not only of Herodias, his partner in wickedness, but also of his guests, as we are told "for his oath's sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her." He dreaded the contempt of "his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee." How did he think the murder of an innocent man would be looked upon by God the Judge of all?

This history shows us how people dislike those who tell them of their sins. It also proves how wrong it is to make rash promises without thinking to what evil they may lead us.

And so died the great forerunner of the Saviour. He had been the first to recognise Him as "the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world. This is He of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me; for He was before me."

You must remember that St. John the Baptist was not he who wrote the Gospel of St. John or the three Epistles. That writer is called St. John the Evangelist, and is spoken of in the Gospel of St. John as "the disciple whom Jesus loved."

THE RAISING OF LAZARUS.

"Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose

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brother Lazarus was sick.) Therefore his sisters sent unto Him, saying, Lord, behold he whom Thou lovest is sick. When Jesus heard that, He said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.

"Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When He had heard therefore that he was sick, He abode two days still in the same place where He was. Then after that saith He to His disciples, Let us go into Judæa again. His disciples say unto Him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone Thee; and goest Thou thither again? Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him. These things said He: and after that He saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said His disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that He had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless, let us go unto him. Then said Thomas unto his fellow-disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him. Then when Jesus came, He found that he had lain in the grave four days already.

"Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem about

fifteen furlongs off" (that is, about two miles). "And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him: but Mary sat still in the house. Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever Thou wilt ask of God, God will give it Thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto Him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus saith unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto Him, Yea, Lord I believe that Thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee. As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto Him. The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there. Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying unto Him, Lord if Thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled, and said, Where have ye

laid him? They said unto Him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, Behold how He loved him! And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? Jesus therefore again groaning in Himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto Him, Lord, he hath been dead four days. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard me. And I knew that Thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that Thou hast sent me. And when He had thus spoken, He cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead. came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes : and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on Him. But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done."

Would you not have expected that after such a wonderful miracle, the people who saw it and heard it would fall down and worship our Lord? But the Jews had persuaded themselves that the Messiah

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was coming as an earthly king. "Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles. If we let Him thus alone, all men will believe on Him and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation. And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, nor consider that it is expedient" (that is, better) "for us that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not." Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put Jesus to death.

How much this story shows us that while He was on earth Jesus loved exactly as we do (only without sin). He loved Martha and Mary, and Lazarus, just as we love our friends. He was unhappy when He found that they were in trouble. Tears fell from His eyes, when He saw the grief of the two sisters. He was troubled in spirit and groaned when He looked on the grave. It is said that no one can really feel for others in affliction, unless they themselves have suffered in the same way. Any one who has never been ill, makes a bad nurse, because they are unable to imagine what a sick person has to go through. Any one who has ever lost a child, will be the best comforter to the mother who is dreading that she will have to part with one of her little ones. People who are so rich that through their whole lives they have had everything that money could give them, cannot know how to relieve the poor as well as those who were once badly off themselves.