ingdom of Heaven,
and his prayers were full of gratitude that death could not destroy
such a life, since it was immortal, and would be carried into eternity
with the immortal soul.

Two of the inmates of his house were at one with him in this.
Magdalen, his wife's sister, the fallen woman of Magdala, lived with
them since she had been obliged to part from the Master. Now she heard
with a fearful joy that Jesus was in Jerusalem. Her brother, Lazarus,
was in still greater excitement about it. The youth declared that the
Master had accomplished the greatest thing of all in regard to him. He
could not talk about it enough, and was irritated if they did not
receive his tale as the very newest thing, although it had happened
months before, when Jesus had been in the wilderness of Judaea. They
had marvelled at the event beyond all measure, but when the great
miracle came to be related every day, it got commonplace. "Just let
one of you experience what dying is like," Lazarus would often exclaim,
interrupting a lively conversation. "When you lie there and turn cold,
they put on a shroud, tie a kerchief round your head, stretch you out
on a board, and lament that you are dead. You are dead, but it isn't
quite what you thought. You know about it; you are there when they put
you into the sack, carry you to the grave, and rend their garments for
grief. You are there when your body is buried in the damp, everlasting
darkness, and begins to mingle with the earth. Your poor soul gathers
itself together to utter a cry for help, but your breast is dead, your
throat is dead. And in this agony of death, which never ceases, a man
comes by, lays his hand on your head, and says, 'Lazarus, get up!' and
your pulse begins to beat, and your limbs grow warm again, and you get
up and live! And live! Do you know what it means--live?"

Then Magdalen would go to her brother and calm him, telling him that it
was a great thing to awake a dead body to life, but a still greater
thing to bring a dead soul to life!

Now this family of Bethany had sent to Jerusalem and invited the Master
to go to their house with two of His travelling companions in order
that He might repose Himself after His long wanderings in homelike
security. Jesus thought it was time to leave the city for a little,
and accepted the invitation. His disciples were sorry. They each
desired some hospitable house in order that after so long a time of
hardship they might