November 28

Mark vi. — 14. And King Herod heard of him (for his name was spread abroad); and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do show forth themselves in him.

15. Others said, That it is Elias. And others said, That it is a prophet, or as one of the prophets. 16. But, when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead. 17. For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her. 18. For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife. 19. Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not: 20. For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and a holy, and observed him; and, when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly. 21. And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee; 22. And when the daughter of the said Hero-

dias came in and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee. 23. And he swore unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom. 24. And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist. 25. And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou give me by and by, in a charger, the head of John the Baptist. 26. And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath's sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her. 27. And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought; and he went and beheaded him in the prison; 28. And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel; and the damsel gave it to her mother. 29. And, when his disciples heard of it, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb.

But an oath which required the perpetration of a crime could not be binding; and the crime was the greater in this instance because Herod knew John to be a holy man and a prophet of the Lord, and that the vicious request of Salome, the daughter of Herodias, was prompted by the mother in revenge for the prophet's fidelity in denouncing her illicit marriage. This Herod (Antigo) was a son of Herod the Great, and was Tetrarch of Galilee and Persia. "During a visit to his half brother Herod-Philip, he became enamoured of his wife Herodias, and prevailed on her to leave her husband, and live with him." She stipulated that he should repudiate his wife, the daughter of the Arabian king, Arctas; which he accordingly did. Salome was the daughter of Philip and He-

APPROPRIATE HYMNS.]

O Lord Jesus, who for our sakes didst endure such contradiction of sinners against thyself! grant us grace, that, like thee, we may be meek and lowly of heart. When offended and wronged by others, may we remember Him, who, when he was reviled, reviled not again, and who from the cross prayed for the forgiveness of his enemies! As we pray thee to forgive our offences, may we ever show the spirit of forgiveness toward all who do us harm! Set a watch, O Lord! at the door of our lips, that we offend not in word; and, while bold and firm for thy truth and cause, in all that concerns ourselves may we study the things that make for peace! Help us this day to resist temptation, to walk uprightly, to do good as we have opportunity, to relieve the suffering and the needy, to be kind toward all, and to overcome the world.

Father of all mercies, we commend this house-

rodias. Like Lady Macbeth, Herodias instigated her husband to crimes which he would gladly have avoided; but he, like Macbeth, was haunted by the return of the murdered man to win his imagination with terrible fears. "Thus conscience does make cowards of us all." But how beautiful by contrast was the courage with which faith inspired the disciples of John to brave the fate of their Master by rendering the tender offices of burial to his untrusted body! It has always been the effect of persecution to call forth at once the most heroic virtues and the most gentle graces; and often the passive virtues of the martyr have conquered where violent resistance would have been certain defeat.

Prayer.

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hold to thy loving care. [Oh! take these children into thine arms; defend them from the power of evil; draw them to the cross of Christ, that they may there be baptized into the love of Him who died for them.] Grant us, O Lord! such prosperity as shall please thee; yet, in all that we possess and enjoy, help us ever to remember that we are not our own, but are bought with a price, — even the precious blood of Christ. We pray for thy Church which thou hast redeemed: grant her peace and unity. And, oh! hasten the ingathering of the nations, that thou mayest see of the travail of thy soul, and be satisfied. Heavenly Father, we bless thee for the mercy which has brought us to the beginning of this day; we supplicate thy favor upon all our friends; and, O Lord! have mercy upon us, and upon all men, for Christ's sake. Amen.