Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1922-01-04

Sg8 .d9@Z pleasure. comes
the Baptist: 1T is not lawful for thee
to have thy brother Phillips wife,"
Herod has put away his lawful wife
and stolen Herodias, his brothers.
wire. Herodias was willing party
to this adulterous act, for she gladly
left her husband for the money, power
and social position which would be
hers as the wife Of Herod, and she
hated the man Of God, who dared say,
1T Is not lawful"
These words of John brought con-
viction Of sin to Hcrod. He had laid
hold Of John and put him into prison
for Herodias' sake. Herod knew In his
heart that he must give account for his
Sin. lie knew that judgment sooner
or later would fall upon all sim While
he may never have heard, "Be sure
your sin Will find you out" plumbers
32:23). yet he knew it was true; the
ut is not lawful" from John the Bap-
tist brought 1t forcibly to his mind. 1t
Is so with every man. "It Is not law
fur rings in the conscience of every
sinner, bringing with 1t the conviction
Of sin.
The conviction was followed by Her
od's conflict with sin. In verses 1920
we are told "Herodlas would have
killed John; but she could not, for
Herod feared john He knew he was
man Of God and that to trlfle with
such nun was to trtfle with God. So
Herod observed" him; meaning he
saved him from the wrath Of Herodias.
he was trying to fool God when he
could not fool himself. Further. he
did many things" but not the light
thing. Moreover, Herod "hearu ohm
gladly" lie was moved by the fear
less preaching Of John and, perhaps,
like another ruler, he felt like saying,
Almost thou persuadest me-" But,
like so many who have felt the conflict
with sin, he put or from day to day
doing the one thing he knew lie should
do .
flerod's conflict ended IN cetas.
trophc from hia sin. liz verses 2t.26
we read Of the fatal birthday banquet
10 some 1t might appear to have been
fatal for John, because he lost his
life; In reality 1t was fatal for Herod
because he lost his soul. The guests
were gathered, brilliant company Of
courtiers. Wine flowed freely and
revelry was supreme. But over all the
brightness and gayety there hung a
pail like the smoke Of perdition. It
came from the remembered words Of
the man In the dungeons silence, ut is
not lawful"
"But in spite Of these remembered
words Herod comes to the edge of the
precipice over which he will stumble
to unutterable woe. With his heart
made merry with the wine and his pas
slons all inflamed he watches the
abandoned daughter Of Herodias as
she dances before him. He Is soon
caught In the whirl Of the passionate
dance; 1t trips him and he falls utter
ing the oath: whatsoever thou shalt
ask me, I will give 1t thee, unto the
half of my kingdom"
The brazen woman, already instruct
ed by her mothers hate Of the man of
God, asks for the head of John the
Baptist on platter. Herod is still
upon the edge Of the precipice, there
remains one last choice for him, and
upon that choice hangs his eternity.
The story ends with Herod's choice
Of sin. In verses 26-27 we are told he
"was exceeding sorry; but for his
oath's sake, and for their sakes which
sat with him, he would not reject her."
Herod felt sorrow indeed. but it was
not the sorrow that worketh repent
ance, but that which worketh death,
He feared the scorn Of his courtiers
more than the wrath Of God. He
chooses harlot instead of purity
death instead of life; hell instead of
heaven.
What he chose that day lie still has
with him, but the woman Is now
stripped Of her beauty and stands In
all the hideousness Of naked sin; the
courtiers Of whom he was afraid that
day now curse him for his folly; and.
Instead Of the cooling draught Of wine,
Is the cry for drop of water to cool
the parched tongue. Over all he may
still hear the unheeded warning from
John: 1T Is not lawful"
Let us not be too hard on Herod m.
til sure there is no man Of God saying
to us, 1T Is not lawful" Let lis be
certain there Is no fatal sin hurryIng
us along the path which led Herod to
an eternity Of shame and woe. The
writer knows not what particular sin
the reader may be clinging to, but IL
1t is there, whatever 1t Is, cut 1t Off
while yet there Is opportunity.
Remember that "Christ died for our
SINS" and now the message Is to all,
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and
thou shalt be saved" from sin and from