ON THE LIFE, CHARACTER, AND DEATH OF JUDAS.

THE history of Judas affords an awful example of the neglect of religious privileges; from being one of those whom our blessed Lord chose out to be his more imme diate friends and attendants, instead of improving and valuing this high honour and privilege, he went on from bad to worse till Christ himself said of him, Good were it for that man if he had not been born." Let us gather from holy writ, something of what is there said of this most guilty and miserable of mankind.

The first we hear of him is in the 10th chapter of St. Matthew, where we find his name among the twelve apostles to whom Jesus gave power against unclean spirits to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease." For wise reasons our Lord admitted Judas into the company of his disciples, although, as "he knew what was in man," he knew the real character of his future betrayer.

Whether from the beginning Judas was an hypocrite, or at the first only a self-deceiver, we know not; but which ever of these was the case, we know what was his fearful end as regards this life, and what will be his infinitely more fearful doom in that place where "they gnaw their tongues in anguish, and blaspheme the God of heaven."

We hear nothing farther concerning him till within a few days of our Lord's crucifixion; however, we would just notice, in passing, that when Judas asks a question concerning that most mysterious and spiritual subject, "Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself to us, and not unto the world?" it is expressly said not to have been Iscariot; as if that were a question of a very different nature to what would be asked by the traitor— of too high, too spiritual a kind for one to ask, who, like Judas, was a thief, and had the bag."

The next time that we hear anything of Judas was when our Lord was in Bethany, in the house of Simon, the leper; and when Mary, the sister of Lazarus, anointed his feet with the ointment, and wiped them

with the hair of her head. On this occasion we find him saying, "Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?" But we are told directly after, "that this he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the bag." The covetousness and hypocrisy of Judas would seem to have had a bad influence on his fellow-disciples; for we find, from comparing the different Gospels, that he was not the only one who blamed this waste (as they called it) of the ointment. (See Matt. xxvi. 8.)

Almost immediately, as it would seem from the different evangelists, Satan entered into him, and he went unto the chief priests, and said, "What will ye give me and I will deliver him unto you?" and they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver! There is a very peculiar circumstance connected with the exact sum given for our Lord's betrayal. In Exodus xxi. 32. we find, if an ox gored a slave so as to cause his death, the owner of the ox had to pay to the owner of the slave thirty shekels of silver-how, then, did our blessed Lord humble himself, that he should be counted of no more value than a slave! Let us see, that we be not ashamed of Him who was not ashamed thus to "take upon him the form of a servant."

But to return more immediately to our subject. Judas, after having thus covenanted with the chief priests, returned to eat the passover with his Lord and fellowdisciples, forgetting perhaps the omniscient power of his Master, and that, like Elisha, he could say, "Went not mine heart with thee?" Then after Jesus had, in that most condescending manner, washed his disciples' feet, and those of Judas among the number, and had exhorted them most beautifully to humility and charity, we read "When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me." Then when the other disciples, not suspecting Judas of being an hypocrite, and knowing that their own feelings were entirely op posite to the very thought of betraying their Lord, asked, each one distrusting himself, "Lord, is it I?" Judas also, which betrayed him, said, "Lord, is it I?" as if

with the greatest effrontery braving the omniscience of his Master. In the answer of our Lord we have a remarkable instance of his meek and gentle spirit. Instead of an angry and harsh rebuke, as one might have thought was most justly merited, he only answered, "Thou hast said." But how awful will be the doom of Judas, when, instead of this mild and gentle rebuke, he' shall hear from the same lips, "Depart, ye cursed, into everlasting fire!"

After having said this, we find that Jesus said unto him, "That thou doest, do quickly." Now we read that no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him; but from one of their two conjectures (namely, that he should give something to the poor,) we may perceive what was the common practice of Him, who, as we are elsewhere told, had not where to rest his head.

