progenitor, and in the following terms: "Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren." The descendants of Canaan, that is, primarily of Ham, were remarkably wicked and idolatrous. "Their religion," as bishop Newton observes, "was bad, and their morality, if possible, worse; for corrupt religion and corrupt morals usually generate each other, and go hand in hand together." Some centuries after their predicted subjugation to the yoke of Shem and j.a.pheth, the Israelites, under the command of Joshua, smote thirty of their kings, and Solomon made such as were not before extirpated or enslaved his tributaries. The Greeks and Romans afterward subdued Syria and Palestine, and conquered the Tyrians and Carthaginians. Subsequently to this period, the Saracens, and finally the Turks, fastened upon them the iron yoke of servitude.
Behold, then, from among the accursed Canaanites, a woman outstrips in zeal and faith thousands, and tens of thousands, who were her superiors in birth and privilege; and Jesus withholds not his blessing from this insignificant Gentile! What an encouragement to the meanest, the obscurest, and the most unworthy, to apply with instant haste to this Almighty Saviour! His free and abundant salvation is dispensed to penitents irrespectively of national distinctions or individual demerit; and, instead of its being derogatory to his dignity to condescend to persons of low estate, he chose to publish his Gospel to the poor, and to "save the children of the needy." "His blood cleanseth from _all_ sin." He came "not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." We have here a specimen and pledge of the influence of Christ and his salvation.
He is become the centre of universal attraction, the powerful magnet of the world, pervading by his influence the moral creation, and gradually drawing all into himself. The designs of mercy were now enlarging, the scale of its operations extending, and the ancient lines of demarcation between Jew and Gentile were overstepped by the zeal of the Lord of Hosts.
In the person of this Canaanite we witness the first "lively stone"
brought from the Gentile quarry, and placed on the chief corner-stone of the great spiritual edifice of the Christian church. "They shall come,"
said our Saviour, "from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south."
The present condition of the Jews forms an awful contrast, to those clays of boasted pre-eminence, How are they, who once regarded all other nations as dogs, become contemptible in consequence of their treatment of the Son of G.o.d, while the cordial reception given him by many Gentile nations has elevated them into the dignity of children! For nearly eighteen centuries the once honored people of the Jews have been dispersed in every direction upon the surface of the globe. They furnish an example of one of these dreadful recriminations of Providence which have sometimes been inflicted on atrocious sinners in their collective and national capacities. Never did the universe before witness so astonishing a spectacle, as a nation destroyed as a nation, but preserved as individuals--preserved to suffer, and to be accounted the offscouring of all things. At this moment they are dest.i.tute of a temple, a priest, a sacrifice, a country, and a king. The temporal dominion of their rulers and the succession of their priests have ceased since the destruction of Jerusalem. No oblations and sacrifices now exist. The fire burns no longer on the holy altar--the incense ascends no more from the demolished temple--the flood of ages has swept away the sacred edifices, and Desolation sits enthroned upon their ruins. The house of Israel is, in consequence of the rejection of Christ, become a spectacle to angels and to men--a melancholy monument of wo, on which the hand of recriminating justice has inscribed in legible characters a condemnatory sentence, which is read with silent awe by the inhabitants of heaven, and by every king, and people, and nation of the globe.--But the period of Jewish dispersion is hasting to its close. Party names and ancient prejudices shall soon disappear, and mankind of every cla.s.s and country be eternally united in one blessed fraternity. "And it shall come to pa.s.s in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from a.s.syria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinah, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall a.s.semble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim."--"Other sheep," said Christ, "I have, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice: and there shall be one fold and one shepherd,"
Martha and Mary.
Chapter VII.
Bethany distinguished as the Residence of a pious Family, which consisted of Lazarus and his two Sisters--their diversity of Character--the Faults of Martha, domestic Vanity and fretfulness of Temper--her counterbalancing Excellences--Mary's Choice and Christ's Commendation--Decease of Lazarus--his Restoration to Life at the Voice of Jesus--Remarks on Death being inflicted upon the People of G.o.d as well as others--the Triumph which Christianity affords over this terrible Evil--Account of Mary's anointing the Feet of Jesus, and his Vindication of her Conduct.
