SERMON X.

OF THE RESURRECTION OF LAZARUS,

JOHN xi. 43, 44,

And when he had thus fpoken, he cried with a loud voice, LAZARUS, COME FORTH. And he that was dead came forth bound hand and foot with grave-clothes. And bis face was bound about with a napkin. Jefus Jays to them; Loofe him, and let

bim go.

My defign from these words, is to

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make a few obfervations on the miraculous fact related in them. This is one of the most remarkable of all our Saviour's miracles. It is related by the

Apostle John with a fimplicity of style; and the main circumftances attending it are told with a minutenefs, and, at the fame time a brevity, that cannot but impress an unprejudiced mind. Had a person who knew he was endeavouring to gain belief to an impofition which he had been concerned in contriving, given us this narrative, it would have been told in a very different manner. It would, probably, have been drawn out to a greater length. No particular mention would have been made of times, places, and perfons; and fome affected apologies and colourings would have been introduced to give it a plausibility, and to guard against objections. But, inftead of this, we find it a narrative plain and artless in the highest degree, without a circumstance that shews an attempt to give it any dress, or an expreffion that betrays a design to furprize and deceive. In fhort; the astonishing miracle which is the fubject of this narrative, is told us exactly as we fhould

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fhould expect an honeft but unlettered man, who had been familiarized to miracles, to relate a fact of this kind, to which he was confcious of having been än eye and ear witness.

It has been thought ftrange that the other Evangelifts have omitted to give us an account of this miracle. Several reafons have been affigned for this omiffion, which I will just mention to you.

It should be confidered, that none of the Evangelifts appear to have aimed at giving us a complete account of all our Saviour's miracles. It fhould be confidered farther, that this miracle was performed in the interval of time between our Saviour's going into the country beyond Jordan, and his going up to his last paffover; and that this was a more private part of his miniftry, concerning which the other Evangelifts have faid little. But what deferves moft to be attended to is, that the Evangelists must have felt a particula delicacy with respect

to the publication of this miracle. First; because it was a miracle performed on a friend in a family with which our Saviour was intimate. And fecondly; because Lazarus might be ftill living at the time they wrote their Gofpels, and might be fubjected to great inconveniences by having his name mentioned as the subject of fuch a miracle. This, however, was a reafon which cannot be supposed to have existed when John wrote. There was a tradition among the Fathers, that Lazarus lived thirty years after his refurrection; and John did not write his Gospel till at leaft forty or fifty years afterwards. Lazarus, therefore, moft probably was not then alive; and John, for this reafon, muft have been more at liberty to give an account of his refurrection.

It seems proper farther to mention here, that St. John, as he wrote laft, wrote alfo on purpose to give a fupplement to the other Gofpels. He had read thefe Gof

pels,

pels, and finding that fome important particulars were omitted in them, and others not fully enough related, he composed his Gospel to supply their defects. John's Gofpel will appear particularly striking when viewed in this light. Whoever will compare it with the other Gofpels must find, that he is generally careful to avoid repeating accounts which the other Evangelists had given before him ; and that the bulk of it is a relation of facts and inftructions about which they have been filent. The account I am now to confider is one inftance of this. Tho' extremely fhort, confidering the magnitude of the fact, it is given us more fully than most of the accounts of Chrift's other miracles; and we cannot employ ourselves more profitably than in confidering it.

What may be first worth your notice in this miracle, is the character of the perfon on whom it was performed. Our Saviour

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