The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-04-08
Second Quarter. Lesson III. John xi, 32
 45. April 9, 1905. THE RAISING OF LAZARUS.

THE RAISING OF LAZARUS.
 The white walls of villa peer through the thick foliage of the olives on the eastern slope of Olivet. It Is the home of comfort and love, but deeply shadowed now. Out of that courtyard lately came a funeral train. the body, carried on a bier, was swathed in linen bands. There were the discordant notes of flutes ana hired walters. The director had thrice halted the procession to comfort the mourners. An egg had been broken sign of mortality, and Moses psalm chanted, and the body laid on the rocky shelf in the grotto. The stone had been rolled across the mouth Of the sepulcher, and all whitened to re- mind the inadvertent not to approach within four cubits on penalty Of cere- monial defilement.
 The saddest part of it, the return. had been accomplished. During the absence of the mourners assiduous hands had overturned the couches and strewn broken pottery about to sym bolize distraction. The sisters sit now with yelled faces and dust upon their heads and unsandled feet, break their fast with only egg and lentils, while throngs pay their stiff visits of condo lence, Every casual word the bereaved sisters speak makes mournful re- frain. Every time they steal away to the tomb to weep they are persistently followed by those who make merchan- disc of their coincidence. In this in- stance, as in most, there Is that ever recurring "if." If so and so. our broth CT would not have died. That '1f IS very inquisitor's instrument.
 The fourth day had come-that fatal fourth day after death-when. accord ing to Jewish notion. the spirit which until then hovers about the corpse, sees the signs of decay in the face, and takes its final departure. Only then did Jesus come. This delay was not, however, at the expense of Lazarus and his sisters. The spiritual gains to them were incalculable. At the same time 1t gave Jesus opportunity to work His transcendent miracle.
 Martha goes impetuously to meet the Master and utters her plaintive if. Her faith sweeps out to embrace the hope of her brothers immediate resto- ration. But when Jesus seems to con firm the hope 1t as quickly recedes. We can forgive Martha that. since 1t drew from the Savior's lips that ma testic affirmation which has heartened the dying and bereaved in every gem eration since. Now Mary. summoned, comes with stronger, though unex- pressed, faith. She js followed by her guests of condolence. Thus the mira cle Is furnished with witnesses cer- tainly not prejudiced in favor of the Worker
 A great surge of sorrow breaks up on Jesus's heart in the effort to con trol, which He shakes and groanss. It gives place to tenderest sympathy for the bereaved and that great company of mourners they represent in each succeeding age. His tears cause flaw orable remark. But a discordant note is also struck by those who wish to discount the recent miracle in Jerusa- lem by Jesus's failure to avert this event. Martha's faith also shrinkss back as she protests against uncover ing the putrescence of the tomb; but Jesus encourages her to believe and see the glory of God
 When the stone is rolled away. Je- sus, with uplifted eyes. joyously ac- knowledges the assurance He has re- ceived that what He is about to do meets with the Fathers approval. Both prayer and miracle are designed to quicken the faith of those who hear and see.
 Then He, who Is both Life and Res urrection, in a voice of indisputable authority, bids the sleeper awake. He speaks and 1t is done. Lazarus stands forth fresh and free without taint upon him of the chill and horrors of the tomb"