Some idolize themselves; they look in the glass, and there see the face of their god. You may sometimes have seen a notice put up on certain estates in the country, “Man-traps and spring guns set here,” but, if so, did you ever go round to the front door of the mansion, and say, “If you please will you tell me where the man-traps are, and whereabouts the spring guns are set?” If you had asked that question, the answer would have been, “It is the very purpose of this warning not to tell you where they are, for you have no business to trespass there at all.” So, “all unrighteousness is sin,” and you are warned to keep clear of it.” There is a sin unto death,” but you are not told what that sin is on purpose that you may, by the grace of God, keep clear of sin altogether.After the Reformation in England, there was a certain part of the church, called the rood-loft, where the crucifix had to be, and it was ordered by the Reformers, when “the holy rood” was taken away, that these words should be printed in capital letters in its place,-“ LITTLE CHILDREN KEEP YOURSELVES FROM IDOLS.” This was an admirable arrangement, and this text might very profitably be put up in a good many Ritualistic churches now, instead of the Agnus Dei and the crucifix,-“Little children, keep yourselves from idols.” Might we not also say to many a mother and many a father concerning their children, and to many a lover of money and hungerer after gold, “Keep yourselves from idols”? Such things were common enough in Judaea in her better days; but now the times of the prophets had ceased, and the day of miracles was almost over. As long as the Law lasted, Christ observed it. Being born of God. A certain something in the air and mien of Christ had won his faith; but he did not know his name, or who he was. How small may be your knowledge, and yet you may be saved by true faith!Probably, this man’s illness had been caused by sin. It was no idle curiosity that moved him to enquire of the man whether he was willing to be made whole.Shuffling along, as best I may, to the water’s edge, —Then, of course, the curative miracle is wrought, and the curative power of the water is gone until another season, when the angel troubles it again.This is our Sabbath.

You have accepted Jesus as the Christ the anointed of God, so the apostle affirms that you are “born of God.” It may be only lately that you have been born again, you may be only a babe in grace; but if you have a true faith in Christ as God’s anointed, you are “born of God.”If you truly love God, you also love his well-beloved and only-begotten Son, and you also love all his children. Why, if it had been a mere man who had said it, the impotent man could not either have taken up his bed, or have walked!He never sought notoriety; but avoided popular demonstrations in his favor. There cannot be a true love to the Father and a hatred to his family, that is impossible. A strong emphasis in Spurgeon's preaching was God's grace and sovereignty over man's helpless state. I will give you an old illustration of mine concerning it. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. What a long time to be afflicted, thirty and eight years! If you have any fear concerning it, you have not committed that sin which is unto death, for even fear is a sign of life. What was he there for, if not to be made whole?

If he was a full-grown man when he was attacked with the infirmity, he had now become old and gray.

Note that it does not say, “When the man saw Jesus,” but “when Jesus saw him.” He did not know Jesus; possibly he had not even heard of his healing power and compassionate love. Go to To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use our convenient Probably he was known and talked of as the man who had been paralyzed eight and thirty years. (1) Being born of God is the source of love. The Son is also the Judge of all men.As the universal Judge, the Lord Jesus is to be honoured by all men, “even as they honour the Father.” Whatever others may do, or not do, we will honour the Father, we will honour the Son, and we will honour the Holy Spirit, three in one and one in three, the one God of Israel, for ever and ever.If we truly believe the word of Christ, and trust in him who sent his Son into the world, we have at this moment everlasting life.What a grand verse this is!