IMPOSSIBILITY — The modern mind flatters itself upon its frank recognition of impossibility in the world of nature. There is also an impotence of faitli \\hich is content to allow impossibility in the sphere of grace. Both these tendencies to a lazj' .-iciuh'scence in a fancied inevitable are out of touch with 111.- u..s|..-l ..I Cluisl. There is, of conrs.'. su.-li i-ss.-ntial ini|ios,-,il.ility as that of a good In-.- iH-ainej l.;t.l liiiil |Mi 7'"). And there is till- |iracti.-,-d iiM|i..s>il,ilii V ..f a, hou.se divided against ii-,-li .-,-.-i|,ing ruin (.Mk 3--''). But the raii.u.- .d iiii|i..--iliilily in tin- worl.l of nature and in till- s|di.-r.- .d L^ra.-e is nair.iwe.l to evanescence by the taitli of the Cluistiau dLsuiple. A mustard- seed of faith will remove a mountain (Mt 17*). God is able to save to the uttermost (Lk 18^'), though it seems like the passage of a camel through a needle's eye for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of heaven (Mt 19-^ Mk lO'-^). It is through Christ, the Son of God become the Son of Man, that all is possible .and nothing impossible (.In 15-', Mk 9-^). He llims.df sh.iwed it in the snpn-m.- triumph of the l;.--nrn-.-(ion, wli.-ntli.- tomb lia.l In-, -n sealed so thai .-.-a|„- iiii-.;li( 1.,- ini|H.-iMi- (Alt L'7""). The comni.-.n.l ov.r ii.-itnie ilis|,l,-iye.l in the stilling of the storm (Mk 4^'-') and in the healing of the woman with the issue of blood (Mt 9=', Mk 5^) is at the service of faith and prayer. The poor leper lost his despair in faith, and was re- warded (Lk 5'-). The blinil rel•ei^•ed sight, because through their faith Imman ini|.o-siliility was swal- lowed up by Divine oinui|i..t.-n.-.- (,\lt 9'-"). Infinite resources. "acknowle.l,L-iue no bounds of impo.ssi- liililv. an- wilhin i.-.-i.h of the earnest childlike laiih ilii- Lord apinov,-- (.MklF', Lk 17"). Such blight an. I uiilifliii'j l.---.ins are remote from the t;luumy an.l .|.-pr.--iii-j pnd.lem of evil. There is, indeed, an un.lcniii n-ni .a iinpossibility in the stream of tlii-- \\oi 1.1 .l.-\ .i.iiiiii.-nl . -liisimpos- sible but th,-u ... . a.-i.-n- .-i -i iinil.lin-4 should come' (Lk 17'). But tins specie, ul imp.issibility we are not to dwell upon too lung. ' The redemption draws nigh' (Lk 21-').
W. B. Fkankland. IMPOTENCE.— The single instance of our Lord's miracles specifically classified under this head is recorded in Jn 5='","where the sufl'erer is described as 6 a.adci'Cii' (.-VV 'the im)).)tent man,' RV 'the si.-k man'). Tlie fc-itnr.-s .if tin- .-.-1-.- ar.- its long
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IMPOTENCE
Bethesda (\vh. see). Of the nature of the ailment we have no evidence. Ii h;i- Iweii Ihou.uhl tu lir palsy, but Bennett (/'/>■ "" - nf il,,- I'.ihl, ) cuii^iUci- this doubtful. _ The lon.u .luiaii.,H ..i \hv .liMM..' i- against its being identilied with hii-iiiiiutor ittK.rui. It may have been some chronic wasting disease having its origin in an enfeeble<l or disorganized nervous system.
The chief feature of the healing is the fact tliat Jesus begins the process of restoration by dealing with the hopeless condition induced and estab- lished by thirty-eight years of suftering, and by the repeated dashing to the ground of .slowly-
Qg liopes.
Wouldest thou be made whole :
our Lord asked, appealing to the last flicker of expectation evinced by his remaining still at the healing pool, and calling it out into new vigour and consciousness.
Another significant feature is the apparent as- sociation in the mind of Jesus of this infirmity with sin, either the sin of the sufferer or the .sin- fulness of the race (Jn 5"). A similar association is found in the case recorded in Mt 9'"', Alk 2'"'-, Lk 5""-'' (see art. Parai,y.sis). It ciuinot be definitely asserted that Jesus m.ul;ril |,riM,ii:il sin as the root-cause of disease in thr-r r,i~.-, ihuugh tlie inference is not altogether uuw i miiI nl from the narratives. But it is at h.-ast i-\ i'l'Mit i hut our Lord did habitually recognize the close connexion between personal and racial sinfulness and all manner of disease and sickness. While carefully guarding Himself from attrilmtin'^- :ill sickness and weakness to sin (.In !)' i, lli' y..| ,1.., bn ,.,1 the essential allianr.' dt -in wiih ,h11 kimU ..i Imdily disorder. 'Sin^oi thu llr-,h.' .'is funniiuiily under- stood, are notoriously icspoii^iljlc fur nuuiy of man- kind's worst diseases and infirmities ; and the Apostolic catalogue of these sins includes not only adultery, uncleanness, murder, drunkenness, and revellings, but also liatred, variance, wratli, strife, envyings, and covetousness (Gal .">"'"-', Col :V', Eph 5^). Our Lord's list of sins tliat defile and destroy the body begins with ' evil thouglits ' ami ends with moral stupidity or foolishne.ss (Mk 7~, a.fj>(io-
Another case which must probably be included here is that of the woman with a spirit of in- firmity (Lk 13"-"). The features here are tlie Evangelist's description of the ailment as irpevfia ^xovfru. aadevela^, the lengthened prevalence of the trouble (for eighteen years), and the completeness of the inability to raise herself. Tlie description is evidently from a competent hand. The woman was bowed and crouched together (^j- avyKviTToma), and was in no wise able to lift herself up. The in- ability was ei's Tb TTavTcKh (cf. He 7^, where the ability of the ever-living Christ to .save mankind is also €is TO iravTeXis). The infirmity, however, did not debar the suflerer from attending the synagogue. The ailment may have been surgical — a gradual distortion and permanent bending, in- creased b}-ol(l age, of the spin.al column, >u(li as in