THE HEALING WATERS OF BETHESDA. John v. 2, 3, 4.—" There is at Jerusalem, by the sheepmarket, a Pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue, BETHESDA, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water; whosoever then, first, after the troubling of the water, stepped in, was made whole of whatsoever disease he had." I a KNOW not any subject contained in the Scriptures, the contemplation of which is better suited to the circumstances of us who are here assembled, than that of the HEALING WATERS of Jerusalem. There are now collected here, as formerly at Bethesda, " great number of infirm persons, of halt and withered," who have come to the healing waters at this place; and who expect a cure, not from the hand of man, but of God. We have come to try the efficacy of waters which flow by the divine command; medicinal waters, which owe nothing to human art or power, and whose nature and origin man does not even fully understand.* * Buxton is situated on the ridge of that mountainous region commencing in Derbyshire, which extends to the northern extremity of the kingdom, and which has been called by some geogra phers the British Appenine. The medicinal well is nearly in the middle of England, and is supposed to be upwards of 1500 feet above the surface of the sea. It further occupies a most interesting situation, as being surrounded by beds of shells, corals, and other marine products, the remains of the antediluvian world, and indelible testimonies of the truth of the Mosaie Record. The tem The first view of the scene before us will suggest to our minds some interesting topics of reflection. While we behold this healing fountain flowing like a torrent, and consider its long duration, and the benefit derived from it to multitudes perhaps in every age, we have to admire an illustrious instance of the wisdom and goodness of God in creation. How wonderful that this salubrious spring should retain the same degree of beat, through every change of season, and from age to age! And again, what limit shall we assign to its perature of the air in these regions is always cooler than in the lower countries. There is generally a turbulent atmosphere; but this renders the change of air greater, and more salutary in certain complaints, than in any other part of northern Europe. From vestiges lately discovered, it is ascertained that buildings were erected at the Well of Buxton, in the time of the Romans. In the middle ages it acquired the name of St. Anne's Well. In the reign of Queen Elizabeth a Treatise was written on the "Virtues of the Water of Buck-stones, by Dr. Jones of Derby,' " and it ap pears at that time (1572) to have been a place of great resort. But it is only within these few years that buildings have been erect. ed for invalids suitable to the importance of the place. For these the nation is indebted to the Duke of Devonshire. His Grace is proprietor of Buxton, and of the country round it, and he has, with a liberality which ought to be more known and celebrated, erected a suit of extensive and magnificent buildings, called the CRESCENT, and a spacious and elegant church, both of hewn stone; also pools for bathing, besides various other edifices for the accommodation of the visitors and invalids; the whole expence of which is stated to have been not less than 150,000l. The munificence of this nobleman, referring as it does to the health of his countrymen, is entitled to a national acknowledgment. * "The quantity of water flowing from the springs has been calculated to "be after the rate of sixty gallons in a minute.” Denman on the Buxton Waters, p. 56. The heat of the medicinal spring, called St. Anne's Well, of which the invalids drink, "is always 81 by Farenheit's thermometer. The heat of the medicinal pool in which the invalids bathe, is precisely and invariably 82 by Farenheit's thermometer. The temperature of these waters does not in any degree depend on rain, or other accidental circumstances."-Denman, p. 53, 57. Philosophy has long attempted to investigate this subject, but as yet without any satisfactory result. "Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in search of the depth?" -Job xxxviii. 16. We neither understand accurately by what means the waters acquire their heat, nor, when they have acquir ed it, how the temperature should always continue the same, without being affected, like every other substance of this earth, by heat and cold, and distance from the sun. "Philosophers," says Dr. Hunter, "have differed much in their opinions about the cause of heat in warm waters; but I do not find that any of them have as duration? It is probable that it was first opened "when the foundations of the earth were laid," and that it will continue to flow till time shall be no more. The same power which gave virtue to the well of Bethesda, hath opened the fountain of health in this place. These, therefore, may be called GOD'S WATERS. They flow by the divine mercy, and we expect that they will prove beneficial to our infirm bodies only by the divine blessing. Let us, then, approach them with sentiments of gratitude and piety, having our minds prepared to give God the glory for any benefit we may derive from the use of them. In viewing any striking object in the works of creation, it is useful to reflect in what manner our blessed Saviour would have improved the scene; for He was wont to derive instructive lessons from the operations of nature, and even from the usages and works of man. Of this there is an instance recorded in the Gospel, which bears some analogy to the scene which now presents itself to our view in this place. It was a custom of the Jews, on the last day of the Feast of Passover, to draw water from the fountain of Siloam, which sprang from mount Zion, and to bear it in solemn procession to the Temple, where it was poured out before the Lord. These "waters of Siloa which flowed softly" (Is. viii. 6.) from their fountain, not far from the Temple of God,* and refreshed the inhabitants of Jerusalem, had been celebrated by the prophet Isaiah as an emblem of Messiah's gentle reign; and the Evangelist John alludes to the same emblem, when he says, "Siloam being interpreted, signifies SENT;" that is, a type of him who is "the sent" of God; and the custom of drawing water from the well of Siloam on a certain day, was founded on the words of the same prophet Isaiah; "Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the "wells of salvation."-Is. xii. 3.† yet been able to lay down an hypothesis, which is not liable to some objections."-Hunter on the Nature and Virtues of Buxton Waters, p. 8. -And Siloa's brook that flowed Milton. †This fact of drawing water from the fountain of Siloam is authenticated by the Rabbins. The water was carried in a golden A 2 Our Saviour beholding this solemnity of drawing water on the great Feast-day, improved it to a spiritual purpose; "In the last day, that great day of the Feast, "Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let "him come to me and drink; he that believeth on me "as the Scripture hath said, Out of his belly shall flow "rivers of living water. But this spake he of the "SPIRIT, which they that believe on Him should re"ceive; for the Holy Ghost was not yet given.”— John vii. 37. Thus did our Lord spiritualize the scene. He shewed the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that their drawing water from the fount of Siloam was a just figure of their "receiving the Holy Spirit," which should soon be poured out from on high, and "which they that believed on Him (not in that age only, but in every age) "SHOULD RECEIVE."* Under the authority then of our Saviour's example, who rendered the scenes of nature a theme of instruction, we may be permitted, in the application of this discourse, to consider the healing influence of the Fountain in this place, in a spiritual sense. The chief object of the discourse itself will be, First, to inquire into what may have been the design of instituting the miracle of the healing waters at Jerusalem. And, Secondly, To shew that these waters, which healed the diseases of the body, were an emblem of the influ urn, and the solemnity was called '97 710 Nisuk Ham-maim, the pouring out of water. In the Gemara it is inquired, "Whence was this custom?" The answer: "From the words of the prophet, Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation."-Talmud Babyl. fol. 48. 2. * It is a remarkable fact, that the spiritual import of drawing water from Siloam was understood, and has been acknowledged and recorded by the Rabbins. כיח שאבה Why is Siloam called Beth Suaba, the place of a draught? Answer: D'UN DVI p Because, thence they draw the Holy Spirit."-Talmud Hierosol. in Succah, fol. 55., The Jews of this day might derive a strong confirmation of the truth of the Gospel, if they would read their own ancient Tur gums. It is to be noticed that Siloam and Shiloh, another name for Christ, are distinct words derived from different roots. They have no relation to each other. 1 |