Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1898-03-17

-Th0ughts Worthy OF Calm Renec-
tion-Half an Hopr's study Of the
scriptures-rime Well Spent.
Lesson for March 20.
Golden Text--"Keep thy heart with all
diligence; for out OF it are the issues Of
life."-Prov. A: %.
Matt. IA: 1-12 contains the lesson for
this week, the subject Of which Is John
the Baptist Behcadcd."
~ Introductory.
The death of John the Baptist is related
Mt this point in Matthew, and in the par
allel passages Mark @: 1920, Luke o: 10,
to explain, Herod's superstitious fear Of
Jesus. Just how long before the date OF
the lesson (which follows the mission Of
the twelve In point of time) John was be-
headed we do not know. It-'may have
been weeks or months. John had been
imprisoned before the beginning of the
Galilean ministry of Jesus, that is, during
the winter OF the year 27H.S. (See Matt
A: 12.) He had therefore been in prison
more than a year. His message from
prison to Jesus in Matt. IL: 2-19, Luke
z: 1895, should be read in connection with
this lesson, as throwing light on the char
acter of the man.
Explanatory.
"Herod the Tetrarch': this was Herod
Antipas, one of the sons of Herod the
Great, the King who died soon after the
birth Of Jesus. He was ruler of a fourth
part of his fathers kingdom, hence the
title "tetrarch," ruler of fourth. His
territory included Galilee and Perea, the
loff xho la. - 90 ~
Jordan and Of the Dead Sea; two districts
Joined only by a narrow strip of land at
the southern end Of the Sea Of GaIilee.
1t is plain from the narrative that at the
time Of the murder OF John, Herod was
near the prison, else the head could not
have been brought in at the same banquet
Mt which the order for execution was Civ
en-. Josephus says John was imprisoned
at Machaerus, a fortress on a high cliff
overlooking the Dead Sea on its eastern
shore, ruins of which are still to be seen.
Since there was palace at Machaerus as
well as a prison, this was probably the
scene of the lesson.
The supestitious dread which his gull
ty conscience caused Herod to feel to-
ward any new or strange occurrence
found expression in this. remark to his
servants or courtiers. He may have
heard Of some miracle Of Jesus in which
the dead were raised. and his fancy sug-
Tested that this man had also raised him
self from the dead, and might perhaps be
the prophet whom he had so cruelty MUIR
dered.
John had not confined his fearless de-
nunciations of unrighteousness to the
Pharisees and the publicans, but had hurl-
ed them at the house Of kings and princes.
The iniquitous alliance of Herod with his
sister-in-law was simply an instance of
the utter corruption of the whole Hero
dian family. This mans father had ten
wives, and killed most Of them.
"He feared the multitude" many cruel
and violent kings and rulers have had q
cowardly fear Of the caprices Of their own
subjects. John the Baptist had become
immensely popular among large classes
Of the people, as we may infer from the
fact that his disciples remained loyal to
him during his long imprisonment.
Being before instructed: what hor-
rible perversion of the, natural relation Of
mother and daughter. One can hardly
feel much grieved when one reads of the
misfortunes which overlook this woman
Herodias and her husband in later years.
Herod got into trouble with the Galileans
and was deposed and banished to France
and afterward to Spain. where he died.
The disciples Of John had not forgotten
him during those many months of his i'm
prisonment. When the poor mutilated
body was flung outside the prison gates,
it was reverently borne away and given
decent burial. Then--a significant phrase
they went and told Jesus"
Teaching Hints.
Stephen is usually accounted the first
Christian martyr. John the Baptist has
surely better claim to the title; for IL
ever man was loyal Christian and
faithful witness, 1t was he. There Is a
certain pathos about his life, notwith-
standing the high honor allotted him by
Jesus. He lived in n DINNER light than
did the men who were privileged to be the
immediate companions of Jesus. His
great work. the preaching in the wilder
ness, was mostly done before Jesus rose
into prominence and before the teaching
of Jesus had shed its great light on dark
minds and hearts. John knew when he
beheld the Lamb of God; he knew full
well the great doctrine Of regeneration; he
knew the approaching reign Of justice, the
coming of the kingdom. But he was new
er admitted, so fur as we know, to the
more intimate disclosures of his Master,
never permitted to look far into the bright
future, or to realize the full extent of the
great change which had already begun, in
the society of Palestine and of the world.
He was "a voice of one crying in the will
derness, Prepare ye the way of the
Lord" Yet his life must be ac-
counted truly great. Any man who is
charged with such message, and delivers
it patiently and effectively, so that the
way of the Lord is prepared and the Lord
walks therein, is great. He may be a
dweller in the desert, or a preacher in
some great city church; he may be ignor-
ant or learned. He may become famous,
but more likely will remain unknown.
John has his successors not merely among
preachers. The teacher is emphatically a
forerunner of the Lord. The mothers
work. unreckopcd and unnoticed by the
world, prepares the way of the Lord and
hastens his coming. These nameless voices
from the wilderness, the school, the home,
the crowded walks of life, which bring
warning and repentance, opportunity and
blessing, to the hearts Of men, are all
recognized by the keener ear Of One whose
highest joy is the rescue of human life
from the sordid misery of sin.
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