17 And it came to pM on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judeea, and J erusalem : and the power of the Lord "waB present to heal them.
18 And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a nalsjr : and they sought meane to bring nim in, and to lay Atm before him.
19 And when they could hot find by what ioay they might bring him in because ofthe multitude, they went upon the housstop, and let him down through the tiling with hie couch into the midst before Jesus.
20 And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are for- given thee.
21 And the Scribes and the Phari- sees began to reason, saying, Who
is this which speaketh blasphemies ? Who can forgive sins, but God alone ?
22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, what reason ye in your hearts }
23 Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee ; or to say. Rise up and walk ?
24 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee. Arise, and take up thy couch, and go unto thine house.
25 And immediately he rose up be- fore them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.
26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with feaTj saying. We have seen strange things to day.
A THREEFOLD miracle demands our attention in these verses. At one and the same time, we see our Lord forgiving sins, reading men's thoughts, and healing a palsy. He that could do such things, and do them with such perfect ease and authority, must indeed be very God. Power like this was never possessed by man.
Let us mark, firstly, in this passage, f€hat paim men will take about an object when they are in earnest. The friends of a man, sick with the palsy, desired to bring him to Jesus that he might be cured. At first they were unable to do it, because of the crowd by which our Lord