die as a fool dieth, his hands were bound, and his feet put into fetters; and as a man faileth before wicked men, so he fell, a true martyr to all intents and purposes; dying, though not for the profession of his faith, yet for the performance of his duty. However, though his work was soon done, it was done, and his testimony finished, for till then none of God's witnesses are slain. And God brought this good out of it, that hereby his disciples, who, while he lived, though in prison, kept close to him, now after his death heartily closed with Jesus Christ.
5. The disposal of the poor remains of this blessed saint and martyr. The head and body being separated,
(1.) The damsel brought the head in triumph to her mother, as a trophy of the victories of her malice and revenge, v. 11. Jerome ad Ruffin. relates, that when Herodias had John the Baptist's head brought her, she gave herself the barbarous diversion of pricking the tongue with a needle, as Fulvia did Tully's. Note, Bloody minds are pleased with bloody sights, which those of tender spirits shrink and tremble at. Sometimes the insatiable rage of bloody persecutors has fallen upon the dead bodies of the saints, and made sport with them, Ps. 79. 2. When the witnesses are slain, they that dwell on the earth rejoice over them, and make merry, Rev. 11. 10. Ps. 14. 4, 5.
(2.) The disciples buried the body, and brought the news in tears to our Lord Jesus. The disciples of John had fasted often while their master was in prison, their bridegroom was taken away from them, and they prayed earnestly for his deliverance, as the church did for Peter's, Acts 12. 5. They had free access to him in prison, which was a comfort to them, but they wished to see him at liberty, that he might preach to others; but now on a sudden all their hopes are dashed. Disciples weep and lament, when the world rejoices. Let us see what they did.
[1.] They buried the body. Note, There is a respect owing to the servants of Christ, not only while they live, but in their bodies and memories when they are dead. Concerning the two first New-Testament martyrs, it is particularly taken notice of, that they were decently buried, John the Baptist by his disciples, and Stephen by devout men; (Acts 8. 2.) yet there was no enshrining of their bones or other relics, a piece of superstition which sprung up long after, when the enemy had sowed tares. That over-doing, in respect to the bodies of the saints, is undoing; though they are not to be vilified, yet they are not to be deified.
[2.] They went and told Jesus; not so much that he might shift for his own safety, (no doubt he heard it from others, the country rang of it,) as that they might receive comfort from him, and be taken in among his disciples. Note, First, When any thing ails us at any time, it is our duty and privilege to make Christ acquainted with it. It will be a relief to our burdened spirits to unbosom ourselves to a friend we may be free with. Such a relation dead or unkind, such a comfort lost or imbittered, go and tell Jesus, who knows already, but will know from us the trouble of our souls in adversity. Secondly, We must take heed, lest our religion and the profession of it die with our ministers; when John was dead, they did not return every man to his own, but resolved to abide by it still. When the shepherds are smitten, the sheep need not be scattered while they have the great Shepherd of the sheep to go to, who is still the same, Heb. 13. 8, 20. The removal of ministers should bring us nearer to Christ, into a more immediate communion with him. Thirdly, Comforts, otherwise highly valuable, are sometimes therefore taken from us, because they come between us and Christ, and are apt to carry away that love and esteem which are due to him only: John had long since directed his disciples to Christ, and turned them over to him, but they could not leave their old master while he lived; therefore he is removed that they may go to Jesus, whom they had sometime emulated and envied for John's sake. It is better to be drawn to Christ by want and loss, than not to come to him at all. If our masters be taken from our head, this is our comfort, we have a Master in heaven, who himself is our Head.
Josephus mentions this story of the death of John the Baptist, (Antiquit. lib. 18. cap. 7.) and adds, that a fatal destruction of Herod's army in his war with Aretas, king of Petrea, (whose daughter was Herod's wife, whom he put away to make room for Herodias,) was generally considered, by the Jews, to be a just judgment upon him, for putting John the Baptist to death. Herod having, at the instigation of Herodias, disobliged the emperor, was deprived of his government, and they were both banished to Lyons in France; which, says Josephus, was his just punishment for hearkening to her solicitations. And, lastly, it is storied of this daughter of Herodias, that going over the ice in winter, the ice broke, and she slipt in up to her neck, which was cut through by the sharpness of the ice. God requiring her head (says Dr. Whitby) for that of the Baptist; which, if true, was a remarkable providence.
13. When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities. 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.
This passage of story, concerning Christ's feeding five thousand men with five loaves and two fishes, is recorded by all the four Evangelists, which very few, if any, of Christ's miracles are; this intimates that there is something in it worthy of special remark. Observe,
I. The great resort of people to Christ, when nc was retired into a desert place, v. 13. He withdrew into privacy when he heard, not of John's death, but of the thoughts Herod had concerning him, that he was John the Baptist risen from the dead, and therefore so feared by Herod as to be hated; he departed further off, to get out of Herod's jurisdiction. Note, In times of peril, when God opens a door of escape,