Almost every spot in the vicinity of Jerusalem may be regarded as "holy ground." The enraptured imagination cannot traverse this district without recalling the many wonderful transactions that occurred there in different periods of the Jewish history, but especially during the personal residence of the Son of G.o.d upon the earth. Within the small circ.u.mference of a few miles round the city, what a mult.i.tude of great events have taken place! What miracles have been wrought! What mercies have been distributed! What doctrines have been revealed! What characters have appeared! What a development has been made of human nature! What a surprising display of the perfections of the blessed G.o.d! What an exhibition of the love of the incarnate Redeemer! Who, then, can think without emotion, of Bethlehem--of Bethpage--of Bethany--of Mount Olivet--of the brook Kedron--of Emmaus--and of Calvary?
Excepting only that mountain where Jesus "suffered, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to G.o.d," and where "once in the end of the world" he "put away sin by the sacrifice of himself," the village of Bethany may, perhaps, be considered as the most interesting point in this all-attractive scene. It is situated at the foot of the Mount of Olives, on the way to Jericho. To this neighborhood the Son of G.o.d frequently retired for meditation and prayer; thence he began to ride in triumph to Jerusalem; thither he repaired after eating the last supper with his disciples, and there they witnessed his ascending glory and heard his last benediction--for "he led them out as far as to Bethany; and he lifted up his hands and blessed them. And it came to pa.s.s, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing G.o.d."
Bethany, however, claims our present attention chiefly as being the residence of one of the "households of faith," with whom our Saviour was particularly intimate, and with whose history some remarkable circ.u.mstances are connected. It was a small but happy family, consisting of only three members, Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. The two sisters, though united by the ties of nature, and the still dearer bond of grace, were distinguished by a considerable dissimilarity of character, which will furnish us with some instruction. While charmed into an effort to imitate remarkable persons by a description of their excellences, it is of great importance to notice their defects, not only for the purpose of avoiding them, but that we may not be overawed into despondency and paralyzed into inaction by their superiority. Biography, to be useful, must be brought to our level, capacities, and circ.u.mstances. We must see excellence that is _attainable_, and view the same infirmities which are incident to our nature, acting in our sphere, and struggling with perplexities, resistance, vicissitude, and trial, similar to what we ourselves experience. The appeal is powerful when we are called upon to be "followers of them who," though circ.u.mstanced as we are, "through faith and patience inherit the promises."
"Once they were mourners here below.
And wet their couch with tears; They wrestled hard, as we do now, With sins, and doubts, and fears."
A history of angels might, indeed, excite our admiration, but would conduce less to our real improvement than a history of our fellow-creatures. We wish to witness the actions, and to be admitted into the secret feelings, of those who, whatever elevation they may have since obtained, were once in the same probationary state with ourselves, and subjected to the same course of moral discipline. In this view it is desirable to be introduced into the privacies of domestic life. It is in the family and at the fireside we all occupy some station, and have some appropriate duties to discharge; and on this account the narrative before us is pre-eminently attractive. We are led to the native village--the chosen residence--the family--the fireside--the _home_--of Martha and Mary. We see them in all the undisguised reality of private life, and partic.i.p.ate at once their pleasures and their pains. We join the social circle. We hear the Saviour conversing with them. We see them in affliction--the common lot, the patrimony to which are all born--and while we partic.i.p.ate their sorrows, learn to sustain and profit by our own.
In vain, to the great purposes of spiritual improvement, do we read the lives of statesmen, heroes princes, philosophers, poets, orators, and the mighty dead that emblazon the historic page. They excite our astonishment, and perhaps our pity, and some moral lessons may be gained from their reverses or the varieties of their characters; but the most useful history is the history of religion--religion in the village, and in the family--religion as exhibited at Bethany, in the house of Martha and Mary.
It is a pleasing peculiarity of this household, that they were _all_ the devoted disciples of Jesus Christ. Lazarus appears to have been a solid, established professor of religion, and of the two sisters it is recorded, they "sat at Jesus's feet." We do not hear of another disciple in the whole village, and all Judea could furnish but few, if any, similar instances of three in a single dwelling; three solitary lights amidst surrounding darkness; three flowers expanding to the newly risen Sun of Righteousness, and blooming in a desolate wilderness. The dispensations of providence and of grace are sometimes mysterious to the human eye, and we feel disposed to inquire into the reasons why so few were touched by divine influences, and bidden to follow Christ during his incarnation?
