throughout all Syria, and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those who were possessed with demons, and those who were lunatic, and those who had the palsy ; and he healed them. And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judæa, and from beyond Jordan.

SECTION XXXVIII.

Christ cures a Leper, and retires to a desert place.

MATT. viii. 2-5. MARK i. 40, to the end.
LUKE V. 12-16.

And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold, there came a leper to him, a man full of leprosy, who seeing Jesus, and kneeling down to him, beseeching him, fell on his face and worshipped him, and besought him, saying unto him, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and said unto him, I will: be thou clean. And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed. And Jesus charged him to tell no man, and saith unto him, See thou say nothing unto any man, but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer, for thy cleansing, the gift, even those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. And he straightway charged him, and forthwith sent him away. But he went out and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, and so much the more went there a fame abroad of him, and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and he withdrew himself into the wilderness and prayed; and they came to him from every quarter.

SECTION XXXIX.

The Paralytic cured; and the power of Christ to forgive sins asserted.

MATT. ix. 2-9. MARK ii. 1-13. LUKE v. 17-27. And again he entered into Capernaum, after some days and it was reported that he was in the house. And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no not so much as about the vestibule: and he preached the word unto them. And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, who were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judæa, and Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was present to heal them. And behold, they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, a man who was taken with a palsy, lying on a bed, which was borne by four: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him. And when

they could not find by what way they might bring him in, because of the multitude, as they could not come nigh him for the press; they went up on the house top, and they uncovered the roof where he was; and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed, and let him down through the tiling, with his couch, whereon the paralytic lay, into the midst before Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the paralytic, Son, be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee: Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.

And behold, there were certain of the Scribes sitting there, reasoning in their hearts; and the Pharisees began to reason, saying within themselves, This man blasphemeth? Who is this that speaketh blasphemies? Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone? And immediately, when Jesus perceived in his Spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, knowing their thoughts, he, answering, said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? for whether is it easier to say to the

paralytic, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins: (Then saith he to the paralytic) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thy house. And immediately he rose up before them, and took up the bed, whereon he lay, and went forth before them all, and departed to his own house, glorifying God, insomuch that when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and they were all amazed, and were filled with awe, saying, We have seen strange things to-day; we never saw it in this manner, and [they] glorified God, who had given such power unto men.

SECTION XL.

The calling of Matthew.

MATT. ix. 9. MARK ii. 13, 14. LUKE v. 27, 28. And after these things he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them. And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, a taxer [or publican], named Levi, or Matthew, the son of Alpheus, sitting at the toll office. And he said unto him, Follow me. he left all, rose up, and followed him.*

SECTION XLI.

The Infirm Man healed at the Pool of Bethesda.
JOHN V. 1-16.

And

After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is at Jerusalem, by the sheep-gate, a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay à

*The publicans mentioned in the New Testament are in Syriac called Mekasahs, and in Greek Telons (from which comes our word Tollmen). They were the taxers, tax collectors, excisemen, or farmers of the revenue; some of them were excellent and honourable persons,but generally they were extortioners, and so corrupt that they are classed with profligates and sinners.

great multitude of impotent persons, blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel, [or messenger,] 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 healed of whatsoever disease he had. And a certain man was there, who had an infirmity thirty and eight years. 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 healed? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is stirred, 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 healed, 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 who healed me, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk. Then asked they him, What man is that who said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk? And he that was healed knew not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place. Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art healed: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, who had healed him.

SECTION XLII.

Christ vindicates the Miracle and asserts the dignity of his Office.

JOHN v. 16, to the end.

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 continually till now, and I also work. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said

E

also that God was [peculiarly] 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 himself, 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 raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. And 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 who 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 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 condemnation.

If

I can of mine 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 who hath sent me. I alone bear witness of myself, my evidence is not verified [or confirmed]. There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he wit

The Son of Man. Perhaps the Son humanized, or the Son of God made man, as we say the Father of heaven, meaning the Father celestial. Some would say the Son of Adam, a name derived from A or Al, God, and damuth, likeness-signifying the image of God.