The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 88

her whatBOever she would ask." We are sometimes invited to proru.lso before we aro told what is to be a~ked. It should never be done. No man can tell whether it is right to promise u~til h~ kno~s what is to be promised. In the case now before us, we fin~ a man exmted with 'Yme and company, a~d not really himself. It is necessary to realize the gay but degradmg ~cene, and the sk1lfuluess of the wicked scheme carried through by Her0dias. To us dancing is a modest and beautiful amusement, whatever may be thought of it~ relation to religious people. Dut at Eastern feasts, girls of bad character were often mtro~nced, who a~use~ the guests, and excited evil passions, by rude movements and antics, and dancing m filmy garments. "Herodias knew tha tetrarch's weak point as well as Madame du Barry knew that of Louis XV. of France, 1md sought to bend him to her will, even though it were by the sacrifice of her daughter's modesty." She made Salome act before these guests as if she wel'e an Almeh-dancer. Herod loses all self-control, and foolishly promises her anything. L A SURRENDER OF JUDGME1'"'T. A man should always consider and decide before he promises. A man may surrender his judgment to God. He may yield hie judg- ment in discussion with his fellow-men, because a better judgment may be given. But he may never give away his judgment, and let some one else judge for him. 'l'hen a man is weak, unmanly. By unlimited promise Herod surrendered his manhood, his right to control his conduct. IL .AJ.;r OPPORTUNITY FOB '!'HE UNSCRUPULOUS. Their trouble always is that their plans may be considered, weighed, judged. So their scheme always is to get things carried through before they can be thought about. "To-morrow" is the weakness of the undecided, and the ruin of the unscrupulons. If Herod had said, "We will see. about the promise to-morrow," John Baptist wonld not have lost his head. That unlimited promise broke the barriers down; and unscrupulous Herodias pressed her opportu.nity. IIL A OURSE ALIKE FOR THOSE WHO GET AND THOSE WHO GIVE. Is it possible for us to esiimate the moral effect of this abominable transaction on Herodias and Salome? The worst thing that can ever happen to us is to be 6ucceseful in some shameless enterprise. Salome's life was a horror, almost worse than that of Herodias; Then estimate the misery of Herod. His conscience that ever reminded him of the head in the charger. His dreadful fears that John had risen from the dead, Never promise without knowing what you promise.-R. T. Ver. 9.- Vain regrets. "And the king was sorry." But no good came of his son·ow. It was too late. He had lost his opportunity. He had put•his foot upon a slide, and down he had to go. Plumptre says;" It was the last struggle of conscience. In that moment there must have come before his mind his past reverence for the prophet, the joy which bad for a time accompanied the strivings of a better life, possihiy the counsels of his foster-brother Manaen." Every man must have his regrets. Things done in all good faith turn out very different to our expectations, and we regret that we .did them. But, if we are strong men, we work at the correction or the remedying of our unintended evil And regret sometimes is an important element in repentance. 'Regret ooncerns the result of action. Repentance concerns the wrong of action. L REGRETS ARE VAIN WHEN CHARACTER IS WEAK. Undisciplined people are always full of regrets; but they do them little or no good. Herod was sorry that he had made that unconditional promise. But he was too weak to refuse to do the wrong to which it led. The weak fear of man extracted the order for the beheading; he was ashamed before that assembly to recall his too-hasty promise. "Like most, weak men, Herod feared to be thought weak. It was not so much his regard for the oath which he had taken, but his shrinking from the taunt, or whispered jest, or contemptuous gesture of the assembled guests, if they Fhould see him draw back from hie plighted word." When the character is weak it is (1) always eensiti ve to public opinion; (2) it is always eubjP,Ct to the sway of stronger characters. Herod may be as sorry as he pleases, but hie regret is helpless and vain. Fublic opinion will drag him on into crime, and so will the shameless companion of his sins. II. REGRETS ARE VAIN WHEN CIRCUMSTANCES ABE MASTERFUL, A man may be sorry, aud may even try to put right bis wrong, yet find all his efforts in v~in. 'l'he man wl,o plays with the fates will be dragged on to his doom by them. It 1s easy to mr. uv. 1-86.J THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 91