The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1910-05-19
The
Sunday School
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM.
MENTS FOR MAY %.
Subject: The Death of John the Bap.
tist, Matt. 14:1-12--Commit
Verses 10, IL.

GOLDEN TEXT.-"He that Is slow
to anger Is better than the mighty.
and he that ruleth his spirit, than he
that taketh a city" Prov. 1922.
TIME.-A. ID. 20.
PLACE.-Machaeru
EXPOSITION.-I. Herod Afraid
of John Risen From the Dead, 1, 2.
At last the report of Jesus mighty
deeds reaches the palace, and the
court is agitated. The conscience
smitten king Is struck with abject ter
ror. His sins come out of their
graves to haunt him. This is John
the Baptist" he cries, "he is risen
from the dead" This had first been
suggested by others (Luke 9:7). but
Herod's guilty conscience had readily
taken 1t up. There had been other
explanations of Jesus power quite as
plausible Luke 9:S) and Herod had
been in deep perplexity and agitation
about It, and longing to see Jesus,
and have all the terrible uncertainty
settled luke 9:9). But conscience
asserted its sway and Herod settled
down to this, John whom | behead-
ed. he is risen" MARK 6:14-16.
VI,
as will every sin that is not covered
every sinner. The royal murderer
was having a foretaste of hell. Her.
DDS present agitation soon passed
away (Luke 23:S), but the remorse
to come will be endless mark 9:44,
46).
III. Herod Afraid of the Multitude.
80. John was model court preach
er. 1t mattered not to him that his
hearer was a king. All he saw was
a sinner. A sinner who wore a crown
was to John not essentially different
from any other sinner. John did not
mince words, he will save the royal
adulterer If he can; and pointing at
Herodias he thundered, 1T is not law
full for thee to have her" Brave,
faithful servant of God. Such men
are needed in every age. But John
got the prison and the headsmans S
block for his earthly reward (cf.
Matt. 5:11, 12; Luke 6:26). John
lost his head, but he saved himself
from the awful guilt and condemna-
ton of the messenger of God who is
recreant to his trust (Ez. 3:1S).
Herod had a wholesome fear of John.
The latter had awakened that awe in
the bosom of the former that right
eous and holy men often inspire in
the hearts of those who would do
them harm MARK 6:20; comp. l
Kings 21:20). Herod was touched
and listened to him gladly, but he
did not give up his sin, and so there
could be no doubt as to what the ulti-
mate outcome would be. There is no
hope for the man who is simply in
terested in the truth and listens to it
gladly, but who does not forsake sin.
The time soon came when Herod
wished to silence this accusing voice
that he was not willing to obey. But
now he was restrained by a fear of
the people. The man who is re-
strained from sin only by the fear of
man will not be restrained long ".
81. Fear seems to have been the rul-
ing impulse in this mans life; first,
fear of John, then fear of the people,
then fear of those which sat at meat
with him." and then fear OF Johns
ghost. About the unhappiest man on
earth Is the man who is governed by
his fears.
III. Herod Afraid of Those Who
Sat at Meat With Him, 0-12. The
steps by which Herod walked to eter.
nal infamy are an instructive illus.
tration of the growth of sin. First,
he took his brothers wife; second,
he rejected faithful warning; third,
ne imprisoned the faithful preacher;
fourth, he gave wine supper; fifth,
he watched beautiful dancer; sixth,
he obeyed the promptings of an i'm
agination excited by wine and lasciv-
iousness, and made rash vow; sew
enth, in fear of ridicule he kept his
wicked oath; eighth, he murdered a
holy man. There are few things that
grow so rapidly as sin. He is not the
last man who has got into trouble
by giving a wine supper, nor the last
who has plunged headlong into crime
because of a beautiful dancer. Let
II be borne in mind, too, that the
dancer belonged to "the very best So
clety" OF the day, and the dancing was
done before very select company
mark 6:21). Herodias appears In
the story in even worse light than
Herod. Herod was entrapped. Her
odias set the trap. 1t was all deliber-
ately arranged. She had set herself
against John and desired to kill him
mark 6:19), but Herod stood in the
way. Herodias waited her opportun-
ity She sent her daughter in to act
the part of a shameless dancer. What
Is a daughters modesty to a woman's
pitiless hate? Herod was pleased and
made his rash promise. The daugh-
ter hurried to her mother for instruc-
tions and hurried back with the In
famous request for John the Baptist's
head. The road that Herodias trav-
eled to hell is full of warning She
entered an adulterous alliance, she
rejected faithful warning, she hated
the faithful messenger, she plotted
his death, she sacrificed her daugh-
ter's modesty upon the altar of her
own hellish hate, she murdered Gods
faithful ambassador, she gloated over
the head OF the victim of her lust and
hate and cruelty. Was not Johns
boldness mistake? II cost hts head,
but brought him crown hereafter
and imperishable fame here (Matt.
5:11, 12: 2 Tim. 2;12; Rom. S:18;
2 Cor. 4:17. John did not succeed
in saving Herod by his fearless
preaching. but he saved himself (Ez.,
3;19). His corpse was laid In the
tomb. but he entered into paradise.
John the dead and seemingly con-
quered servant OF God was happier