El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-03-19
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON XII, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, MARCH 20.

Text of the Lesson, Math. xiv, 1-12-Mem-
DRY Verses, 6-1O-GoIden Text. Prov. iv
23 Commentary by the Rev. d. Nj.
Stearns.
Copyright 1897. by D. NJ Stearns.]
1. AT that time Herod the tetrarch
heard of the fame of Jesus" In Mark
vi, IA, it is written that His name was
spread abroad and in Luke tx, z, it is said
that Herod was perplexed because that it
was said of some that John was risen from
the dead The context in Mark and Luke
would indicate that it was about the time OF
the sending forth of the twelve. 1t seems
to me that the heart thought for us is that
something of the words and works of Jesus
by some means reached Herod. If we are
redeemed by His blood, it is that through
us the fame of Him may be far and wide
made known. He brought Israel out of
Egypt, dividing the waters of the Red sea,
leading them through the desert and dry
ing up Jordan before them to make His
glorious name known, that the many
might be blessed in Him lisa. xiii, IL, IA;
Joshua iv, 24)
Q. "And said unto His servants, This is
John the Baptist; he is risen from the
dead, and therefore mighty works do shew
forth themselves in him 1t is said in
Mark vi, 20, that Herod heard John glad
ly and did many things, knowing that he
was just and holy man, but as neither
hearing nor doing will avail unless Christ
is actually received into the heart Il John
v, 12; John i, 12) Herod's knowledge
did not profit him. His evil doings would
not suffer him to turn unto God Hos. v.
~.
8. For Herod had laid hold on John
and bound him and put him i'll prison for
Herodias' sake, his brother Philips wife,
These are among the seemingly strange
things. That God who controls all things,
even the devil, for there can be nothing
beyond His control, should permit Joseph
to be stolen, sold into slavery, falsely ac-
cused and imprisoned; David to be hunted
as a partridge upon the mountains; Jere-
miah to know the horrors of the dungeon
mire, and John the Baptist, His own her.
aid, none greater born of woman (Math.
XII, ~, to suffer imprisonment and death.
f. "For John said unto him, 1t is not
lawful for thee to have her." Therefore,
for his faithfulness, he is put in prison.
Would it have been better for him to have
said nothing about this sin? Might he
have said, 1t is no affair of mine? They are
the children of the devil anyway, and to
him they are going whether Herodias lives
with Herod or with Philip? Some would
say sO and there are no doubt many things
in which we are to take no part, as they
are not given to us to NEEDLE with, but in
this case John was brought face to face
with the sin, and either had to be blind to
it for peace's sake or speak faithfully for
Christ sake.
3. "And when he would have put him
to death he feared the multitude, because
they counted him as a prophet. How full
of fears this wretched specimen of self in
dulgent humanity was, He feared the
woman under whose control he had placed
himself for lust's sake He feared the peo-
pie over whom he was placed, and he evil
IDENTIFY feared the hereafter, for he did
many things, and would doubtless have
done more if such doing would have made
him sure of heaven without requiring him
to give up his darling sin.
6, Z. "But when Herod's birthday was
kept the daughter of Herodias danced be-
fore them and pleased Herod. Whereupon
he promised with an oath to give her
whatsoever she would ask" Feast days
and birthdays must be kept, the entertain
ment business must go on, no matter
what becomes of Christ or His heralds We
are sure that He was not invited to this
feast, and neither was His faithful John.
This was like Belshazzar's feast, the DEVILS
own, and he knew what he was up to. He
was running this thing to accomplish his
purpose How well he enabled that poor,
SOulcSS SlII W OttICC thtbU 1loW hS
enabled her to captivate the sinful heart of
Herod and to lead him in his excitement
to make her this great promise. and all to
secure the death of John!
8. And she, being before instructed of
her mother, said, Give me here John Bap-
lists head in a charger" We read in II
Chron. xii, 3, concerning a certain king
that Ibis mother was his counselor to do
wickedly." We know also that Rebekah
,nif no. hon frin hnr &c
when she counseled him to lie to his ia
ther. Lying and deceit have the same au-
thor as lust, and envy, and hatred, and
murder. Let US resist the devil lest he use
even us as he did Simon Peter, when he
said, PITY Thyself, Lord" (Math. xvi, %.
margin).
8. And the king was sorry; neverthe-
less for the oath's sake and them which
sat with him at meat, he commanded it to
be given her" His honor before his guests
was at stake and he dared not show him
self a man. Perhaps there was no man in
him 1t may have been all beast, all carnal
of the lowest kind He could truthfully
have said, cannot give what Is not mine,
and human life is not in my power to give
or take. That, however, was too noble for
such a creature, and he dared not go
against Herodias. We have all had other
masters; can we now truly say, lone is
whom 1 server
10. And he sent and beheaded John in
the prison Not long before John had
sent messengers to Jesus inquiring if He
was the Christ, or if there was yet another
to be looked for. Jesus wrought miracles
and sent the messengers to tell John what
they had seen and heard ard added,
Blessed is he whatsoever shall not be
offended in Me- Chapter XII, 81. We have
no record that Jesus ever went to see him
Now is heard the tramp of feet. Some one
is coming to see him Is it che Lord and
Master? His cell door swings open. He is
wanted, not for earth, but for heaven. In
moment it is over, for the dalnsel awaits
her gift and angels and redeemed spirits
wait to welcome the faithful messenger to
bliss eternal and indescribable
IL And his head was brought in a
charger Tor on a dish) and given to the
damsel, and she brought it to her mother. -
Did ever mother ask or daughter carry
such a grewsome dish? What did they do
with itP How did they treat it? Well,
the devil accomplished his purpose and
Johns sojourn in q mortal body was end
ed But can it be that the devil has the
least idea of the bliss of the redeemed when