chaise, from his house at Fulham to London, and was cheerful; but was, soon after, taken with cold chills, and he thought it expedient to take a coach and return home as soon as possible. After this sudden attack, great torpor and insensibility soon pervaded his whole frame, so as to render him almost incapable of any communication. Having arrived at his own house, and being placed in his dying chair, he looked affectionately at his wife, and said, in a feeble tone, being then only just capable of articulation, 'It is finished; all is over. This he said with marked complacency, as one who had arrived at his wished-for home, and who possessed and manifested the sentiments and temper of the dying patriarch; I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord:' and, having uttered a few other words, he closed his eyes and his lips, with out the smallest appearance of pain or agitation, and finished his course with delightful composure, in the sixty-third year of his age. Mark the perfect man; and behold the upright: the end of that man is peace.' "The afflictions with which Mr. Keeble was exercised, had evidently a beneficial effect. They taught him the fallacy of creature-dependence, and the necessity of an entire reliance upon an Almighty arm. It is in the recollection of some present, that in the height of his prosperity, while preaching on a public occasion, and adverting to his own prosperous and comfortable condition, I attribute it,' said he, to the praying men with whom I am connected. I am supported on their shoulders, and enrobed in their affections. But he lived to see the insufficiency of this robe, and the insecurity of such support. It is better to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in princes.' "To say of Mr. Keeble that his Christian character was beyond suspicion would be insufficient; for he was eminently devoted to God. He kept up an habitual intercourse with him, by fervent prayer and meditation on the sacred scriptures. His walk and conversation, both in domestic and public life, were strictly upright, and becoming the gospel. He exercised great watchfulness over his temper and conduct, and used to say, I fear nobody so much as myself; while I can keep my own temper in subjection, I have nothing to fear from others.' He cautiously avoided the occasions of evil, and would often say, 'I must keep out of the way of that, my heart is too bad to be trusted." "As a minister, he was diligent in study, and spent the greater part of his time in preparation for public exercises, and by which he overcame, in great measure, the disadvantages under which he laboured. He came before the people with a mind deeply imbued with the most important and distinguishing truths of the gospel; these were delivered with evident marks of godly sincerity, and frequently interspersed with original thoughts, by which he generally secured the closest attention, and promoted the edification of his hearers. Long after he came to London, his mind was often much distressed in the discharge of his ministry; and, when looking back to his former laborious employ, he considered that light, compared with the far greater labours of the mind. On one occasion, he was so much distressed for a subject to deliver, on a Wednesday evening, that he determined to leave the ministry altogether, and, under the power of temptation, went from his house toward Hyde Park, intending to inlist for a soldier; but before he arrived there, the Lord appeared for him, by bringing a passage of domestic afflictions. We have seen scripture to his mind, and opening the warrior in the field of battle, it for his meditation; he turned the statesman in the senate, and the back, arrived at the Meeting-house advocate at the bar; we have adin good time, and preached with mired the splendour of their talents, considerable comfort. The Lord and have supposed them to be, in knoweth how to deliver the godly every respect, superior to others. out of temptation.' He was fond of But when we have been admitted retirement, and set great value upon into their domestic circles we have his time. He was naturally of a seen a character altogether dif cheerful disposition, and though he ferent to the one we had contemendured much inward conflict, he plated, and have found that the had always a cheerful countenance greatest of men have their infirmito meet a friend; and it is rare to ties and imperfections. We have find a man in his circumstances, wept over the depravity that would who so seldom introduced his own shew itself, even in those whom we troubles as a subject for conversa accounted the greatest of men, and tion. His attention was chiefly the benefactors of their race. But confined to the special object of his wherever we follow the Messiah we charge: I do not pretend he was find him the same. He practised no without faults, for where is the per- deception, and had never to throw off fect character upon earth? I doubt the cloak. He was all benevolence in not but you will join me in wishing the domestic circle, as well as when that our defects may be as few, our surrounded by the multitude. He excellencies as many, and our end wept with those who wept, and equally honourable. I have no wiped away their tears by removing doubt but all who knew him, though the cause of their sorrow. To the they may conscientiously differ friends of Jesus it must have been from him in opinion, will readily truly delightful to enjoy his society. subscribe to the obvious fact, HE Here they could unbosom their WAS A GOOD MAN." griefs, and obtain