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


 T ,ad have sinned in that betrayed innocent The lessons of the spiritual life, to | great extent, are taught by personal examples. The Holy Scriptures con-
 tain the moral and supernatural his divine principles of true religion,
 teaching by individual experience.
 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- cause he was translated from this life 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- time were written for our learning.
 that through patience and comfort of l the Scriptures we might have hope" And now we are come to the culmi-
 nation of this universal, spiritual con- flict of all the ages. The climax of suffering and death of the Son of God
 es 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 ''is altogether
 lovely and the chiefest among ten
 thousand" the incarnation of the per feet, eternal one.
 In Jesus Christ we find purity, gen. | tleness, righteousness, wisdom and love, with every virtue and grace of a out thought of evil, devoted to the highest good of the world. As the A poStle says: "In Him dWelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily"
 tthe very image of the Father" In Judas Iscariot we have the most de- graded and despiSed of men-a thief, liar, the traitor who sold the Lord of life and betrayed Him into the hands of His enemies, for the paltry price of the meaneSt slave. HIS very 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 wickedness and depravitv of the human heart. For there is no greater manifestation of love that we can comprehend than that with which the Son of God loves us; and there is no greater depth of wickedneSS of which man has the pow CT than that of Judas Iscariot.
 And still, I wonder how different in spirit and truth was ''the son of per dit1on,'' as the risen Lord calls him,
 who confessed that he had sinned and
 betrayed innocent blood, from any one, who, having named the name of l Christ betrays Him, by neglect, or wilful sin, or by selfish indifference to the good of others; in effect crucifying afresh the Son of God, and putting
 Him to open shame before the face of man? How much better than Judas Iscariot is the drunken husband who 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 of good name? How different is any thief, liar, defaulter, traitor, impure person; one who is covetous, profane. hard-hearted, or any impenitent sin ner, from this one who sold his Lord and Master for 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 the
 Son of God.-[O. O. Wright.