him in trouble. I will deliver him and honour bim. With long life will I fatisfy him, and shew him my falvation (1). In the pfalm from which the text is taken, no less clearly than in that which has recently been quoted, a greater than David prefents himself. I have fet the Lord always before me. Because he is on my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my beart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: My flesh alfo fhall reft in hope. For thou wilt not leave my foul in bell: neither wilt thou fuffer thy holy One to fee corruption. Thou wilt fhew me the path of life. In thy prefence is fulness of joy and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore. In Jefus the Saviour, in the Son of God become man, in Him who alone was by nature without fin, in Him who alone was perfect in obedience to the will of his Father; these promises received a literal accomplishment. His Father fuftained Him in His anguish. His foul speedily returned from the abode of departed fpirits. His body faw not corruption. He afcended, as man, to everlasting life, to the presence of God, to unchangeable bleffedness, to the Mediatorial throne of the univerfe. But through the atonement of his (4) Pf. xci. 14-16. blood blood the promises are fubftantially extended to every individual among his faithful followers. The true Christian, like his Mafter, muft fuffer: but, like his master, he looks to God, and is fupported. His body must see corruption. The child of Adam must bear the full penalty of temporal death. - He must return unto the duft from whence he was taken. He fhall fay to corruption, Thou art my father: to the worm, Thou art my mother and my fifter (m). Yet his heart is glad and his glory rejoiceth: his flesh alfo fhall reft'in hope. For though worms deftroy this body; yet in his flefh fhall be fee God. For this corruptible fhall put on incorruption; this mortal fball put on immortality (n). He fhall behold the path of life. He fhall hear the voice of his Redeemer; "Becaufe I live, thou shalt "live alfo (o)." He shall meet the Lord in the air. He fhall afcend to the prefence of God. He fhall ftand before the Moft High juftified and accepted in the righteousness of Chrift. He shall enter into blifs; into blifs that fadeth not away; the blifs of angels, to whom he is made equal; the blifs of the children of God in the light of the glory of God and of the Lamb (p). He fhall be with (m) Job, xvii. 14. (n) Job, xix. 26. 1 Cor. xv. 53. (p) Luke, xx. 36. Rev. xxi. 23. T2 Chrift, Christ, he shall be for ever with the Lord, and behold his glory, and fee him as he is, face to face, and be like unto him (g). He hath overcome: and he fhall fit with Chrift on His throne, even as Christ also overcame, and is fet down with His Father on His throne. He shall reign with Christ for ever and ever (r). (9) John, xii. 26. xvii. 24. 1 Theff. iv. 17. 1 John, iii. 2. 1 Cor. xiii. 12. (r) Rev. iii. 21. xxii. 5. 2 Tim. ii. 12. SERMON XIII. On the Character of Herod Antipas MARK, vi. 16. When Herod beard thereof, he faid; It is John, whom I beheaded: he is rifen from the dead. AT the time of which the Evangelift is speaking, the fame of Jefus Christ had diffused itself over the land of Judea. Multitudes had feen the wonderful works which he had performed. Thofe who had not seen. them had heard of them. The fick whom he had healed, the blind, the deaf, and the dumb whom he had restored, filled every part of the country with their gratitude and praises. "But who is he," demanded the people "by whom thefe figns and wonders are wrought?" This queftion was varioufly anfwered. Some affirmed our Lord to be the promifed Saviour. Others conceived that he was one of the ancient prophets returned to life. Others imagined that he was a meffenger of God like unto the prophets of old. But all men plainly difcerned that he exercised powers out of the common course of nature; and that he must have been fent upon earth for fome very interesting purpose. Accounts of these fingular events foon reached the palace of Herod Antipas (a); and came fo frequently repeated, and fo ftrongly confirmed, that it was impoffible not to credit them. The king, however, concluded that the Jews were led aftray by erroneous conjectures refpecting Jefus Chrift; and felt affured that he was himself able to pronounce who this extraordinary perfon was. It is John, faid he, whom Ibeheaded. He is rifen from the dead. Herod, in defiance of the Mofaic law, had contracted a marriage with Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. John the Baptist, whom God had ordained to be a preacher of -righteoufnefs, and had commiffioned to call (a) He was fon to that Herod who is memorable for the flaughter of Bethlehem; and fucceffor to part of his domi nions. |