оть [Sect. 44. woman, who was a notorious finner, could not but love Jefus ardently, who had converted her, and piven her good hope that God would be merciful to her. 47. Wherefore, I fay unto thee, ber fins, which are many, are forgiven; namely by me, for the reafoning will not hold without this. Wherefore, Jefus on this occafion, in the hearing of Simon and all the guests, plainly affumed to himself the prerogative of the Son of God, the right, of forgiving mens fins. Accordingly, the guests understood hin in this fenfe, as appears from the reflection which they made upon his fpeech (ver. 49.) for he loved much. The claufe or nyaлnṬi Toλɔ may be better tranflated, therefore she has loved much, being put here for der. Her fins which are many are forgiven, therefore he has loved much. Accordingly it is added, but to whom little is forgiven, the fame loveth little. Our Lord did not make the application of this parable more directly, but left Simon to do it, because he could not but fee that if love invites love, and merits a return, Jefus would have been ungenerous, had he treated this woman with rude infolence. Having expreffed greater love to him, the deferved higher returns of gratitude from him than even Simon himself, for which reafon he was not to blame when he allowed her to wash his feet with tears, and wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kiss them, and anoint them with fweet fcented ointment. Jefus having thus vindicated the woman, fpake to her, and kindly affured her that her fins, of which he knew the bad truly repented, were actually forgiven. 48. And be faid unto her, Thy fins are forgiven. 49. And they that fat at meat with him, began to fay within themfelves, Who is this that forgiveth fins alfo? They were exceedingly offended at the power which he claimed. But Jefus, contemning their malicious murmurings, repeated his affurance by telling the woman that her faith had saved her from the punishment of her fios, and bidding her depart in peace, that is, impreffed with a frong fenfe of the love of God, and filled with the fatisfaction which naturally arifes from that attainment. 50. And be faid to the woman, Thy faith bath faved thee; go in peace. § XLIV. Pious women fupply Fefus with money, and accompany him to the paffover. Luke viii. 1,-3. τω THE day after our Lord dined with Simon ( T xadižns) he and his twelve apoftles departed from Capernaum, with an intention to go up to Jerufalem to the paffover. He did not however keep the direct road. He fet out early, and propofed to preach in many towns and villages by the way. Luke viii. 1. And it came to pafs afterward that he went throughout every city and village preaching, and fhewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God; that is, the joyful tidings of God's reconcilable nefs 257 nefs to men, of the neceflity of reformation, and of the acceptablenefs of repentance, even in the chief of finners. His going through the cities and villages to preach, are the terms made ufe of by the evangelifts, when they defcribe his departure from Capernaum, the place of his ordinary refidence. Therefore, being ufed on this occafion, it is highly probable that Simon the Pharifee, with whom our Lord dined the day before he departed to preach in the cities and villages, lived in Capernaum. And as this latter gave him the invitation immediately after he had finished the difcourfe occafioned by the Baptift's meffage, Jefus must have been in Capernaum, or near it, when that meffage came to him. By the harmony, it appears that Jefus now departed from Capernaum, in order to go up to the paffover. Luke informs us, that in this journey he was accompanied alfo by certain pious women, who in all probability were going likewife to the feast, and who fupplied him with money, not on the prefent occafion only, but as often as he flood in need of it. Of this number were Mary Magdalene, a lady of the firft rank in Judea, out of whom he had caft feven devils, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's fteward. Mark agrees with Luke in the circumftance of our Lord's being fupported by the charity of his friends. For !fpeaking of the women who were prefent at Chrift's crucifixion, he fays, ch. xv. 41. that when Jefus "was in Galilee, they followed him and miniftered unto him of their fubftance." The evangelifts no where else tell us, in what way our Lord and his apoftles were fupported. The reafon why a lady of Joanna's quality had become an attendant of Chrift, is affigned by Luke. She was one of the women which had been healed by him of evil fpirits and infirmities. And the twelve were with him. 2. And certain women which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary Magdalene, (See on Luke vii. 37. § 43.) out of whom went feven devils, 3. And Joanna. the wife of Chuza, He. rod's fleward, and Sufanna, and many others, which miniftered unto bim of their fubftance. SECOND PASSOVER. XLV. The infirm man at Bethesda is cured John v. 1,-47. ABOUT this time happened the feaft of the Jews which John has given the history of, chap. v. 1. After this there was a feaft (on the feaft) of the Jews. This in a'l probability was the feaft of paffover. And Jefus went up to Jerufalem. Luke's general defcription of our Lord's journeying, mentioned in the preceding fection, will eafily comprehend his journey to and from. Jerufalem, on occafion of this feaft, as a fimilar paffage in Mark comprehends his journey to and from the third paffover. See 4.63. 