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He did and said, than to mark the particular times. And so the best way is to compare the four Gospels, and to take one distinct history from them all.

We have just heard, that after the Lord Jesus had cleansed the leper, the people came out to him in crowds into the desert, to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. It is then written that

LUKE V. 16. "He withdrew himself into the wilderness and prayed."

We shall again and again see this; that between the times of much business, the Saviour left the company of men and went away to be alone and to pray. Let us remember that He lived for our example as well as died for our salvation. Some time after this, we find that He returned to the city.

MARK ii. 1, 2. after some days;

"And again He entered into Capernaum, and it was noised 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 door."

LUKE v. 17. "And there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judea, and Jerusalem."

The fame of Jesus was now so great that people came from every part to see him and to hear him. No doubt the arrival of the leper at the temple with his sacrifices, and the offering for his cleansing, and the wonderful story of his cure, made a great stir among the priests and the doctors, or teachers of the law.

Perhaps it was this that had brought them to Capernaum. Jerusalem was a great way off, and if they came on purpose, it was well worth their while. And the people crowded so to hear Jesus, that there was not room for them even at the door.

LUKE V. 17-19. "And the power of the Lord was present to heal them. And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: 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, they went upon the house-top, and let him down through the tiling, with his couch, into the midst before Jesus.”

The people stood in such crowds about the doors of the house, that to come nigh Jesus was impossible, but this sick man and his friends were too earnest to reach him, for any difficulty to turn them back. The houses in the East are built with flat roofs on purpose that the people may enjoy the cool of the morning and of the evening on the house-top. There is a way down into the inside, and there are also stairs outside. Now it was up these stairs that the friends of the sick man carried him in his bed, and opening the roof wide enough, they in this way let him down into the midst before Jesus.

No doubt the grave and learned doctors of the law would be surprised, and perhaps even angry when our Lord's discourse was broken short by this strange sight. And when the bed, slowly lowered from the roof above their heads, laid at their feet the poor paralytic, they would not look upon him very kindly. But Jesus was ever the same, full of tender pity, and of earnest desire to do the work for which He had come into the world, to destroy the works of the devil, by healing every sickness, and pardoning every sin. He stopped at once, and looking on the sick man, and on the strange manner in which he had been brought before him, "He saw their faith," a faith that trusted in him as the only one who could help them in their need.* But He saw more than this, He saw that a greater grief than sickness bowed down the soul of the sick

* Trench on the Miracles, p. 201.

man, that the weight and sense of sin was a greater burthen than his bodily sickness and suffering. The poor man had not yet spoken. He had not yet asked for any thing, save indeed by the dumb earnest effort to come near to Jesus; and all he dared to ask even in that, or at least all that his friends who brought him there, dared to hope for, was, that his body might be healed.'* Yet no doubt he felt in himself

that he had deserved to suffer; perhaps he was cast down by knowing that his manner of life had brought upon him this his sickness, which by taking away the use of bis limbs, seemed to take away every power of usefulness; for the grievous ill of paralysis seldom comes upon a young or even middle-aged man without some such cause.† The Lord Jesus saw the hidden grief,

MATTHEW ix. 2. "And said unto him, Son, be of good cheer; thy sins are forgiven thee." (See Luke v. 20.)

Oh what a load must have passed from the sick man's soul! Not only were the natural powers of his limbs restored, but a higher and more holy power of life came upon him. Nothing

* Trench on the Miracles, p. 201.

+ It would be well if men would remember how the Almighty God has wedded sin to suffering. They forget, perhaps they do not always know, that vice brings disease, and that in this way God punishes, even in this life, those who boldly sin against his laws. Too often is this very disease of paralysis brought on by intemperance.

It is not long since, in a party of thoughtless young men, one took a bet with his companions that he would drink a certain quantity before they parted. He did so, but the next morning when the money was to be paid, the unhappy man was found with his face twisted to one side, and nearly speechless. He had won his bet, but he had lost his health for ever.

And when this has been so, the feeling of the guilt and shame, will sometimes keep back the repentant soul even from that pitying Saviour who holds out his arms to receive him. "How can I expect that God will accept me now," said a sufferer in the prime of life laid low by paralysis, "I would not serve Him when I could, and now that I am as a crushed worm, I cannot-I have neither mind nor body to offer Him."

keeps back the soul from God like the fear which sin brings upon us, it is like a paralysis of the mind. But now this man could be of good cheer, his sins were forgiven him, and he was able to seek Christ as the Saviour of his soul, as well as the healer of his body. (Luke v. 21.)

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MARK ii. 6-12. But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, He said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, 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, (he saith unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion."

LUKE V. 26.

"And they were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to-day."

Had Jesus been only man, it would have been blasphemy for him to pretend that He had the power, which belongs to God alone, of forgiving sin. The Scribes and Pharisees sitting there were glad at any thing that could excuse them to themselves for not even believing him to be a good man. We shall see from first to last, that their aim was to make the people believe that the Lord Jesus was a deceiver, and they looked at all He did and said with the wish to think so themselves. But they were left without excuse. The next words of Jesus shewed them that their most secret thoughts were open to his sight. They had not spoken, but He told them at once what they

were saying in their hearts. It is written that, "He perceived in his Spirit that they so reasoned in themselves," and by these words we plainly see, that in his human nature dwelt the nature of God, who alone can read "the thoughts and intents of the heart." (1 Sam. xvi. 7. Jer. xvii. 10. Heb. iv. 12.)

Why reason ye thus? said the Lord. Does it seem easy to say thy sins be forgiven thee? I will give the proof that it is not a mere saying.

At his word, disease, which sin brought into the world, fled away, and the forgiven man rose up in that health of body and of mind, which had man never sinned he never would have lost. "And he departed to his own house, glorifying God.” And now, before we pass on to another subject, let us take a moment to think of what we have just read. It is true we cannot keep away illness, but if those who are still in health but knew how much the fever of the body is made worse by the fever of the mind, and how the sense of sin adds to the pain and danger of disease, they would make haste to seek for pardon before the fear of death come upon them. They would go to Christ before they are laid on the bed of sickness; and though we cannot see him now, still He would say to them, "Be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee." Earnestly I would persuade you in the words of one who died young, but full of peace with God in Christ, Make friends with the Saviour now, while you are well and happy; and when He calls you away you will not be frightened. He will seem to you not as a stranger, but as a long-known friend.'

Before leaving this miracle of our blessed Lord, I would wish to point out to you how much the efforts of the friends of the sick man were blessed. They were earnest to bring him to Christ, and He, seeing their faith, gave them the thing they sought for. He gave them more, for He not only made their sick friend whole, but He pardoned his sins, so that he was not only able to rise up and walk to his house, but also to glorify

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