s it is hard to understand without feeling warmly and
enthusiastically about them. One of the very highest characters,
rightly understood, of all the Bible. Panegyric such as we can give,
what is it after he has been stamped by his Master's eulogy, "A
prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. Among them that
are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the
Baptist." In the verse which is to serve us for our guidance on this
subject there are two branches which will afford us fruit of
contemplation. It is written, "Herod being _reproved_ by John for
Herodias."

Here is our first subject of thought. The truthfulness of Christian
character.

And then next, he "shut up John in prison."

Here is our second topic. The apparent failure of religious life.

The point which we have to look at in this section of the Baptist's
life is the truthfulness of religious character. For the prophet was
now in a sphere of life altogether new. He had got to the third act of
his history. The first was performed right manfully in the
desert--that is past. He has now become a known man, celebrated
through the country, brought into the world, great men listening to
him, and in the way, if he chooses it, to become familiar with the
polished life of Herod's court. For this we read: Herod observed John,
that is, cultivated his acquaintance, paid him marked attention, heard
him, did many things at his bidding, and heard him gladly.

For thirty long years John had lived in that far-off desert, filling
his soul with the grandeur of solitude, content to be unknown, not
conscious, most likely, that there was anything supernatural in
him--living with the mysterious God in silence. And then came the day
when the qualities, so secretly nursed, became known in the great
world: men felt that there was a greater than themselves before them,
and then came the trial of admiration, when the crowds congregated
round to listen. And all that trial John bore uninjured, for when
those vast crowds dispersed at night, he was left alone with God and
the universe once more. That prevented his being spoilt by flattery.
But now comes the great trial. John is transplanted from the desert to
the town: he has quitted simple life: he has come to artificial life.
John has won a king's attention, and now the question is, Will the
diamond of the mine bear polishing without breaking into shivers? Is
the iron pr