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These words are our Saviour's seasonable advice and counsel to the poor impotent cripple, whom he had miraculously restored to health and soundness.
Whence observe, 1. The person admonishing, Jesus; he that had been his physician before, is his monitor and teacher now: Behold, thou art made whole, sin no more. Oh, how much is it the duty, but seldom the practice, of those whom God makes instruments for recovering bodily health, to put their patients in mind of their obligations to thankfulness and new obedience! Thus did our Saviour. The recovered man's physician gave him instruction: his healer became his monitor. Sin no more.
Observe, 2. The person admonished, the recovered cripple: Thou art made whole. But what was he? Not a disciple, not a believer; For he that was healed wist not who Jesus was, ver 13. he knew not Christ, therefore believed not on him, and yet was healed by him.
Thence learn, That there are many outward mercies and common blessings, which Christ bestows upon those that have no spiritual knowledge of him, or saving acquiantance with him. The man that was healed, wist not who he was that had healed him.
Observe, 3. The place where Christ meets this his recovered patient; not at the tavern, but in the temple, returning thanks to God for his recovered health: when God sends forth his word and healeth us, it is our duty to make our first visit to God's house, and to pay our vows in the great congregation and sound forth the praises of our great and gracious deliverer.
Observe, 4. The circumstance of time when Christ found him in the temple soon after his recovery. Afterwards Jesus findeth him in the temple. We must not be clamorous and importunate to receive mercies, and dumb and tongue-tied in returning thanks: but make haste, and not delay the time to pay our acknowledgments to him that healeth.
Observe, 5. The admonition itself; Behold, thou art made whole; sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee; where it is farther implied, that Almighty God has sorer plagues and severer judgments in store for those sinners who go on obstinately in a course of sin and rebellion against God, notwithstanding all the signal rebukes of his avenging anger.
From the whole note, That when the Lord doth greaciously heal a person or a people, it is a mercy to be much observed, and thankfully acknowledged.