Could not that same commanding authority which drew twelve apostles and seventy disciples into his train, and that same power which kindled the lamp of truth in one village or city, and left another in moral darkness, have filled Judea and the world with the glory of the Lord? Could not that energy which pervades the universe, and imparts such inconceivable fleetness to the morning beam when it irradiates the earth, have spread the knowledge of salvation with equal rapidity, and multiplied the disciples like the drops of dew?--Undoubtedly. No limits can be a.s.signed to divine efficiency; but in the present state no explanations are afforded of the secret principles of his eternal government. Curiosity may often be disposed to inquire, with one of the hearers of Christ, "Lord, are there few that shall be saved?" But Scripture checks such investigations, and admonishes us rather to cherish an availing solicitude for our personal salvation: "Strive to enter in at the strait gate."
The state even of the civilized world at this day is truly deplorable.
Although whole nations profess the Christian faith, yet every city, every village, and almost every hamlet, contains families in which there is not a single disciple of Jesus. The sun rises and sets upon a prayerless roof.
No altar is erected to G.o.d--no love exists to the Saviour--nothing to attract his attachment or to furnish a subject for angelic joy--no repentance--no faith--and none of "the peace of G.o.d which pa.s.seth all understanding." Whatever may be the temporal circ.u.mstances of such families, Christian benevolence cannot avoid weeping over their spiritual condition. In many cases, the society admitted into their houses is of a most pernicious cla.s.s. Uninfluenced by the sentiments of David, who said, "I am a companion of all them that fear thee," the friendships they form are but too plainly indicative of their own principles. You will not see them, like Martha and Mary, choosing the excellent of the earth, and welcoming Christ or his disciples to their tables, to share their comforts, to refine and improve their intercourse; but if they occupy a high station in life, the gay, the dissipated, or the thoughtless--if in an inferior situation, the vulgar, the sordid, the intemperate, and the profane, frequent their dwellings. Religion is in both cases too often treated with ridicule and contempt, vilified as mean-spirited in its principle, and enthusiastic in its pretensions; and the truth of the Gospel treated, as its Author was when upon earth, and would be were he still incarnate, with contemptuous rejection.
Some pleasing exceptions may be found to these observations. In many families exist at least _one_ example of genuine piety--an Abijah in the impious family of a Jeroboam. There is reason to congratulate young persons especially who dare to be singular, to incur reproach, and to dismiss prejudices. The conquest in such instances is proportionably honorable as the propensity in human nature is powerful to follow a mult.i.tude to do evil. Such holy daring possesses great attractions, and the most beneficial consequences have been known to result. The child has become instrumental to the conversion of the parent, the parent to that of the child; the brother has proved a blessing to the sister, the wife to her husband: "for what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shall save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shall save thy wife?" In other instances the sword of division is sharpened, and the discordances already existing become more settled, more irreconcileable, and more violent. The natural mind betrays its malignant animosity against the spiritual principle, "and he that is born after the flesh persecutes him that is born after the Spirit." But here the whole family was of "one heart and of one soul." Religion was the law of the family, and the bond of delightful union. They were possessed of one spirit; and, as Bishop Hall observes, "jointly agreed to entertain Christ."
Can it be doubted, that the favored dwelling of Martha and Mary contained a very large portion of domestic felicity--a felicity founded on the n.o.blest basis, cemented by the tenderest affection, and stamped with an immortal character? The religion of Jesus is indeed calculated to diffuse real happiness wherever it prevails; although, as we have intimated, it may become the _occasion_ of discord in consequence of the perverseness of human nature. Sin has disordered the mental and moral const.i.tution of man, and thrown the world into a state of anarchy. The unbridled dominion of the pa.s.sions disturbs the peace of the individual, and the harmony of society. Sin makes a man at variance with himself, with his neighbors, with his nearest connections, and with the whole const.i.tution of the universe. He becomes restless as the ocean, impelled by every contrary wind, and tost about by every sportive billow. The desire of happiness exists, but he is ignorant how to obtain it, and pursues those means which only plunge him into greater misery. To this cause may be attributed all the mental distresses and all the bodily afflictions of individuals--the disturbances which too often prevent domestic enjoyment--the bickerings and jealousies of families with their various alliances--the animosities that annoy social life--the intestine broils, ambitious emulations, and endless contentions, that distract a state, with every other form and mode of evil. Hence the importance of promoting that kingdom which is "righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost;" the basis of which is the truth which Christ came into the world to propagate. It is this, and this only, which renders mankind happy in every connection. It will harmonize and felicitate to whatever extent it is diffused. It will allay the discord of families, pacify the turbulence of nations, and silence the din of war. There will be "great joy" in the heart, in the family, in the city, and in the world. Under this influence "the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf, and the young lion, and the fattling together, and a little child shall lead them.... They shall not hurt nor destroy in all G.o.d's holy mountain."
