clusionem" (Dengel); i.e. "The spirit of birthright-blessing, the vieions of the dying lllosce ie my vinclico.tion, the tenching of lsro.el, to the blessings on J urlo.h ; to the Mosee ie typio11I of mine, the institutions significance of the Law, of the trtherrntcle, of Mosos were symbolic of my coming ancl of the Passover, of the Day of Atonement, work. The prediction& of Moses pointed out of P!ophet, priest, and king, nnd the very my ooming. The mighty worcls of Mosee spemal_ prophecy concerning a. Prophet like will not so.ve you, unless you penetrate to unto himself. More than this Moses had set their inner moaning." forth in the Decalogue the po~trai t-sketch of Vere. 46, 47.-For it ye believed llloeea, the perfect Man, of the Divine life which the ye would believe me, The reason for the L"ru Jesus proceeded to fill out, to folfil. previous ea.ying is introcluced by "'frl.p, The He awakened by the Law that sense of sin form of the conditiono.l sentence shows that and sinfulne3s which the Lord Christ ha.d the prolo.sis is a supposition of an event come to soothe and obliterate. But if ye be- contrary to the fact. They were not lielieving lieve not his writings, how shall ye believe Moses, though they were putting n. vain and my words l "They are easier for you to illusive confidence in him; and hence they understa.nd; you have them ever on your were not believing in Christ. Here is the tongue. If their meaning is missed, the secret of the antagonism to the Lord. A deeper truths of my words will be more in- deeper understanding of their own Scripture accessible to you." The antithesis is rather would involve e.n e.ccepte.nce of the claims of between the " his" and "my" than between Christ. For he wrote of me. The old saying the " writings " and "words." "Tliis charge contains Christ's utterance : Novum Testa- of not believing Moses, addressed to people mentum in Vetere latet, Vetus Testamentum who were put in a fury by the pretended in Novo patet. Reference is macle to the viola.tion of one of the Mosaic comma.nd- great place which Moses gave to the first menta, recalls other words of Jesus (Matt. promise, to the typical deliverances of a xxiii. 29-32), ' Ye bui1d the tombs of the fallen world, to the hopes of a redeeming prophets, wherefore ye be witnesses unto y01.t1'- Seed. Christ referred to the Mosaio type seloes that ye are children of them that killed involved in the spirit willing to sacrifice the prophet."' (Godet). the Only Begotten, to the oreation of the
HOMILETICS. Vers. 1-9.-The cure of the impotent man. The scene changes once more to JerusiLlem. 'fhere unbelief develops very rapidly, and there is a foreshao.owing of the dread reality: "It cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem." Jesus finds himself once more in the very focus of controversy. I. THE TlllE OF TRIB MIRACLE. "After these things there was a feast of the Jews." It is generally believed that this was the Feast of Purim. 1. It was not one of the three great feasts. 2. It was a feast in which the Jews gave presents to one another. Jesus would signalize it by a deed of miraculous beneficence. II. THE SCENE OF THE MIRACLE. "Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep- gate a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches." 'l'his was a thermal, intermittent spring, such as are still to be found at Jerusalem, possessing rare curative properties in cases of disease. "The blind, the halt, the withered," gathered round it, seeking shelter in the porches while they were awaiting "the moving of the waters." III. THE CASE OF THE IMPOTENT MAN'. 1. He had been for eight and thirty years ajfticted with impotence '°11, his limbs. 2. Perhaps his impotence had some connection with youthful sins and follies. (Ver. 14.) 3. He had no strength to enable him to plunge into the bubbling springs as they arose with healing power. 4. He had no money to hire a carrier. 5. The bystanders, whether sick or hale, had no mercy or sympathy for him. 6. Yet he came from day to' day in the hope of a cure. IV. OuR LORD'S COMPASSION FOR HIM. "Wilt thou be made whole?" 1. The question was designed to shake off the long apathy of years, and revive the hopes of the afflicted mo.n. 2. It was designed to withdraw his mind from the Bethesda waters, and bring him into contact with the Saviour Mm,self. V. 'l'HE ACTUAL CURE. "Rise, take up thy bed, and walk." 1. The command was accompanied by the exercise of Divine power on Christ's part, and of f'ai.t.h on the part of the impotent man. 2. The impotent man walked in the joy of his recovered power. a. The mfracle u.rqs done on the sabbath day. It was a deed of mercy, and therefore IOHlf, Q 226 THE GOSPEL AOOORDING 'l'O BT. JOHN. [oH, V. 1-47,