The Tupelo journal., 1904-03-11
THE N D SCHOOL.
lesson in the international Series
for March Is, 19O4-Death of
John the Baptist.
THE LESSON TEXT

crown OF I1fe.-HeV. Z:IO.
OUTLINE OF SCRIPTURE SECTION.
Healing of Demoniacs........Matt S:28-34.
Heaiing OF Demoniacs... ......Mark 5I-20.
Healing of Demoniacs...........Luke S:26-3s
Raising of Jairus' Daughter. Matt. 9:1S-26.
Raising of Jairus' Daughter. Mark 5:21-43
Raising of Jairus' Daughter. Luke S:40-56.
Healing Two Blind and One Dumb.
Matt. 9:27-34.
Rejection at Nazareth. ....... Matt. 13:54-5S.
rejection at Nazareth. Sis.
Ihird Preaching Tour............Matt 9:35.
Third Preaching Mark 6:6.
Sending Forth the Twelve. Matt. :36-1:1
Sending Forth the Twelve......Mark Glib.
Sending Forth the Twelve. ....... Luke Oils.
Death of John the Baptist. Matt. 14:1-12.
Death of John the Baptist....M Mark 6:14-29.
Death of John the Baptist ......Luke 1913.
TIME.-Spring A. d. 20 (about the close
OF THE Year of Public Favor''). John the
Baptist had been in prison about a year
when he was beheaded by Herod.
PLACE.-John was probably executed at
the castle of Machaerus on the Arabian
frontier, nine miles east of the upper end
Of the Dead sea.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
Matt. 14:1, p. The sending out of
the Twelve as missionaries attracted a
great deal of attention. Every one saw
that the movement was growing, and
now, perhaps for the first time, it at
tracted the attention of Herod. At that
season." The time of which Matthew
has been speaking, in general-the same
spring. "Herod the tetrarch:" This
was Herod Antipas, a son of Herod the
Great, and like him in many ways. He
was tetrarch, or governor, of Galilee and
Peraea for more than 80 years. said
unto his servants" Not his m~enials,
but the courtiers. This is John the
Baptist" A guilty conscience makes
men superstitious. Herod had not re-
covered from the shock which his own
terrible act had given him. He was
many times a murderer, but he was not
many times a murderer in cold blood and
to humor a within, of such men as John.
IF we mistake not, that discovered head
was rarely absent from Herod's haunted
imagination from that day forward till
he lay upon his dying bed."-Farrar.
Therefore do these powers work in
Him." Not, He does the mighty
works. but the powers work in Him.
the powers of the invisible world, vast
n vague in the kings imagination."-
Bruce.
(Vs. 3-S). Matthew now e back to
tell OF Herod's wanton murder of John.
that we may better understand his super
stftious fear Of Jesus. at is not lawful
for thee to have her." The fact that
John did not spare Herod himself in his
de~nunciations is a commentary on the
courage of the man. HE feared the
multitude" Herod was always anxious
to be popular. and saw that to kill John
would be a decidedly unpopular move.
"The daughter of Herodias danced in the
midst" At the birthday feast. Her
name was Salome; She was later mar
ried to her uncle, Herod Philip II. This
dance was probably the final voluptuous
scene of a night of revelry. The feast
must have taken place at the castle of
Machaerus, where John was imprisoned.
He promised to give her whatso-
ever she should ask:"A mad promisefor
any king to make, but it was late. his
brain wasinflamed with drink, the drunk
go "StS lhS LII Ou. dUu
he made it with many a great oath. He
supposed she would ask a necklace of
precious stones-a fortune, or a palace.
She, being put forward by her mother"
Herodias saw her chance; the king
when under the influence of liquor could
be led to do what in his sober senses he
would never do-liquor was the same
then as now-and so the horrible request
was made.
(Vs. 9-12.J "The king was grieved:"
Herod did not want to kill John: it
would be unpopular, and he was unpop-
ular enough now for having needlessly
brought on the war with Aretas; then,
he thoroughly respected the man-had
become acquainted with him during his
Imprisonment. Almost everything
conscience. his own best interests. the
good of the kingdom-counseled one
course, but Herod took the other. Why?
IN the first place, liquor. Men under the
of liquor are enemies to them
selves and all that during their sober
hours they hold most dear. In the Sec
ond place, cowardice. He made q rash
promise with the fumes of liquor in his
brain; he kept it, not because he was in
the habit of keeping promises, but be-
"of them which sat at meat with
him" He was ashamed to back down
in the very hour of his boastful promise.
He was too much Of a coward to do what
he knew was right. His code of honor
was a false one; he did not realize that
to keep a bad promise was a greater dis
grace thar to make 1t. AND so he COM
mitted n Of the most CHASTITY murders
in all history. His life is a warning, for
his weaknesses, dangers and tempta-
tons are the same as ours.
Worldly Prosperity.
Wings Of wealth carry no souls to the
skies.
The modern Tower of Babel is built
out of dollars.
Heart's-ease does not grow on the
heights of ambition.
Prosperity becomes a poison when it
GROWS at the pxDoDSe 0f piofv