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Herod, though in power, was governed by the fear of man. He would not be thought to have any tenderness of conscience, any dread of that Being of whom John had discoursed to him. He was afraid lest those who surrounded him should think that he favoured "a just man and a holy," who declared himself a prophet sent of God. So he complied with the cruel demand, and sent and beheaded John in the prison.

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This is not the only instance related in scripture, where persons in high stations are induced to act contrary to their better judgment, contrary even to their own inclinations, by their fear of man. Darius was betrayed by his courtiers so far as to pass a decree which led to the condemnation of Daniel, the object of their jealousy. The king was sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him."3 Nevertheless, being urged by the chief persons of the realm, "he commanded, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions."

So Pilate, in the case of our blessed Lord, most unwillingly consented to his execution. He was "afraid;" he openly declared that he was innocent of the blood of that just man, "and sought to release him;" but the Jews cried out, saying, "If thou let this man go, thou art not Cæsar's friend: whoscever maketh himself a king, speaketh against Cæsar." "When Pilate heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and delivered him unto them to be crucified." The conduct of all these three governors is the

3 Dan. vi. 14, &c.

4

John xiv. 1—12.

same. They all saw cause to venerate those, whom the people required them to deliver up to death: they all saw, that in consenting to gratify the people, they were acting cruelly and unjustly; and they had an indistinct view that they might draw upon themselves the anger of Him who is above all, King of kings and Lord of lords. Yet they all obeyed man rather than God, and preferred present interest to every future consideration.

Learn hence, what a poor creature is man, when he is not under the influence of the Holy Spirit. If reason could determine him, the reason of Herod, and of Pilate, and of Darius, was right; if conscience were sufficient, their conscience solemnly warned them on which side duty lay. But Darius feared his courtiers, and Pilate feared the emperor of Rome, and Herod feared the opinion of those who sat at meat with him: and their worldly fears were stronger than conscience or reason.

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The Holy Spirit, which strengthens all that "seek first the kingdom of God," can alone endue a man with power to obey his reason and his conscience, to act a firm and consistent part, and to "overcome the world." And this it does through "the word of the truth of the gospel." For who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?" That faith alone supplies such motives and such means as effectually dispose and govern the heart, and enable it to "look not to the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eter

5

$ 1 John v. 5.

nal." That faith alone teaches us to discern what Herod could not discern, the objects which are really to be desired and sought, and the objects which are really to be feared and avoided.

LECTURE LXVII.

THE MIRACLES OF THE LOAVES AND FISHES.

MATT. xiv. 14-21.

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

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.

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.

18. He said, Bring them hither to me.

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.

20. And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.

21. And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.

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Need we wonder at this proof of power? He who performed the miracle, was he who was "with God in the beginning, and was God:" "by whom also he made the world."1 At the creation it had been said, "Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind; and let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life; and it was so.' There, at the creation, that was brought into existence which supplies man with food. Here, in this miracle, the food supplied to man was increased, its quantity enlarged, so that all did eat, and were filled; and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. The same sovereign will, the same almighty power which first produced the food, now augmented the food: so that the disciples were able to distribute the five loaves and the two fishes to five thousand men, beside women and children.

The miracle has left behind many fragments, which we are to gather for our instruction. One is, the example here afforded of the accomplishment of that promise from the Lord, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.' "3

These persons, for whom the miracle was wrought, had remained patiently with our Lord, till it was evening, and the time was past. In their earnestness, they had taken no thought for what was needful to the body. But the Lord knew the wants which they had not thought of, and provided for them before they felt their need. It was natural for the dis2 Gen. i. 11-20.

1

John i. 1, 2. Heb. i. 1.

3 Ch. vi. 33.

ciples to say, Send them away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals. But the event showed that they need not depart; need not leave him who was giving them heavenly instruction, in order to provide for temporal necessities: and that "heaven and earth shall pass away," sooner than one jot or one tittle of his promises shall fall to the ground.

It is FAITH, to receive this: practical faith, to receive it not only as a truth to be acknowledged, but as a fact to be acted on. The prophet acted upon it, who advised king Amaziah to dismiss the army of Israel which he had engaged to assist him in war, and to which he had paid wages in advance. * The prophet revealed to the king the will of God in this matter: he was not to employ them: "for the Lord is not with Israel." "But Amaziah said to the man of God, What shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel?" Shall I consent to forfeit the sum which I have paid? "And the man of God answered, The Lord is able to give thee much more than this." Amaziah took the prophet's counsel, and with half the forces put to flight his enemy.

The poor widow acted on the same principle, when she cast her last farthing into the treasury: 5 i. e. gave it to the service of God. She might have argued with herself, How shall a widow woman find bread, who has expended her last mite? But she rather reasoned, like the prophet, "The Lord is able to give me much more than this." If he is with me,

I have all things; if I displease him, all things will

be as nothing to me.

4 2 Chron. xxv. 9.

5 Mark xii. 42.

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