und whom the main interest of the narrative gathers, we
have fewer incidental touches to guide us in giving individuality to his
character. This, however, we may infer, from the poignant sorrow of the
twin hearts that were so unexpectedly broken, that he was a loved and
lamented only brother, a sacred prop around which their tenderest
affections were entwined. Included too, as he was, in the love which
the Divine Saviour bore to the household (for "Jesus loved Lazarus"), is
it presumptuous to imagine that his spirit had been cast into much the
same human mould as that of his beloved Lord, and that the friendship of
Jesus for him had been formed on the same principles on which
friendships are formed still--a similarity of disposition, some mental
and moral resemblances and idiosyncrasies? They were like-minded, so far
as a fallible nature and the nature of a stainless humanity _could_ be
assimilated. We can think of him as gentle, retiring, amiable,
forgiving, heavenly-minded; an imperfect and shadowy, it may be, but
still a faithful reflection and transcript of incarnate loveliness. May
we not venture to use regarding him his Lord's eulogy on another,
"Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!"

Nor must we forget, in this rapid sketch, what a precious unfolding we
have in this home portraiture of the humanity of the Saviour! "_The Man_
Christ Jesus" stands in softened majesty and tenderness before our view.
He who had a heart capacious enough to take in all mankind, had yet His
likings (sinless partialities) for individuals and minds which were more
than others congenial and kindred with His own. As there are some heart
sanctuaries where we can more readily rush to bury the tale of our
sorrows or unburden our perplexities, so had He. "Jesus wept!"--this
speaks of Him as the human Sympathiser. "Jesus loved Lazarus"--this
speaks of Him as the human Friend! He had an ardent affection for all
His disciples, but even among _them_ there was an inner circle of holier
attachments--a Peter, and James, and John; and out of this sacred _trio_
again there was one pre-eminently "Beloved." So, amid the hallowed
haunts of Palestine, the homes of Judea, the cities of Galilee, there
was but _one_ Bethany. It is delightful thus to think of the heart of
Jesus in all but sin as purely _human_, identical and identified with
our own. He was no hermit-spirit dwelling in mysterious solitariness
apart from His fellows, but open to the ch