The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-19
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON.
March 20. 1sos-Mattbev vi,

March 20, 1S9S-Matthew xiv, 1-12.
Herodias was in her boudoir. Ambition was
her ruling vice. She had discarded her rightfuI
husband. father of her beautiful daughter. be-
cause forsooth, he had no title. She married
one who already sustained the relation Of uncle
and brother-in-law to her. and in doing had
displaced loyal wife from her husbands side.
At length Herodias had title and numerous
palaces and fawning courtiers. but she had also
a Nemesis. whose imperious. ct is rot LAWFUL
neither threat cajolery could silence. Her
strait was desperate The incorporating
preacher of righteousness was making progress
with her paramou If he converted him she
would be discarded and all would be lost. She
mad secured the Baptists imprisonment. But
locks and bars seemed no restraint to his subtle
influence, while his dungeon walls seemed to
echo his 1T is not lawful with ever louder
detonations
The desperate and wicked woman baited her
hook with her daughters modesty and went
angling In the pool of drunken revelry. When
Antipas found himself caught he lacked moral
courage to snap the hook. He feared to vex
Herodias and had superstitfous scrupies about
breaking his oath. He doubted the effect of his
yacillation upon the chliarchs whom he was
closely to himself. On the other hand he was
apprehensiye of the effect on the people of the
murder Of one who stood so high in their regard.
his career With the infamous choice of this hour
he began the descent which terminated in dis
moment later Salorae, a paragon Of voluptu-
Gus beauty, flushed with her lascivious dance,
carries with inhum&niy steady hand golden
platter from the banquet table which rests
the ghastly head Of the martyr. A choice dish
that for Herodas.
MOSAIC FROM COMMENTARIES.
Said to servants: In tine of fear the great talk
premiscuously with inferiors.-Bengel.
Risen from fha dad. NTafariaIitv of The .eo,,l
was part of Herod's creed. Bad as he was, it
was not deemed by him thing impossible with
God to raise the dead: and the spirit of the muir
dered Baptist had a permanent resurrection in
his guilty conscience-C1arke.
1t is not lawful: 1t is well when ministers dare
rebuke the crimes of politicians and rulers. The
doctrine that there is higher law than wicked
--Whedon
Johns words were rough like his raiment-
Wesley.
Sorry, yet for sake of them which sat at meat:
We. Weak fear of ma. man extracted from the tetrarch
the order for the beheading; ashamed to recall
hasty promise--Olshausen.
THE TEACHERS CULVER.
4 character in which there is balance-wheel
of principle is despicable. The coming of such an
one to power is public calamity
Some who would be lavish in their upbraidng
of social outcast sngularly mute before
sin while it is still shrined in wealth. luxury and
power John Baptist was not Of that order.
No station in life is so lofty as to lift its oc-
cupant above the reach of the pains and pen
alties of SIM. They can pass even palace doors
and fall with their full weight upon kings hearts.
1t is a fearful thing to deliberately cherish
khatTed and revenge in the heart. 1t is the seed
OF murder and often bears its crimson fruit
Surprising how tenacious some are of their
oaths and promises when it suits their cOnven-
fence. The axiom, had promise Ii better broken
than kept has no weight with them.
RMS IS that Herod who in mockery clothed
Jesus In purple and sent him back to Plate
Out of the corrupt court of Herod Antipas,
Menahem his foster brother and Chuza, rose to
himself from rising but his loye of self and sim
Whom beheaded!" No Need of the Baptist
now Conscience performed the Office of accuser.
That the way of the transgressor is hard never
had more apt illustration than in the case of
Herod and Herodias. The ambitious woman in
duced her husband to go TO Rome and enter claim
TO title of king. But he lost even what he had
and both perished miseraby.