Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-03-09
5nttrnatianat gessoas.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOu.
LESSON XII, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, MARCH 20.

LESSON XII, fIhO YUAN en-, N s.fs
NATIONAL SERIES, MARCH 20.
Text of the Lesson, Math. xiv, 1-12-Mem-
ory Verses, 6-1O-GOlden Text, Prov. "
23 - Commentary by the Rev. d. NJ.
Stearns.
rCopyright. 1897. by d. NJ. Stearns.l
l. AT that time Herod the tetrarch
heard of the fame of Jesus. In Mark
vi, II, it is written that His name was
spread abroad, and in Luke tx, z, it is said
that Herod was perplcxed because that it
was said of some that John was risen from
the dead The context in .irk 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 Ii we are
redeemed by His blood, it is that through
us the fame Of Him rtIsyv 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. l4iii, IL, IA
Joshua iv, 24).
2 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, 90, 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 II John
V, 12; John i, l2) Herod's knowledge
did not profit him. His evil doings would
not suffer him to turn unto God (Hos
~.
8. For Herod had laid hold on John
and bound him and put him in prison Tor
Herodias' sake, his brother Philips wife
These are among the seemingly strange
things That God who controls oil things
even the devil, for there can be nothin'
beyond His control, should permit .Ioscpi.
to be stolen, sold into slavery, falsely ac
cused and imprisoned David to be hunted
as a partridge upon the mountains; Jcrr
miah to know the horrors Of the dungeon
mire and John the Baptist, His own her
aid, none greater born Of woman tMath
xi, 11), to suffer imprisonment and death
4. "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 art
the children of the devil anyway. and t.
him they are going whether Hcrodias lives
with Herod or with Philip? Some would
saw so, and there are no doubt many things
in which we are to take no part, rs they
are not given to us to meddle with. but i'll
this case John was brought face to face
with the sin, and either had to be blind IL
it for peace's sake or speak faithfully for
Christ's sake.
5. And when he would have put him
to death he feared the multitude, because
they counted him rs prophet. " How full
of fears this wretchcd specimen Of self in
dulgcnt humanity was He feared thu
woman under whose control he had placed
himself for lust's sake. He feared the pcO
pie over whom he was placed, and he cvi
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 Hcrodias danced be
fore them and pleased Herod. Whereupon
he promised with an oath to give hel
whatsoever she would ask" Feast days
and birthdays must be kept, the entertain
mcnt 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 S feast, the devil 6
own, and he knew what he was up to, He
was running this thing to accomplish his
purpose How well he enabled that poor,
goddess girl to dance that day! How hc
enabled her to captivate the sinful heart OF
Herod and to lead him in his excitement
to make her this great promise, and all tc
secure the death of John!
8. And she, being before instructed OF
her mother, said, Give Inc here John Bap
fists head in a charger" We read in II
Chron. xii, 3, concerning certain king
that his mother was his counselor to &c
wickedly." We know also that Rcbekah
was neither her own friend nor her sons
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)
9. And the king was sorry; neverthe
less for the oath's sake and them which
sat with him at meat, he commanded 1t tC
be given her" His honor before his guests
was at stake and he dared not show him
self man. Perhaps there was no man in
him. 1t may have been all beast, all carna
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 fol-
such a creature, and he dared not &c
against Hcrodias We have I'll had Other
masters; can we now truly say, "One is
my Master, even Christ, whose / am and
whom ! 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 and added
Blessed is he whosoever shall not be
offended in Me" (chapter xi, g. 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 the Lord and
MasterY His cell door swings open He is
wanted, not for earth, but for heaven In
moment it is over, for the damscl awaits
her gift and angels and redeemed spirits
wait to welcome the faithful messenger to
bliss eternal and indcscribable
IL And his head was brought in O
charger Tor on a dish) and given to the
damsel, and she brought it to her mother >
Did ever mother ask or a daughter carry