Many Samaritans come to]

31 ¶ In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.

32 But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.

33 Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?

34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.

37 And herein is that saying true,

[see her, and hear Jesus.

One soweth, and another reapeth.

38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.

40 So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.

41 And many more believed because of his own word;

42 And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world. (L)

itself, with which our senses are continually conversant, is not easy to be defined; much less is spirit, of which almost all we know is negative-It is immaterial. The excellent Charnock advises to endeavour to "Conceive of God as excellent, without any imperfection; a spirit without parts; great without quantity, perfect without quality, everywhere without place, powerful without members, understanding without ignorance, wise without reasoning, light without darkness; and when you have risen to the highest, conceive him yet infinitely above all you can conceive," &c. Nor is this a truth merely speculative; it is of the highest practical importance. If he be a spirit, a pure and perfect spirit, he cannot hold communion with carnal and polluted men, but through a Mediator. This leads us to consider,

2. The nature of divine worship. It must be sincere, or "in truth," otherwise it is a solemn mockery; and it must be spiritual, or we can hold no communion with the Supreme Spirit. But, alas! we are carnal, hence then arises the necessity of a Mediator: out of Christ, that is, irrespective of his merits and atonement," God is a consuming fire." Nor is this all, we are carnal, and can offer no spiritual worship, but as assisted by his Holy Spirit. How good is God! He not only expresses his readiness to receive sin

ners, but he sends a Mediator to introduce us to his presence; and lends the aid of his Holy Spirit to assist us. Even this poor Samaritan woman seems to have had some idea of these things: "I know (said she) that Messiah cometh, and when he is come he will teach us all things." Jesus replies, "I that speak unto thee am he."

The conversation is now interrupted by the arrival of Christ's disciples; and the woman leaves her water-pot, and runs home to invite her neighbours to come and see this extraordinary person: "Come see a man (who) has told me all that ever I did. Is not this the Christ?"

(L) Ver. 31-42. The disciples return, and the woman also, bringing others with her.-Christ's disciples were, we know, at this time deeply imbued with Jewish prejudices. They were surprised to find Jesus talking familiarly with a Samaritan woman, and that of the lower class, as her occupation seems to have been to fetch water. Knowing, however, they should meet reproof, they make no remark ou this circumstance, but merely entreat their Master, who probably appeared exhausted and fatigued, to take some food; but be said, "I have meat to eat that ye know not of. My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work." This is the perfection of obedience, when,

Ver. 42. The Saviour of the world.-Whether they learned this from Christ himself, or from the pro

phecies of the Old Testament, or from both is net stated.

43 ¶ Now after two days he departed thence, and went into Galilee.

44 For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honour in his own country.

45 Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galileans received him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast.

46 So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Caper

naum.

47 When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death.

48 Then said Jesus unto him, Ex

[son in Galilee.

cept ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.

49 The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die.

50 Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.

51 And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth.

52 Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.

53 So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house.

54 This is again the second miracle thut Jesus did, when he was come out of Judea into Galilee. (M)

like Job (ch. xxiii. 12), we esteem the divine commands more than our necessary food;" and can say with the Psalmist (Ps. cxix. 92), "O how I love thy law! it is my meditation all the day." But it was not merely in obedience to the moral law, that our Lord Jesus delighted; it was in suffering for our sins also. "I have a baptism to be baptized with," said he, alluding to his last extreme sufferings," and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!" (Luke xii. 50.) This was the finishing of Christ's work for our salvation, and to this he looked through all the intermediate steps of his ministerial labour. Deeply impressed with these ideas, he animates his disciples to like diligence in their lahours. At this time, it should seem, there were about four months unto the harvest; but he points to another harvest close approaching, in which he evidently alludes to the Samaritans, whom the woman was now bringing with her, and who being probably dressed in white (as the Asiatics generally are), gave him occasion to say, "Look on the fields, for they are white already unto harvest." These Samaritans were a mixed race of Jews and heathens; but they were running eagerly to receive the word, for which they had been prepared by their countrywoman. Such, he remarks, accorded with the usual course

of Providence. One man sows and another reaps, but when the work is complete, sower and reaper rejoice together. Many believed Jesus to be the Messiah from what the woman said; and when they came, they were so delighted with his conversation, that they requested him to remain two days longer with them. Then "many more be lieved because of his own word; and said unto the woman"-what it is of great importance for all of us to be able to say"Now we believe, not because of thy saying; for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world"—and not of the Jews only.

It is hardly to be supposed that the disciples took no part in this work, after being thus stimulated by their Master: it is to be hoped they, entering into this woman's labours, reaped a rich harvest. At the same time, the seed now sown seems to be in preparation for another harvest; for, upon the conversion of the apostle Paul, from being a persecutor to become a preacher, we are told that, "then had the churches rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria (Acts ix. 31); which seems to imply, that many souls had been gathered in those parts, within about seven years of this period.

