oshaphat ravine, by
the side of the Temple. The brook Kedron was crossed, and they are once
more on the Bethany path. They have reached Gethsemane; their Master
retires into the depths of the olive grove, as was often His wont, to
hold secret communion with His Father. But the crisis-hour has at last
arrived! The Shepherd is about to be smitten, and the sheep to be
scattered! Rude hands arrest Him on His way. In vain shall Lazarus and
his sisters wait for their expected Lord! For _Him_ that night there is
no voice of earthly comforter--no couch of needed rest;--when the
shadows of darkness have gathered around Bethany, and the pale passover
moon is lighting up its palm-trees, the Lord of glory is standing
buffetted and insulted in the hall of Annas.

The Remembrances of Bethany are here absorbed and overshadowed for a
time by the darker memories of Gethsemane and Calvary. Jesus may,
indeed, afterwards revisit the loved haunt of former friendship; but
meanwhile He is first to accomplish that glorious Decease, _but for
which_ the world could never have had on its surface one Bethany-home of
love, or been cheered by one ray of happiness or hope.

In vain do we try to picture, as we revert to the peaceful Village, the
feelings of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary on that day of ignominious
crucifixion! _where_ they were--_how_ they were employed! Can we imagine
that they could linger behind, unconcerned, in their dwelling, when
their Best Friend was in the hands of His murderers? We cannot think so.
We may rather well believe that among the tearful eyes of the weeping
women that followed the innocent Victim along the "Dolorous way," not
the least anguished were the two Bethany mourners; and that as He hung
upon the cross, and His languid eye saw here and there a faithful friend
lingering around him while disciples had fled, Lazarus would be among
the few who soothed and smoothed that awful death-pillow! Perhaps even
when death had sealed His eyes, and faithless apostles gave vent to
their feelings of hopeless despondency, "We trusted it had been He who
should have redeemed Israel," the family of Bethany would recollect how
oft He had spoken of this very hour of darkness and bereavement which
had now come; Mary would, in trembling emotion, (in connexion with the
humble token of her own gratitude and affection,) remember the words of
the Lord Jesus, how He said, "Let her alone, against the day of my
_burying_ hath she done this."