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Now there is at Jerusalem, by the sheep-market, a pool, which is called, in the Hebrew tongue, Bethesda, having five porches.

In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the

water.

For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in, was made whole of whatever disease he had.

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

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

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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.

- JESUS saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole : and took up his bed, and walked and on the same day was the sabbath.

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

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

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

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

Afterwards JESUS findeth him in the temple, and said

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unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

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

And therefore did the Jews persecute JESUS, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.

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

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

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

For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.

For as the Father raised up the dead, and quick ́ened them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.

For the Father judgeth no man; but hath committed all judgment unto the Son.

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.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation: but is passed from death unto life.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming,

and

and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;

And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

Marvel not at this for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,

And shall come forth, they that have done good unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of dainnation.

I can of my own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent ine.

If I bear witness of myself, the witness is not true. There is another that beareth witness of me, and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me, is

true.

He sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth, But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved.

He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.

But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me that the Father hath

sent me.

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And the Father himself which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.

And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.

Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye

have eternal life, and they are they which testify of

me,

And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. I receive not honour from men. But I know you, that ye have not the love of GoD in you.

I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.

How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from GOD only?

Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye

trust.

For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?

ANNOTATIONS AND REFLECTIONS.

It appears that our SAVIOUR constantly attended at the Temple on the great festivals, and conformed in every particular to the law of Moses; not that he stood in need of expiation for sin, but it was required of him as the MESSIAH to fulfil the ceremonial law; and while the people were offering sacrifices for their own sins, the MESSIAH might, with great propriety, offer his for them: besides, the presence of the SON OF GOD in the Temple supplied the place of the Shekinah or Glory, which was formerly displayed between the cherubims on the mercyseat; and completed the prediction of the prophet, that God would make the glory of the second Temple greater than that of the first.

There is great obscurity in the passage relating to the pool of Bethesda, and learned authors are divided in

their opinions: it will therefore be to little purpose for us to attempt giving the exact meaning of this obscure passage; all we can be certain of is, that from whatever cause the water of this pool received its healing quality, only one person in a day could be cured by it.

The Jews took great offence at our LORD's curing the man, and then with authority commanding him

to take up his bed and walk;" because carrying a bed they regarded as a breach of the Sabbatic law, which forbad bearing burdens in the usual course of ordinary occupations on the Sabbath-day : but the man who had received the cure, thought himself justified, as he acted in obedience to his Deliverer, who he concluded must needs be a person of authority sufficient to justify his dispensing with a ceremonial precept.

The Jews appear to have accused our LORD to the Sanhedrim. His answer to those who persecuted him because he had cured a man on the Sabbath-day, and commanded him to carry his bed, intimated, that there is a perfect union betwixt God the Father and GOD the Son. The works of divine grace, providence, mercy, and justice, in short, whatever may be called peculiarly the work of GOD, is going on at all times; the DEITY has no need of Sabbaths for rest and refreshment; and were he to suspend his divine operations one day in seven, as men are required to suspend their worldly labours, his numerous creatures would perish. The works of the MESSIAH earth were of the same nature and tendency as those of the FATHER in heaven, and therefore equally suited to all days; but our LORD observed, that such works as curing an impotent man by a miracle, were small in comparison of others, which the SON in union with the FATHER was afterwards to perform, namely, raising the

upon

dead,

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