say to thee that if thou believe, thou shalt see the glory of God ?"

The stone was accordingly rolled away, and Jesus, raising His eyes to heaven, prayed. Then, with a loud voice, He cried, "Lazarus, come forth." And instantly the dead man arose, and came forth in the presence of all the people-his hands and feet still bound with bandages, and his face covered with a linen cloth.

We may imagine the terror of the spectators, and the delight of the two sisters. No one dared to approach, until Jesus said to His disciples, "Loose him, and let him go."

Thus was Lazarus most wonderfully recalled from death to life, by an exercise of that almighty power, to which nothing is impossible, or even difficult.

7. This miracle, which so strongly excites our wonder and admiration, will be renewed, in our regard, at the end of the world, when, long as our perishable bodies may have lain in the tomb, the power of God will call them from the dust, to stand before His judgment seat, and live for ever in bliss or misery.

QUESTIONS.

1. Relate the history of the death of La

zarus.

2. Why did our Lord delay His return to Judea ?

3. What did our Lord say to Martha ?

4. What did the words signify?

5. How did Martha confess her faith? 6. How did our Lord manifest His almighty power?

7. What miracle will He one day work for us?

"He shall cast death down headlong for ever; and the Lord God shall wipe away tears from every face, and the reproach of His people He shall take away from off the whole earth; for the Lord hath spoken it.

"And they shall say in that day; Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord: we have patiently waited for Him. We shall rejoice and be joyful in His salvation."-Isaiah xxv. 8, 9.

LESSON XLI.

MARY ANOINTS THE FEET OF OUR LORD.

1. Several of the Jews who witnessed the miraculous resurrection of Lazarus confessed the divinity of Christ; but others of them proceeded at once to inform the Pharisees of what had taken place, and these, assembling in council, resolved that Jesus should be apprehended and put to death.

2. However, as the time that our Lord had fixed for His sacrifice had not yet come, He retired with His disciples to a part of the coun

try bordering on the Desert; returning, six days before the Passover, to Bethania, whence He intended to proceed to Jerusalem.

3. Lazarus and his sisters gladly seized the opportunity of His visit to Bethania to testify their love and gratitude by preparing an entertainment for Him and His disciples, at the house of a man named Simon, whom Jesus had formerly cured of the leprosy. Martha affectionately served Him at table, whilst Lazarus took his place amongst the guests.

During supper, Mary brought an alabaster box, containing a pound of very valuable perfumed oil of pure spikenard; some of it she poured over the feet of our Lord, which she dried with her hair, and the remainder she poured over His head, so that the house was filled with the odour of the costly perfume.

4. This manifestation of her profound respect and grateful affection was loudly censured by Judas Iscariot, one of the disciples, who afterwards betrayed his Lord, and delivered Him to the Jews. He said it would have been better to sell the perfume, and give the price to the poor, than thus to squander it. But, in truth, being avaricious and dishonest, he thought less of relieving the poor than of enriching himself by the sale of the perfume; the money derived from which he could easily have appropriated, at least in part, as he had charge of the common purse.

Others among the guests also secretly condemned Mary for wasting the precious oil.

5. But Jesus, who reads the secrets of hearts,

asked, "Why do you trouble her? She hath wrought a good work upon Me: for the poor you have always with you, and you can be charitable towards them as often as you wish, but Me you have not always.

She has done what

was in her power; she has embalmed My body beforehand for My burial." Then our Lord

added, “Amen, I say to you, wherever this Gospel shall be preached in the whole world, that which she hath done shall be told for a memory of her.”

And these words of our Lord are accomplished even to this day.

QUESTIONS.

1. What did the Pharisees resolve on hearing of the resurrection of Lazarus ?

2. How did our Lord defeat their intentions ?

3. What took place when Jesus returned to Bethania?

4. What did Judas and others think of the manner in which Mary testified her love and gratitude?

5. How did Jesus defend her?

Dearly beloved, let us love one another, for charity is of God. And every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

"He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is charity.

"By this hath the charity of God appeared towards us, because God hath sent His onlybegotten Son into the world, that we may live by Him."-1 John, iv. 7, 9.

LESSON XLII.

JESUS ENTERS JERUSALEM.

1. On the day following His return to Bethania, Jesus proceeded to Jerusalem. And when He had reached Bethphage, near the Mount of Olives, He said to two of His disciples: "Go into the village that is over against you, and there you shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her, on which no man yet hath ridden. Loose them, and bring them to Me. And if any one shall say anything to you, say that the Lord hath need of them, and forthwith he will let them go." The disciples went, therefore, and did as Jesus had commanded: they brought the ass and the colt; and, laying their garments on the colt, Jesus rode upon it, thus fulfilling the prophecy of Zacharias.

"Tell ye the daughter of Sion: Behold thy King cometh to thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and upon a colt, the foal of her that is used to the yoke.'

Jerusalem was at this time crowded with strangers and Jews, who had come from all parts of Judea, to celebrate the approaching festival of the Passover. The report of the miraculous resurrection of Lazarus had spread with great rapidity, and the people listened in astonishment to the details given by those who had witnessed it.