When Je-sus saw what great faith they had, he spoke to the sick man, and said, Thy sins are for-giv-en thee. Some of the Scribes and Phar-i-sees who sat near said, but not out loud, Who is this that dares speak in this way? None but God can for-give sins. Je-sus knew their thoughts, and he said to them, Why think ye these things? Which could be said with the most ease, Thy sins be for-giv-en thee, or Rise up and walk? But to show you that I have pow-er to for-give sins, I will make him well. So he said to the sick man, Rise, take up thy bed, and go to thy house. And the man rose and stood on his feet, and took up the bed on which he had lain and went out and gave praise and thanks to God. And those who saw him were in a maze and said, We have seen strange things to-day. Now the Jews, as you know, were slaves of the Ce-sar of Rome, and to keep their peace with him they had to pay a tax. And the men to whom they paid the tax were known as pub-li-cans. Some of them were harsh and stern, and the Jews could not but hate them. But all were not so. And as Je-sus went by he saw one of these pub-li-cans with his gold and sil-ver close at hand. His name was Matth-ew. Je-sus spoke to him, and said, Come with me. And Matth-ew left all, and went with Je-sus, and from that time did all that he could to spread the good news, and to serve the Lord Christ. Af-ter this there was a feast of the Jews, and Je-sus went up to Je-ru-sa-lem. Now there was at Je-ru-sa-lem a pool, which was known as the Pool of Be-thes-da. And there were five courts, or door-ways, that led down to the pool. And in these courts lay a great crowd of folks who were sick, or blind, or lame. For this was the time of the year when an an-gel came to stir the pool. And it was thought that the one who went in-to the pool the first, when the an-gel had made it fresh and sweet, would be cured of all the ails that he might have. [Illustration: THE POOL OF BE-THES-DA.] And a man was there who had been sick for most two-score years. Je-sus saw him, and knew that he had been sick for a long time, and it made him sad to think of it. So he said to the man, Wilt thou be made well? The man said, I have no one to help me in-to the pool, for when I try to get down to it, some one steps in a-head of me and I am too late. Je-sus said to him, Rise, take up thy bed and walk. And at once the man was made well, and took up his bed, and walked. Now it was the Day of Rest. And the Jews, who were quick to find fault with those who broke the laws, said to the man when he came their way, It is not right for thee to move thy bed on this day. He said to them, he that made me well told me to take up my bed and walk. They said to him, Who was it told thee that? And the man did not know, and could not point Je-sus out to them, the crowd was so great. But ere the feast was at an end Je-sus met the man He had cured and said to him, Now thou art well, sin no more lest a worse thing come to thee.