Gambar halaman
PDF
ePub
[ocr errors]

5. And a certain man was there which "had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

"6. When Jefus faw him lie, and knew "that he had been now a long time in "that cafe, he faith unto him, Wilt thou "be made whole ?

06

" 7. The impotent man answered him,

Sir, I have no man, when the water is "troubled, to put me into the pool: " but while I am coming, another steppeth "down before me."

This question of our Lord's did not proceed from any doubt of the poor man's defire to be made whole; for who that is fick would not wifh to be cured? Befides, it was evident he came there with that hope: but it seems to have been asked, to give him an opportunity of relating his deplorable and helpless fituation, and to draw from him his faith and hope in himself, that fo being healed in the very instant that he was fo pathetically describing his wretchedness (and a more wretched fituation cannot be conceived,) he might feel Cc

the

the greater joy. This method was alfo the best calculated to ensure the attention of the spectators to the miracle he was about to perform, and to impress it in the strongeft manner on their minds. His defcription of his fufferings, of his hopes, and of his continual disappointments, would of course excite their pity and compaffion, and they must have thought his cafe hopelefs; as all who went there were too eager to fecure the bleffing to themselves, to fland upon ceremony, or even to give place to their dearest friend. Having thus prepared the minds of the fpectators,

66

"8. Jefus faith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed and walk.

66

9. And immediately the man was "made whole, and took up his bed and walked and on the fame day was the fabbath."

[ocr errors]

66

By this wonderful operation of his power, our bleffed Lord must have convinced this poor man at least, and one would

would suppose all those who were present, that the water and the angel derived their virtue from himself.

The Jews pretended to observe the sabbath with great ftrictness, and feverely punished any one who carried burdens that day. In the inftance before us, our Saviour seems determined to point out to them that he was the Lord of the fabbath. On another occafion alfo fimilar to this, he asked them, if they would not take an ox or an ass out of a pit on the fabbath-day? The inference was too plain to be misunderstood for furely if motives of interest, or the better ones of relieving the brute creation from fufferings, would justify the laboring on the fabbath, how much more the deliverance of a fellow-creature! To this question they were filent, as they could not deny the fuperiority of the duties of charity, humanity and benevolence, to the obfervance of ceremonious rites, however facred. When we see our bleffed Lord thus condescending to explain the motives of his conduct, fhould it not teach Cc 2

us, that

it

it is not enough merely that we act right, but that it is a duty we owe to fociety, to endeavor to point out the reafons of our actions to those who may judge differently from them.

What joy could be superior to that of this poor man, who from the lowest state of hopeless mifery was in a moment reftored to perfect health! This is a happinefs we can all better conceive than exprefs.

Those who experience great afflictions, and fear there is no deliverance for them, because it does not attend their immediate call, need not go thus far back for inftances of divine mercy; as in the course of their lives they must have had frequent opportunities of observing the exercise of it, both in regard to themselves and others, though not perhaps in circumstances exactly fimilar to thofe of this poor man. poor man. The mercies of the Almighty are as infinite as his power. Let not man then presume to mistrust that glorious attribute upon which alone all his hopes of happiness are built!

66 10. The

66

10. The Jews therefore said unto him "that was cured, It is the fabbath-day it " is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.

66

11. He answered them, He that made me whole, the fame faid unto me, Take up thy bed and walk.

66

12. Then asked they him, What man " is that which faid unto thee, take up thy "bed and walk?

66

13. And he that was healed wist not "who it was for Jefus had conveyed himself away; a multitude being in that " place."

When the Jews told the man the unlawfulness of the act of carrying his bed, and were inquifitive to know the perfon who gave him fuch an unjustifiable liberty, as they termed it, the man returned a very ftriking anfwer, and fuch as would at once have filenced their murmurs, had not their minds been over-clouded with error and darkness: had it not been for their obftinacy and perverfenefs they muft, in the author of fuch a miracle, have perceived

and

« SebelumnyaLanjutkan »