Interpret → Preach
For the service
John Wesley’s own Explanatory Notes Upon the Old and New Testament on the day’s readings — his verse-by-verse commentary, not a summary of it. Read the full edition ↗
first Ezekiel 37:1-14
- v.1And set me down — So it seemed to me in the vision. Which is a lively representation of a threefold resurrection: 1. Of the resurrection of souls, from the death of sin, to the life of righteousness: 2. The resurrection of the church from an afflicted state, to liberty and peace: 3. The resurrection of the body at the great day, especially the bodies of believers to life eternal.
- v.3And he — The Lord.
- v.7Prophesied — Declared these promises. As I prophesied - While I was prophesying. A noise - A rattling of the bones in their motion. A shaking - A trembling or commotion among the bones, enough to manifest a divine presence, working among them. Came together - Glided nearer and nearer, 'till each bone met the bone to which it was to be joined. Of all the bones of all those numerous slain, not one was missing, not one missed its way, not one missed its place, but each knew and found its fellow. Thus in the resurrection of the dead, the scattered atoms shall be arranged in their proper place and order, and every bone come to his bone, by the same wisdom and power by which they were first formed in the womb of her that is with child.
- v.8Came up — Gradually spreading itself.
- v.9Prophesy — Declare what my will is. O breath - The soul, whose emblem here is wind; which, as it gently blew upon these lifeless creatures, each was inspired with its own soul or spirit.
- v.10And the breath — The spirit of life, or the soul, Gen. ii, 7.
- v.11The whole house — The emblem of the house of Israel. Are dried - Our state is as hopeless, as far from recovery, as dried bones are from life.
- v.12I will open — Though your captivity be as death, your persons close as the grave, yet I will open those graves.
psalm Psalm 130
- v.3Mark — Observe them accurately and punish them as they deserve. Stand - At thy tribunal.
- v.4Forgiveness — Thou art able and ready to forgive repenting sinners. Feared - Not with a slavish, but with a childlike fear. This mercy of thine is the foundation of all religion, without which men would desperately proceed in their impious courses.
- v.5I wait — That he would pardon my sins.
- v.6They — Whether soldiers that keep the night-watches in an army, or the priests or Levites who did so in the temple.
- v.7Israel — Every true Israelite. Plenteous - Abundantly sufficient for all persons who accept it upon God's terms. David testifies his humility, and exhorts Israel to trust in God, ver. 1-3. A song of degrees of David.
second Romans 8:6-11
- v.6For to be carnally minded — That is, to mind the things of the flesh. Is death - The sure mark of spiritual death, and the way to death everlasting. But to be spiritually minded - That is, to mind the things of the Spirit. Is life - A sure mark of spiritual life, and the way to life everlasting. And attended with peace - The peace of God, which is the foretaste of life everlasting; and peace with God, opposite to the enmity mentioned in the next verse.
- v.7Enmity against God — His existence, power, and providence.
- v.8They who are in the flesh — Under the government of it.
- v.9In the Spirit — Under his government. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ - Dwelling and governing in him. He is none of his - He is not a member of Christ; not a Christian; not in a state of salvation. A plain, express declaration, which admits of no exception. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear!
- v.10Now if Christ be in you — Where the Spirit of Christ is, there is Christ. The body indeed is dead - Devoted to death. Because of sin - Heretofore committed. But the Spirit is life - Already truly alive. Because of righteousness - Now attained. From ver. 13, St. Paul, having finished what he had begun, chap. vi, 1, describes purely the state of believers.
gospel John 11:1-45
- v.1One Lazarus — It is probable, Lazarus was younger than his sisters. Bethany is named, the town of Mary and Martha, and Lazarus is mentioned after them, ver. 5. Ecclesiastical history informs us, that Lazarus was now thirty years old, and that he lived thirty years after Christ's ascension.
- v.2It was that Mary who afterward anointed, &c. She was more known than her elder sister Martha, and as such is named before her.
- v.4This sickness is not to death, but for the glory of God — The event of this sickness will not be death, in the usual sense of the word, a final separation of his soul and body; but a manifestation of the glorious power of God.
- v.7Let us go into Judea — From the country east of Jordan, whither he had retired some time before, when the Jews sought to stone him, chap. x, 39, 40.
- v.9Are there not twelve hours in the day? — The Jews always divided the space from sunrise to sunset, were the days longer or shorter, into twelve parts: so that the hours of their day were all the year the same in number, though much shorter in winter than in summer. If any man walk in the day he stumbleth not - As if he had said, So there is such a space, a determined time, which God has allotted me. During that time I stumble not, amidst all the snares that are laid for me. Because he seeth the light of this world - And so I see the light of God surrounding me.
- v.10But if a man walk in the night — If he have not light from God; if his providence does no longer protect him.
- v.11Our friend Lazarus sleepeth — This he spoke, just when he died. Sleepeth - Such is the death of good men in the language of heaven. But the disciples did not yet understand this language. And the slowness of our understanding makes the Scripture often descend to our barbarous manner of speaking.
- v.16Thomas in Hebrew, as Didymus in Greek, signifies a twin. With him — With Jesus, whom he supposed the Jews would kill. It seems to be the language of despair.
- v.20Mary sat in the house — Probably not hearing what was said.
- v.22Whatsoever thou wilt ask, God will give it thee — So that she already believed he could raise him from the dead.
- v.25l am the resurrection — Of the dead. And the life - Of the living. He that believeth in me, though he die, yet shall he live - In life everlasting.
- v.32She fell at his feet — This Martha had not done. So she makes amends for her slowness in coming.
- v.33He groaned — So he restrained his tears. So he stopped them soon after, ver. 38. He troubled himself - An expression amazingly elegant, and full of the highest propriety. For the affections of Jesus were not properly passions, but voluntary emotions, which were wholly in his own power. And this tender trouble which he now voluntarily sustained, was full of the highest order and reason.
- v.35Jesus wept — Out of sympathy with those who were in tears all around him, as well as from a deep sense of the misery sin had brought upon human nature.
- v.37Could not this person have even caused, that this man should not have died? — Yet they never dreamed that he could raise him again! What a strange mixture of faith and unbelief.
- v.38It was a cave — So Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and their wives, except Rachel, were buried in the cave of Machpelah, Gen. xlix, 29-31. These caves were commonly in rocks, which abounded in that country, either hollowed by nature or hewn by art. And the entrance was shut up with a great stone, which sometimes had a monumental inscription.
- v.39Lord, by this time he stinketh — Thus did reason and faith struggle together.
- v.40Said I not — It appears by this, that Christ had said more to Martha than is before recorded.
- v.41Jesus lifted up his eyes — Not as if he applied to his Father for assistance. There is not the least show of this. He wrought the miracle with an air of absolute sovereignty, as the Lord of life and death. But it was as if he had said, I thank thee, that by the disposal of thy providence, thou hast granted my desire, in this remarkable opportunity of exerting my power, and showing forth thy praise.
- v.43He cried with a loud voice — That all who were present might hear. Lazarus, come forth - Jesus called him out of the tomb as easily as if he had been not only alive, but awake also.
- v.44And he came forth bound hand and foot with grave clothes — Which were wrapt round each hand and each foot, and his face was wrapt about with a napkin - If the Jews buried as the Egyptians did, the face was not covered with it, but it only went round the forehead, and under the chin; so that he might easily see his way.
- v.45Many believed on Him — And so the Son of God was glorified, according to what our Lord had said, ver. 4.