8o The NEW and COMPLETE LIFE, of our BLESSED but to wham little is forgiven, the fame loveth little. Our Saviour having thus, with great delicacy, rebuked the unjufl and injurious fufpicions of the Pharifee, and vindicated his own charafer, as well as the conduit of the woman, whole extraordinary kind- nefs and tender affeaion were in no dan- ger of lofing their reward from one who enjoyed the fine feelings of human nature in their highefl perfeaion, now addreffed the woman with the foul-reviving news, that her fins were forgiven. But while her heart expanded with that holy gra- titude and joy, which was infpired by the great declaration, the Pharifees beheld both our Redeemer and the woman with rancour, difdain, and fuller contempt : they could not endure the thought, that great finners fhould be pardoned, and fet on a level with themfelves ; nor could they be reconciled to the authority which our Redeemer had affumed ; for being ignorant of his divinity, they concluded that he had infringed on the prerogative of the Almighty, who only had a right to pardon fins. But the great friend of ftn- ners, regardlefs of their malicious mur- murs, confirmed his gracious words, by repeating his affurances to the woman, adding, that her faith had Caved her, and bidding her depart in peace. Some little time after this, our great Redeemer departed from Capernaum, and travelled through force parts of Galilee, going through every village, preaching and fkewing the glad-tidings of the king- dom of God, Luke viii. i. And after this fhort tour he prepared'to go to Jerufa- lem, to eat the paffover; this being the fecond feaft of that kindefince the com- mencement ofhis public minifiry. In this journey, he was accompanied by feveral pious women, amonglt whom were Joanna, the wife ofHerod's Reward, Sufanna, Mary Magdalene, and various others, who had been difpoRèffed of devils, or cured of dangerous and painful difeafes ; fome amongi them were perfons of wealth, and were willing not only to acknowledge the great benefits they had received, but to make fuch returns as Providence had putin theirpower, and, therefore, they freel y min Bred to him of theirfiubjiance. ^40`iQf40`4e,51e`4A516ÿ 9f 5t(g5l'. C H A P T E R XV. CurtIrr, being at Jerufalemat the Time of the Paffover, heals an impotent Man at the Pool of Bethefda on the Sabbath-Day : He healeth one poi ffed with a Devil, who was blind and dumb: He fheweth that Blafphemy againft the Holy Ghofl is an unpardonable Sin; andfheweth whom he regardeth as his nearejt Relations. He állegeth Scripture in ex- cufe of his Difciples, schont the. Pharifees charged with breaking the Sabbathin pluck- ing the Ears of Corn on the Sabbath-Day : He appealeth to ReCon, and healeth the withered Hand on the Sabbath -Day. T EAR the temple in Jerufalem was IN a pool of water, into which ran the blood of the facrifices, and the water which was ufed by the priefts in prepa- ring the viaims, and on other occafions. This pool wascalled in the Hebrewtongue, Bethefda, that is, the houle of mercy. It was furrounded by five porches, or cloiff, ters, and thefe were filled with a great multitude of impotent folks, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a cer- tain fenfan and troubled the water : who- /sever then firff, after the troubling ofthe water :
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