who had died soon after the departure of the messenger, " had been dead and buried four clays c." Martha, hearing of his arrival, went forth to meet him, and expressed her regret that Jesus had not been there whilst her brother was yet alive, since she was confident, that he would have exerted his almighty power to restore him to health. Our Lord now repeated what he had declared to the messenger, and told her that " her brother should rise again d." She however, sup- posing him to speak of what should take place " at the last day," took no notice of his words as a ground of present con- solation. Jesus therefore proceeded to speak more plainly, that " He himself was the resurrection and the life : and that one who believed in him, though he were dead, yet should live, yea, and never die.e" But still she did not see in this, that he who could restore dead souls to life, could also with equal ease restore a body that was dead. When therefore he ordered the stone to be removed from his grave, she intimated, that the state of his body, now putrid, placed it beyond a pos- sibility of restoration to life. Upon this our blessed Lord administered the reproof which we are now considering : " Said I not, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?" Then, not being " extreme to mark what was done amiss," he spake the word, " Lazarus, come forth :" and immediately he that was dead came forth, with all the solemn appendages of death adhering to him ; and was again restored to the society of his beloved sisters and friends.]
By the mercy vouchsafed to her on this occasion " God was greatly glorified" —
[How wonderful must the condescension and grace of God appear to Martha, when she saw the request of such unworthy creatures as herself and her sister prevailing to such an extent
as this ! And what a confirmation had she now before
her eyes of that truth which she had already confessed, that " Jesus was indeed the Christ, the Son of God, that was to
come into the world f ! " What an enjoyment too would
they henceforth have of their brother's society, whose presence could not fail of bringing all these things to their remembrance, and of calling forth on all occasions their devoutest praises
and thanksgivings to their God and Saviour! Thus
then did she indeed see the glory of God, notwithstanding her faith, though true, fell very far short of that perfect standard to which it ought to have attained.]
But, not to confine the reproof to her, let us con- sider,
c ver. 17. d ver. 21—23. e ver. 25, 26. ' ver. 27.