SERMON IV.

CLASS II. DEFECT IN PRACTICE.

SECTION I.

HEROD ANTIPAS.

For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man, and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly. Mark vi. 20. See also ver. 14—28.

And when Herod saw Jesus he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. Luke xxiii. 8. and see to ver. 11.

NEXT to religious profession in the life proceeding from false and deceitful principle, is religious influence on the character enfeebled and terminated by unholy practice; by an allowed commencement, and gradually increasing indulgence, and finally habitual addiction, to do iniquity. These are the two most fatal impediments, and the two most manifest and undeniable, by which many who seem to be religious, at least for a season, are prevented from attaining to the saving knowledge of the truth, and at length go out from the Church of the Lord and Saviour, because they are not of it. The first of these defects, a defective principle, we have noticed in the instance of Simon, and that of Ananias and Sapphira. The second we have now to

consider, in the affecting account that is given us of Herod Antipas, or the second Herod.

He is twice introduced to our notice :

I. First, in connection with John the Baptist.

II. Secondly, in connection with Christ himself. And in both these occasions, considerable light is thrown upon his character, and he is placed before us

In an interesting and promtsing
And yet in an awful and criminal

point of view.

I. Let us begin by observing what is said of him in connection with John the Baptist.

And first, we shall find in it some features of character of a promising and interesting kind.

1. He "feared" or reverenced "John."

2. He discriminated his character that he was a "just and a holy man."

3. He took the pains to "observe" him.

4. He heard him" it is said:-by which no doubt it is intended, that he heard him at different opportunities preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For we know what it was that John preached, "Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world."*

5. He heard him "gladly:"-there was a taste, a liking for the word; although we know it was a word

* John i. 29. + Matt. iii. 2.

of austerity, for the preaching of John was, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

6. He "did many things:"-perhaps, in the exercise of his kingly power, suppressed a deal of iniquity; encouraged the mission and baptism of John; gave up a good many sinful pursuits and indulgences, and reformed, in a good degree, both the conduct of himself and his people. Moreover, when he was betrayed by Herodias to consent to the Baptist's death, even in the circumstances of that transgression, great as it was, we find three other favourable points in his character.

7. He was "exceeding sorry" for John, and for

what he had done to him.

8. He showed a religious reverence for the "oath" he had rashly made.

9. And when he afterwards heard of the fame of Christ, he discovered the pain of his conscience and strong compunction, or at least remorse, when he said of him: It is certainly " John that I beheaded :" he is risen from the dead."

Now certainly these are most favourable points in his character. Certainly they show that the Baptist had been a messenger of God to him, and had been owned by the Holy Spirit to make great impression upon him. Time of course will not allow us to speak upon each of these points particularly, though it would have been profitable for us. But take them collec tively, and we may make on them two remarks.

1. In the first place we learn from them, that as much, or even a lesser degree than this, of serious impression, and inward experience, and outward conduct,

is often mistaken by sincere, but light, and untaught disciples, for saving conversion, and for all that the Lord requireth of them.

Is not this the case, brethren? You reverence religion. You reverence the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the ministers and people of Christ, who declare it, and exhibit its spirit to the world. But you do not personally receive and obey it, or conform to its precepts your life and your conversation. You closely observe and rightly estimate their character, and when, like the Baptist, they are just and holy, you acknowledge them to be so: but you do not struggle to attain by the same grace, to be just and holy too. You hear them point you to the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world; and you do not, like some do, discover an enmity to their preached word, but you hear them gladly but it is as you would hear the " things without life giving sounds, whether pipe or harp, without distinction in the sounds; as the sounding brass or the tinkling cymbal." They are as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument :-for you hear their words but you keep them not.”* Like Herod, too, you do many things. You have your outward reformation. You have left off many a sin you could spare to part with. You are toiling through many a duty you can afford to do. Like Herod, you have your compunctions; your stirrings of conscience; your solemn impressions; your regard to sacred obligations: you cannot fall into transgression without a conviction of guilt and subsequent uneasiness for it.

But is this conversion? Surely. not, brethren. What then is it? It is only a conviction that you ought to attain to it. It is only a reverence and value * 1 Cor. xiv. 7.-xiii. 1. Ezek. xxxiii. 32.

D

for truth: but not a personal experience, not a personal enjoyment of its inward power in the heart. It is a thinking about conversion: it is a hearing about it: yea, perhaps we may say, it is a caring about it. But certainly this is not the having and enjoying it: no more than a man possesses some personal accomplishment, because he admires it in others: no more than he possesses a treasure because he desires to obtain it. Is it then all that the Lord requireth? Surely not. It is not the outward ear which he requireth, nor the mental conviction, nor the occasional desire, Let me die the death of the righteous; but it is the actual and positive realization of the inward conversion of the heart. The workings of thought, the stirrings of conscience, the performance of duties, and the desires of áttainment are nothing, except as they lead to a radical change within; except as they sanctify and draw the affections; except as they bring us to obey that injunction which the Father has given us; and which he has commended to us by the exhibition of his redeeming love in Jesus Christ; and which he has promised to work in us, if we seek it, by the power of his Spirit; my son, or my daughter, give me thine heart.

2. But secondly, we may remark, from this part of the character of Herod, that whenever any are in such a state of strong but ambiguous and imperfect religious influence, it is very frequently the critical moment of their life, upon which the great question depends, whether or not they shall ever be born again. Such persons are not, perhaps, far from the kingdom of God. It is the turning point of their character; an even balance as it were, which of the scales shall rise or fall; the scale of sin and of the world, or the scale of grace and conversion.

It was so with Herod. He seems to have been in