The National tribune., 1891-09-24
Notes

l. The distance from Bethabara 20 Bethany
is about 80 miles. 10 required one day for the
messenger 20 reach Bethabara. ". 81 Then
Christ waited two days. lY. g. It took the
fourth day for Jesus and The Twelve to go to
bethany. (Vs. l., So
.. Sleep is "A euphemism for death. The terms
death and sleep apply only TO the body.
Literally sleep is a great blessing. and so
MeHauder said, Sleep is q remedy for every
disease" He giveth his beloved sleep"
fPs., l27:2) Insomnia is a terrible affection.
COleridge represents the Ancient Mariner"
saying,
20 sleep. 81 IS a blessed thing,
Beloved from pole 10 pole"
And SHAKESPEARE in Macbeth writes,
sleep. that kuits mp the ravell'i sleave Of care,
The death 81 each days life. sore labOE's bath,
Balm 81 HuEt-Iuiud-. greaL natures second course
Chief u0ursher iu LIES feast.
As 10 death being represented as sleep see st.
Mt, Q 81; Acts, :: co; I Cor, l5:l Is. 20;
Th,4:l4; .: 10. The literal meaning Of the
word cemetery is a sleeping chamber. We do
not understand sleep as Of the soul. Ii is quite
accepted now that the soul remains conscious
and active after the body dies, and so psyche
pauuychism is not q generally accepted doc
trine Of the Church. The sentiment of Thaua-
topss does not positively 10 violence 20 tho
belief the soul knows and acts, yet it looks
that way.
I'VE kiliL WliEu ltly summons comes TO lDln
The inuumcrahie caravan
Thou 90 not like the quarry slave at night.
scourged To his dungeon: bat sustained and
sOothed
By an uuf.l;ering trust, approach thy grave
Like one wLO wraps the drapegy Of his couch
About him. and lies down 10 pleasant dreams"
SHAKESPEARE, in Measure for Measure, says:
The best Of rest Is sleep
And that thou Oft provolIest; yet grossly fear'st
Thy death. which is no more.
3. Lazarus had two sisters-Alary aud Martha
IL seems our Savior was a frequent visitor az
the home Of these three. Ecclesiastical history
states Lazarus was about 30 years old at the
time Of the ascension of Christ, and that he
lived 80 years after that event. lie WAS dear
friend 10 Christ and TO his Disciples. He seems
to have been younger than his sisters. It is
thought Martha was eldest Of the three
Mary is first mentioned ". H., because perhaps
she was most known at that time but speci-
ally because afterward she became famous for
having auOintcd Christ Though the Gnoint-
ing was after the resurrection of Lazarus, vet
il was before 81. John wrote his account, and so
doubtless influenced his mind in arranging the
order of the names. The father Of the three
was probably Simon Of Il: II. Some, how
ever hold Simon Was husband 10 one Of the
sisters. The mother was probably deceased.
II. VERSES l. 80 INCLUSIVE.
In this paragraph we find Christ trying to
comfort Martha aud Mary; to quicken their
faith il his power; 10 develop what faith they
had and onlighten il; to prepare the sisters for
the actual resurrection
1t is plain that up to V. 10 the Disciples do
not know that Lazarus is dead. That Jesus
knew the fact Of decease is evidence of his
Omniscicnce.
Tho revelation 10 be made was evidently new
TO Martha aud Mary. They believed their
friend could remove the sickness. The idea Of
the resurrection ut once of their brother 10 life
had not gained entrance 10 their minds. And
yet, intimate % Jesus was with the family at
Bethany, it would seem they must have known
Of the restoration 20 life of the widows son Of
Main and Of the daughter Of Jairu5.
We can in the bTieie5t way study this para
graph if We put it in form Of an analysis.
The 4urfyyig