The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1918-06-08

hence and power. His life and teach
ing condemned Pharisaic Formally,
tradition and hypocrisy. The machine
could not bend him to its pattern, it
therefore decided to destroy him.
They were able to do this by the
treachery of Judas Iscariot. A few
days before Judas made a hypocritical
plea for the poor in his criticism of
Mary's act of devotion in breaking the
alabastar box of ointment to anoint
her Lord, he now obtains money from
the rulers as the price of Jesus be-
trayal.
Strange it is that Judas should be
present at the Passover supper when
he had already made the bargain that
showed that his honor was a market
able commodity. Perhaps it was to
throw off suspicion or to get a better
chance to betray Jesus. Probably it
was the fascination of the Master that
could not altogether be obliterated
from the soul of Judas. Certainly
tlllo lV0lAhS saw hAhi q lolC W
draw back from the abyss into which
he was plunging. One peril of sin is
its paralyzing effect upon men when
their last chance comes.
1t is sad to think of Peter, who was
first to confess Christ as the Son of
God, being the first to deny Him. He
was both the most courageous and the
most cowardly of the twelve. Peter
fell under a sudden temptation, but af-
forwards wept bitter tears of regret
and repentance and was therefore for
given and restored. If our footstep
slip God give us the heart to weep
such tears as his. Peters denial grew
out of se1f-confdence. Let him that
thinketh he standeth take heed lest
he fall'. 1t is better to know our
weakness than to have boastful conf
dence in our strength.
On the night of the betrayal Jesus
instituted the Lords Supper. The old
Passover feast was merged into the
new sacrament. The Sacramentum
was the Roman soldiers oath of al
~legiance to his government. The Sac
rament of the Lords Supper instituted
by Jesus ratifes our conservation of
him.
The Passover signified the end of
the old ~dispensation. The celebration
of the deliverance from Egypt was to
be forgotten in another celebration of
the sinners deliverance from sin. At
ter the. dispensation of law came the
d~ispensation of grace. 1t was a new
covenant of Gods grace, symbolized
by the free gift of the precious life of
Gods son.
"a quaint old man used to carry a
book which he took very often from
his pocket, and which he called his
biography. 1t had only three leaves
and there was not a word written on
any of them, yet he said the book told
the whole story of his life. The first
leaf was black and that was his sin;
that was his condition by nature. The
second was red, that was the blood of
Christ. The third was whitehall
was himself washed in Christ's blood
and made whittier than snow. His
book told the whole story of every
redeemed life. Between the black of
our sins and the white of redemption
must always come the red blood of
Christ"
The Lords Supper is a picture of
God. 1t speaks to us of the infinite
love of God and of his only begotten
Son. 1t is a feast of love. 1t is par
taken of by those who have learned
to love Him. Every time we partake
of it we ought to obtain a clearer Wis
ion of Him who is u pattern, and a
vital union with the risen Christ that
will give us his life and strength and
thus enable us to give God the obedi-
ence which he requires. The Lords
Supper looks backward to the Cross,
upward to the living Christ and for
ward to his coming again. In the
present age we have blu the foretaSte,
in the Kingdom we shall have the full
ness of life and joy. |
lowing to business cares, pleasure
and prosperity. how often n forgets.
Memorials help to remember. The
Lincoln Roadway, the Memorial Tenn
pie, and many monuments help us to
remember and emulate the nobility of
Abraham Lincoln. On the fourth of
July We celebrate American Liberty.
Birthdays tell us of our heroes and
of the flight of years. Christmas
speaks of the coming of Christ.
Thanksgiving is the hour of praise;
Easter the hope of immortals; while
the Lords Supper is the memory
feast of Christ. In this celebration
we see our Redeemer on Calvary dy-