LORD and SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST. 3t perplexity and dilIret's, on account of the troubles and quarrels in his family. This princefs was afterwards married to Herod Philip, tetrarch of Iturea, her father's brother ; the had now eloped from her hufband, and lived with Herod Antipas. This prince was affefted with the power- ful plainnefs, and authoritative fimplicity of the preaching of the Baptifl, and fre- quently attended on his miniftry. The prophet, as he fpared no vice, nor man who was guilty of it, however elleemed or exalted, warmly expoflulated with him on the wickednefs and lewdnefs of his life, and fharply reproved him for his inceflu- ous marriage. The haughty queen was fo offended at the boldnefs of the pro- phet, that the demanded his death. The king would have complied with her re- quell, but was afraid of an infurreaion amongfl the people ; for John was highly efleemed and reverenced by all men : Herod therefore endeavoured to gratify her revenge, by calling the Baptill into prifon. Here the holy man re- mained feveral months, and his public miniftry ceafed. While he was thus in confinement, he heard of the miracles which JEsus daily wrought, and his public miniftry and preaching. But our Redeemer nothaving taken fuch Reps as the . Jewilh nation ex peEl.ed from the Meffiah (for the prevailing notion was, that this great perfon, when- ever he appeared, would let up a temporal kingdom, and reign over all the earth) the Baptift teemed not to be thoroughly fatisfied with his proceeding. His chufing a company of illiterate fifhermen to be his difciples, and avoiding all popularity and applaufe, Teemed not to promife the rifing of his kingdom. The good man therefore fent two of his difciples to the Son of God, to inquire into the meaning of thefe things, not direElly, but rather Teeming to hefitate whether he were the Meffiah or not : Art thou he that / hould come, or look wefor another, It happened when thefe difciples came to our Lord, he was employed in publilhing his gofpel, healing the fick, calling out devils, and reforing fight to the blind. He did not therefore think fit to return a direEl anfwer to the queftion of. John, but re- ferred him to the works he performed; and the miracles he wrought : Go and tell John, Paid he, what things you have feen and heard; how that the blindfee, the lame walk, the lepers are cleanfed, the deaf hear, the dead are railed, and the poor have the gofpel preached unto them. John continued long in prifon, and was mortally hated by the inceftuous queen : but it was not in the power of the en- raged princefs to procure his death. At length an opportunity offered, and the prophet fell a vifim to her vengeance. Herod the tetrarch of Galilee,with whom the lived in adultery and incefl, made a great feaft for the celebrating his birth- day, to which he invited his courtiers, the chief officers of his army, and the . nobles and great men of the country. At this entertainment a young damfel, named Salome, the daughter of the queen Herodias, by her former hulband Philip, entertained the noble company, and digni- fied the royal feaft by her (kill and graceful dexterity in dancing. This gave fo much fatisfaElion and pleafure to the company, efpecially to the king, that he promifed, with an oath, to give her whatever the defired; and allured her, that her regtieft fhould not be denied, were it for half of his kingdom. The young damfel was not willing to make fo important a demand without the advice of her mother. The enraged princefs, having now an oppor- tunity to accomplifh her revenge on the prophet, to whom the bore a mortal hatred, commanded her daughter to de, mand the head of John the Baptitt. This requeft the damfel foon prefented at the throne. The king, as he little expeged fuch a demand, was very much concerned; yet, as he had given his oath, and
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