And so, with all Christendom, we gladly take it, in simplicity of faith, as a true record by true men - all the more, that they who told it knew it to be so incredible, as not only to provoke scorn, [2680] but to expose them to the charge of cunningly devising fables. [2681] But they who believe, see in this history, how the Divine Conqueror, in His accidental meeting with Death, with mighty arm rolled back the tide, and how through the portals of heaven which He opened stole in upon our world the first beam of the new day. Yet another - in some sense lower, in another, practically higher - lesson do we learn. For, this meeting of the two processions outside the gate of Nain was accidental, yet not in the conventional sense. Neither the arrival of Jesus at that place and time, nor that of the funeral procession from Nain, nor their meeting, was either designed or else miraculous. Both happened in the natural course of natural events, but their concurrence [2682] (sunkura) was designed, and directly God-caused. In this God-caused, designed concurrence of events, in themselves ordinary and natural, lies the mystery of special Providences, which, to whomsoever they happen, he may and should regard them as miracles and answer to prayer. And this principle extends much farther: to the prayer for, and provision of, daily bread, nay, to mostly all things, so that, to those who have ears to hear, all things around speak in parables of the kingdom of Heaven.
But on those who saw this miracle at Nain fell the fear [2683] of the felt Divine Presence, and over their souls swept the hymn of Divine praise: fear, because [2684] God had visited [2685] His people. And further and wider spread the wave - over Judæa, and beyond it, until it washed, and broke in faint murmur against the prison-walls, within which the Baptist awaited his martyrdom. Was He then the Coming One?' and, if so, why did, or how could, those walls keep His messenger within grasp of the tyrant? [2686] __________________________________________________________________
[2625] Cant. ii. 11-13.
[2626] This depends on whether we adopt the reading n t or n t xs.
[2627] I cannot understand what Dean Stanley means, when he says (Sinai and Palest. p. 352): One entrance alone it could have had.' I have counted not fewer than six roads leading to Nain.
[2628] So Dean Stanley, and even Captain Conder. Canon Farrar regards this as one of the certain sites.' But, even according to his own description of the route taken from Capernaum, it is difficult to understand how Jesus could have issued upon the rock-hewn tombs.
[2629] Land of Israel,' pp. 129, 130.
[2630] Captain Conder (Tent-Work in Pal. i. pp. 121, 122) has failed to discover traces of a wall. But see the description of Canon Tristram (Land of Isr. p. 129) which I have followed in my account.
[2631] I cannot accept the rendering of Nain by pascuum.'
[2632] Ber. R. 98, ed. Warsh. p. 175 b: {hebrew}.
[2633] Ber. 18 a.
[2634] For the sake of brevity I must here refer to Sketches of Jewish Social Life,' ch. x., and to the article in The Bible Educator,' vol. iv. pp. 330-333.
[2635] Haneberg (Relig. Alterth. pp. 502, 503) gives the apt reasons for this.
[2636] The Tractate Ebhel Rabbathi (Great Mourning') euphemistically called Massekheth Semachoth, Tractate of Joys,' It is already quoted in the Talmud: comp Zunz, Gottesd. Vortr. p. 90, note d. It is inserted in vol. ix. of the Bab. Talmud, pp. 28 a to 31 b.
[2637] Ber. 28 b.
[2638] Nedar. 40 a, lines 6 and 7 from bottom.
[2639] Ber. v. 5.
[2640] Moed K. 27 b.
[2641] Jer. Moed. K. 83 d.
[2642] Moed K. 8 b.
[2643] Rosh haSh 17 a and other wise.
[2644] Shabb. 151 b; Semach. I.