true religion, our Lord's comparisons, in the latter part of this portion, shew us the necessity of using discretion and tenderness in requiring outward agreement in such things as, though very useful and proper in the exercise of religion, are not absolutely necessary. Many persons expect more than is reasonable in this way, from those who are beginning to feel the power of religion. It is impossible to expect or require too much, even from a beginner, as to the giving up of sinful practices, or important religious errors. But it is very possible too soon to expect too much as regards the manner of shewing religious impressions. Those who have profited by particular services, or found much enjoyment in the use of some particular means, are very likely to forget how long it took them to acquire that spiritual taste, or to receive that spiritual benefit, and how much longer it might take others who are of a different disposition. Such person's should apply our Lord's parable upon this occasion, and consider that it will not do to join new cloth upon an old garment, nor to put fermenting wine into worn-out skins; and this consideration should make them beware of judging hastily concerning those who do not agree with them in all their arrangments, though they may be making real endeavours to overcome sin.

QUESTIONS.

Are there any persons whom I do not consider to be really religious, merely because they do not join the religious exercises that I find useful to myself?

In speaking to any persons who I hope are advancing in religion, do I lay too much stress upon attendance on merely outward means; or, do I shew them principally how Christ requires and enables them to overcome sin in the heart?

VII. HEADS FOR PRAYER.

1. Pray that you may be ready to give up every thing that interferes with your being a true disciple of Christ.

2. Pray that your desire to be useful in saving sinners may make you anx ous to do something to reform even the most wicked and profligate characters; and ask for grace to be en abled, in a christian spirit, to seek them for that purpose.

3. Pray to be blessed with a sound judgment, in distinguishing between what Christ requires at once from every person who professes to believe in Him, and what may be profitably done by christians in different states of feeling; and ask for a spirit of charity concerning beginners in religion.

VIlI. THE PRAYER.

[1] O Almighty God, who by thy blessed Son didst call Matthew fro.n the receipt of custom to be an Apostle and Evangelist; grant me grace to forsake all covetous desires and inordinate love of riches, and to follow the same thy Son Jesus Christ. [2] Stir up my will and affections that I may earnestly desire to be made useful in bringing my fellow sinners to the knowledge of Jesus Christ: and grant that I may so grieve for the dreadful state of those who commit sin openly with greediness, that I may not rest without shewing my grief, by doing something for their spiritual benefit. Give me grace that I may be like unto Thee, Lord Jesus, and, in thy Spirit, may strive to seek and to save them that are lost. [3] Bless me, I implore thee, O Father, with a spirit of power, and of love, and of a sound mind; that rightly perceiving what is indeed the one thing needful, I may strive to communicate that to others; and tenderly considering their natural infirmities, may not judge any because of things that are not necessary. Teach me in the Spirit of love, to hope all things, through the power of Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour.

Our Father, &c.

AMEN.

FORTY-SEVENTH PORTION.

I. BEGINNING PRAYER.

MAY GOD, for the sake of JESUS CHRIST, give me the HOLY SPIRIT, that I may understand this portion of his Holy Word, and that I may profit by it. Amen.

II. THE SCRIPTURE.

Read St. John's Gospel, chapter v. verses 1 to 16.

II. THE MEANINGS:

or sense in which some words are used in this portion.

John v. verse 1. feast (see vol. i. page market, or "gate" 2, &c. pool means here

3, &c. impotent..

4, &c. troubled ..

whole..

6. case 13. wist not

16. persecute Jesus

slay him

85.)
(see the margin.)
bathing place
language
covered buildings
bed-ridden
lame

shrunk up

stirred
well

condition

did not know

charged Jesus with breaking the law

..kill him, or have him executed

IV. THE EXPLANATION.

A twelvemonth had passed since our Lord had begun his public ministry at Jerusalem, at the feast

VOL. II.

E

of the Passover. (see twentieth portion, vol. i. p.160.) The time of year had now come round for the keeping of the same great festival; and Jesus took his journey from Galilee to Jerusalem, in obedience to the law, which has been already explained. (see vol. i. p. 85.)

The city of Jerusalem had high walls all round it, with several gates, by which the inhabitants passed in and out. One of these was called the sheep-gate (Neh. iii. 1, 32; xii. 39.), and close by this gate there was a spring of water, which filled a place deep enough for people to bathe in. There were five low buildings built round this water, and the whole place was called, in the language of that country, Bethesda; the meaning of which word is, the House of Mercy. The buildings were full of persons afflicted with all sorts of diseases and bodily infirmities-some blind-some lame -some paralytic; who were all laid down by the side of the bath, watching for the time when the water should begin to be ruffled.

This ruffling of the water used to happen every now and then, when an angel came from heaven and put it in motion in consequence of which a wonderful effect was produced; for, the first person who got into the water after it began to be stirred was sure to be entirely cured, whatever might have been the disease with which he had been afflicted.

Amongst the crowd of sick people in this place, there was one man who had been labouring under an infirmity in his body for thirty-eight years. Our Lord came to the house of mercy, and saw this man lying in one of the buildings. Jesus kuew how long he had been in this miserable condition, and asked him whether he wished to be cured. The

man, who was bed-ridden, respectfully told him, that, being unable to move himself, he was also too poor to employ any one else to carry him down to the water, in time to be the first after it was moved; and so it had always happened, that while he was trying, as well as he could, to get into the bath, somebody else had bathed before him: thus he had never received any benefit from the angel's visits. Upon this, our Lord was pleased to work a miracle in favour of the poor man: He told him to get up, to take up the mattress on which he lay, and to walk away. For any mere man to have said this, without having authority from God, would have seemed only to mock him ; but Jesus spoke with his power as the Son of God, and as soon as He had said the words, the man became perfectly well; and according to Christ's directions took up the mattress on which he had been lying, and walked away. The day on which this happened was the Sabbath.

As the man, who had been thus cured, was going from the house of mercy, he met some of the Jews; who, seeing that he carried his mattress, stopped him, and told him, that it was contrary to law for him to carry a load on that day. (Jer. xvii. 21, 22. Neh. xiii. 15-22.) The man told them that he had been wonderfully cured, and that the person who had done the miracle told him to take up his bed and walk away with it. These Jews took no notice whatever of the account the man gave of the miracle; but being very strict as to the outward observance of the Sabbath, they asked him who was the person that had bid him do such a thing as to carry a load on the Sabbath-day. The man who had been cured did not know who it was that had made him well: for as soon as Jesus had done the