418 THE DEATH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST.

CCLXXXIV.

yHE PeEaATH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST,

OON after Jesus had raised
the little girl to life, He
went to Nazareth, his old
home, where he had been
brought up. He worked

many miracles as he went along.

He cast out devils, and healed the

sick, and opened the eyes of the

blind. And when He came to

Nazareth, He taught in the syna-

gogue there; and all the people

wondered at His great wisdom and
knowledge. They said, “Is not
this the carpenter’s son? What
wisdom is this which is given him ?”

For these people did not know that

Jesus was the Son of God, and that

He was God himself; and that,

therefore, He had all this wonderful

wisdom.

While Jesus was going about
preaching, Jobn the Baptist was
still in prison, where he had been
cast by Herod, the cruel tetrarch of
Galilee. John had been in prison a
long time; he could not see Jesus;
but he heard of His miracles; for
Jesus had sent a message to John to
tell him of what He did. At last,
Herod’s birthday came ; and on this
day, Herod made a great feast forall
his lords, and nobles, and captains.
How did they amuse themselves?
Not in a right and wise way; they
spent their time that day in eating,
and drinking, and dancing, and
foolish and wicked conversation.
What a sad way this was of keeping
a birthday! Our birthdays may be

very happy days; but they ought to
be very solemn days too. We should
think then about past mercies, and
past sins; and pray for pardon, and
for grace to enable us to serve God
better for the time to come. Herod
thought nothing about such things
as these.

Herod’s wife, Herodias, had a
daughter named Salome; and
Salome came in, and danced be-
fore all the company; and Herod
was pleased with her, because she
danced very well and gracefully.
So when she had finished, Herod
called her, and praised her very
much, and said, “Ask whatever
thou wilt, and I will give it thee.”
Salome did not answer Herod
directly, but she ran to her mother,
and said, “The king has promised
to give me anything I ask; what
shall I choose?” Herodias was a
very wicked woman, and she had
taught her daughter to be as wicked
as herself. Salome had learnt to
dance, and to dress, and to please
men; but she had not learnt to
know and please God. Herodias
had brought her up for this world,
—not for Heaven. Salome was 4
vain, and wicked, and cruel girl.
It is sad when children are educat-
ed as Salome was. How thankful
those should be who have good and
kind parents and friends, who teach
them early to love God, and bring
them up for His service and glory!

John the Baptist, before he was