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see every day, and instead of rendering due honour and respect to those of their own connections or acquaintances, whose position and attainments entitle them to it, they are too often disposed to depreciate and underrate them. Jesus did not find any exception to this in his own case: during the days of his flesh, he had to bear the incessant storms and buffetings of the evil passions of our fallen nature.

to his servants affords a striking illustration of the power of conscience. Herod had put John in prison to relieve himself from his faithful rebukes, but he could not imprison his own conscience, which acted as a witness against him, whose accusations he could not suppress. The latter part of the second verse might more strictly be rendered thus -"Therefore the powers, i. e. the heavenly powers, or the powers of another world, from which he supposed that John had returned, are acting in him;" for if duvaus, in the original, signifies "mighty works," the verb which should follow it ought rather to have been in the passive than in the active voice. It is evident, from the language attributed to Herod, that he did not refer to the doctrine of the transmigration of souls, but simply supposed that John himself had risen from the dead. Even Herod believed in a resur

The chapter concludes by telling us that he did not many mighty works there, because of their unbelief. He did some, because of his own mercy and compassion for the distressed. But their minds were so blocked up by prejudice against the admission of that evidence which it was the object of his miracles to supply, that he did not perform any more miracles than what were necessary to prevent their infidelity from being attributed to any defect of evidence. Their un-rection; for an orthodox faith and a wicked belief prevented him from displaying more of his power. Thus, in spiritual things, it is unbelief that prevents the soul from experiencing the power and tasting the mercy of God.

CHAPTER XIV.

Account of the Death of John the Baptist.

1. At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus, 2. And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist: he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.

Herod, who is here mentioned, was Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great. He had only a fourth part of the dominions of his father, and he is hence called the Tetrarch. It is supposed that he was absent at Rome during the first year of Christ's ministry, and that he was so occupied with wars on his return, that he did not hear of the fame of Jesus until the third year of his ministry. The atmosphere of courts and palaces is not in itself congenial with true piety. Hence it too often happens that princes only hear of the fame of Jesus, whilst they have no personal or experimental acquaintance with his saving power. The observation of Herod

life may often co-exist in the same person. In the supposition of John's having risen from the dead, Herod does reverence to his character. Those that persecute the people of God shall, sooner or later, be led to look back upon them with respect; and if they have not principle enough to lead them to do justice to their characters while living, fear and the remorse of conscience will con

strain them to reverence their memories

after their death.

3. For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife.

4. For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.

5. And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.

The Evangelist here introduces a parenthetical narrative of the death of John the Baptist. Herodias, who is here mentioned, was daughter of Aristobulus and Bernice, and grand-daughter of Herod the Great. Her first husband was her uncle Philip, by whom she had a daughter, who was, most probably, the one who is said in this chapter to have danced before Herod. Herodias left her husband Philip, to live with Herod.

They were therefore guilty of adultery and of incest, and of violating the law of God in Lev. xviii. 16. The Baptist, therefore, who was a man sent from God to declare his will, reproved Herod for this wickedness, and said" It is not lawful for thee to have

power

an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask.

8. And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist's head in a charger.

We have here a memorable and revolting instance of the awful lengths to which lust and cruelty and revenge, will carry the sinful nature of man. Herodias was determined

which she chose for accomplishing her purpose was on Herod's birth-day, which was celebrated with feasting, according to the practice of kings. There is nothing wrong in commemorating the days of our nativity, which put us in mind of the goodness of God, which has preserved us hitherto, and of the lapse of our present life. The humble Christian, however, will keep such days with prayer and self-examination, with solemn reflections upon his past history, and with a pious and serious dedication of the remainder of his life to the service of God. Herod

her." The law of God makes no exceptions in favour of the high and noble. Princes have no peculiar dispensation or indulgence to violate its commands, but are as much bound by its requirements as the meanest of their subjects. We cannot fail to admire the plain, undaunted, and straightforward decision of character which is displayed in to effect, at some time or other, the murder this reproof of the Baptist. His fidelity of the Baptist, as a sacrifice to her inveteand courage were so strong, that he disre-rate and implacable resentment. The time garded entirely the consequences which his language was likely to bring upon himself. He was more anxious to avoid the displeasure of God, than the vengeance of Herod, and therefore no feelings of false prudence, or policy, no fear of the with which the king was invested, prevented him from stating the truth without hesitation. We here find that where reproof does not profit, it provokes. The manner in which Herod resented it is here stated "He laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison." The wicked always look upon those who oppose their sinful pleasures as their greatest enemies. In this case, too, Herod was not only exasverated in his own mind at the rebuke of the Baptist, but he was further instigated to take vengeance by the suggestions of Herodias. A weak prince, under the influence of a wicked woman, is capable of performing the most unjust and iniquitous actions. In this instance his passion would have led him to kill the Baptist at once, but he feared the multitude, because they counted John as a prophet. Popular opinion is often a useful and salutary check upon the wickedness of evil princes, who are generally governed by policy instead of principle, yet in this case it only afforded a temporary barrier against sin. How sad is the moral condition of that sovereign who fears his own subjects more than God!