(M) Ver. 43-54. Jesus cures a nobleman's son in Galilee. The report of the

Ver. 46. A certain nobleman.-Marg. " Courtier, or ruler," but the word (basilikos) signifies properly, as the Syriac and Arabic versions render it,

"a minister or servant of the king;" i. e. Herod, who, though tetrarch only, was allowed to bear that title.

miracle which Jesus had here wrought, in turning water into wine, with other miracles which followed, had spread through the surrounding country, and naturally occasioned the present application. The two days he had been detained in Samaria being expired, Jesus now proceeds to Galilee; but not to Nazareth, which he avoided, and passed on to Cana, because he himself bare witness that " a prophet hath no honour in his own country." (See Matt. xiii. 57, 58.) When he came to Galilee, however, he was joyfully and gratefully received, and his object in calling at Cana might be (as has been suggested) to visit the newly married couple, and give them his blessing. But he is applied to by a nobleman at Capernaum, one of Herod's immediate attendants (as the word seems to imply), and not improbably Chusa, Herod's steward, whose wife became afterwards an attendant upon our Lord (Luke viii. 3); and it has been supposed, in consequence of the miracle wrought upon her

son.

As to this nobleman, it is said, that "himself believed, with his whole house," though we hear nothing further of him as a disciple of our Saviour. If he returned to court, it was not a place friendly to the cultivation of religion, nor was Herod a master likely to countenance religious servants. As to his faith (as Dr. Henry Hunter observes), it appears to have been "blended with much infirmity. He reposed confidence in the power of Christ to heal the sick; but he weakly imagined that his power could operate only on the spot. Under this impression he travels from Capernaum to Cana, iu hope of being able to persuade Jesus to accompany him to the former city. . . . He besought him that he would come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death." He urges the importance of dispatch, lest death should interpose and extinguish hope for

ever; for his faith carried him no farther than to the brink of the grave, and there gave up all for lost. .... It was meet that he should be taught to enlarge his ideas of the power and grace of the Redeemer, as extending to universal space, and to every possible state of things. This seems to be the only rational interpretation which can be given of the apparent coldness of the reception given him by our Lord. Instead of his usual promptitude to fly to the relief of distress, the importunate father meets, from the lips of Christ, with a seemingly ungracious reflection, which had nearly chilled his heart. Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders ye will not believe.' Parental affection perseveres in following up the request. He tacitly admits the justice of Christ's censure, but waves discussion, and in the anguish of his soul renews his application. 'Sir, come down ere my child die!' Where the heart is deeply interested the words are few; but, oh, how forcible! The feelings of a parent are seen with approbation by the friend of mankind, to whom nothing that affects humanity can be a matter of indifference." Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way, thy son liveth.' He receives his son as one alive from the dead; he learns to correct his false ideas of the power of Christ, and to submit implicitly to his decisions. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way."' (Sac. Biog. vol. vii. p. 404-6.) By the way, however, a servant met him with the joyful news of his son's recovery, and upon enquiring the time, it was found that the fever left him at the very hour when Jesus spoke the word. Thus in the world of Grace, as in that of Nature, "He spake, and it was done: he commanded, and it was established."

CHAP. V. Ver. 1. A feast of the Jews.-Generally understood to be the Passover. So Doddridge. Ver. 2. By the sheep-market. So Doddr.; but Camp. renders it sheep gate," because (he says) we have good evidence that one of the gates was called the sheep-gate (Neh. iii. 1, 32; xii. 39), but no evidence that there was a sheep-market. See, however, Note on chap. ii.

6

Ver. 4. For an angel went down, &c.—This verse is admitted to be wanting in the Vatican, the Ephrem, and Cambridge MSS. and in others is marked as doubtful; but it is found in all other MSS. (including the Alexandrian), the Syriac, and other ancient versions; and its connexion with verse 7 (which is not wanting) renders it impossible to make sense of the narrative without it. In our humble opinion, the

the water whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight

years.

6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

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.

8 Jesus saith 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 same day was the sabbath.

10 The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath

CHAP. V.

[his infirmity.

day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.

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

12 Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?

13 And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.

14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

15 The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.

16 And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day. (N)

(N) Ver. 1-16. The lame man cured at the pool of Bethesda.-This is considered as one of the most difficult narratives to explain in all the gospels. We shall consider,

1. The pool itself, which was called Bethesda, or the House of Mercy, being a kind of infirmary where there was a bath for the benefit of the poor, of which there are some remains to the present day. Maundrell describes it as 120 paces long, 40 broad, and 8 deep. At its west end, he adds, may be discovered some old arches which are now dammed up, which are supposed to be the remains of the porches or cloisters built round it for the convenience of the poor who came to bathe; but the pool is supposed to have been formerly employed to wash the sacrifices for the temple.

