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when he comes to the House, luckily finds that there was a Mistake, and more luckily ftill, that himself was the only one that perceived it. What now does he do? why, instead of improving this extraordinary Accident to his own Advantage, he takes away (as much as in him lies) all poffible Pretence for a Miracle, by declaring plainly, that the Perfon was not really dead, as they fuppofed, but afleep, and wanted only to be awaken'd. Here certainly is fuch a Bundle of Abfurdities, as no Man of common Senfe can ever be supposed to incur. Had Jefus been an Impoftor, or had the History, we are now examining, been a Forgery, inftead of these modeft Expreffions, give place, for the Maid is not dead, but Sleepeth, we had had fome fuch vaunting Speech as this; Ay ! the young "Woman is really dead, and your La❝mentations are well grounded; but "let me only look upon her, and say a few Words over her, and depend

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upon it, you will fee her alive again, "and as well as ever." Whereas our Saviour, in what he fays, is fo far from boafting of his divine Power, that he feems rather defirous to conceal it; and, for that reason, makes use of a Word of a fofter Signification, (as he does elfewhere

A a 2

Why

join'd her

Parents
Silence.

where d in the Cafe of Lazarus) to denote that Death, which he came to remove, with the fame Facility, as another Perfon might be awaken'd out of Леер.

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And indeed 'twas owing, in a great Chriften meafure, to the Humility and Modesty of Jesus, that, instead of ordering Men to proclaim his Works, we find him fo frequently defiring them to conceal them. In the present Cafe however, he might have fome Regard to the Character of Farus, as Ruler of the Synagogue, and, by this Advice of Silence, difpenfe with his fpeaking publickly of a Miracle, which might poffibly draw the Malice of the Scribes and Pharifees upon him, as well as upon himself. In the Cafe of his raifing Lazarus, we find, that because, by reafon of him, many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jefus, the Chief Priefts confulted, not only how to deftroy Jefus, but to put Lazarus likewife to death; and much of the fame Design might have been expected (which our Saviour by this kind Caution endeavour'd to prevent) if it once came to their Knowledge, that fo great a Man, as a Governor of the Synagogue, by the miraculous Recovery of his Daughter, had forfaken the Religion of his Anceftors,

John xi. 4, &c. John xii. 10, II.

ftors, and was become a Convert to the Christian Faith. But to proceed.

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When Lazarus fell fick, f the Evan- The Cafe gelift informs us, that Jefus was not with of Lazahim, nor did he fee any of the Family, until he had been buried fome Days; that when Martha and Mary met him, their Behaviour was fuch, as might naturally be expected from Perfons under the moft fenfible Concern for the Lofs of fo near a Friend; that when he faw their Sorrow and Concern, and the People, that came to comfort them, lamenting their Lofs with Tears, himself was likewife moved with Compaffion, and Wept; that when he came to the Grave (it was a Cave, and a Stone laid upon it) and order'd the Stone to be taken away, Martha interpofed, as knowing her Brother to have been too long dead, to be fit to be seen; but that, after a fhort Prayer to God, he called upon Lazarus with a loud Voice, whereupon he, that was dead, came forth, bound hand and foot with Grave-Cloths, and his Face was bound about with a Napkin. In this Light have the Evangelifts represented the whole Tranfaction, and wherein I pray is the leaft Shadow of Fraud or Collufion?

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Why
Chrift

wept, and

called

a loud

Voice.

If our Saviour's compaffionating the Circumftances of his Friends, and weeping upon fo fad an Occafion, fhould be him with accounted an Action not comporting with his Character, it fhould be confider'd, & that "There is fomething in "human Nature, refulting from our ແ very Make and Conftitution, while it "retains its genuine Form, and is not "alter'd by vicious Habits, or oppress'd "by Stupidity, which renders us ob"noxious to the Pains of others; caufes

us to fympathize with them, and al"moft comprehends us in their Case, "This Compaffion appears eminently in "thofe, 'who, upon other Accounts, are "juftly reckon'd among the beft of Men. "They, who, of all Writers, undertake "to imitate Nature moft, often intro"duce even their Heroes weeping. The "Tears of Men are, in truth, yery dif"ferent from the Cries and Ejaculations "of Children: They are filent Streams, "and flow from other Caufes, common"ly fome tender, and perhaps philo“ fophical Reflections:" And in the Cafe now before us, there might be other Confiderations, befides the Lofs of Lazarus, that might draw from our Saviour thefe Tears of Compaffion. He might, at that time be affected with the Thought of

Religion of Nat. Delin. Se&t. 6. p. 139.

of many Afflictions, to which human Nature is liable, in this imperfect State, and his Groans and inward Grief might proceed from the want of Faith, obfervable in the Sifters, and Company attending, and a Diffidence of his Ability to raise the Dead, notwithstanding they had seen fo frequent Manifeftations of a divine and omnipotent Power refiding in him.

hHe knew that theObftinacy and invincible Prejudices of fome of the Spectators, and of the generality of the Jewish People was fuch, that the aftonishing Miracle, he was going to work, would not have its due Effect upon them. This recall'd to his Mind that Scene of Mifery and Defolation, which he forefaw would overtake them, and therefore he griev'd and figh'd deeply at the profpect of the Calamities, which that perverse People were bringing upon themselves, and, which all his Endeavours, his Miracles and Sufferings, could not prevent. So that, upon the whole, the Concern which our Lord exprefs'd upon this Occafion, proceeded from the nobleft Motives, Wisdom, Goodness, Friendship, Compaffion, and every View, that is juft and laudable, while he fympathiz'd with his Friends, and griev'd for his Enemies, A a 4

Stevenfon's Conference upon the Miracles. p. 4.

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