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It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife. Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him, but she could not. For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man, and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly. And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet. But when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birth-day made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee, and when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee. And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom. And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist. And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou give me here by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist. And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath's sake, and for their sakes which sat with him at meat, he would not reject her, but commanded it to be given her. And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went, and beheaded him in the prison, and brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel brought it and gave it to her mother. And when his disciples heard of it, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb and went and told Jesus.

How dreadful a thing is it to have a guilty and accusing conscience! and how remarkable was the force of it in the instance before us! Herod was a king, yet it addressed him in language of terror, and made itself heard and felt amidst all the hurries and flatteries of a court. Vain was the power of a prince; vain the caresses of a favourite mistress, basely gratified with the blood of a prophet; and vain the yet more

besotting tenets of a Sadducee. In one instance at least a resurrection shall be believed; and if a prophet arise in Israel, Herod shall be among the first to say, It is John the Baptist, risen from the dead; and shall be ready to forbode the sad effects of his recovered life, and to prognosticate evil to himself from the mighty works he performed. Let us make it our care to preserve a conscience void of offence, that instead of a continual torment, it may be to us a continual feast!

And if we really desire to preserve it, let us take heed that we be not excessively transported with the entertainments of life, or rashly enter into engagements which perhaps may plunge us into some degree of guilt, whether they be performed or violated.

We see, in this dreadful instance of Herodias, what an implacable degree of malice may arise in the hearts of sinners on being reproved for the most scandalous and mischievous vices. Instead of owning the obligation to one that would have plucked her as a brand out of the burning, she thirsts insatiably for his blood and chooses rather to indulge her cruelty and revenge in taking away his life, than to gratify her avarice and ambition in demanding a gift that might have been equal to the half of a kingdom.

But how mysterious was that providence, which left the life of so holy a man in such infamous hands, and permitted it to be sacrificed to the malice of an abandoned harlot, to the petulancy of a vain girl, and to the rashness of a foolish and perhaps an intoxicated prince, who made the prophet's head the reward of a dance! The ways of God are unsearchable ! but we are sure he can never be at a loss to repay his servants in another world for the greatest sufferings they endure in this, and even for life itself, when given up in his cause.

We may reasonably conclude, that death could never be an unseasonable surprise to this excellent saint. When the executioner came into the prison by night, perhaps breaking in upon his slumbers, and executed his bloody commission almost as soon as he declared it, a soul like his might welcome the stroke, as the means of liberty and glory; assured that the transient agony of a moment would transmit it to a kingdom where the least of its inhabitants would be in holiness, honour, and felicity, superior to John in his most prosperous and successful state on earth.

His enemies might for a while insult over him, while his disciples were mingling their tears with his dust, and lamenting the residue of his days cut off in the midst. His death was precious in the sight of the Lord, and the triumphing of the wicked was short. So will he ere long plead the cause of all his injured people, and give a cup of trembling and astonish.

ment to those that have made themselves drunk with their blood. Let cruelty and tyranny do their worst, verily there is a reward for the righteous, verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth. (Psalm Iviii. 11.)

SECTION XXXIII.

MATTHEW XIV. 13–23.

MARK VI. 30-46. LUKE

IX. 10-17. JOHN VI. 1—15.

THE apostles, when they were returned, gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught.

And when Jesus heard of it, [that Herod had heard of his fame,] he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. And he took them, and departed thence by ship, and went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias, and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them. And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased. And Jesus went forth [out of the ship] up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh. When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he was moved with compassion towards them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd, and he received them; and began to teach them many things, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing.

And when the day was now far spent, his disciples, the twelve, came to him, saying, This is a desert, and the time is now far past, send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and buy themselves victuals; for

they have nothing to eat. But Jesus answered, and said unto them, They need not depart, give ye them to eat. And he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat? (And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.) Philip answered him, Two hundred penny-worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one may take a little. And his disciples said unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred penny worth of bread, and give them to eat? He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, one of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes; but what are they among so many? He said, Bring them hither to me. Now there was much grass in the place. And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass. And they did so, and made them all sit down. And they sat down in ranks by hundreds and by fifties in a company. Then he took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the multitude; and the two fishes he divided among them all, as much as they would. And they did all eat, and were all filled. When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, and of the fishes, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children. Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.

And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent the mu

And when he had sent the multitudes away, and perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again, and went himself alone up into a mountain apart to pray.

So evidently true is it that man liveth not by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God! (Matt. iv. 4.) How wonderful did the power of Christ appear in thus multiplying the food! and how amiable his compassion, in his affectionate concern for the relief of his necessitous followers! It is to be esteemed a great happiness when the ministers of the gospel have it in their power to assist men in their temporal as well as spiritual necessities: and it is peculiarly incumbent upon them thus to do good and communicate: for with such sacrifices from their hands God is peculiarly well pleased, and the success of their ministry may be greatly promoted by them. (Heb. xiii. 16.)

The disciples received from the hand of Christ the food they delivered to the people: and so should ministers be concerned that they may receive from Christ, what they dispense to others, as the bread of life, and that they also at the same time may live upon it, as the support of their own souls. How great an honour is it to be employed as stewards of the mysteries of God! Let not immoderate secular cares, let not the desire of worldly riches or greatness interrupt us in this blessed work! Christ withdrew from those who would have made him king: ill therefore does it become his disciples to pursue earthly grandeur; and most unworthy is it of his ministers to act as if his kingdom were of this world. May we learn in every state to be content. (Phil. iv. 11.) In want may we cheerfully trust Providence! In plenty, may we not wantonly abuse it! but learn, by his command of gathering up the fragments even of his miraculous feast, a wise frugality in the use of our enjoyments; that nothing may be lost, nor a reserve be wanting, by which the streams of future liberality may be fed.

When the day had been thus employed, Christ retired to a mountain to pray. Thus must secret devotion attend our public labours for the instruction and salvation of men, if we would secure that Divine blessing, without which, neither the most eloquent preaching, nor the most engaging and benevolent conduct, can command or promise success.

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