37. The feaft under confideration is fuppofed to have been VOL, II. E the . the paffover, because that folemnity was called the feaft, (n Logτn) by way of eminence, Matt. xxvii. 15. Mark xv. 6. and becaufe immediately after it, we find the disciples on the Sabbath in the fields, rubbing the ears, probably of barley, a kind of grain which was always fit for reaping at the paffover. See the next fection. Within the walls of Jerufalem, near the sheep-gate mentioned Neh. iii. 1. * there was a public bath, which from its five porches (soa, porticos, piazzas, or covered walks) feems to have been of a pentagonal form, the porticos being probably built around it. This bath, for its fingular usefulnefs, was fitly called Bethesda, the boufe of mercy, a bathing place with porticos or covered walks being a most agreeable and falutary building in those warm climates, where exceffive heat was not only troublesome, but noxious to health. John v. 2. Now there is in Jerufalem by the Sheep market, a pool which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethefda, having five porches.-3. In thefe, in the porticos of this bath, lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, balt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. 4. For an angel went down tat a certain feafon into the pool, and troubled the water; that is, moved * There was a public bath.] That the word zondeæ fignifies a bath, is plain from the fenfe of its primitive nohyubav, to fuim, Acts xxvi. 43. and from Jofeph. Ant. xv. 3. who ufes it to denote the baths at Jericho. Wherefore, their opinion who affirm that this pool ferved for washing the fheep defigned for facrifice, before they were driven into the temple, and the entrails alfo of the beafts facrificed there, feems to be without foundation. Befides, it is inconfiftent with the fituation of Bethesda, near the sheep gate in the fouth-east wall of the city, or according to the compilers of the Universal Hiftory, in that which was on the north eaft, a great way from the temple. + Ver. 4. At a certain feafon.] nara xaigov, by times, or as fome under. ftand it, at that feafon, the feafon of the leaft mentioned ver. 1. confining the miracle of the pool to this particular feaft. See Num. ix. 6, 7. LXX. For fince the evangelift does not fay, that the waters of Bethesda had their fanative quality at any other feaft, we are at liberty to make what fuppo fition feems molt convenient. Perhaps the filence of Philo and Jofephus upon this miracle, may induce some to think, that it happened only at one paffover. For though many infirm people lay in Bethesda, if the angel, as is probable, defcended frequently during that folemnity, the miracle would be no fooner known, than multitudes would come and wait at the pool, to be cured by the moving waters. However, if the number of the fick who gathered on this occafion, and the phrafe zara xaigov, fhall incline any to believe, that the waters of Bethesda had an healing quality at other paffovers alfo, the filence of the writers before mentioned needs not be much regarded, it being well known that they have omitted greater tranfactions, which they had as good an opportunity to know; I mean that multitude and variety of miracles which our Lord performed in the course of his miniftry. That the waters of Bethesda fhould at this time have obtained a miraculous healing quality, was without doubt in honour of the perfonal appearance of the Son of God on earth. Perhaps it was intended to fhew, that Ezekiel's vifion of waters iffuing out of the fanctuary, was moved it in a fenfible manner. Whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in, was made whole of whatsoever difeafe be bad, was cured, however inveterate, obftinate and incurable his disease might be. Among the crowds which lay in the porticos of Bethesda, there was one who had an infirmity, probably a paralytic diforder, thirty-eight years. John v. 5. And a certain man was there which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. The length and greatness of this man's affliction, wellknown to Jefus, as appears from ver. 6. together with his poverty, ver. 7. were fufficient reasons for our Lord's making choice of him to experience the mercy of his healing power, a power infinitely fuperior to the virtue of the waters, while he let the reft remain in their affliction. Had our Lord at this time reftored none of them to health, he would not have acted contrary to the general account which the evangelifts give of his goodness on other occafions, viz. "That he healed all who came to him." For such diseased perfons, as left their habitations with a perfuafion of his power and benignity, were fit objects of his mercy, while the fick at Bethesda were no more fo than the other fick throughout the country, whom he could have cured barely by willing it, had he so pleased. They had no knowledge of him, or, if they knew aught about him, they had no juft notion of his power, and were expecting relief from another quarter. When Jefus came to the perfon on whom he chofe to manifeft his power, he asked him if he defired to be made whole? 