The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-05-20
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THE POWER OF A WOMAN.
Mathew 14:1-12.-May %.

Na+feW f:i-iE-Hey H.
HE that is slmr to nicer is oetw than the mighty; and he that rueth his spirit
ton ne that tukeM q cnu"-Prouer6s 1852.
~aoHN THE BAPTIST. because OF his holiness and courage as a servant
and mou!h1"ere of God. a a th0E EI in n side Of King HeFod and
and the more prominent people considered John the Baptist and Jesus
fanatics. Doubtless they would have made away with them quickly had it
not been for their fears of the people. The common people heard the Master
gladly and declared that never mas spake like this man, the same common
people believed John to be a prophet
We will lot undertake. c say whether John exceeded his commission or
not when he reproved the King and Queen. AS a rule, however. we believe
it to be the wiser plan for Christian ministers to speak forth the Word Of
God fearAsAy and plainly, without attempting personal appIcation-anowing
represents an uncommon class of women. She was governed by boundess
ambition. She married the man Who for a time. seemed in line or promo
pe0r d TO MS o1 br hn He'nd Ancpns, Fn di s% h. Sone aau e 10y Job n1 he enI Ran,
fist, while fearessy denouncng sin, felt led to make a personal application
of his teachings to King Herod.
Some have assumed that Herod had requested John the Baptist to visit
the palace and give a talk o the reforms he advocated. and that in this con-
necion. the prophet pointed out the wrong Of the Kings conduct saying
that it a not in harmony with the Divine Law that he "a living with his
brother Philips wife. Herodas heard Of this and realized that if the King
accepted such counsel it would mean that herself and her beautiful daughter,
salome. would become outcasts from the palace and b without a nome, a
it would be impossible for her to return to her husband. Philip. The power
to effect his death. for she realized her position insecure S o long as he lived
Johns fearless speech might yet influence the King:
This ambitious wicked, artfuI woman plotted murder, and the Kings
birthday celebration was her opportunity. She forwarded the arrangements
land Ian Wine Wine wa i'm plentiful supply. She we'll knew that the vine would in
fame the passions and relax the moralt tone Of thu company. So n lac
her beautiful daughter: salome. specially prepared and atdred' and instructed
her to perform n Of the obscene dances common to the east OF such cca=
sons. but lot commonly INDUCED in except by the lower classes, and never
by princesses. The occasion was to be a rare one: 1t was intended to
ece the King exactly a. it did-to admiration and a boastful offer to the girl
Words we're. ASK of ~ a gift even to the half If my Kingdom"-possibly a
suggestion of his willingness ito make her his true Queer"
Following her mothers Instructions Salome reported the matter a once.
inquring of the mother what gifts she should request We can better i'm
agine than describe the surprise of the girl when told by the mother to re-
quest the head of John the Baptist O n a platter" We may conceive what a
disappointment this would mean: what visions of the beautiful and precious
things it would destroy!-with what surprise Saome must have asked Is to
why this gruesone gift should be given. We can imagine the mother kissing
to Der that the death of John the Baptist was the most necessary thing in
the world for them both-that without it any day might sex them hurled
from conditions of afuence into the abyss of degradation and poverty. We
can imagine her saying, This. Salome. is the priceless gift which you must
ask from the King" And the power of the woman owe both the King and
the daughter was wonderfully exempifed in the result. Salome went ga1y
again amongst the company of mobiles whom she had charmed, and in a loud
voice accepted the Kings offer of whatever she would choose, ven to the
half of bis Kingdom and stated that accordingly, the gift should be the head
Of the Prophet on a platter. -
The Kings conscience was ct quite dead. He "a gr1eVed; but hisp pride
as we'll IS bis subseryiency to Herodias controlled him. He reasoned that fr
a King to give his word of honor n the hearing of mobiles and princes and
then to repudiate it would be to him a lasting shame All: what an ilustra-
this.-that a mans first responsibility is to his God and to- bis conscience.
whatever the cost. Tradition has it that Herod was haunted with far the
remainder Of bis days. 1t is in line with this that when ne heard O. Jesus
and his mighty works. he expressed the conviction that somehow, the spirit
or power of John had passed to Jesus & -
Our lesson brings before us two strong and two weak characters. John
and Herodias we're strong characters. the ne for the right and for God. the
other for selfish ambition and sinful indulgence of it, The one swayed his
nation for their good and prepared the worthy remnant to receive Messlahs
message. The other swayed the King and her daughter to fnfamE. murder
and disgrace. and terribly Dlackened her own character. Johns reward lies
the future. when be. as d member Of the Ancient-Worthy class. will come
forth to a better resurrechon"-to be associated with Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob and all the prophets in the earthly phase Of the Mllenn1al Kingdom.
Herodias. surely continuously unhappy. finally persuaded the King to
a course which led to his Punishment. in which she shared. Lei future &C.
cording to the Bible. will be a resurrection TO shame and lasting contempt
Daniel 1927 Inasmuch as she degraded herself and missed grand opporu-
mites. W may assuredly know that she will come forth in the Millennium
greatly handicapped by her improper course in the present life. 1t may take
centuries, even under the favorable conditions Of Christs Kingdom, or such a
deepy-dyed character to purge itself of the shame and the lasting contempt
and to rise gradually to true nobility and human perfection, or, failing o %
do, to die the Second Death.