THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE.

IT has been said that others besides Christ have raised dead people to life. That is true, but they did it very differently from what he did it.

In the seventeenth chapter of the first book of Kings we read of Elijah raising the son of the widow. But just hear what he says: he cried unto the Lord, "O Lord, my God, let this child's soul come into him again.”

Then, when Elisha did the same thing, we find that "he went in and shut the door, and prayed unto the Lord."

Now just notice the difference between these accounts and the account of Christ raising Jairus's daughter. He didn't pray to any body, but he just took her by the hand and said to her, on his own account," Maid, arise!" and she that was dead sat up, and began to speak.

Take the case of his raising the widow's son. Death had got hold of his captive, and was dragging him off to the grave; but Christ stopped him, and commanded him to come back. "Young man, I say unto thee, Arise!"

And the young man arose, and Christ delivered him again to his mother.

He does not ask help or permission of any body, but of his own authority he calls back the dead to life.

See him there at the grave of Lazarus. He weeps, it is true, but he does not pray. He just calls the dead man, and Lazarus comes forth, bound hand and foot with grave-clothes. Even the dead must obey when

Christ commands.

Mr. Needham was telling me about a picture which he saw at the Crystal Palace at London of the raising of Lazarus. There he was, coming up out of the tomb, looking more like a skeleton than a man, his bones sticking out, and a general appearance of a body long

dead.

"I did not like the picture," says Mr. Needham; “I don't believe he looked like that when Christ called him out of the grave. He was not raised as a convalescent,

but in the full strength of his manhood, as any body can see who will read the Bible account, for he was strong enough to get up and come out of the grave in spite of grave-clothes that bound him hand and foot.”

the

of their brother.

Now I want you to notice that there were three things his friends had to do. "Where have ye laid him?" said Christ. He knew where he was well enough, but it was something which they might do to show him the grave "Take ye away the stone." When they get to the grave he says: He might have done it himself. He could have thrown the stone a thousand miles away with a single word, but this was something which they could do for themselves. Then, after he has raised him, He tells them to "loose him, and let him go." It seems to me that is what a good many of these Christians want right here in Chicago. They have been resurrected; they are out of their graves; the new life is in them; but they are still bound hand and foot with the grave-clothes of their old nature. They can't speak for Christ or work for Christ. Let us pray that these, whom the Lord has raised from the dead, may no longer go about in their grave-clothes. Get them off,

and then you will be of some use to the Master who has raised you.

And what encouragement there is for us, my friends, in this chapter! If Christ could raise the dead brother of Martha and Mary, can he not raise the dead souls of our friends for whom we pray?

And now we come to the sad thought that in spite of this great miracle, which was wrought within two miles of Jerusalem, the chief priests and the Pharisees, when they heard of it, called a council to see how they might put him to death. O what enmity there is in the sin ner's heart against the Lord Jesus Christ! What a sad thought that this chapter leaves them plotting together to kill the Prince of Life!