Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1898-03-17
TIE BAPTIST eeHEAOED.
International sunday school Lesson
for March -. IS9S.

=
THE LESSON.-John the Baptist be-
headed. Matthew 14:l-l2. If used as a tenn
peraHce lesson read also account of Bel
shazzar's drunken feast (Dsn. 5:1-Sl).
GOLDEN TEXT.-Keep thy heart with
all diligence: for out Of il are the issues Of
hfe.-Prcv. AIS.
TIME.-john vas imprisoned in March or
April. A. D. IS. He was beheaded a year
later, in March ar April. A D. 90
PLACE.-Jesus was in Galilee with His
twelve disciples John was imprisoned and
put to death at Macherus a strong for
tress and castle on the borders of Arabia,
nine miles east of the northern end OF the
Dead Sea. The feast hello by Herod at
which Herodas demanded the head of John
the Baptist was probably held in this castle.
LESSON COMMENT.
Collect together all the Scripture no.
tees of the life of John. The parallel
accounts should be kept before US as we
study. They are found in Mark 6;l4-29;
Luke 9:7-9, - =. ...ssa'.i;ss,c.a.
Temperance can be taught incident
ally but effectively, from the fact that
the crime was probably committed I'M
der the influence of strong drink.
The martyrdom of John is the main
subject of the lesson. His life was sue
cessful, although short, and crowned
with a martyrs crown.
l. A Troubled Conscience.-Vs. l, 2.
Jesus, in chapter 10. had sent the twelve
disciples on their Galilean mission,
which continued al winter. About
this time they returned TO report to
Jesus, and Jesus own marvellous works
and teachings had so penetrated and
stirred the whole people that the news
reached King Herod. Herod said: This
is John the Baptist. risen from the
dead" He thought that John had
brought back with him those larger
powers, those diviner gifts. which the
spirit receives when it enters upon the
Heavenly life. and the prophet could
now exert these powers, together with
his former terrible repreofs.
ii. John Imprisoned for His Courage
and Faithfulness.--Vs. 3-5. For" and
the account goes back to ell of Her
eds having been brought face to face
with his sins by prophet of God. of the
Imprisonment of this prophet, and the
subsequent execution pleaded for by
his partner in sin, Herodias. He i'm
psisoned John that ne might have peace
in his crime unreproved, and because
Herodiaa wanted John put out of the
way. For John said probably many
,imes) unto him: 1T is not lawful for
thee to have her" 1t was not lawful
(1) because he had put away his lawful
wife. (2) He had persuaded Herodias
TO forsake her husband, Herod's broth
err Philip, for the sake of his rank and
wealth. (3) He had married Herodias,
his niece and sister-in-law, contrary TO
the law 0ev. 1s:12-14). The only way
to stop the reproof was TO repent or TO
destroy the reprover. But there is
nothing so cowardly as a guilty con-
science, % so to be feared by evil doors
as holy man who voices the truth of
God. Besides the people believed John
to be a prophet. and Herod feared an
uprising, so John was kept in the dun
geon for year.
III. The Birthday Banquet aud Its
Outcome.-Vs. Gig. Herod's birthday
was kept with great banquet, to which
the mobiles and military officers were
invited. Salome, the daughter of He
rodias, by her former husband, danced
in their midst. She had been sent by
killing John. 1t was a shrewd scheme
to take advantage of Herod's half-in-
toXicated condition, and the scheme
succeeded. Herod was pleased and
promised "to give her whatsoever she
would ask" On such occasions men
vie with each other in the value of their
gifts to the dancer. Many man finds
himself in straitened circumstances
long after taking part in a similar
entertainment. A writer on the far
east gives this curious fact: The
ascendency over the Mogul Emperor
Ma'az ed-Din, that he made her joint
governess of the empire with himself.
And she, being before instructed
of her mother said, Give me here John
the Baptist's head in a charger. And
the king was sorry, nevertheless for
the oath's sake, and them which sat
with him at meat, he commanded ii to
be given her"
Herod was not penitent, but troubled
and anxious. He had expected some
entirely different request. There was
danger and troubled conscience in the
gift But the willy Herodias had gained
her desire which for a year had been re-
fused by Herod. 'He sent and beheaded
John in the prison" John at last was
silenced. but conscience and the voice
of God were mot silenced. The stain Of
blood could never be washed away, nor
"all the perfumes of Arabia sweeten the
guilty soul"
". A Contrast. Two Kinds of Sue
cess. We have here two impressive in
stances which will picture the two kinds
of success-the worldly and the Heav-
emily, the false and the true Herod
seemed to succeed, but his life was a
failure. John seemed to fail. but his
life was a marvellous success.
Herod's success was brief as well as
troubled. In A. j. 3s. ten years after
the death Of John. Herodias stirred up