The Clio messenger., 1921-05-19

able, he has had
enough of the oil of the Holy Spirits
influence on his soul to make MN ac-
cept our Lords company in such
place, but he will not accept OF eternai
life as gift. Outwardly he mas
joined the Apostles Band, but, inwaru-
ly he is thief. Good company, put
a thief's heart
His choosing to "joln" before ne
had received" may have cost him his
soul. If he had humbly insisted upon
not joining until he had accepted our
Lord Jesus Christ as the one VINO
would fulfill all sacrlficial types Tor
sinners, then ne might have ranked
with John or Paul.
He knew the place. Those trees
could talk to him. He could gather
messages from the footprints ana
paths there. The very air was elo-
quent to him. oh, there are records
which do not fit into music boxes or
conform to machinery. They are
heard at most unexpected times. AS
If started by unseen hands, In the
dark of the night, they compel us to
listen. Just as some who read this
can hardly help thinking of the path
up to the old schoolhouse, where, In
the winter revival, they sang, Come
we sinners poor and needy" or OF the
old kitchen In the old farmhouse
where family prayers were conducted
once a day. How often the Spirit OF
God whispers, Forget not all his ben
efits." But Judas had a sinful heart
and would not yield that to Jesus the
sin-bearer The place was outside the
man, the heart of sin was close with
In. Groom over the place, he might,
but like soldier on guard, he would
fight Jesus away from that citadel of
the heart.
And why should Judas be one of
the twelve7 To be sure, he Is later
substituted by Matthias, but why was
he ever admitted? II have chosen
you twelve and one of you Is a devil"
are the words so startling. And that
one the treasurer! Yes, for when God
Is manifested fighting sin, he asks for
no favors or quarter. He fights 1t
on Its own ground and out IN the
open. The apostles are in the thick
of the centuries-old conflict with hu-
man sin. So far as the record states
there could not have been much money
for Judas to handle anyway. But he
can be allowed to add and subtract
and have first-hand information,
where, If there had been any trick
cry advised, he would have known
about IL.
Now this Is the man who sells Jesus
for few cents more than five dollars.
Yes, but this is the man who through
out the whole known record never
states that he finds any trace of decep-
tion or trickery on Jesus part. This
"son of perdition" on the inside, with
first-hand information, this devil"
cannot find flaw or fleck In all the
structure of Jesus conduct. He OBJ
jects to Mary amounting him, but re-
member, he nowhere calls him
Lord"
Do we not see that today men and
women, wayward and guilty, will say
that they do not criticize Jesus? His
enemies admit, by the ten thousand,
that they find no fault In him." Yet
they refuse him their hearts. How
could Jesus Christ be such true
teacher, leader of men and example
If his repeated declaration of his
Savior-ship were false? How can a
man properly appreciate his teaching
and his wonder works and at the same
moment reject his shed blood? You
admire him, but you do not receive
him; beware lest, for price, you sell
him.
There Is another "place" mentioned
II. the account. Judas went to "his
own place." He had heard Of that
place from Jesus himself. ITO be
cast into hell' had doubtless rung In
his ears more than once. No garden
with olive trees there. No Jesus to
teach one there. The sale Judas made
and that place are closely associated.
If he will hear him teach and even
endorse his greatness, but yet have
the heart TO sell him, that one place
is his destiny. Soul, do not reject the
Lord Jesus as Saviour today, lest, to-
morrow the heart that so rejects
proves to be the heart that sells. and
you enter that-'place." Like garden
whose trees and flowers all speak of
blessing, so is his grace today, but,
II you reject that, would that you
might realize that you turn toward
Judas place. Judas had, as II were,
deed In hand to that place when he
was right In the company of Jesus.
He had fully realized II, doubtless the
very possession Of 1t would have been
70 hin, lilo fro