It is _Prayer_, observe, which thus brings the eye and the heart near to
heaven. It is _Prayer_ which opens the celestial portals, and gives to
the soul a sight of the invisible.

Yes; ye who may be now weeping in unavailing sorrow over the departed,
remember, in conjunction with the _tears_, the _prayers_ of Jesus. Many
a desolate mourner derives comfort from the thought--"Jesus wept."
Forget not this other simple entry in our touching narrative, telling
where the spirit should ever rest amid the shadows of death--"_Jesus
lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard
me. And I knew that Thou hearest me always._"[17]

Let us gather for a little around this incident in the story of Bethany.
It is one of the many golden sayings of priceless value.

That utterance has at this moment lost none of its preciousness; that
voice, silent on earth, is still eloquent in heaven. The Great
Intercessor still is there, "walking in the midst of the seven golden
candlesticks;" loving to note all the wants and weaknesses, the
necessities and distresses, of every Church, and every member of His
Church. What He said of old to Peter, He says to every trembling
believer--"I _have_ prayed, and _am_ praying for _thee_, that thy faith
fail not!" "For _thee_!" We must not merge the interest which Jesus has
in each separate member of His family, in His intercession for the
Church in general. While He lets down His censer, and receives into it,
for presentation on the golden altar, the prayers of the vast aggregate;
while, as the true High Priest, He enters the holiest of all with the
names of His spiritual Israel on His breastplate--carrying the burden of
their hourly needs to the foot of the mercy-seat;--yet still, He pleads,
as if the case of _each_ stood separate and alone! He remembers _thee_,
dejected Mourner, as if there were no other heart but thine to be
healed, and no other tears but thine to be dried. His own words,
speaking of believers, not collectively but individually, are these--"I
will confess _his_ name before my Father and his angels."[18] "_Who_
touched me?" was His interrogation once on earth, as His discriminating
love was conscious of some special contact amid the press of the
multitude,--"_Somebody_ hath touched me!" If we can say, in the language
of Paul's appropriating faith, "He loved _me_, and gave Himself for
_me_," we can add, He pleads for _me_, and bears _me_! He bears this
very heart o