6. When Jefus faw bim lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that cafe, be faith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? This queftion he proposed, that the man might have an opportunity of declaring his cafe in the hearing of the multitude, (See verse 13.) because such a declaration tended to make the miracle more confpicuous. It feems he defigned to roufe the attention of the inhabitants of the capital, refolving to lay the evidences of his miffion before them, in the discourse which this miracle was to oc cafion. was about to be fulfilled, ch. xlvii. of which waters it is faid, ver. 9. They fall be beated, and every thing fball live whither the river cometh * This fourth verfe is not indeed in the Cambridge MS. which formerly was Beza's, nor in one or two more of great authority See Dr Mill's judgment of it, in that part of his prolegomena, to which he refers the feader in his note on the text. But though it should be rejected, the dif áculty for which fome would have it cancelled, remains fill; because the feventh verfe implies, that cures were performed in this pool, and that only one at a time was cured, and confequently that thele cures were minaculous. If fo, it is as ealy to conceive that an angel moved the water and gave it its healing quality, as to fancy thofe cures were performed miraculously any other way.-Grotius thinks that the angel is faid to have defcended, not because he was ever feen to do so, but because the Jews were periuaded that God brought fuch things to pals by the miniltration of angels; lo that from the violent motion of the water, and the cure folusing it, the prefence of an anget was with reafon luppold, . cafion. The impotent perfon answered forrowfully, 7. Sir, Í have no man when the water is troubled to put me into the pool, but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me; he was fo deftitute, that he had neither friend nor relation to wait on him or to affist him, and fo poor that he could hire nobody to do him thefe offices.-8 Jefus faith unto him, Rife, take up thy bed and walk Though it was the Sabbath day, and the doctors affirmed, that the bearing of any burden was a profanation of the holy rest, Jefus ordered the man to carry his bed away, because it was fit that the miracle fhould be rendered indubitable, by the fuddennefs and perfection of the cure, fhewed in the vigorous exertion of the man's ftrength. Befides, when the people who on the Sabbath ceafed from working, met the man as they were walking about, and reproved him for carrying away his bed, he could not avoid telling them what had happened. It was therefore a very proper method of making fo fignal a miracle univerfally known. John v. 9. And immediately the man was made whole; he was made whole all of a fudden. So that the cure being effected in an instant, while he was not expecting any fuch favour, nor knew to whom he owed it, (verse 13.) nobody can pretend that the power of imagination contributed thereto in the leaft degree.And took up his bed and walked The paralytic finding himself whole, did not object against his Saviour's command, though contrary to the precepts of the doctors. He rofe up immediately, and by carrying away his bed with uncommon vigour, fhewed the greatnefs and prefection of his cure.-And on the fame day was the fabbath, ie either the first holy convocation in the feaft of unleavened bread, that is, the morrow after the paffover folemnity, which was one of the greatest Sabbaths, (John xix. 31.) or the ordinary Sabbath happening in the paffover week, and confequently the day on which the difciples plucked the ears of corn, to be mentioned in the next fection. It is remarkable, that the Jews who met the man did not converfe with him upon his cure, though in all probability many of them knew he had been long infirm, but upon the unlawfulness of carrying away his bed. 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. See the carrying of burdens on the Sabbath prohibited, Jer. xvii. 21, 22. 11. He answered them, He that made me whole; he that with a word restored my ftrength in an instant, the fame faid unto me, Take up thy bed and walk: He meant, that being a worker of miracles and a prophet, his injunctions could not poffibly be finful. Nevertheless, fuch was the wickednefs or ftupidity of the Jews, that they did not afk who had cured him, but with an angry tone of voice required him to tell them who had bid him profane the Sabbath 12. Then asked they him. What man is that which faid unto thee, Take up thy bed and walk. To this he made |