comfort from him: who is emphatically styled "the Consolation of Israel:"-here they THE COTTAGE OF BETHANY. could more fully obtain the lessons he delivered in his public addresses;" -here their understandings would be enlightened by the Sun of righte ousness shining upon them, and their hearts softened by "his doctrine distilling as the dew," and insinuating itself into the most secret recesses of their souls. It is in secret intercourse with Jesus that the soul of the Christian is most enlightened in the knowledge of his will, and feels most disposed to make an entire surrender of himself to the service of God. Bethany was a town situated about two miles from Jerusalem; it is now reduced to a small and miserable village. Here lived a family of three persons, a brother and two * and extent of their love to Jesus. Blessed indeed are those families, where the love of Christ influences every heart! Here every holy feeling is indulged, the presence of Jesus is sought and enjoyed, while earth appears for a season to withdraw, and heaven, with all its glories, to be present to our view. Here the Saviour chooses to dwell, his lips feed them with the choicest of his doctrines, and their hearts are sisters, whom the Saviour frequently honoured with a visit. They were all of them the warm and devoted friends of Jesus, and were never so happy as when he turned in from the wickedness of the crowded world, and the contemptuous treat ment of his enemies, to hold communion with them. They knew his poverty, and had heard him say, that while "the foxes had holes, and the birds of the air had nests, he had not where to lay his head;"-"filled with joy unspeakable, and they knew that he was generally treated as an impostor, and that scarcely any received him as the promised Messiah; but this in fluenced not their conduet. They had enjoyed his favours, his di vine communications had changed their hearts, his doctrines had en nobled their natures, and elevated them above the scenery of earth; they felt that intercourse with him was happiness itself; hence they were glad to enjoy his company, to listen to his discourses, and to give proofs of their affectionate attach ment to his person. " All true enjoyment flows from the possession of the Divine favour, Those who have felt the regenerating influence of the grace of God, are taught to love the Saviour, and to long for communion with him. Loving him, they will regard with affection of the highest order, all who possess the same love to his person, and concern for his honour. Thus was the family of Bethany united to each other by the double ties of nature and of grace. Their united petitions arose morning and evening from the family altar, to the Father of their mercies; they walked together with holy pleasure to the house of their God, and their pri vate intercourse flowed from exalted principles, and dwelt on the great things of Eternity. The only emu lation among them was, which should shew most clearly the reality full of glory." Happy are those who can indulge in holy familiarity with the Son of God, and partake of the blessings so richly enjoyed by this pious household. The visits of Jesus to the cottage of Bethany appear to have been frequent. They were, no doubt, anxi ously desired by its inmates, and Jesus is ever willing to afford his presence where it is earnestly sought. On one of these occasions, mentioned by the Evangelist Luke, we have a pretty full exhibition of the different tempers of the two sisters. Martha, who appears to have been the eldest, and who may be considered as the housekeeper, seems to have had a decided attachment to Christ; she was bospitable and generous, and witbal somewhat fond of display. While anxious to make a feast for the entertainment of the Messiah, she indulged in a fretful and murmuring disposition. This temper was shewn towards her sister in the presence of Jesus, and even displays itself in her language to him. It is an unhappy thing when undue anxiety obtains possession of the heart; it unfits us for the service of Christ, and prevents the enjoyment of the ordinances of religion. Such persons who indulge it should frequently consider the apostolic injunction, "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God." Mary appears to have possessed a mind of a more contemplative turn; she was more abstracted from the world, and more anxious to receive the instructions she needed from Christ, than to make a feast for the supply of his bodily necessities. While Martha would shew her love to the Saviour, by providing for him an entertainment, Mary would evince her attachment by feasting on the word of life, which she ever found him so ready to impart. While the concern of Martha was not altogether unnecessary, the disposition of Mary was most desirable, and most pleasing to him who judgeth righteous judgment. One excellence in the conduct of Mary must not be slightly passed over. When Martha enters the room, peevish and fretful, to complain of the negligence of her sister, Mary makes no defence of her own choice. She knew the purity of her motives in the choice she had made, but was not sure of the propriety of her conduct, considered in itself; she, therefore, left her defence to Jesus, who applauded her conduct, and declared that the choice she had made should not be taken from her. The same disposition was shewn by Mary on a subsequent occasion; when she anointed the feet of the Saviour with the box of precious ointment the disciples murmured, she said nothing, but the Lord justified her. When our motives in the