The National tribune., 1886-05-13
SUNDAY MEDITATION.
Practical Duties Taught by Study OF the Inter.
national Sunday School Lesson Appointed for
May 70. st. John, 3 :5-IS.

we are now 10 study tnrlSJ5 elgntn IAlEaclc
his Arst in Judea-the fifth case of curing,
the second instance of restoration from paraly-
sis. 1t is the cure Of the man who had been
sick for 80 years. 1t took place at the pool OF
Bethesda, near Jerusalem, not far from the
sheep gate gate instead Of market), little
outside of the city wall, south of the temple,
east of Mt. Ophel, in the valley of kedron. A
little east of the gate the road comes to fork.
The road to the left to person going east leads
to Jericho by the northern route; that to the
right to the same city by the southern route.
The pool was off to the right hand on the south
ern road, not far from the fork, about 1000
feet from the temple wall. 1t is known also as
Solomon's pool (Josephus), the Kings pool
(Neh., 2 IA the fountain of the virgin % l6).
1t is basin exeayated sidewise into q rock,
which overhangs it, It is reached by 26 steps
Down halfway is platform, where one can rest
before descending further. (See "steppeth,"
in va The water enters from below the
under step, rushing in at intervals. It IS not
known whence the issue, whether from some
spring Of living water beneath the temple or
from the south through Solomon's aqueducts
by way OF Bethlehem. The explorations TAX
ing place in and about jerusalem will some
day reveal this mystery. The book titled
Wanderings Over Bible Lands" by the author
of the Sehonberg- Gotta Family" speaks Of
this place thus: Leaving the village [of ST.
loaml we came to the fountain of the virgin,
a cavern in the hillside underneath the city
[Jerusaleml. We descended by broad flight
of stone-built steps, and then by q narrow rock
hewn stairway, and drank Of the sweet crystal
water" 1t wonld seem the troubling OF the
water was not at regular intervals. The ac-
count appears to indicate waiting anxiously
for its recurrence. Patients would have come
at the exact times of the agitation were such
intervals uniform as to time.
- D.Eba "a I'D
the house of mercy The gate was called the
sheep gate because the gate through which
sheep for sacrifice were driven to the temple.
There were five porches-roofed buildings
supported by pillars, porticos, piazzas, per-
haps receS5es or apartments rooted and inclosed
on three Sides leaving the fourth series Of sides
open toward the pool. Or there might have
been pentagonal building covered and sided
Tor only covered), with openings toward the
pool, sheltering many patients-shed-hke pro-
tections at the edges of the pool.
There are sanative waters in many places.
Velia was an ancient curative watering place.
Bath, Bristol, Buxton, in England; Hot Springs,
Ark; Saratoga and Avon, in New York; Min
nequa, in Pennsylvania, and others in the
United States, Baden Baden, in Europe, all have
noted sanative springs.
Hozarth represents the pool of Bethesda
on the great staircase at st. Bartholomew's
Hospital, London, in figures seven feet high. He
pictures the servant of a rich liberated woman
pushing away from the miraculous remedy a
poor man who in his distress is seeking cure.
1t is q principle in all lands cultivated in
humanity and civilization, TO make curative
waters freely accessible to the poor sick.
1t is quite admitted that the latter part Of
verse B and all OF verse were not parts of st.
Johns writing, and only recount traditional
idea, sort of explanatory clause. The effort
was TO account for the irregular and sudden
eb5ing and flowing of the spring. The action
OF the spring at Kissingen, Germany, is quite
similar. 1t is generally held the effect at
Bethesda on patients, save in the case Of the
lesson, was the natural result of curative prop
critics in the gaseous spring. The water there
is still at times disturbed, and the Arabs attrib-
ute it to a dragon writhing at the bottom. 1t
was an impression of the jews that every bless
ing comes to earth through the ministry Of
angels. When Bethesda was agitated and gave
forth its wondrous curative results nothing
was more natural than that they should sup
pose an angel the author of this good. Many
| MSS. add of the Lord TO the angel. And yet
good writers hold the miraculous curative
effects of Bethesda were confined to the time OF
our Sayior's ministry, and are TO be ranked
with those numerous prodigies occurring at that
period e. g., the darkness at the erucifxion, the
rising from their graves Of certain saints etc.
To account for this it is believed st. John added
the explanation. Nevertheless, it is certain,
the best MSS. are wanting in v. 4, and critical
| Holy Scripture. Supportlve Of the angelic
view, see such verses as Gen., 10 rs; Mt, All
1910; Lu., 1922, % :43; Acts, z: So Il IL
| Gal, 3: 10; Heb, liza.
AS illustrative of the miserable subterfuge OF
cultivated so-called infidelity, notice the way
in which Prof Schultness, of Germany, account:
for the facts Of the lesson. The paralytic man
was an idle fellow who for 30 (38 he should
have said) years had neither moved hand mol
foot. Christ asked him ironically, 'Perhap:
thou wouldest be whole?' His irony stirred
him up; he forgot his hypocrisy" Is 10 credu
| lily 10 believe the generally -reeeiyed opinion
of the church rather than that Of the German
| professor?
1t is said the man had an inhrmity. TIL,
nature of the disorder is not given. 1t has beer
supposed it was paralysis. The word impoten
". y is Indicative rather of loss of power thar
of any disease. The original word for infrmitJ
| Tin V.5) is of similar import TO impotent. The
man had been thus disabled for 80 years, th'
| paralysis beginning seven years before Christ
was born. Jesus was 81 years old at the tims
he performed the miracle.)
| The man must have been quite aged. WI
would judge from the account that he con
tracted his disorder after becoming an adult
1t was the result, probably, of youthful exeeSse
We may suppose he was when restored 80 to q
years old. We know nothing as to his name
| circumstances, relations, ETC., but can infel
| poverty from V. z. Friendlessness is gener
ally the result ofwant Of money. If wealthy
he could have hired assistance If none wer,
offered. We can infer from v. Ia he was a Jew
| He, perhaps, went to the temple to offer thank
for his recovery. We do not know how Ions
he had been at Bethesda He was far gone
with his complaint and utterly helpless
fV.7) When seen by Christ he was lying or
mat. He was courteous. (V. ~ HeshoweC
evident desire for cure. He was restored OF
the spot and walked away, not even knowing
who cured him. (Y. 49, He was met by the
Savior, perhaps on the same day, at the temple
1t must have seemed curious TO be in the TEN
pie again after having been probably for many
years deprived the privilege Indeed, we may
infer he was not, before afflicted, very much of
frequenter at the temple-he was so sinful. HI
| Having found out who cured him, he informed
leading Jews it was Christ. He did this limo
Gently. His objects were: 1. To confer homo
on Christ. 2. To publish the name of person
who could do deed so wonderful 3. TX
apologize for carrying his bed (mat) ON tn,
Sabbath. 1t is possible our Savior selected hi
case because be was the senior of the rest il
illness, and because the disorder was so desper
ate. Christ always sides with the weakest O
a class. He often does good things for person
who do not realize He is the author. lisa, 45
45) There are men who do not know and low
the Giyer Of every blessing they enjoy.
| The Jews allowed of curing a man on tn