The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-05-25
The
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM.
MENTs FOR MAY %.
Subject: The Death of John the Bap-
fist, Matt. 14:1-12-Commit
Verses 10, ~.

TIME.-A. D. 29. p.
PLACE.-Machaerus.
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, che is risen
from the dead" This had first been
suggested by others (Luke SD, but
Herod's guilty conscience had readily
taken 1t up. There had been other
explanations Of Jesus power quite as
plausible (Luke 9:8) 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 it's sway and Herod settled
down to this, John whom I behead-
ed, he is risen" mark 6:14-16).
Iohn will indeed rise to accuse Herod,
a. will every sin that is not covered
wfsh the atoning blood, to accuse
every sinner. The royal murderer
was having a foretaste of hell. Hers
DDS present agitation soon passed
away CEuke $3.50, but the remorsei
to come will be endless mark 9;;44.
46).
II. Herod Afraid Of the Multitude,
So. John was a model court preach
er. 1t mattered not to him that his
hearer was a king. Ali 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 II he can; and pointing at
Herodias he Numbered, ut 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 headsWap'f
block for his earthly reward
Matt. SILL, ~; Luke s6:26G
lost his head, but he saved hi
from the awful guilt and c0nd
ton Of the messenger; OF Cod
recreantI to his trust GEE.
Herod had q wholesome fear
The latter had awakened tina
the bosom Of the former tn
6OuS duu uUly iuCuIOAIOh =
the hearts Of those who
them harm MARK $40;
Kings 21:2CJ. Herod was
and listened to him gladly,
did not give up his sin, and
could be no doubt as to what tn
mate outcome would be-. Their
hope for the man who is simr
terested in the truth and NstenSy
gladly, but who does not forsake
The time soon came when Her
wished to silence this accusing voice:
that he was not willing to obey. But
now he was restrained by5a 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 ruiz
ing impulse in this mans life; first
fear of John, then fear/of the people,
then fear of chose which sat atsmeat
with him." and then fear of Johns
ghost. About the unhappiest man on
earth is the man who'd Is governed by;
his fears.
M. Herod Afraid OF Those Who
Sat at Meat With Him, d8-12. The
steps by which Herod walked to eter-s
nal infamy are an Instructive Illus
tration of the growth OF sin. First
he took his brothers. wife; second
be rejected a faithful warning: third,
he imprisoned the faithful preacher;
fourth, he gave a wine supper; hftn,
he watched a beautiful dancer; sixth,
he obeyed the promptings OF an3im-
agination excited by wine and lascfy-
iousness, and made a 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, o he last
who has plunged headlong into crime
because Of a beautiful dancer. Let
1t be borne in mind, too, that the
dancer belonged to "the very best So
ciety" of the day, and the dancing was
done before a very select company
mark 6:21). Herodias appears In
the story in even a worse light than
Herod. Herod was entrapped. Her
odias set the trap. It was all dellDer-
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-
tons and hurried back with the in
famous request for John the Baptist's
head. The road that Herodias tray-
eled to hell is full of warning . She
entered an adulterous alliance, she
rejected a faithful warning, she hated
the faithful messenger, she plotted
his death, she sacrificed her daugh-
ter's modesty upon the altar Of her
W 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 a mistake? 1t cost his head,
but brought him a crown hereafter
and imperishable fame here (Matt.
5:11. -; 2 Tim. 2:12;' Rom. S:1$;'
2 Cor. AID. 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-
ouered servant of God was happier
that night than Herodias, the living
and seemingly triumphant sinner.
The disciples of John did the wisest
thing there was to do. They went