Page:Lazarus, a tale of the world's great miracle.djvu/84

72 out God's light) the many revelations that had been made to it, and kept back the knowledge of the extraordinary events that from time to time had there occurred.

If a God were to be born to us to-day, and to live and die amongst us, how many would know Him for a God? So the earth slept while Jesus trod it, as it slept before His advent, as it has slept often since, forgetful that salvation was walking along the highway, powerless to cry out, "Lord, save me." And all the while, tear-worn, dusty, and travel-stained, the Eternal One was passing by and on, through the gates of death, and back within the portals of eternity.

But day was now stealing across the sky, ripping up right and left, backwards and forwards, the dark clouds, seaming the heavens with shafts of light, slashing each cloud with radiancy, unfolding one by one the glories of morning; till at last the sun, like a golden ball hurled on earth by a boisterous god, or leaping like a giant upon the world, burst forth with light and warmth, a messenger, though that world knew it not.

"Lift up thine eyes, look round about and see," it said; but the world slept, and Jerusalem slept, oblivious that that day the God of Eternity would weep.

While flushing day crept quickly across the sky, a woman left the house of Lazarus to take the road from Bethany to Jerusalem. Weary as she was with a night of watching, the cool air seemed to revive her scorching eyelids, yet she hesitated. Outside her house she cast her eyes across the glorious