the design of the beloved disciple, when our Lord spoke these words: "The sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby."

A second preliminary remark that I would make, before we enter into the details of this history, is upon THE VARIETY OF CHARACTERS of which the Church of Christ is composed, and upon the various situations and circumstances in which the Lord places them; this being his one design in all, to be accomplished indeed in different ways, "His glory in the glorifying of his Son." We see some, for instance, whom he calls into the office of the ministry; that they may, by declaring the grand truths of the Gospel, be instrumental in winning souls to Christ. We notice others whom he places in stations of great public influence; setting them up as kings or nobles, or persons of high authority, that they may be as "nursing fathers to his church;" or, by their station and character, encourage the faithful declaration of the truth. Some, again, we find the Lord allot

ting to retired situations, not particularly marking them by high birth, or great wealth, or splendid talents, but appointed to glorify him by the manifestation of the sweetness of domestic life. And these again varied in their spirit: some zealous, active, but easily excited Christians; others meek and heavenly-minded. So in their circumstances; some brought together as husbands and wives, or parents and children; their habitations being like family altars, where the father is the priest of the house, the mother occupies the chair of domestic respect, while the children are "like olive branches round about the table." Others, again, the Lord places as this family at Bethany-all unmarried—a brother and sisters-clustering together like branches of the same vine, united not only by nature but by grace-fellowheirs of the same inheritance-" Heirs of God, and joint heirs of Christ.”

It is delightful to trace these varieties. They appear like beautiful flowers, each of which has its own peculiar form, and colour, and fragrance: but all formed to shew the

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power and wisdom, the loving-kindness and munificent bounty, of their great Creatorall lead the mind to feel "how great must be his goodness!" "how great is his beauty! They lead also to this conviction, that there is no station, no lawful calling, in which God may not be glorified.

Our Lord delights to visit a retired family in Bethany, not one member of which, as far as we know, had any particular recommendation, other than that they received the Lord into their house, sat and heard his word, and honoured him by their reverent affection, their willing hospitality, and by those sweet domestic graces which the Holy Spirit had produced, and which led our Lord often to resort to their house. Yes; not only to visit them, but in a special manner to use them to manifest his glory so that when we would particularly trace the glory of Christ as the Son of God, we come to the grave of a member of a retired family, who had no public office, either in the Jewish council, or among the disciples of our Lord.

My beloved friends, let us be encouraged

by this pleasing variety which appears in the family of our blessed Saviour, and by the honour he puts upon them. Let it be recollected, that among the seven churches of Asia, that church was especially commended, which, whilst it had but "little strength, had kept his word, and had not denied his name." It was to that church, the church of Philadelphia, or of brotherly love, that our Lord said, "Behold I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth." Nor can I, when remarking upon the variety of character which the church of Christ presents, but notice here the relation in which Lazarus and Martha and Mary stood. It was that of brother and sisters; a relation which our Lord in a peculiar manner holds with his people: it being said, “He is not ashamed to call his people brethren." He himself also frequently addresses his church as his sister, as well as his spouse; and as he

has condescended to take this relation, so it is one which He especially calls on his people to adopt. Thus he says, by His Apostle Peter, "Be ye all of one mind, hav ing compassion one of another; love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous." And so St. Paul directs Timothy, "Rebuke not an elder, but entreat him as a father, the younger men as brethren, the elder women as mothers, the younger as sisters with all purity.”

Both these Apostles laying great stress upon these relations, "Love as brethren, the younger women as sisters with all purity." Surely we may say, when we are on the threshold of the house where Lazarus and his sisters dwelt in such sweet communion, that it is difficult, yea impossible, to express how great a blessing this relation of brother and sister may be. Their affection is of a peculiar character. It is not that of husband and wife, or of parent and child, or of two friends mutually attached to each other; but an affection, when strengthened, or rather founded upon their mutual love to their Saviour, which seems most to resemble the