Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-04-21

Il ILL
rous skin Christ Rad cleansed would
have risen up and cried out: HE shall
not die. He shall not der Bot when
Judas led the Roman officers by night
TO the garden OF Gethsemane and show.
ed where Christ was I'm retreat then
Je IA was taken by stealth and tried
We Jerusalem slept. He was tried
by night. He was crucined on the
early morning. Oh. my friends, shall
IL be that you and 1 as apostates have
betrayed Christ into the hands OF his
enemiesf
Another thought: "Aceldama-that IS,
the field OF blood"-teaches that re-
morse for a sin committed does not
necessarily wipe or the record OF that
sin from the Lambs book OF life. Ju-
das was sorry for his SIN. No sosner
had he given that betrayipg kiss than
he would have been willing to cut OF
his right arm to have undone the dam
age. He flung the money back into the
priests faces. He did more than that.
Lacerated and agonixed on account Of
his mental sufferings, he went forth and
hanged himself. He practically said:
o God, my brain is crazedi Let me
der But to be sorry for a past sin Is
not enough. Remorse Is not salvation
through Christ. DIR. Whitley well said
In one OF bis sermons, Judas had a
sight and sense OF sin. but no appre-
hension OF the mercy OF God In Christ.
and so he pinned away In his inIquity.' -
o man. today you are sorry for your
SINS You are sorry because they drag
ged, you down and down and down.
But are You more than sorry3 Are you
ready TO renounce them and to plead
with God for pardon through the blood
or Christ? This pardon Is offered to all
who come In Christ's name. Remorse
for sin does not necessarily mean sal
Walton, by faith. There are two facts
In the life OF the prodIgai son would
have you well bear In mind. The one
Is. be was sorry; the second fact. he
arose and went back to his fathers
house. Oh, my brother, win you repent
OF your slnsf VIII you do more than
that? VIII you turn your back upon
ain and look at the loving, forgiving
race OF Jesus Christi
Gea's Love Hever wsnes.
But the last thought to me is the
sweetest OF all. Standing by "Aceida-
ma-that is, the field Of biood"-I end
that, no matter how much we have
sinned. God never loses his love for the
stnner. God loves us and eIings TO m
IN exactly the same way as a mother
clings to her children. asked a SisaY
friend OF mine some time ago who
was the favorite among her many chill
dren. She answered, 81 love the young
est best until he Is grown. and the alb
sent one best until he returns, and the
sick one best until he gets we'll" Yes.
L said to myself. "And the prodigai
best until he comes back to a mothers
love- So God clings to his Maynard
ones. The more we sin the more he
wants US by bis side and the more he
pleads with US and ciings to us.
Do we not find this fact true IN refer
ence to Judas lifeq When Christ knew
that Judas was to betray him. did he
drive Judas from his side? No: that
was not Christ's way. He kept Judas
with him clear up TO end. He seems
&c be saying all the time. ooh. Judas.
why wilt thou betray, the Son of man?''
One OF the last acts OF Christ's earthly
life was to honor Judas above all his
brethren when he gave TO him the son
at the supper. The giving OF the son
was an act Of love. not OF hate. So
Christ today is pleading with you and
me. We may spit In his face. as did
those who led him forth for crucifxion.
we may place n crown OF thorns upon
his head; we may betray him with a
kiss, as did Judas. but we cannot make
Christ cease to love us. oh. nv friends
VIII not you and yield to this love of
Jesus Christ. which passeth nil human
We have wandered
Tar. far away. but Christ Is today sim
loving us. VIII you accept his pardon.
ING lover VIII you accept it nowr
Worldwide Invitation.
Ihis is worldwide invitation which
L am giving you TO come TO the saving
cross. Indeed, so great, SO far reach
Ing are the possibilities OF human re-
demption through Christ. that while I
was writing this sermon In the ouie-
tude or my study the thought arose.
How do know that Judas was eter-
nahy dsetroyedl God changed his
rnipo IN reference TO the NInevites
when they repented OF their sins. How
DO 1 know that Judas, even when he
was dangling on the end OF that rome.
did not make such supplication as
brought him within the influence OF
The divine Fathers forgiving lover
perhaps IN the death struggle Judas
jailed upon Christ for rescue. IL he
lid, who shall say that Christ did NOT
pardon him? He could pardon Judas,
inns Just as he forgave Paurs, who
vas the chief OF sinners" IL Judas
lid call for divine forgiveness, I know
he received Il. just as the penitent
hief. as Merry Magdalene, as the wo-
nan OF Samsria, received forgiveness
when repentant, just as freely as Won
AN be forgiven today. oh, my friends.
WITH suchta divine love surrounding IN.
Fih ron pct threw yourself upon the
mercy and .atonernent OF Christ. which
ave saved In the past, which save
low ans which viii savs through all
imef The cross can be changed into
crown By changing the last two let
ers. Rensorse Gun be changed into
triumph " today, In Christ's mercy.
'ou Will reach mp and look and live.
copyright. 1906 by Louis Rlopsch.l
~ wnhians Was TAsn PLATA ssniu.-
William c. Van Horne, one OF the
worlds great railroad men. began his
'areer a. a telegraph operator I'm Chi |