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that was done by our Lord, he was perplexed." He said, "John have I beheaded, but who is this?" Great and powerful as he was, the tidings of our Lord's ministry called his sins to remembrance, and disturbed him even in his royal palace. Surrounded as he was by everything which is considered to make life enjoyable, the report of another preacher of righteousness filled him with alarm. The recollection of his own wickedness in killing John the Baptist flashed on his mind. He knew he had done He felt guilty, self-condemned, and self-dissatisfied. Faithful and true is that saying of Solomon's, "The way of transgressors is hard." (Prov. xiii. 15.) Herod's sin had found him out. The prison and the sword had silenced John the Baptist's tongue, but they could not silence the voice of Herod's inward man. God's truth can neither be silenced, nor bound, nor killed.

wrong.

Conscience is a most powerful part of our natural constitution. It cannot save our souls. It never leads a man to Christ. It is often blind, and ignorant, and misdirected. Yet conscience often raises a mighty testimony against sin in the sinner's heart, and makes him feel that "it is an evil and a bitter thing" to depart from God. Young persons ought especially to remember this, and, remembering it, to take heed to their ways. Let them not flatter themselves that all is right, when their sins are past, and done, and forgotten by the world. Let them know that conscience can bring up each sin before the eyes of their minds, and make it bite like a serpent. Millions will testify at the last day that Herod's experience was their own. Conscience called old sins from their graves, and made them walk up and down in their

hearts. In the midst of seeming happiness and prosperity they were inwardly miserable and distressed. Happy are they who have found the only cure for a bad conscience! Nothing will ever heal it but the blood of Christ.

Let us mark, secondly, the importance to Christians of occasional privacy and retirement. We are told, that when the apostles returned from their first ministerial work, our Lord "took them and went aside privately into a desert place." We cannot doubt that this was done with a deep meaning. It was meant to teach the great lesson that those who do public work for the souls of others, must be careful to make time for being alone with God.

The lesson is one which many Christians would do well to remember. Occasional retirement, self-inquiry, meditation, and secret communion with God, are absolutely essential to spiritual health. The man who neglects them is in great danger of a fall. To be always preaching, teaching, speaking, writing, and working public works, is, unquestionably, a sign of zeal. But it is not always a sign of zeal according to knowledge. It often leads to untoward consequences. We must make time occasionally for sitting down and calmly looking within, and examining how matters stand between our own selves and Christ. The omission of the practice is the true account of many a backsliding which shocks the Church, and gives occasion to the world to blaspheme. Many could say with sorrow, in the words of Canticles, "They made me keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard have I not kept.” (Cant. i. 6.)

Let us mark, lastly, in this passage, our Lord Jesus

Christ's readiness to receive all who came to Him. We are told, that when the multitude followed Him into the desert, whither He had retired, "he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing." Unmannerly and uninvited as this intrusion on His privacy seems to have been, it met with no rebuff from our Lord. He was always more ready to give instruction than people were to ask it, and more willing to teach than people were to be taught.

But the incident, trifling as it may seem, exactly tallies with all that we read in the Gospels of the gentleness and condescension of Christ. We never see Him dealing with people according to their deserts. We never find Him scrutinizing the motives of His hearers, or refusing to allow them to learn of Him, because their hearts were not right in the sight of God. His ear was always ready to hear, and His hand to work, and His tongue to preach. None that came to Him were ever cast out. Whatever they might think of His doctrine, they could never say that Jesus of Nazareth was "an austere man."

Let us remember this in all our dealings with Christ about our own souls. We may draw near to Him with boldness, and open our hearts to Him with confidence. He is a Saviour of infinite compassion and lovingkindness. He will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax. The secrets of our spiritual life may be such as we would not have our dearest friends know. The wounds of our consciences may be deep and sore, and require most delicate handling. But we need not fear anything, if we commit all to Jesus, the Son of God.

We shall find that His kindness is unbounded. His own words shall be found abundantly true: "I am meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest to your souls." (Matt. ii. 29.)

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Let us remember this, finally, in our dealing with other people, if we are called upon to give them help about their souls. Let us strive to walk in the steps of Christ's example, and, like Him, to be kind, and patient, and always willing to aid. The ignorance of young beginners in religion is sometimes very provoking. are apt to be wearied of their instability, and fickleness, and halting between two opinions. But let us remember Jesus, and not be weary. He "received all," spake to all, and did good to all. Let us go and do likewise. As Christ deals with us, so let us deal one with another.

NOTES. LUKE IX. 7-11.

7.-[He was perplexed.] The Greek word so translated, is rendered, in Luke xxiv. 4., "much perplexed." In the only three other places where it is used in the New Testament, it is translated, doubted," or, was in doubt." (Acts ii. 12; v. 24; x. 17.)

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[Risen from the dead.] Let it be noted, that a resurrection from the dead is spoken of here, and in the following verses, as a thing which was commonly believed and acknowledged as true among the Jews. The notion, that the Jews, before Christ, knew nothing of a resurrection or another life, is utterly untenable.

9.—[I beheaded...I hear.] Let it be noted, that the Greek word for "I," is twice repeated in this verse. Alford thinks that the repetition "implies personal concern and alarm at the growing fame of Jesus."

10.-[He took them and went aside privately.] Let the words of Cecil, on this subject, be carefully weighed. "If a man would seriously set himself to work, he must retire from the crowd. He must not live in a bustle. If he is always driving through the business of the day, he will be so in harness, as not to observe the road he is going."

Again, he says; "I know not how it is that some Christians

can make so little of recollection and retirement. I find the spirit of the world a strong assimilating principle. I find it hurrying away minds in its wake, and sinking men among the dregs and filth of a carnal nature. Even my ministerial employment would degenerate into a mere following of my trade, and crying of my wares. I am obliged to withdraw myself regularly, and say to my heart, 'What are you doing? Where are you?'"

LUKE IX. 12-17.

12 And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve, and said unto him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals for we are here in a desert place.

13 But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people.

14 For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples,

Make them sit down by fifties in a company.

15 And they did so, and made them all sit down.

16 Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude.

17 And they did eat, and were all filled and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.

THE miracle described in these verses is more frequently related in the Gospels than any that our Lord wrought. There is no doubt a meaning in this repetition. It is intended to draw our special attention to the things which it contains.

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We see, for one thing, in these verses, a striking example of our Lord Jesus Christ's divine power. He feeds an assembly of five thousand men with five loaves and two fishes. He makes a scanty supply of victuals, which was barely sufficient for the daily wants of Himself and His disciples, satisfy the hunger of a company as large as a Roman legion. There could be no mistake about the reality and greatness of this miracle. It was done publicly, and before many witnesses. The same power which

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