One, however, as Martha and Mary were in principle, they differed in character. When our Saviour first entered the house, it appears that they both welcomed him, and listened for a time to his instructions. He was in no haste for any refreshment, but eagerly improved every moment to benefit his beloved friends. It was his meat and drink to do the Father's will, and no kindness could afford him such satisfaction as a devout attention to his words. It was, in fact, less to receive than to communicate that he turned aside on his journey to visit these happy sisters. But if, at first, they both attended to the "gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth," Martha, anxious to furnish a suitable repast for their guest, withdrew to make what she deemed the necessary preparations. Mary continued riveted to the spot by a conversation which she could on no terms relinquish. She would not lose a word. Every faculty was absorbed in attention. Her eldest sister busied herself for sometime with her preparations, till at length becoming impatient, she hastily demanded of Jesus to send Mary to her a.s.sistance. This intrusion incurred the memorable censure, "Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things, but one thing is needful; and Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her."
The defective points of Martha's character seem to have been two. The first of these was domestic vanity and parade. Upon the arrival of her divine guest she is "c.u.mbered about much serving," anxious not only to show a becoming hospitality, but to provide a great entertainment. In this she betrayed a false estimate of our Saviour's spirit. He who willingly submitted to every deprivation during his earthly career--who suffered hunger, and thirst, and peril, and wretchedness, in every form, although he could have commanded ten legions of angels to guard his life, or to supply his necessities, could not have felt a moment's anxiety respecting the abundance or the quality of the provision. This worthy woman not only knew that he could have turned every stone of the wilderness into bread, had he wished to pamper his appet.i.te by luxurious living, but she had surely sufficient opportunities to perceive his disposition, and the perfect exemption of his mind from any kind of concern about his own accommodation. Her anxiety was therefore mistaken in its object, as well as excessive in its degree. And while remarking upon this subject, O that we could impress upon all the ministers of his word the necessity of imitating the conduct of their Master! It becomes them, as his avowed disciples, and as persons who are perpetually exhorting others to self-denial and courteousness, to manifest no care about their own convenience, to give as little trouble as possible to those who, for the sake of their office and their Master, treat tthemwith kind hospitality, and to receive even a cup of cold water in a spirit corresponding to that in which humble piety bestows it.
While thus betraying a false estimate of Christ, Martha's princ.i.p.al fault becomes glaringly conspicuous. She is full of bustle, full of eagerness.
Her servants were, probably, dispatched in every direction to prepare a sumptuous meal. Every thing must be in order; every dish in place. The food, the arrangement, the preparation of every description, she was probably solicitous should do her credit, as well as display the undoubted affection which she cherished for her Lord. Who can tell what she lost by her excessive care! He, "in whom dwelt all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge," was, during all this time, conversing with her sister; and would have freely communicated the same instructions to her, had not she precluded herself by needless anxieties.
But while we wonder at this voluntary sacrifice of spiritual advantages, advantages too, which, generally speaking, she did not undervalue, let us ask ourselves whether we have never merited a similar censure, whether we have not been seduced by our worldly cares into a similar and culpable remissness in religious duties? Happily, perhaps, like Martha, we love the Saviour, we avow our attachment, we welcome him in the persons of his representatives into our families; hut, at the same time, forfeit our privileges, lose our opportunities, and suffer temporal concerns to supersede the habitual impression of spiritual realities. Let pious women, especially, take a lesson from this incident. Martha was by no means an unique. She represents a very numerous cla.s.s of female professors. Here is a gla.s.s into which they may look and see a perfect reflection of themselves; and we trust they will not retire from the salutary exhibition of their own blemishes, _forgetting_ what manner of persons they are.
Domestic care, like every other, is liable to degenerate into excess.
There are many ladies whose piety excites universal admiration, but who, from some const.i.tutional p.r.o.neness or some acquired habit, bestow a disproportionate, and therefore, on many accounts, highly pernicious concern upon their household arrangements. We are not the apologists of uncleanliness or disorder; but it is possible to be over nice and over anxious: by the former, we may injure the comfort of others, as well as become burdensome even to ourselves; by the latter, we may soon interfere with the superior claims of religion. The care of a family cannot extenuate the guilt of neglecting private devotion or public duties; it cannot exculpate a neglect of the word or the ordinances of G.o.d; and to be "c.u.mbered about much serving," is not only waste of time, but unfits the mind for profitable intercourse, and is likely to produce an unhappy effect upon the disposition.
