Circumftances of his Relations; and 45. Going therefore into the other 46. Jefus, I fay, being willingly entertained by the Inhabitants of Galilee, who were of good and teachable Difpofitions; travelled through that Country. And among other Places he came at length to Cana, where he had * for- * Chap. ii. merly turned Water into Wine. And there was in that place a certain Nobleman, one of Herod's Court, who had a Son fick at Capernaum. 47. This Man, moved by the Fame of the Miracle that Jefus had worked at Jerufalem, and hearing that Jefus was now retired out of Judea into Galilee, came as far as from Capernaum to Cana to find him out; and when he faw him, he fell down before him, and intreated him to go with him to Capernaum, and heal his Son, who was fick of a defperate Disease, and given over by the Phyficians. 48. Jefus anfwered him: Ye Jews follow me in hopes of feeing Signs and Wonders; and nothing but the most aftonishing Miracles will convince or work upon you. The Excellency and Holiness of my Doctrine ye regard not, nor are moved by it at all to become Wife and Good. Note on v. 39. 49. The Nobleman, not difcouraged by this gentle Reproof, but being very follicitous, and full of tender concern for his Son, whofe Cafe he thought could not bear any delay, replied: Sir, I beseech you make hafte; otherwise I am afraid my Son will be dead, before you can get to him. faid: 50. Jefus, pleased with the Man's Faith, and yet pitying his Weakness, that he fhould think Jefus could heal his Son near hand, and not at a distance; There is no need of my going; I can heal your Son here, as well as if I was with him. Go home; your Son now, at the time of my fpeaking thefe Words, is recovered. With which Answer the Man went away well fatisfied, believing that what Jesus told him, would accordingly come to pass. 51. Now as he was upon the Road, going home to Capernaum, with this Hope and Confidence of feeing Jesus's Promise effected; fome of his Servants met him, and told him that his Son was recovered. * 52. Then he enquired of them, what time his Son began to grow better. And they told him, that he did not begin to amend by degies, but recovered in*See tirely all at once, yesterday about feven a clock, and that his Strength and Spirits were restored to him in an instant. 53. Whereupon the Nobleman, finding that their Account agreed exactly with the very time at which Jefus told him his Son was recovered, believed in Jefus, that he was indeed the Meffiah; And he and his whole Family, convinced by fo plain an Evidence of Jefus's Divine Knowledge and Power, profeffed themselves his Difciples from that time forward. 54. This is again the fecond miracle that Jefus did, when he was come out of 54. This was the fecond Miracle, that Jefus worked in Galilee, after his coming out of Judæa. Judea into Galilee. CHA P. V. Jefus heals a Man that had been lame eight and thirty Years, ver. I. Moral Duties to be preferred before ceremonials ver. 17. Jefus proved to be the Meffiah, by his Doctrine and Works, ver. 19, 30. By the Teftimony of John Baptift, ver. 31. and of God the Father, ver. 37. and and of the Scriptures, ver. 39. Vice and Worldly-mindedness the Caufe of Infidelity, ver. 40. IAFter this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jefus went up to Jerufa lem. 2 Now there is at Jerufalem by the fheep-market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue, Bethesda, having five porches. Sover 2. And there he made known again think; or; his Power and Goodness by an extra- as others; the Paf ordinary Miracle upon the following occafion. There was in the City, nearthe Sheep-gate, a Pool of Water, with five Galleries adjoining to it; called by the Jews in their Language Be thefda, that is to fay, the House of Mercy. 3 In these lay a 3. In thefe Galleries there lay contigreat multitude of nually a great number of diseased Perimpotent folk, of fons, blind and lame Men, and fuch blind, halt, wither as had any part of their Body fhrunk ed, waiting for the or withered; waiting for a certain momoving of the waving or troubling of the Water. ter. 4 For an angel went down at a cer. tain feafon into the pool, and troubled the VOL. II. 4. For it had been obferved of late Years, that at fome particular times, the Waters were vifibly moved or troubled; and it was found by experience; X 2 that that immediately thereupon, they had a healing Virtue communicated to them. Wherefore this moving or troubling of the Water, was afcribed to the Operation of an Angel. Yet this healing Vertue extended no farther, than only to cure the first Person that stepped in, after the moving of the Waters; and him it cured, how great and deplorable, or of how long ftanding foever his Difease was. 5. Now among the difeafed Perfons that lay in the aforefaid Galleries, ready to strive each of them to get in first after the troubling of the Water; there was one very poor Man, that had been lame no less than Thirty and Eight Years. 6. Jefus feeing this Man, and knowing that he had lain there a long time in hopes of a Cure, and was a moft fuitable Object of his Compaffion; went to him. And that, by giving the Man an Opportunity of declaring his Cafe before the People, he might make both the Miracle itself the more confpicuous, and alfo the Reason of his Working it upon this particular Perfon the more evident; he afked the Man, faying; Are you defirous to be cured of this Difeafe? 8 Jefus faith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. 9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked : and on the fame day was the fabbath. 10 The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the fabbathday; it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed. 11 He answered them, He that made me whole, the fame faid unto me, Take 8. Then faid Jefus to him: Rife up, your Difcafe is removed, and your Strength perfectly reftored. And that the Compleatness of the Cure, might be the more evident and undeniable, to all that beheld it; he bid him moreover, take up his Bed and walk home. 9. At which Words of Jefus, the Man was entirely healed in an Inftant; so that he who before was not able to ftand or move himfelf at all, now walk ed strongly, and carried his bed with him. And it happened to be upon the Sabbath-day, when Jefus performed this wonderful Cure. 10. Some of the chief of the Jews therefore, when they faw the Man carrying his Bed, rebuked him, faying; Do you not know 'tis the Sabbath-day, at which time it is not lawful for you to carry any Burden? II. The Man answered: I know that our Teachers inform us, it is unlawful to carry any Burden on the Sabbathup thy bed and walk. day; But he that healed me in an Inftant, and with only a Word fpeaking, and therefore I fuppofe muft needs be fome extraordinary Prophet, commanded me to do it; and his Commandment, I thought, was fufficient Authority to excufe me in what I do, 12 Then asked they him, What man is that which faid unto thee, Take up thy bed and walk? 12. The Jews fufpecting, that this was Jefus's doing, and angry that any Part of the Law relating to ceremonious Worship, should be thought of less abfolute and indifpenfable Neceffity, than any even the greatest Work of Mercy and Charity; faid to the Man : Tell us then, who the Perfon is, that has prefumed to put you upon this unlawful Action of breaking the Sabbath. |