After having in the most beautiful manner comforted and prayed for his disciples, Jesus went out into the garden of Gethsemane, where his soul was exceeding sorrowful, even unto death, and his sweat was as great drops of blood falling to the ground. Immediately

after cometh the traitor, Judas, with his band of men, from the chief priests, with swords and staves to take him. Now Judas had given them a sign whereby they might know which was our blessed Lord; and what sign was it? it was no mark of malice or of hatred, but, on the contrary, that of love and affection-" Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; hold him fast." Our Lord's rebuke again was full of gentleness: "Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?" But though the rebuke was so gentle, yet he himself had said but a very short time before, in contemplating the treachery of Judas, "Good were it for that man if he had not

been born."

The awful treachery and hypocrisy of Judas seem almost beyond belief! Had it been some cruel and hard master whom he had thus betrayed, some wicked and oppressive tyrant, we should not have felt such horror at the deed; but when, on the contrary, it was a Master whose yoke was easy and burden light, and moreover the King of peace, we can only suppose that the same

reason influenced him as we are told by the apostle, St. John, was the cause of Cain slaying his brother: "Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous."

Thus far no contrition seems to have acted on the hard heart of Judas. He had obtained his thirty pieces of silver; he had removed from himself that holy being whose heart-searching eye was doubtless a trouble to his depraved imagination, and perhaps now thought that all would be smooth and pleasant for the indulgence of his sins. He had contrived to stifle his conscience, but not to extinguish it. But the time was soon coming, when conscience, like a beast of prey that has been crouching in the thicket, only waiting for a more convenient opportunity, to come with redoubled force on its victim, shall burst with its full fury on his guilty head. Probably when Judas betrayed our Lord, he did not expect that he would be condemned to death; for though the Jewish rulers might wish so to do, yet he relied on the greater justice of the Roman courts. When, however, he heard the decision of the governor-when he heard that He who had always gone about doing good was condemned to be crucified-then, and not till then, was the voice of conscience heard with awful sound. For we read that

Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood." He repented! but what kind of a repentance was his? Was it that godly sorrow that worketh repentance unto salvation? No; it was the sorrow of the world that worketh death.

And what was the effect of this repentance of Judas? Did it turn him with all his heart to seek pardon and forgiveness from his Maker? No; he went and hanged himself; and, from what we learn from the 1st chapter of Acts, peculiarly awful circumstances attended `his death.

Such then was the end as regards this life of this most wretched and miserable man; but what is even this in comparison of his doom when he shall be of the number

of those the smoke of whose torments ascendeth up for ever and ever from "the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which," saith the apostle, "is the second death"? W. R. T.

LESSONS FOR WEEK-DAY SCHOOLS.

PICTURES FROM CHURCH HISTORY.

No. II.

POMP, and folly, and sin are abroad in the fair city-the mighty city, even "Great Rome"-they have been seen in its goodly streets for days, for it is a time of gaiety and riot; yet it is the winter season, and the Roman river, the Tiber, rushes yellow and foaming amongst the hills on which the city is built. There are palaces, and baths, and temples, on its banks, goodly with marbles, and gold, and the most precious things of the earth; and without the city gates, as far as you can see, there are fair houses, and tombs, and lovely gardens, and noble roads. Many are the dwellers in this mighty city: the rich man in his ample gown, heavy with golden flowers; the soldier, with his glittering helm and haughty step; the craftsman, cunning at his toil; but amongst them you will find but a handful of the servants of the living God.

I said it was a time of riot and gaiety. Even now men are gathering within yonder mighty walls to behold the cruel sports in which they delight. A fair building indeed it is that rises before us, its huge walls curiously decked without with marbles and images. Within, if you enter, you will find a great multitude filling the seats that rise, row above row around it, even to the upper story. These seats, at least the lower ones, are of marble, and richly cushioned. In the midst there is a large open space that is sometimes, and perhaps now, strewn with vermilion and yellow sand. There is no roof, but the winter sky is shut out by curtains of blue and scarlet needlework, drawn over the heads of the people to screen them from the weather. Those on the