This leads us to notice the second great defect in Martha, which the present occasion tended to ill.u.s.trate. This was fretfulness of temper. Her language indicates extreme irritation. "Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her, therefore, that she help me."
It might be expected, that, overawed by the dignified and holy presence of the Son of G.o.d, this woman would have felt ashamed to show her impatience, and have been contented to remain silent. But nothing could restrain her.
Something went wrong. There was some mistake, some confusion, or perhaps some dish out of order. She was bustling about to make preparations upon a scale which no necessity existed to justify, and she wanted the a.s.sistance of Mary. But Mary was bettor employed. She "sat at Jesus's feet, and heard his word."
Let pious women beware of that anxiety which generates peevishness. It is a greater fault than any which servants can commit by mere negligence, to allow of those intemperate sallies against their misconduct, which, by degrading their mistresses in their eyes, diminish the good effect a genuine piety might otherwise produce. It is a weakness to be excessively rigid about trifles--to be always contending, morose, and dissatisfied.
The particular sphere in which a woman is called to act, seems indeed beset with temptations to this evil; but this consideration should serve to awaken care and circ.u.mspection. Religion ought to be exemplified in overcoming the difficulties of our situation, whatever they maybe; and the more numerous they are, the more honourable the resistance. Private life is a sphere of useful exertion. Though retired, it is important. If it be not a field of valour, it is one for patience. If women cannot obtain the laurels of heroism, they may win the better trophies of general esteem and domestic attachment.
The animadversions we have thought proper to make upon the faults of Martha, ought not however to obscure the view of her excellences. Jesus Christ did not censure her concern, but the excess of it. It was the unnecessary trouble she took, and as a consequence the extreme impatience of temper she manifested, that produced this solemn remonstrance, and led him to contrast her conduct with the silent piety of her sister. We must still admire her generous hospitality, and her warm affection for Christ, although her natural temperment and mistaken views betrayed her into an improper mode of expressing it. She presents a lively contrast to those who manifest no regard to religion or its ministers, and whose errors originate not in mistake, but in cherished hostility and inveterate prejudice. Her Master knew how to appreciate her character: and if he censured her with a seriousness proportionable to her fault, the rebuke was attempered with a kindness expressive of his friendship. The historian distinctly records his personal affection for each member of this happy family. "Now, Jesus loved Martha and her sister, and Lazarus." Let us remember, then, that the real followers of Christ have their defects, defects which perhaps appear the more conspicuous from their a.s.sociation with such opposite excellences: and let us learn, like our divine Master, to esteem even imperfect goodness, while we take every suitable opportunity of affectionately, yet faithfully, correcting its follies.
Reader! pause for a few moments, to reflect upon the important apophthegm p.r.o.nounced by Christ upon this occasion, and the benediction upon Mary, with which it was accompanied: "One thing is needful!" This was virtually p.r.o.nouncing religion, which involves a pre-eminent regard to the eternal interests of the soul, to be supremely important--a principle of holiness, a source of peace, and a pledge of immortal joy. It is, besides, of universal concern, and comprehends whatever is essential to the present and future felicity of a rational creature. "We should judge very ill of the nature of this care, if we imagined that it consisted merely in acts of devotion or religious contemplation; it comprehends all the lovely and harmonious band of social and humane virtues. It requires a care, of society, a care of our bodies and of our temporal concerns; but then all is to be regulated, directed, and animated by proper regards to G.o.d, Christ, and immortality. Our food and our rest, our trades and our labors, are to be attended to; and all the offices of humanity performed in obedience to the will of G.o.d, for the glory of Christ, and in a view to the improving of the mind in a growing meetness for astate of complete perfection. Name any thing which has no reference at all to this, and you name a worthless trifle, however it may be gilded to allure the eye, however it may be sweetened to gratify the taste. Name a thing, which, instead of thus improving the soul, has a tendency to debase and pollute, to enslave and endanger it, and you name what is most unprofitable and mischievous, be the wages of iniquity ever so great; most foul and deformed, be it in the eyes of men ever so honorable, or in their customs ever so fashionable." [37]
How important is it, that we should make a similar choice with that of Mary! This is obvious from the words of Christ, who represents it as "that good part which shall not be taken away from her." Genuine piety is calculated to prevent innumerable evils and sources of misery, by preventing those indulgences which pollute while they gratify, poisoning the const.i.tution, impairing the reputation, and displeasing G.o.d: and by elevating the affections to the purity of heaven. It augments incalculably the pleasure which is derived from the possession of all other good of a subordinate nature. While it possesses the power of extracting the distasteful ingredients that imbitter the cup of adversity, it sweetens the sweetest portion of prosperous life; and such is its prevailing efficacy, that no changes can possibly deprive us of its consolations. It shall "not be taken away." How strange, then, is the infatuation of such as make a different choice, and how unfounded their seasons for such a guilty preference! However their conduct may be artfully varnished over with fair pretences, they betray consummate folly. The very foundation of all their hopes will fail, the specious appearances of the world will prove deceptive, like the rainbow that stretches its radiant curve over half the heavens, but vanishes as you approach it into mist and nothingness, and their condemnation will be no less remarkable than their ultimate disappointment. O that, with Mary, we may sit at the feet of Jesus, and by a prompt obedience to his comments "find rest to our souls."