service of God are pure, we need not be too anxious to defend ourselves against those who oppose us, but may leave it to him who seeth the heart, and who will make our righteousness to shine clear as the noon-day. Trials and afflictions are the commou lot of all men. Even those who are made the friends of the Saviour, and who enjoy the proofs of his peculiar favour, must not be exempted. They have, however, the assurance of him who has all events under his controul, that every thing shall work together for their good. And this is the case when they wean us from the world, teach us the value of Divine consolations, enable us to shew the reality and power of religion, or conduct our bodies to the grave, while our souls ascend to heaven, as their home. Lazarus, the brother of Martha and of Mary, and the friend of Jesus, was visited with a painful and dangerous disease. Afflictions come not by chance; they are always designed to accomplish important purposes, and in some way or other to promote the Divine glory. When Lazarus was afflicted, his sisters very properly sent to Jesus, to inform him of the melancholy event, and to beg a share in his sympathetic regards. And to whom could they apply so well as to him? He had, in innumerable instances, proved that all diseases were under his controul, and that he could heal them whenever he pleased;-he had given many evidences of his attachment to Lazarus and his sisters; and they did not entertain a doubt of his attention to their request, or of his paying them a visit to heal their brother, and to bless them with a new supply of spiritual favours. In nothing are we more frequently disappointed than in the answers we receive to our prayers. We mark out a way in which we wish God to act, and are almost displeased when he works differently to our wishes. Jesus heard the message, and replied, probably in the hearing of the messenger, that "the sickness was not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby." He was not indifferent to the event, though several days passed without his farther attending to it. His plans to us are very mysterious, and he may seem to neglect his people; but all his ways are founded in infinite wisdom, and when fully developed shall exhibit his unbounded benevolence. They urged in their message the love of Jesus to their brother, and informed him of the illness under which he pined; but Jesus appears as though he forgot it, and perhaps they almost imagined that his affection towards them was changed: but let patience be exercised, and his whole conduct shall be explained. As the period approached when Jesus should struggle with the last enemy, and return to his throne in heaven, it was necessary that he should give the clearest evidences of the Divinity of his Mission, and the power of which he was possess ed. We find, therefore, that his Deity shone forth brighter as he advanced to the lowest state of his humiliation. In the account of his conduct towards Lazarus, we see his Omniscience and his Omnipotence very strikingly displayed. The former in telling his disciples of the death of Lazarus, when he was at a distance from Bethany; and the latter in raising him from the dead, and that by his own power and authority. Nor have we a less display of his love in undertaking this journey. His life had been threatened, and his disciples were afraid of the consequences of his visiting Jerusalem, and expostulate with him on the impropriety of his undertaking it. But when his own glory is to be shewn, when love to his people is to be manifested, or when his works of mercy will relieve the wretched and sorrowful, he shrinks not from danger, but cheerfully goes forward, teaching us that no hindrances ought to interrupt us when we are called to obey the commands of God, or attend to the requirements of mercy. We have remarked that the Lord Jesus, though at a distance from Bethany, was acquainted with the decease of Lazarus. The manner in which he communicated the knowledge of it to his disciples, is well worthy of observation. He represents his death under the figure of sleep. An image that places the departure of the believer from this world to another, in a very inviting light. Death, to him, is divested of its gloom,-the grave is but his bed, -the interval between death and the resurrection is but a single night, and in the morning he shall arise with new strength and vigour, to enjoy the highest pleasures throughout an eternal day. We are now called to contemplate the blessed Messiah proceeding on his errand of mercy towards Bethany. It is true that Lazarus has been dead several days; but Jesus can comfort the mourners, he can instruct the sisters of Lazarus and his disciples in the doctrine of the resurrection; and, above all, he can raise their beloved friend from the dead. He has disclosures to make of no common kind, and a deed to perform that shall strikingly illustrate the dignity of his person, and shew the care he exercises over his people. By some means or other, Martha is informed of the near approach of her friend and her Lord; and instead of beginning to make great preparations for his entertainment—instead of being offended at the reproof he had formerly given her, or at his apparent indifference in not coming when they had sent for him, she rose up and went out of the town to meet him, to tell her tale of woe, and receive from him the consolation which she knew he could impart; while Mary seems yet to have sat indulging in grief on account of their loss. The meeting must have been exceedingly affecting! We |