rned message contain something
like a gentle reproof to John, '_And blessed is he that is not
offended in me_.'

"I think the Lord knew that John had been somewhat _offended in him_;
that he had doubted his love, or his wisdom, or his power, or all
these together; and that the Lord's apparent neglect of him was
traceable to a want of these perfections. Doubts of this kind, from
weakness of the flesh and spirit, have often been known to invade the
hearts of other good men, when the divine love has been partially
veiled from sight in seasons of great distress. Even our Lord himself
upon the cross cried out, 'My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?'
I cannot think that the divine love ever did forsake him for one
instant. It was so only in appearance to him.

"The things connected with the life-work of Jesus, which John's
messengers had just seen and heard, bore a much stronger testimony to
his divinity and Messiahship than any declaration he could have made
by mere affirmation. Here is verified the old proverb: 'Actions speak
louder than words.' All may see a valuable lesson here. We are
commanded to let our light shine. What an honor it would be to Christ
and the church, if every member of it would be able to point to his
good works as proofs of the sincerity and genuineness of his religious
profession!

"Notwithstanding John's doubts and impatience, the Lord still loved
him tenderly; and after the messengers had departed, he said to the
multitude: 'Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a
greater than John the Baptist.' Our way would have been to include
this encomium in the message, and let John hear it. In our way of
thinking this would have done him more good than the other. But as the
heaven is high above the earth, so high are the Lord's thoughts above
our thoughts, and his ways above our ways.

"Could our eyes catch a glimpse of the bliss that thrills John's heart
in heaven to-day, we would no longer wonder why the Lord left him lie
in Herod's castle."

_Sermon by Elder John Kline._

_Preached at Forrer's, in Page County, Virginia,
Sunday, February 15, 1835._

TEXT.--And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy
sandals: and so he did. And he saith unto him: Cast thy garment
about thee, and follow me.--Acts 12:8.

Peter's hands were chained, and he was lying in a cold and gloomy
prison in Jerusalem. Herod, who was at that time viceroy of Jerusalem
and Judea