6. But when Herod's birth-day was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod.

7. Whereupon he promised with

kept his birth-day with sinful and licentious revelry. And on this occasion, we are told, the daughter of Herodias danced before him and pleased him, when he promised to give her whatsoever she would ask. Men of sensuality are generally prodigal and reckless in their promises; their prudence deserts them in the hour of thoughtless and sinful amusement. As soon as Herod had given this promise, and acompanied it with an oath, in order to convince her of his sincerity, the daughter of Herodias consulted her mother, and by her instigation’asked for the head of John the Baptist in a charger, or in a large dish. The depravity of the daughter seems to have been as great as that of the mother. How readily do children imbibe the evil principles, and imitate the evil practices of their parents! So true it is, that the soil of our corrupt nature will bear the congenial weeds of depravity without labour, whilst the fruits of the Spirit can only be produced as the result of divine cultivation.

9. And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake,

and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given

her.

when so wicked an advantage was taken of it,

should not have been kept. If the frightful

enormity of the request which was made of him had awakened his mind to a train of sa

10. And he sent, and beheaded lutary reflection, he should have argued that

John in the prison.

11. And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mo

ther.

As it was stated in verse 5 that Herod would have put John to death before this if he had not feared the people, perhaps his sorrow on this occasion only arose from an unwillingness to shed blood on his birthday, which might have been considered unlucky, or from an apprehension that he might still exasperate the people by such an act. His mind, too, may have recoiled with sorrow from the request, from a conviction of the integrity of the Baptist's character, and a consciousness of the enormity of the sin which he was solicited to commit. It is seldom that the moral sense is so completely extinguished, even in the minds of the most profligate and depraved, as that the first proposal to violate the rules of rectitude and virtue will not create at least a transient and momentary gleam of regret. The sorrow of the king, however, was soon overcome. A regard to his oath, and to those who sat at meat with him, led him to comply with the sinful request of the daughter of Herodias: the word is " oaths" in the plural number in the Greek, for he had probably sworn several times. Perhaps those who sat at meat with him secretly detested the Baptist themselves, and urged it as a point of honour that he should keep his word, and represented it to be an act of necessary politeness and gallantry not to refuse the request of a female. Such arguments as these will always prevail with a weak and dissolute sensualist, more than the claims of justice, or the principles of virtue. Perhaps, likewise, a recollection of the Baptist's faithful, though unwelcome reproofs, and a secret desire for revenge, together with his love for Herodias, contributed their influence in leading the king to resolve on a compliance with her request. The leading pretext, however, was a regard for his oath,-an oath which should never have been taken, and which,

his promise, which was expressed in a moment of heedless mirth, in general phraseology, should only be interpreted as referring to things that were lawful and correct, and that everything unlawful and incorrect should be looked upon as morally impossible. An oath which has been rashly taken, cannot be alleged as an excuse for the commission of a wicked and sinful action, for the obligation of the law of God which prohibits the latter is superior and prior to the self-imposed obligation of the former. If Herod had been a man of right principle, he would have regretted the thoughtlessness and want of consideration which he had displayed, and would have argued, that at the time he made the promise he took for granted that nothing sinful or unlawful would have been demanded, for there should be, in the case of all promises which are expressed in general language, an understood limitation to things lawful and right in the minds of all parties concerned. Herod, in keeping his promise under the circumstances of the case, was only giving a proof of his own imbecility of judgment, and depravity of principle.

It is said that Herod, having made up his mind, sent and beheaded John in the prison, and thus the birth-day of the tyrant became the day of the Baptist's nativity into a life of eternal bliss and joy! and whilst his spirit, emancipated from the sufferings and sorrows of his prison, was borne by angels into regions of rest and tranquillity and peace, his head was carried by the hands of his executioners to be presented as a sacrifice to the vengeance of his enemies, that they might feast their eyes, in malignant pleasure, upon the ghastly and bloody evidence that their reprover was no more! What an affecting illustration we have in this account of the murder of John, that nothing is more insatiable than the revenge of a wicked and abandoned woman; and that the lowest state of moral thraldom and degradation to which a man can be reduced, is when he allows himself to be made the instrument of its gratification.

12. And his disciples came and

took up the body, and buried it, i and went and told Jesus.

We cannot fail to admire the faithful devotion of John's disciples. Neither shame on account of his sufferings, nor fear of his cruel murderers, prevented them from paying the last mark of grateful respect which was in their power, to their departed Master. As soon as they had buried his body, they went and told Jesus. Thus, when we have lost a dear and valued friend, we should go to the Saviour, and spread our sorrows before him who is our great Highpriest, who is always touched with the feeling of our infirmities, and always ready to administer that comfort which we require.

Christ feeds Five Thousand Men.

