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either fix'd or moveable, they could afcend to the Roof when they pleased, without ever going into the House itfelf; and to this our Saviour feems to allude, when he foretels to the Jews the Swiftness of that Deftruction which should overtake them, Let him, that is on the House-top, not go down into the Houfe, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of the Houfe: For, unless we can fuppofe that his Advice was that Men fhould venture their Necks, by throwing themselves down from the Tops of their Houses, his Words must imply, both that they had fuch Stairs placed on the out-fide of their Houses, and that it was an ufual thing for them both to ascend and defcend by them.

Since this then was a general Fashion Paralytick of Jewish Houses, it is not improbable, might be that this Houfe at Capernaum was of let down. the fame Figure and Make; and that,

for the better Convenience of being heard, both within Doors and without, Jefus might then be preaching at one of the Windows of an Upper-room, when this fick Man was brought in a

Couch,

dren, to afcend to the Houfe-Tops, and to carry neceffary Burdens up thither. Bp. Clavering's Charge, in 1730.

Mark xiii. 15. : Dr. Pearce, part 4. p. 28.

Couch, or "fort of Elbow-Chair, by four Perfons, who carried him. The Croud, however, was so great, and the Company fo attentive to our Saviour's Difcourse, that no Care was taken to make way for him, and therefore his Bearers bethought themselves of another Expedient. They went round a private way; and, coming to the Stairs, which ftood on the out-fide of the House, up these they carry him, and presently gain the Top: But finding the TrapDoor (or Way of the Roof, as the Jewish Rabbins call it *) fhut, and faften'd against them, immediately they go to work, and forcing it open (which St, Mark calls uncovering and breaking up the Roof, because the Door, which lay

even

St. Mark calls it xpaßßalos, and St. Luke nλiviSov: So that thefe two Words are fynonymous. Now Hefychius explains the Word σκιμπόδιον by ευτελές κλινίδιον μονοκοίτιον, from whence it may be remark'd, that there were xwidia no larger than for one Perfon only, and of a much smaller Size, than the Word Bed conveys an Idea of to an English Reader. And this feems to be the Size of the Bed or Chair in this Place; for though four Perfons help'd to carry the fick Man in it, yet it was no larger than what he alone could carry, as appears by the Story. Pearce's Vind. Part 4. p. 29. and Bp. Clavering's Charge. * Vid. Lightfoot in Locum. › Ch.ii.4. The Word osutales in this Place does not fo properly fignify digging or afing Inftruments to that purpose, as pulling and forcing the Door out of its Frame. In this Senfe

St.

The Rea

permit

ting it.

even with the Roof, when let down and fhut, was reputed a part of it) convey'd him down that way (which St Luke calls letting him down through the Tiling, i. c. through the Roof, which (except where this Door was) was all pav'd with large Tiles; and by this means found it no difficult Matter to place him in the midft before Jefus.

This Account of the Matter, if it be fonable true (and it feems indeed, at firft Sight, nefs of, to be far from an improbable one) removes most of the Objections at once. It takes away the Neceffity of having Ropes, Ladders, and Pullies, &c. fent for upon this Occafion. It leffens confiderably the fuppofed Damage done to the House, fince the Roof-door is prefum'd large enough to receive the Chair or Couch, wherein the fick Man was, without any farther trouble. It recommends the Character of the good Man of the House, fince he poffibly might be fo

St. Paul ufes the Word, Gal. iv. 15. Tès opłaλμès vμv éžoçužarles, pulling out your Eyes, i.e. by Force, but not by Digging, in the proper and ftri&t Meaning of the Word: For if the Couch or Chair was no larger than to hold one (as we said before) it might commodiously enough be let or carried down without widening the Paffage, or making any Hole about it. Pearce's Vind. Part 4. p. 30. - Κέραμοι and reyes (or, oléyn) are fynonymous Words in the Greek Authors, as Steph. in Voce xipauos informs us Pearce's Vind. Part 4. p. 30.

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fo attentive to our Saviour's Preaching, as not to perceive what was doing, before he faw the Door forced open; or rather unwilling to disturb fuch heavenly Doctrine, upon fo flight an Occafion, as the breaking open a Door by thofe, whose only Motive was, to bring a fick Man to be cured by a Miracle: And it clears our Saviour's Conduct from any injurious Imputation; fince, as he was furrounded with a Circle of attentive Hearers, to whom he was difpenfing the Bread of Life, and healing their Difeases, his leaving them, to go to the Paralytick, would perhaps have been more trouble fome, and occafioned more Disturbance, than the letting him down in his Couch. Nor can it be thought confiftent with Reason, to have disperfed the People upon this Occafion, fince, as the Pains, which the fick Man and his Bearers took to get at Jefus, fhew'd the Strength of their Faith and Confidence in him; fo the Reward, which he intended for it, was to be difpenfed in as publick a manner, as poffible, both for the Encouragement of the like Difpofition in others, and for the Manifeftation of his own Power and Glory : And fo we go on to (what occurs next) his raifing three Perfons from the dead.

SECT.

The Ob-❝ jeЯtion.

SECT. XXI.

of his Raifing Three Dead Perfons.

Tpofferous Order of Time, in

HE very unnatural and pre

"which thefe Miracles are recorded by "the Evangelifts, is enough to bring "them under the Sufpicion of Fable "and Forgery. For these three Mi"racles, you must know, are not e

qually great, but differ in Degree. "The greateft is that of Lazarus; next "to it, is that of the Widow of Nain's "Son; and the leaft of all is that of

To

Jarus's Daughter. What then can "be the Reason, that Matthew, Mark, " and Luke (who all wrote their Gof"pels before John) fhould forget to "record this remarkable and moft il"luftrious Miracle of Lazarus? "aggrandize the Fame of their Mafter "for a Worker of Miracles, was the De"fign of all the Evangelifts; and, if it "was not neceffary that all of them "fhould fet down every Miracle of this "kind, ftill it is abfurd and unnatural "to to fuppofe, that any of them (efpe

"cially.

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