Page images
PDF
EPUB

DISCOURSE XVII.

MATTHEW xiv. 1, 2.
Ì,

At that Time Herod the Tetrarch heard of the Fame of Jefus, and faid unto his Servants, This is John the Baptift, he is rifen from the Dead, and therefore mighty Works do fhew forth themselves in him.

*****

W *****

HETHER this Thought was first started by Herod himself, or no, is not very certain : The Accounts given of it by St. Matthew and St. Mark make it probable, that Herod was the firft who fuppofed Jefus to be that John Baptift rifen from the Dead, whom he had cruelly and wantonly

put

to Death in Prifon. St. Luke's Account makes the Cafe rather to be, that the feveral Reports and Opinions of others concerning Jefus, either that he was Elias, or one of the old Prophets, or John the Baptift from the Dead, were brought to Herod, and that he was Cc 3

in

in great Perplexity and Concern about them. But be this as it will, whether he imposed on himself, or was impofed on by others by this vain and improbable Story, yet evident it is, how far his Imagination was poffeffed, and his Reason weighed down by guilty Fear; and how eafily he believed whatever feemed to threaten that Punishment, which his Confcience told him was his Due. How came it to pafs, that, whilft others were bleffing themselves with the Hopes of having a great Prophet among them, Herod alone was perplexed and difmayed? or, when there were fuch various Accounts of this Perfon, fome faying that he was Elias, others that he was one of the old Prophets, and others that he was John the Baptift, how came Herod to take up with the most improbable Account of all, and for which there was not the leaft Foundation? The Jews had from ancient Prophecies, however mistaken, an Expectation that Elias fhould come, or some of the old Prophets; and those who were of that Opinion were in the common. Error, which was countenanced by Tradition, and the prevailing Interpretation of the Prophecies. To their Expectation the Character and Perfon of our Bleffed Saviour did very well anfwer: He was a Preacher

of

of Righteousness, and mighty in Signs and Wonders: Such was Elias, fuch were the old Prophets: They had read of them, what they now faw performed by Jefus ; and, their Perfuafion being allowed them, that Elias, or one of the old Prophets should come, the Words and Works of Jefus tended extremely to confirm them in the Opinion that he was the Person whom they expected. But with respect to John the Baptift the Cafe is quite otherwife; there was no Ground to build this Imagination on; there was neither Tradition nor Prophecy to support it: John indeed was a juft Man, and a Preacher of Righteousness, and had been barbarously murdered; and fo had many before him, who never returned again from their Graves, and what better Reason was there to expect that he should? Befides, fuppofe it probable that he was to come, yet ftill it was improbable that this was the Perfon: Their Characters and Offices were very different; John went about baptizing, but we are told exprefsly that Jefus baptized no Man: Jefus wrought many Miracles, but of John it is recorded in holy Writ that he wrought no Miracle. But Herod minded none of these Things; he had a Motive that weighed more with him on the other Side, a Motive which shut out all Reafon

Cc 4

Reason and Argument: It was his guilty Confcience told him this was John the Baptist. He had murdered the holy Man, to please a lewd Woman; and no fooner did he hear that there was one in the Country who wrought Miracles, but he concluded the Baptift was come from the Grave, armed with Power to take Vengeance for his Iniquities, and his own Wrongs. This is John the Baptift, fays Herod: He is rifen from the Dead, and therefore mighty Works do fker forth themfelves in him.

The Ufe I intend to make of this Paffage of holy Scripture is to fet before you fuch Confiderations as naturally arise from it, and are proper for the Government and Direction of ourselves. And,

Firft, You may obferve from hence the great Force and Efficacy of Conscience.

It is reasonable to fuppofe, that if God intended Men for his own Service, and defigned them for another State of Happiness and Misery after this Life, according to their good or ill Behaviour in it, that he fhould make himself known to them by fome clear and plain Manifeftation; and promulge the Laws, which were to be the Rule of their Obedience, in fuch Manner that all fhould know and acknowledge their Duty. Were

Men

« PreviousContinue »