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joined to be observed by the people of Sect. VIII. God. But, for a young lady to appear, as a dancer, before Herod and his "lords, high captains, and chief eftates of “Galilee," probably, when they were well warmed with wine, became only the daughter of an Herodias, educated by her own mother.

HEROD, quite overcome and thrown off his guard by Salome's performance, makes her a foolish promife; and, as if that was not enough, confirms it with a rash oath; "Whatsoever thou shalt "afk of me, I will give it thee, to "the half of my kingdom." A very handsome recompence, one would think; for a dance! But it will appear prefently, that the king had not offered enough. Half his kingdom would not do. Something was required more valuable than the whole of it, had it extended from Judea, quite round the globe. Nothing would fatisfy, but his honour, his confcience, his foul; the price which fin never fails to ask! The glorious golden opportunity of revenge was not to be loft. Herodias is confulted

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Sect.VIII by her daughter, and lo, the soft, tender, delicate Salome reenters, all athirst for blood-Give me in a charger "the head of John the Baptift;" of a prophet; of a perfon whom thou knoweft to be innocent, holy, upright. Make me this facrifice, and I am content. With fuch eagerness and fagacity does" the adultèress hunt for "the precious life!"

BAD as Herod was, the petition of Salome at firft fhocked him. The king "was forry." He thought of John's character, the atrociousness of the murder, and the opinion which the world would entertain of the murderer... But the tide, which had ebbed, foon flowed again, and obliterated, in a moment, what had been written on the fand, during it's recefs. The love of Herodias, the addrefs of Salome, the feftivity of the season, and the prefence of the lords

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and high captains," who had been witneffes of the promife, and might poffibly approve the propofal; all these circumftances on the fide of the temptation prevailed. And perhaps, Herod, upon recollection, might think that the

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fuppofed obligation of his oath would Sea.VIII. afford him a better excufe than he should ever be mafter of again, for complying with the importunity of Herodias, and taking off a monitor troublefome to them both. For his oath's fake, and for "their fakes which fat with him, he "would not reject her.' "Thus, if any extraordinary wickedness is to be tranfacted, religion must be made a cover for it. As if wrong became right, when acted in the name of God; and it were more acceptable in his fight, to maffacre a prophet, than to repent of a rash oath made to a foolish girl, at a drunken entertainment.

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THE Baptift's fate being thus determined, 66 immediately the king fent "an executioner, and commanded his "head to be brought and he went "and beheaded him in the prifon." This deed of darkness must have been done in the feafon proper for it, the middle of the night, and St. John was probably awakened, to receive his fentence, out of that fleep, which truth and innocence can fecure to their poffeffor, in any fituation. The generality

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Sia.VIII. of mankind have reason enough to de

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precate a fudden death, left it should furprize them in one of their many unguarded hours. But to St. John no hour could be fuch. He had finished the work which God had given him to do. He had kept the faith, and preferved a confcience void of offence. He had done his duty, and waited daily and hourly, we may be fure, for his departure. He was now, therefore, called off from his ftation with honour, to quit the well fought field for the palace of the Great King; to refresh himself, after the duft, and toil, and heat of the day, by bathing in the fountain of life and immortality; to exchange his blood-staîned armour for a robe of glory, and to have his temporary labours rewarded with eternal reft; to fit down with Abraham, and Ifaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of God; and, as the Friend of the Bridegroom, to enter into the joy of his Lord. From the darkness and confinement of a prison he paffed to the liberty and light of heaven; and while malice was gratified with a fight of his head, and his body was carried by a few friends

in filence to the grave, his immortal Sect. VIII. fpirit repaired to a court, where no Herod defires to have his brother's wife; where no Herodias thirfts after the blood of a prophet; where he who hath laboured, with fincerity and diligence, in the work of reformation, is fure to be well received; where holinefs, zeal, and conftancy "are crowned and re"ceive palms from the Son of God, "whom they confeffed in the world".

So finks the day-ftar in the ocean bed,
And yet anon uprears his drooping head,
And tricks his beams, and with new spangled ore
Flames in the forehead of the morning sky-
He bears the unexpreffive nuptial fong
In the bleft kingdoms meek of joy and love.
There entertain him all the faints above,
In folemn troops, and fweet focieties,
That fing, and finging in their glory move,
And wipe the tears for ever from his eyes.
MILTON.

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