2. But the most remarkable part of this narrative respects the descent of an angel at certain times to disturb the water, which gave it a sanative or healing quality. It seems to be generally supposed that this water possessed medicinal properties, which, at certain times (perhaps at the changes of the moon), were rendered the more effective by a certain agitation of them, which the Jews piously attributed to the agency of an angel; and how far the agency of angels may be employed in producing the phenomena of nature is not for us, in the present state, to ascertain: but the most extraordinary circumstance attending this agitation was the transient efficacy of the waters, so that only the few persons that immediately entered the pool while thus agitated were cured. We do not see the necessity, however, of supposing its virtues were confined to a single indi

omission of this verse (and in some MSS. the concluding clause of the third verse)only shows that the Copyists were as much perplexed as we are to understand the passage.-The late ingenious Editor of Calmet (Mr. Taylor) was of opinion, that here were two waters: the one in which the cattle were washed before they were sent to the market, or to the priests; and in this the poor were permitted to bathe: but he thinks there was another water, far more efficacious, which ran only periodically, and in small quantities. This Mr. Sandys, in the beginning of the 17th century, describes as " a barren spring

(which) doth drill between the stones of the northward wall, and stealeth away almost undiscovered." This he supposes was the water here alluded to, which lost its efficacy as soon as it mingled with the pool. Fragments to Calmet, No. Ixvi.

Ver. 13. Conveyed himself away.-Doddr." slipped away. According to Casaubon, the word has an allusion to swimmers, who glide through the water without leaving any impression in it.-A multitude being Marg, from the multitude that was-in that place.

--

17 ¶ But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.

18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

20 For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth and he will shew him

[with the Father,

greater works than these, that ye may marvel.

21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.

22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:

23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and be lieveth on him that sent me, hath ever

vidual, but to the few only that entered the bath during its agitation, which this poor man was not able to do on account of his extreme debility, which had lasted, it should seem, almost forty years, though nothing is said of the time he had here waited. The narrative is certainly full of mystery, in whatever way it may be viewed. Dr. Hammond supposes it might have derived its medicinal virtues from washing the sacrifices; we should rather suspect that the springs which supplied the bath might have some secret connexion either with a subterraneous sea, or an exhausted volcano. Thus much is certain, that the dead sea, at no great distance from Jerusalem, is remarkable for the quantity of salt and bitumen which it contains. Leaving these circumstances, however, in that mystery in which nature is often shrouded, we must now devote our attention to the signal miracle which our Saviour wrought upon this miserable invalid.

Jesus asked no question of the man, but whether he was willing to be cured, and then immediately commanded him to take up his bed and walk. This command, however, was delivered on the sabbath, and gave such offence to the Jews, as to raise their enmity, and excite a persecution against him, on pretence that he violated the sabbath. But what was this poor man's bed? Perhaps only his byke, or upper garment; or a piece only of old carpeting; or, at most, an old mattress stuffed with hay or straw, on which he had been accustomed

to be lifted from place to place; and whether he carried it upon his arm or his shoulder, could make no difference to the law, since it was probably of less weight than the robes of the Pharisee, when full dressed for prayers. Jesus, however, had withdrawn from the crowd without making himself known, either to the man or to the people; when, therefore, they enquired of him-not, Who made him whole? bnt who dared to bid him carry his bed? he very properly replied, "He that made me whole, the same said unto me, take up thy bed, and walk." And, surely, he who was able to work such a miracle, had a right to be obeyed.

Soon after this, however, Jesus finding the poor man in the temple, where he doubtless came to return thanks to God, after carrying home his bed, he made himself known to him; and the man, probably with a view to do him honour, told the Jews that it was Jesus-not, who had bid him carry his bed, but who had made him whole. Our Lord, at the same time as he thus made himself known, added this friendly caution-" Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee." From this it has been inferred, that the poor man's long affliction of 38 years, had arisen out of some sin committed in his early days (at which it were in vain to guess), and he is cautioned against a like folly," lest a worse thing," namely, than total helplessness and poverty, "should befal him;" which, we conceive, can intend nothing

Ver. 18. His Father.-Doddr. and Camp. "His own Father." The former says, "This is the plain and literal sense of the original-Patera idion. See Luke vi. 41; x. 34; Acts iv. 32; 1 Cor. vii. 2.————— Equal with God.-Camp. renders it, "By calling