Herod on account of his integrity and wisdom, and causing him to fear on account of his favor with the people. Herodias would have killed him at first; "but she could not; for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him." But she was revengeful as she was licentious, and she did not forget the Baptist's offence, nor her own deadly purpose.

While John was lying thus in prison, in the power of a weak prince, who was under the influence of a wicked and dangerous woman, he heard of the works of Christ, but heard nothing which promised deliverance. Either suffering himself to become impatient, at which we need not wonder, or desiring to obtain the most definite information regarding the proceedings and designs of Jesus, he sent unto him two of his disciples, who adhered to him in all his troubles, to inquire of him, "Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?" The answer which Jesus returned, while it reminded him of the continued testimonials of the Spirit to his mission by miracles, directed him to the spiritual nature of his kingdom, which was evinced by his preaching its glad tidings to the poor. And this answer probably calmed the troubled though strong mind of

John, and satisfied him, that he must now look for deliverance to that kingdom alone, "where the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest."

As the messengers of John departed, Jesus began to speak concerning him to the surrounding multitude, and rendered a testimony to his prophetic mission, which proves his own unshaken confidence in the Baptist's integrity. What-he asked them-did they go out into the deserts of Judea to see? Not surely the wind-shaken reeds on the banks of the Jordan; not a man clothed in fine and costly raiment, for men thus clothed were to be found in palaces, not deserts; but they went for the purpose of seeing a prophet. And he was indeed more than a common prophet. He had more than a common mission, and he had faithfully discharged it. He was sent to prepare the way of the Messiah, and he had prepared it. Of those who had hitherto been raised up for important purposes by the Almighty, none had been greater than John the Baptist;—and yet even he entertained so inadequate notions of the entire spirituality of the Messiah's kingdom, that the least among those who should truly receive it, in its pure separateness from the world, would be greater than he.

After bearing this open testimony to the truth of John's divine mission, and the reality of his prophetic character· —a truth and reality which were not impaired by the imperfection of his views

Jesus closes the discourse by some remarks on the effect of his ministry in connexion with his own. He speaks of the small number of those who had been moved to repentance by John the Baptist or by himself, and rebukes the people of that age for their perversity in rejecting both, although they were so different from each other in character and habits. John, being of an austere and retired deportment, was charged with being melancholy or crazed;-they said, "He hath a devil." He himself, mingling more freely with men of all ranks, and partaking of their entertainments, was rudely accused of being "a gluttonous man and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners." Such a stubborn and petulant generation might be fitly likened to children in the streets, who would refuse to join with their companions in any games, and would neither dance to their festive piping, nor lament with them when they imitated the funeral wail.

It was probably about three months after this occurrence, that the revengeful Herodias found an opportunity of accomplishing the destruction

of the Baptist. As Herod was keeping his birthday, by a magnificent supper which he gave to his lords and captains, she sent her daughter by her former husband* into the hall, to dance before him and his guests. The exhibition pleased the tetrarch to such a degree, that he promised with an oath to grant the daughter whatsoever she should ask, even to the half of his kingdom. The young dancer went out, and reported this to her mother, and consulted her with regard to the request which she should prefer. Herodias, without hesitation, and feeling that the dark game was now in her own cruel hands, told her daughter to ask for the head of John the Baptist; and, in order to make sure of her prey, and guard against any humane deception, she added the condition, that the head should be brought to her on a 66 charger," or large dish. For such a terrible request, the sobered king was wholly unprepared, and he was "exceeding sorry." Nevertheless, he conceived himself bound by his oath as if an oath could bind the soul to crime

- and sent an executioner to the prison to do the wicked deed. "It was the holy purpose of God," says bishop Hall, "that he who had baptized

* She had a daughter, as Josephus tells us, by the name of Salome.

was

with water, should now be baptized with blood." The blameless John-the preacher of repentance and righteousness-the holy reprover of vice, whether a publican's or a king's beheaded in the prison. "For one minute's pain, he is possessed of endless joy, and as he came before his Saviour into the world, so is he gone before him into heaven." His faithful disciples forsook him not, though dead; but came, and "took up the body and buried it;" and then went and informed Jesus of what had taken place.

The uneasy conscience of Herod Antipas, would not suffer him to forget the image of his victim. When he afterwards heard of the fame of Jesus, he expressed his belief that it was John the Baptist, whom he had beheaded, risen from the dead.

It is not told us in the Gospels, where the Baptist was buried by his disciples. Less authentic accounts state, that "in the time of Julian the apostate, his tomb was shown at Samaria, where the inhabitants opened it, and burnt part of his bones; while the rest were saved by some Christians, who carried them to an abbot of Jerusalem, named Philip."

* Calmet.