Scarcely have we read of the privileges of the two sisters at Bethany, when we are introduced to an account of their trials: so closely do pleasures and pains follow each other in the train of human events! The fairest fruit is often beset with thorns, the clearest day liable to be overcast with clouds; and should the morning of life rise in brightness, and the evening set in serenity, who can reasonably hope that no changes shall occur in its intermediate hours? Religion indeed promises consolation amidst afflictions, but not exemption from them: she is the guardian of our spiritual interests, but not the disposer of our terrestrial condition. How happily was the previous intercourse of Martha and Mary with Jesus calculated to prepare them for their more gloomy visiter, DEATH!
Lazarus, the brother of these excellent women, was taken ill, upon which they immediately sent to inform their divine Friend of the distressing circ.u.mstance. As soon as he heard it, he remarked to his disciples that this event would prove the occasion of enhancing his own and his Father's glory; but notwithstanding the ardent friendship which he cherished for the family, and which the evangelist particularly notices, [38] he did not hasten, as it seemed natural he should, to Bethany, but remained where he was two days longer. It was his intention, doubtless, to prove the faith of his disciples, to try the spirit of the two sisters, and to furnish an opportunity of working the miracle with which he afterward astonished the Jews. After this mysterious delay, he announced his purpose of proceeding into Judea: upon which his disciples remonstrated with him, representing the persecuting spirit of the people, which of late had been displayed in attempts upon his life. To this he answered there were twelve hours in the day, and consequently it was requisite to use despatch in the performance of the labour a.s.signed to him who would not stumble in the night, or leave his work unfinished; and then intimating the departure of their friend Lazarus, he said, "I go that I may awake him out of sleep." Mistaking his meaning, and imagining that he had been speaking only of "taking rest," in natural sleep, the disciples replied, that if this were the case, it was probable he would soon recover, and therefore it was unnecessary to go to Bethany. Jesus then said plainly, "Lazarus is _dead_." Seeing the intrepidity of their Master, the disciples, stimulated by Thomas, resolved to accompany him into Judea, and encounter every danger to which their attachment might expose them.
When Jesus had arrived in the vicinity of Bethany, he found that his beloved friend had been interred four days; and as this village was not more than two miles from Jerusalem, many of the inhabitants who were acquainted with the family, were come to condole with them upon their loss. Martha hastened to meet Jesus, as soon as she heard of his approach; but Mary, who perhaps was not yet informed of it, continued sitting upon the ground, in the usual posture of mourners.
Having expressed her surprise at his delay, Martha intimated to Jesus that she well knew that G.o.d would now grant every thing he might see fit to request, and if he had been present before, the death of her brother might have been prevented. Compa.s.sionating her distress, he replied, "Thy brother shall rise again;" to which she answered, that she had the fullest conviction of this fact, as she believed the doctrine of the final resurrection. Her heart, however, was still overwhelmed with grief at her present calamitous bereavement; and it was not without extreme reluctance, that she admitted the idea of never seeing him more till that distant period. Jesus then gave her the a.s.surance of his being "the resurrection and the life," and of the mighty power which he as the agent in accomplishing this work, would display in elevating all his people to the felicities of another and a better existence; in consequence of which death ought not to be regarded with terror, but merely as the season of repose previous to the morning of eternity, which would soon break with ineffable splendour upon the tomb. Martha declared her full persuasion of this sublime truth, founded upon her knowledge of him who addressed her as the true Messiah, the Son of G.o.d, to whom all power in heaven and earth was intrusted.
