The Newtown bee., 1907-03-29
TOWN TOPICS.
LITTLE SERMONS.
JUDAS ISCARIOT.


 ,,d "I have sinned in that betrayed innocent
 The lessons of the spiritual life, to a great extent, are taught by personal examples. The Holy Scriptures con- tain the moral and supernatural his- tory of the world; and set forth the divine principles of true religion, Adam as the original head of our race represents our common humanity. = In hlm all sin, and all die. Cain is the type of the wickednesS of mankind; :; and Abel was the first martyr to the power of evil. Enoch stands for the true spiritual manhood, such as walks with God and has no fear of death, be- to the world beyond. Abraham was the man of real faith, the father of all who believe unto righteousness, the Friend of God. Moses was the faithful servant of Jehovah, who talked face to face with the Most High. David was the great type of the eternal King. Elijah was the strong prophet of God. And over against these were the lead CTS of the world of wickedness: the Nimrods, Pharaohs, Baalams, Ahabs and Jezebels. As St Paul says: "For whatever things were written afore- that through patience and comfort of the Scriptures we might have hope. '
 And now we are come to the culm1- nation of this universal, spiritual con. flict of all the ages. The climax of divine revelation is reached in the suffering and death of the Son of God as the Saviour of the world. The love of the Father has met the hatred of the wicked, and the treachery of man has betrayed Him who Sis altogether lovely and the chiefest among ten thousand" the incarnation of the per feet efarna1 one
 In Jesus Christ we find purity, gen. tleness, righteousness, wisdom and love, with every virtue and grace of a faultless and stainless character; with out thought of evil, devoted to the postie says: on Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;' "the very image of the Father" In Judas Iscariot we have the most de graded and despised of men-a thief, a liar, the traitor who sold the Lord ot life and betrayed Him into the hands of His enemies, for the paltry price of the meaneSt slave. His very name has become the synonym of the deepest abhOrrence of which the soul is capable. We can scarcely think of Jesus who stands for all that is noblest and best, beyond what the world has ever dreamed; who out of the perfect, divine love gave His life for the life of the world, without some consciousness of Judas, one of the chosen twelve who had been nearest to Him during the years of His ministry-One whom He had taught and loved, who for few pieces of silver became the tool of the enemies of God and betrayed the inf mite love by treacherouS kiss. For ever shall these two names be aSSOciat ed together as the symbols of the di vine goodness and the wick edneSs anC depravitv of the human heart. Fol there is no greater manifestation ol love that we can comprehend thar that with which the Son of God loves us; and there is no greater depth o1 wickedness of which man has the pow CT than that of Judas Iscariot.
 And still, I wonder how different 1T spirit and truth was "the son of per ditlon," as the risen Lord calls him | who confessed that he had sinned ano | betrayed innocent blood, from any Christ betrays Him, by neglect, ol wilful sin, or by selfish indifference tt | the good of others; in effect crucifytne afresh the Son of God, and putting Him to open shame before the face O. man? How much better than Judas Iscariot is the drunken husband wht has denied his VOWS to love, comfort honor and keep his bride, and then be trays and abuses her, lives on her lab or, and robs his children of their sup port, education, and even the blessing of good name? How different is an. thief liar, defaulter, traitor, impure person; one who is covetoQs, profane hard-hearted, or any impenitent sin ner, from this one who sold his Lort and Master for a small sum of money
 Inasmuch as you have done it unto others, even so you have done it unto
 Him. All sin is the betrayal of tn
 Son of God.-[O. O. Wright.