St. Mary's beacon., 1858-07-29


R0ne; but with such eternal csincessions u
Jewish nationality as might kAye cOasgslsea <I.e
real interests Of both parties. Adsuinisl RNI3
under Jewish names, the Land would lave
yielded larger reEehne than. as relral
nest Of inssIrge i ever did yield % The I'd.
man exehcqueF, and, on the other hand, 4 sA
rucioiis tie0fty, which was really Hlh'l,fe III
is ifftionlitable gbstinacy, might have been
.hunl6fed without prejudice "a she grandeur
nf the sMgfrfdl claims. Even little Palhsrfa
III slter finstx was5 inElulpea . gkeaf
without serious injury IN any quarter. had II
not been for the feminine arrogance in little
insolent Zenohia that nIisintcfpFeted aud abus-
ed that iflulgeneB The miScalculation, in
factS of Judas Iscariot him really
to have entertained the views ascribed to him
-,iM not hinge at all upon political oversight,
but upon 4 total spiritual blindness; in which
blindness, however, he went no further than
at that time did probably most of his breth-
ren. Upon'0tena, quite as little as upon him,
had yet dawned the true grandeur Of the
Christian scheme. In this only he outran his
brethren--that. sharing in their blindness, he
greatly exceeded them in presumption. All
alike had imputed to their master. views utter
ly irreconcilable with the grandeur Of his new
heavenly ligion. 1t was no religion at all
which they, previously to the cruci6xior, sup
posed to be the object Of Chtist's teaching: il
was a mere preparation for a pitiably vulgar
scheme Of earthly aggrandizemcnt. But.
whilst the other apostles had simply failed to
comprehend their master, Judas had presump-
tuously assumed that he did comprehend him,
and understood his purposes better than
Christ himself. His object MAS audacious in a
high degree but according to the theory which
| am eXplaining) for that very reason not
treacherous at all. The more that he was liza
Gle to the approach of audacity the less can he
be suspected of perfidy. He supposed himself
executing the very inncrmOst purposes of
Christ, but with an energy which it was the
characteristic infrmity of Christ to want. He
fancietl tina. by his vigor of action were full
filled those great political changes which Christ
approved but wanted audacity to realize. His
hope was that. when at length actually ar
rested by the Jewish authorities, Christ would
no longer vacilate; he would he. forced into
giving the signal TO the populace of Jerusalem
who would then rise unanimously for the
double purpose Of placing Christ at the head Of
an insurrectiOnary movement and of throwing
of the Roman yoke. As regards the worldly
prospects of this scheme, it is by no means
improbable that lscariot was right. Il seems.
indeed, altogether impossible that he who las
the treasurer of the ~r-aA-ic raterllityl had in
al lSes...~sS. Si.Si0st Uf wsaly wisisossy ann
was best acquainted with the temper of the
times, could have made any gross blunder
as to the wishes and secret designs of the
populace in Jerusalem.
This populacc. however, not being back
ed by any strong section Of the aristocracy,
having no confidence again in any of the
learned bodies connected with the great SER
vice Of their NATIONAL temple, neither in
Scribes nor Pharisees, neither in Sadducecs
nor Lcvitcs, and having no leaders, were ap-
parently detected, and without unity. The
probability meantime is that some popular
demonstration would have been made ON be-
half of Christ had he himself offered it any en-
enlargement. But we, who know the in
compatibility of any such encouragement with
the primary purpose of Chrst's mission upon
earth, know of necessity that Judas, and the
populace on which he relied, must equally
and simultaneously have found themselves
undeceived forever. In an instant of time
one grand, decisive word and gesture of
Christ must have put an end peremptoriy
to all 'honcs Of that kind. In that brief in
slant enough was made known to Judas for
fnal despair. Whether he had ever drunk
profoundly enough from the cup of spiritual
religion to, understand the full meaning of
Christ's refusal, not only the fact of this re,
filsnl, but also the infinite of what secretly
it involved; whether it still adhered to his
worldly Interpretation of Christ's mission. and
simply translated the refusal into a confession
that all was lost, whilst. in very fact, all was
on the brink Of absolute and tiumphant con.
summation, it is impossible for us, without
documents or hints, TO conjecture. Enough is
apparent TO show that, in reference to any
hopes that could be consolatory for him, ail
was indeed, lost. The kingdom of this world
had melted away in moment like a cloud !;
and ii mattered little to man Of his nature
that a spiritual kingdom survived if in his
heart there were no spiritual organ by which
he could appropriate the new and stunning
revelation. Equally he might be swallowed
up by despair in the ease Of retaining his old
worldly delusions, and finding the ground OF
his old antieipations suddenly giving way be-
low his feet, or again in the opposite case
IF suddenly correcting his own false construc-
tions of Christ mission, and ct suddenly ar-
pretending far higher purpose; but which
purpose, IN the very moment of becoming
intelligible, rose into region Etr beyond his
own frail feshy sympathies. He might read
more truly, but what of that, If the new
truth, suddenly made known as letter were
in spirit absolutely nothing at all to the inner
sense of his heart? The dependency Of Ju-
das might he Of two different qualities, more
or less selfish indeed, would go so far as
to say selfish, or altogether urseifish. AID it
is with view TO this question, aud under n
persuasion cf wrong done 70 Judas By
gross mistTanslation disturbing the Greek
text that entered at all upon this little
memorandum. Else what l have hitherto
been attempting 10 explain excepting. how
ever, the part relating to the kakim, which
is entifely my own suggestionl belongs in
part to German writers. The whole con-
strnction of the Iscariot's conduct, rs arising,
not "ut of per6dy. but out of his sincere be-
lief thas some quickening impulse was called
for by morbie feature in Christ's tenlpera-
ment-ah this, / believe, was originally due
to the Germans; and it is an important cor
rection; for il must always be ilnportaAt TO
recall within the fold of Christian forgive
ness any one who has long been sequestered
from human charity, and has tenantcd =
Parish grave. In shs greatest aud most
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