She did this that her mother might be satisfied that her wish had been executed, and might enjoy the malicious pleasure of beholding the head of her enemy. 12. And his disciples came and took up the body; and buried it; and went and told Jesus. 13. When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence, by ship, into a desart place apart; and when the people had heard thereof they followed him on foot, rather," by land," out of the cities: for many were infirm and not able to walk. It was not when Jesus heard of the death of John that he departed thence: for that was an event which had happened long before this time; and the whole of this story is to be considered as a digression and included in a parenthesis; but when he heard what was said of him in the court of Herod, he withdrew out of his do minions, that he might be out of his reach. REFLECTIONS. This short story contains much useful instruction. 1. The integrity and courage of John the Baptist, in reproving Herod for his crimes, give us a high opinion of his character, and are well worthy of imitation. By overlooking or extenuating this fault in the conduct of the king, he might still have enjoyed his favour, and perhaps have obtained preferment at his court; but John was more concerned about discharging his duty than promoting his own private interests: he thought that he ought not to neglect a favourable opportunity of doing good, by endeavouring to reclaim from his vices a man whose example had such an extensive influence: he ventured to perform the office of true friendship, by labouring to deliver a friend (for such Herod had once shewn himself) from the guilt of sin. For this act of fidelity and disinterested benevolence, he is rewarded first with imprisonment and afterwards with death. We may lament his want of success, and perhaps be ready to condemn his presumption, in imagining that a great prince would listen to the reproofs of an individual; but his life, which was lost by this means, was not an useless sacrifice: his conduct afforded to the world an unquestionable and striking proof of his integrity, and hereby confirmed the truth of all his former declarations. The testimony of John to his own divine mission, and to that of his superior and master, received almost as much support from the manner of his death as it would have done from mira cles. Let the ministers of religion learn to imitate the example of John, by reproving, rebuking and exhorting all within the reach of their influence, whatever their rank or condition may be. To court the favour of the great, by flattering their vices and extenuating their faults, would be to betray a sacred trust, and degrade their characters; and although, by integrity and plainness, they may rather provoke resentment than produce reformation, yet their conduct shall not go with out a reward. The evils and losses which they may sustain from men shall be more than compensated by the favour of God and the happiness of a future life. 2. In the fears and suspicions of Herod, we see the power of conscience to make men in the most exalted condition miserable. He had put John to death, and hereby delivered himself, as he imagined, from the most dangerous foe to his peace. There was no longer any voice to reproach him for his incestuous connection; and he hoped to enjoy the fruits of his crime without molestation: but there was an enemy, which he had stirred up within his own bosom, which he could not so easily subdue: it continually represented to him the enormous nature of his wickedness, in putting to death an innocent and excellent man: it warned him to prepare for some signal punishment which divine justice would inflict upon his guilty head. In this state of his mind, he gives easy credit to an improbable report that prevailed among the multitude, that the person whom he had unjustly destroyed was raised from the dead, and was coming to expose his murderer to public shame. Let us beware, my brethren, that we do not provoke conscience to be our enemy, by opposing its dictates. From the moment when we do this we may date the loss of our tranquillity: no condition, however exalted, no pleasures, however great and long continued, will save us from the reproaches of our own minds, or render us easy and contented. 3. Let us learn from the dreadful example of Herod, to take care that we do not make light of oaths. They are solemn appeals to heaven for the truth of what we assert, and an imprecation of the divine vengeance upon ourselves; or, which is the same thing, relinquishing the divine favour, if we are guilty of falsehood. To use such declarations upon light occasions, without thought or reflection, must necessarily involve us in the guilt of perjury. He that swears often in a discourse must often swear falsely, and either expose himself to the shame of acknowledging that he has done so, or, by endeavouring to avoid it, be guilty of a double crime, as Herod was. Let us learn to reverence an oath, and never to use it but when the interests of society require it. With respect to all other oaths, we ought to keep in mind the words of our Lord, Swear not at all. 4. The occasion on which Herod was guilty of this rash oath, and of the consequences which followed from it, may teach us caution. It was at a public entertainment, when his spirits were exhilarated with company, and his understanding probably disordered with wine. It is at such times that men still say and do things Nn which, in the moments of sober reflection, they see reason to be ashamed of: it is then they make declarations or enter into engagements which they have occasion to lament as long as they live. Happy is the man who can guard himself against every degree of intemperance, and who, in the most chearful moments of life, never goes beyond the bounds of truth and duty: he saves himself from much painful regret, and he preserves the tranquillity of his mind undisturbed. 5. The conduct of Herodias may teach us the blindness and savage nature of malice. Herod, in a transport of delight, promised to bestow upon her daughter whatever she should ask; and no doubt she might have obtained for her child great wealth or great honour: but she sacrifices her ambition and love of riches to her resentment, and desires that she may have in a dish the head of John the Baptist: a horrid and useless present to any one else, but highly acceptable to her, because it gratified her hatred, which she had indulged so long that it had destroyed all the tenderness of female nature, and transformed her into a fiend taking pleasure in the sight of human blood. Matthew xiv. 14. to the end. 14. And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them; and he healed their sick. He had retreated to this desert place for the sake of retirement and rest: but the benevolence of his temper would not allow him to behold human creatures afflicted with disease, without giving them his assistance. 15. And when it was evening, or, "the evening coming on," his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desart place, and the time is now past: send the multitude away, that they may go into villages and buy themselves victuals. By "the time," is meant the time of making the chief meal in that country, which was called supper, and eaten after the heat of the day began to abate. 16. But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart : give ye them to eat. 17. And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves and two fishes. me. 18. He said, Bring them hither to 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 gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. It was usual with the Jews, before they ate bread, to thank or bless God for bestowing it upon them: this custom Christ approved, and adopted in his own practice. This was called a blessing among them, because the form of address began with the words "blessed be God:" with us it is called a grace, because the first word of this form in Latin was gratias. 20. And they did all eat and were filled; and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets-full. |