Upon this, she went by desire of Jesus to call her sister. As she had communicated the information to Mary in a whisper, her friends who were present supposed, when she rose up hastily, that she was going to visit the sepulchre of Lazarus, there to renew her griefs and bewail her bereavement. As soon as she found Jesus, she prostrated herself at his feet, and expressed herself in terms similar to those of Martha, indicative of a conviction that the death of her beloved relative might have been prevented, if he had but hastened to Bethany upon the news of his dangerous illness. This afflicting scene excited the deepest concern in him, who, though he had every pa.s.sion under the most perfect control, now chose to indulge and to manifest his tenderness for Lazarus. He inquired where they had laid him, and, as they conducted him to the spot, he wept. Remembrance of the dead, sympathy for the living, and pity for the impenitent Jews, drew forth his tears, which, while they sanction the grief of his people at the loss of earthly connections, do not justify its excess.
The spectators, in general, were affected with this testimony of friendship: but some of them inquired among themselves, whether he who had opened the eyes of the blind, could not have prevented the calamity which he appeared so deeply to deplore. This was a very natural question; and he was about to convince them that he _could_, by performing a miracle far more splendid and important than such an interposition. The sepulchre of Lazarus was a cave, with a large stone upon its mouth. Jesus commanded them to remove this stone, not choosing to do it miraculously, in order to avoid unnecessary parade. Martha, who seems to have been agitated by a great conflict of feelings, very improperly exclaimed against this proceeding; and alleged, that as he had been interred four days, the corpse must have become offensive. Jesus with his characteristic gentleness, reminded her that he knew well what he had ordered: and that his previous a.s.surance, that if she would only believe she should see the glory of G.o.d, ought to have sealed her lips in silence.
The stone being removed according to the request of Jesus, he uttered a short but expressive prayer to Heaven; and then with a loud voice, cried out, "Lazarus, come forth." The realms of death heard his sovereign mandate, and their gloomy monarch yielded up his captive; "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." The effect of this miracle was considerable; for many of the Jews, who had come to sympathize with the bereaved sister, believed in Christ, though others instantly repaired to the Pharisees, to inflame their malignity by reciting what they had witnessed. With similar diversity of effect, is the Gospel now proclaimed to men; its facts and evidences kindling the resentment of some, or hardening them into increased obduracy; while they convince the minds of others, interesting their best affections, conquering their prejudices, and operating their salvation.
If there were any exception to that universal law which consigns man to the grave, it might be hoped that such as compose the church of G.o.d, being redeemed by the blood of his Son, called according to his purpose, and sealed by his Spirit to the day of redemption, would be freed from this calamity; but death extends his dreadful dominion over the families of the righteous, as well as the impious. The people of G.o.d might, if he pleased, have been delivered from the present curse: his goodness might have indemnified them from the common evils which afflict human life, and appointed them some favoured region, the Goshen of the universe, where they should have pa.s.sed their days in a state of rich possession and unmolested tranquillity; but, if he have ordained otherwise, it is for wise reasons; some of which, perhaps, we may succeed in explaining.
Is not such a dispensation, for instance, calculated to impress an awful sense of the malignity of sin? So abominable is it, that the blessed G.o.d, who has made an ample provision for the future, felicity of his saints, and who is daily imparting to them on earth the invaluable blessings of his grace, cannot, it seems, consistently with his perfection, exempt them from the stroke of death. It is requisite that his detestation of it should be evinced in a complete and undistinguishing overthrow of the race of mortals, amongst whom even those whose names are written in the book of life, on account of their nature being contaminated with depravity must suffer the punishment of temporal death, and show to admiring immortals, that G.o.d is "of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, and cannot look upon sin."
Besides, this demolition of the corporeal frame is an essential means of its purification. The leprosy has infected every part of the building, the members of the body have become instrumental to the working of unrighteousness; and, consequently, "the earthly house of this tabernacle must be _dissolved_."