13. When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities.

14. And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.

It was either when Jesus had heard of what Herod had said of him, as mentioned in the 2d verse, or of the death of John the Baptist, that he retired into a desert place, which is said in Luke ix. 10, to have been near Bethsaida. Bethsaida was on the eastern side of the sea of Galilee, in the government of the tetrarch of Trachonitis and Batanea, and was beyond Herod's jurisdic tion. To this place he went by ship, across a portion of the lake, while the people went round some miles on foot, and either forded the river Jordan, or crossed by a bridge, so as to come up to Christ near Bethsaida. Christ retired beyond the power of Herod on this occasion, to show to his people an example of prudence in avoiding danger. It is not cowardice, but wisdom, to fly from persecution, when the glory of God is to be promoted thereby. Besides, his hour was not yet come. He had much work to do before he gave himself up to the death that he was to accomplish at Jerusalem.

We have here another evidence of the tender compassion of the Saviour. mercy towards the needy and distressed could not be extinguished or restrained by any dangers or discouragements. When he saw a great multitude, he healed their sick. He would gladly have given them spiritual blessings with the same liberality, but these they did not look for; and therefore, rather than allow them to go away without some tokens of his mercy, he gives them temporal blessings; and he dispenses these with a freedom and compassion which should ever be regarded as a pledge of his constant readiness to bestow the riches of his grace upon all who ask for them in humility and faith.

15. And when it was evening, his

disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.

This verse introduces to our notice a miracle of a new kind, which consisted in

the Saviour's increasing a few loaves and fishes, so as to feed upwards of five thou sand persons. In reading the account of this wonderful transaction, we may feel at a loss whether more to admire the total absence of all appearance of effort on the part of Christ in the performance of it, or of all display and parade in the manner in which it is related. This great work, which all the intellectual and physical power of all men that ever lived would have been totally inadequate to the performance of, was achieved by Christ with perfect ease, and has been related by the Holy Spirit with the most unembellished simplicity. This miracle is related by all the Evangelists, a circumstance which shows how much their attention was arrested by it. It supplies us with an evident and irrefragable proof of the Saviour's possession of a power that could create and control creation, for it is totally impossible to imagine that there could have been the intervention of any natural cause in effecting the increase of the loaves and fishes.

After Jesus had retired into Bethsaida in Galilee, when the evening was come, his

disciples came to ask him to send the mul- | them. And thus, although the believer can titude away, that they might procure them- do nothing of himself, he can do all things selves victuals. This was a commendable through Christ which strengtheneth him. thoughtfulness on the part of our Lord's disciples, and one which shows that whilst the servants of Christ should principally attend to the spiritual wants of their fellowcreatures, they should still pay due regard and attention to their bodily and physical necessities.

46

a

Now the language of the disciples clearly shows that there was an occasion for the interference of Christ. They were all in desert place," where there was no opportunity of procuring a sufficient supply of food; and the time was "evening," when the people were hungry, having evidently fasted the entire day. We may here observe, that God does not interpose in an extraordinary way until ordinary means have failed. His great object is to exercise hope and desire before the blessing comes, and joy and gratitude after it has come; but unless we deeply and strongly feel our want of the blessing, neither desire nor gratitude can be fully exercised. We may also observe that as, although the disciples proposed the most obvious course, but one which was not the course that Christ

adopted, so God has many ways, besides that which appears the most probable to us, of relieving the wants of his people. The plan which first suggests itself to man may not be that which will most promote the glory

of God.

16. But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.

This appears, at first sight, to have been a very strange answer to the proposal of the disciples; but it was intended to prepare them for the miracle which Jesus had in contemplation, and which he thus introduces so unostentatiously. The command, "Give ye them to eat," would necessarily have the effect of leading them to see their own impotence and inability, and afterwards to contrast these with his power. Thus the more we are first made to feel our own weakness and ignorance, the more shall we afterwards value the wisdom and the strength of Christ. The result proves that the only way by which the disciples could obey this command, was by Christ doing what he directed them to do, through them and by

have here but five loaves, and two 17. And they say unto him, We fishes.

18. He said, Bring them hither

to me.

The disciples are not ashamed to confess their poverty to the Saviour. And in this we have an incidental specimen of the destitution of man. Small, indeed, and contracted are his resources: he cannot live

without a continued interposition of the pro

vidential care and kindness of God.

Christ desires the disciples to bring the loaves and fishes to him. His object is to mix them up as much as possible with the miracle, that they might have the more direct and satisfactory evidence of its reality. He may have also intended to show how he employs his people as fellow-workers with himself in his manifestations of mercy to the world. Whatever they can give, he requires from them; whatever they can do, he expects them to do. As soon as they loaves and fishes without hesitation. They received his directions, they brought the did not scruple or refuse to give for the use of others, what was even scarcely sufficient

for themselves. In this there was a cheerhowever, received back what they brought, ful and disinterested liberality. They soon, increased and multiplied by divine power. Thus what we give to Christ, he will restore sixty and a hundred-fold: " Every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundred-fold, and shall inherit everlasting life." Let us learn too, from the circumstance before us, that our poverty, if consecrated to the service of Christ, will, when accompanied with his blessing, have the effect of great wealth.

19. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and, looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and

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