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THE BIRTH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST.

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COXXXVIIL

JHE BIRTH OF JOHN THE PAPTIsr,

ND now God remembered
His promise, and gave
Elizabeth a little son. It
was a joyful day in the
house of Zacharias, when

this child was born. ‘The moth-

er rejoiced, and all her cousins
and neighbors with her; and the
father rejoiced too; but he could
not speak to tell them all how hap-
py he was. When the babe was
eight days old, he was circumcised.

Then he was to be named. The

angel himself had told Zacharias,

that the child’s name should be

John. Elizabeth knew this, and

wished to have it so; but all her

friends and neighbors wanted the
little boy to be called Zacharias,
like his father, instead of John.

They said to her, “None of thy

kindred is called by that name.”

Then they made signs to Zacharias,

and asked him what the child’s

name should be. Zacharias wrote
down directly, “ His name is John.”

 

This showed his obedience, and his
faith in God; and now the punish-
ment of his unbelief was taken
away, and his mouth was opened,
and he praised God. He was filled
with the Holy Ghost, and was en-
abled to prophesy; and he spoke of
the great mercy which God was now
going to show to His people, in giy-
ing them a Saviour.

Why was the son of Zacharias to
be called John ? Because that name
means, the grace and mercy of God.
This child was to be the messenger
of mercy; he was to tell the people
the way of salvation; to point out
Christ to them as their Saviour.

How thankful Zacharias must
have been for his speech again ; and
what a good use he made of it when
he praised and glorified God! The
power of speaking is a great bless-
ing, for which we ought to be very
thankful; and we should try to use
it, and all our other blessings too,
to the glory of God.