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his Bed upon

The Paralytic cur'd at Jerufalem, and commanded to carry the Sabbath-day. The murmuring of the Jews hereupon, and the Speeches of Chrift concerning himself and his Father; and the Truth of his Doctrine confirm'd by the Teftimonies of John and the Scrip

tures.

Afterwards

Fterwards the Paffover drawing near, which happened that year the 16th of April, Jefus, as he was wont, went up to Jerufalem to celebrate that Festival, according to the Law. Now there was in the City a Pool in which they us'd to wash Sheep, and adjoining to it a Building confifting of five Porches, in which were laid perfons fick of all manner of Diftempers, who had been given over by the Phyficians, fuch as the Blind, the Lame, and the Paralytic, who all waited for the troubling of the Water, that they might throw themselves into it, and there by recover their Health, or ufe of their Limbs. For it was conftantly reported,

that

MATTHEW,

MARK.

LUKE.

Јони.

CHA P. V.

4 For an angel went down at a certain feafon into the pool, and troubled the water: whofoever 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 Jefus faw him ly, and knew that he had been now a long time in that cafe, he faith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

7 The impotent man anfwered 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 Jefus faith unto him, Rife, take up thy bed, and walk.

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

that at a certain time of the year an Angel came down and stir'd up the Water, and that whoever firft leap'd in after it, was perfectly cur'd of whatever Distemper he labour'd under. When Jefus came to this place, he took notice of one that had been afflicted with the Palfy eight and thirty years which when he underftood, he ask'd him whether he did not defire to recover his former ftrength. The man told him he moft earnestly defir'd it, but that he had no body to throw him into the Pool after the troubling of it; and that while he endeavour'd to crawl into it, he was always prevented by fome ftronger than himself; fo that he had all along been fruftrated. Jefus taking pity of the man, and to fhew the Power he had received from his Father, Arife, faid he, take up thy Bed upon thy fhoulders, and walk away with it. He had no fooner fpoke thefe words, but the man reCover'd his Strength, and did as he was commanded. It happen'd to be the Sabbath-day, which made feveral of the Jews who faw the man walking off with

MATTHEW.

MARK.

LUKE...

JOHN.

CHAP. V.

10 The Jews therefore faid unto him that was cured, It is the fabbath-day; 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 up thy bed and walk.

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

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

14 Afterward Jefus findeth him in the temple, and faid unto him, Behold, thou art made whole, fin no more, left a worse thing come unto. thee..

his Bed upon his fhoulders, put him in mind of it, and that therefore it was not lawful for him to carry any Burden whatsoever from one place to another. But he replied, he had no fcruple upon him on this account, having been commanded to carry his bed from one of the Porches of the Sheep-pool, by him who had cur'd him of the Palfy by a word's fpeaking, who he faid was without doubt a Prophet, and uncapable of commanding any thing unlawful, fince God had perform'd fo remarkable a Miracle on his behalf.

Hereupon they ask'd with indignation, who it was that had fet him upon this fervile Imployment on the Sabbath-day, and thereby made him tranfgrefs the Law? The fick man knew not Jefus by name, and therefore look'd round about to fhew him to 'em, but in vain; for Jefus had withdrawn himself from the Crowd immediatly after he had perform'd the Cure. Some time after Jefus met him in the Temple, and admonilh'd him, that fince he had recover'd his Health by the favour of God, he ought now to think upon a Reformation of Manners, and seriously to fet about it, left by his Ingratitude to God he fhould draw down much more grievous Punishments upon himself than thofe he had been lately deliver'd from. The man upon these words prefently knew Jefus, and inquiring out

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JOHN.
CHAP. V.

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

16 And therefore did the Jews perfecute Jefus, and fought to flay him, because he had done these things on the fabbath-day.

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

18 Therefore the Jews fought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the fabbath, but faid alfo, that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

19 Then answered Jefus, and faid unto them, Verily verily, I fay unto you, The Son can do nothing of himfelf, but what he feeth the Father do for what things foever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewife.

his name, he went to those who had demanded of him who it was that bid him carry his Bed upon the Sabbath day, and told them that it was Jefus of Nazareth that had cur'd him. They looking on Jefus as a Violator of the Sabbath, were inflam'd with Anger, and judg'd him to have committed a Crime worthy of Death, and confulted how they might contrive to have fome capital Punishment inflicted on him, not daring to fatisfy their Malice by their own Power, the Romans having depriv'd the Jews of the Authority of determining in Capital Causes.

Jefus flighting their Anger, told them that his heavenly Father pour'd out innumerable Benefits on Men indifferently upon any Day, and without refpect had upon this account to the Sabbath; and that therefore they had no reason to blame him, if he propos'd him for his Example. The Jews were the more inrag'd at this, fuppofing he had infinuated that it was not neceffary to obferve the Sabbath: and that he had fpoken irreligiously in ftiling God his Father, inftead of that ufual Phrafe among the Jews, Our Father: Thereby feeming to make himself equal with God; but especially for faying, that in doing many things on the Sabbathday, he did but imitate him. Jefus told them, The Son truly could do nothing of his own accord, but that he exactly follow'd the Pattern fet him by his Father ; and that like him he did not reftrain himself from doing good, even on the Sabbathday.

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22 For the Father judg eth 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 fent him.

24 Verily verily I fay unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that fent me, hath everlästing life, and shall not come into condemnation ; but is paffed from death unto life.

day. The Father fo loves the Son, that the Son, in every thing he does, acts by a Power deriv'd from the Father; but you fhall fee greater things than thefe, and worthy of Admiration: for as the Father not only heals the fick, but raifes from the dead whomfoever he pleases; fo alfo fhall the Son restore to Life whomsoever he has a mind to. Nor has the Father invefted him only with a Power of doing good to Men, but has alfo conftituted him Judg over them; for the Father judges no man by himself, having transfer'd this Office to the Son. They therefore that worship the Father, mult worship the Son alfo, as he who will be their Judg hereafter; but whoever will not worship the Son, neither will he worship the Father, who has fent him among Men on purpose to be worship'd by them.

Be affur'd that whoever obeys me, and believes in God, whofe Meffenger I am, fhall undoubtedly obtain eternal Life, and fhall fuffer no Punishment, but be tranflated immediately after his Death into a bleffed ftate of Immortality. Which

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that

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