but added, "I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe."

When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he found that Lazarus had already lain in the grave four days. Bethany was not far from Jerusalem, so that many Jews had come from thence to Martha and Mary, to comfort them in their trouble.

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When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him, and said to him, "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee." Jesus said to her, Thy brother shall rise again." Martha then said, "I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day." But Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live, and whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die. Believest thou this?" Martha answered, "Yea, Lord, I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world." Then Martha went to fetch her sister Mary; and when the Jews saw Mary rise up hastily and go out, they thought she was going to weep by her brother's

grave and followed her. But when Mary came to Jesus, she fell down at his feet, and said, "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died." When Jesus saw Mary and the Jews who came with her, all weeping, he was very much troubled, and asked where they had laid Lazarus. They asked Jesus to come and see, and when they saw that he wept also, they said, Behold, how he loved him." And some of them said, "Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died."

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Jesus came to the grave: it was a cave, closed at the opening by a large stone. When Jesus told them to remove the stone, Martha said, "Lord, by this time he stinketh, for he hath been dead four days." But Jesus asked, "Said I not unto thee, that if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by, I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. And when he had thus

spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth! And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him. But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done."

When the chief priests and Pharisees were gathered together in council to consider what was to be done, one of them named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, "Ye know nothing at all, nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. And this spake he, not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation, and not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one, the children of God that were scattered abroad. Then from that day forth, they took counsel together for to put him to death."

When Jesus began to show his disciples what his fate must be, and what sufferings awaited him

upon his arrival in Jerusalem, Peter tried to persuade him not to go there; but Jesus silenced him, telling him that he considered only those things which concerned men, and not those which concerned God. Jesus knew that it was for the glory of God and the salvation of the human race that he should suffer, and was not to be deterred by the ordeal through which he must pass for such a purpose.

Peter, James, and John, were witnesses of the wonderful transfiguration of Christ, which must of itself have convinced them that he was more than human, if they had still required additional proof. Jesus took these three to the top of a high mountain, and suddenly "his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow, so as no fuller on earth can white them. And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus: And Peter said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles: one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias."

"And there was a great cloud that overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud saying, This is my beloved Son, hear him: And suddenly,

when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves. And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the son of man were risen from the dead. They therefore kept silent, but wondered what rising from the dead could mean.”

As Jesus passed through the country again, to Judæa, he was followed by the usual multitude; and the Pharisees, who were his greatest enemies, constantly asked him questions, hoping that they should make him say something which would enable them to have him seized and put to death. So many children were brought to Christ by their parents, that his disciples endeavoured to drive them away, fearing that they would be troublesome; but Jesus would not allow them to be sent away: he said, "Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven and he laid his hands on them, and blessed them."

A young man came to Jesus and asked him what he must do to inherit eternal life; Jesus told him he must keep the commandments: the young man