The infliction of this calamity upon believers in Christ as well as upon others, is calculated also to maintain their faith in vigorous and perpetual exercise. Were it permitted to them to pa.s.s into another world, as Enoch or Elijah did, by a sudden transportation beyond the regions of mortality to those of undecaying existence, without undergoing "the pains, the groans, the dying strife," or without experiencing the frightful alteration that occurs in other human beings, there would no longer exist the same opportunity as at present for the display of one of the n.o.blest principles of a renewed mind. Who can contemplate the debased condition of the body, who can realize the amazing change which "flesh and blood is heir to"--the icy coldness, the stony insensibility, the universal inanimation that pervades the whole frame, the putrefaction to which it is subject, and the general loathsomeness of that which once appeared the fairest structure amongst the works of G.o.d, without an instinctive shuddering, and without perceiving that faith alone can give the victory over death? There is nothing surely in the state of the body _after_ this event to indicate a future existence, but rather every thing to perplex such a sentiment, and to confound such an expectation. There is nothing in its aspect which seems to foretel life--nothing to predict resuscitation. In general, however desperate the case, hope is sustained by the most trifling circ.u.mstances, the feeblest glimmerings of the yet unextinguished lamp; if there be the gentlest breath, or the slightest motion, the solicitude of wakeful tenderness is still maintained, and the _possibility_ at least of a return to health is admitted as a welcome and not irrational idea; but when the breath entirely fails, when motion is paralyzed, when the lamp is extinct, whence can any thought of a revival be obtained? What succeeds the fatal moment, but progressive decay? And who can discover the least trace of an indication that the departed friend will resume his life? Every hour seems to widen the breach, to increase the distance that separates the dead from the living, and to complete the triumph of our mortal foe. All the powers of nature in combination would prove incompetent to produce life in the smallest particle--the most insignificant atom of dust; and hope naturally expires when animation ceases. When Christians, therefore, are required to part with their companions, or to die themselves, their only confidence must be in G.o.d; and whoever cannot receive _his_ word, and rely upon the a.s.surances which he has given with regard to the exercise of divine power in the recovery of man from the grave, has no adequate consolation amidst the desolations that await him.
Christians also must pa.s.s through the change of death, because the glory of Jesus Christ in the resurrection could not otherwise be so ill.u.s.triously displayed. Never did the character of the Son of G.o.d appear with more commanding majesty than when he recalled the spirit of Lazarus from the invisible state, and at a word raised his body from the sepulchre. "Lazarus," said he, "come forth:" the summons entered the ear of death, and the "last enemy" felt himself "destroyed."
The scene is infinitely cheering. Though we "fade as a leaf," dropping one by one into the tomb like the foliage of autumn; the eternal spring advances, when "they that are in the grave shall hear his voice, and shall come forth"--renewed in vigour, purified in character, perfected in felicity--to return no more to this sublunary sphere, to descend no more to the dust, to struggle no more with sin and sorrow, to be a.s.saulted no more with the "fiery darts of the devil."
Death is so truly alarming to human nature and to shortsighted reason, so calculated by its external appearances to fill the mind with anxiety, that in order to suppress our fears and cherish our hopes, it seemed requisite to bring another existence into the nearest possible view, to render it in a sense visible, and to embody immortality. In the resurrection of Lazarus, as well as by other miraculous manifestations, this great purpose was effected. We perceive incontestably that death is not annihilation, and that the appearance which it a.s.sumes of an extinction of being is not a reality. _That_ power which was exerted in one case, reason says _may_, and revelation declares _shall_, be exerted in another; and that, by the voice of Omnipotence, all the saints shall be raised at the last day from the abodes of darkness and silence. It is here Christianity takes her firmest stand--here she discloses her brightest scenes! Glorious expectation of rising to eternal life, and through Jesus, "the first begotten of the dead," becoming superior to our most formidable enemy!
What a train of happy beings will then be witnesses of his glory, trophies of his power, and inhabitants of his kingdom! This will be the jubilee of all ages, the antic.i.p.ation of which is well calculated to suppress our anxieties, and quicken us to every duty.
What mutual congratulations must have circulated through the family of Lazarus, when he was restored to the affectionate embraces of his sisters!
What a renewal of love would take place on that happy day! How was their sorrow turned into joy, and their lamentations info praises! What a triumph of mind did they feel over the grave, and what expressions of grat.i.tude to their Deliverer burst from every heart! But who can imagine the transports of that moment, when the same power that raised Lazarus from the tomb, shall be exerted upon every believer in Jesus, who shall "meet the Lord in the air," and be introduced to the eternal society of kindred minds; when the redeemed world shall a.s.semble on the celestial sh.o.r.e, to recount their past labours and mercies, to renew their spiritual fellowship, to hail each other's escape from the conflicts, the temptations, and the diversified evils of mortal life, to behold the glory of Him who has washed them in his blood and saved them by his grace, to take possession of their destined thrones, and to mingle their strains of acknowledgment with the holy by innings of the blest!