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to swine. The free gift of God's assistance is only withheld from man until he is capable of using it; not, as we may vainly suppose, until he has deserved it; and the joys and privileges of heaven hereafter may, for all we know, be in this way the reward of righteousness here.

But, if neither love of money, nor the impulse of resentment, will account for Judas's betrayal of his Master, to what shall we attribute it? Was he then an involuntary agent of Satan? This would be inconsistent with what we know of God's dealings, and absolutely irreconcilable with the responsibility which is charged on him by the Saviour for his conduct, "The Son of man goeth, as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom he goeth; it were better for that man that he never had been born." NoJudas's scheme developes itself only at the closing scene of it. He knew, and must have known, that his Master was the Messiah; but in common with his fellow-apostles, he believed his destined reign to be a temporal one. In common with them, he could not comprehend how he was to be put to death, and yet to reign and abide for ever in this new theocracy. What then was the

circumstance which caused so great a difference between the other apostles and him? It was this-they could not understand how all their conflicting hopes and opinions were to be reconciled; but they followed their Master still in humble faith-even like Abraham proceeding to the place of sacrifice with his child—and leaving it to God to explain and reconcile, what to them was irreconcileable, incomprehensible. Of them all, Peter seems to have been the most sorely tempted. Our Lord's especial intercession for him, and his attempt to rescue his Master in the garden of Gethsemane, proves this. But it was Judas only whose faith failed him. He was impatient of the delay and suspense under which he laboured; thought that it was surely impossible, notwithstanding all Christ's assurances, that he should be put to death; and roused, no doubt, by the Saviour's pointed remark on the action of Mary, "she hath beforehand anointed my body for my burial," he went out and resolved to put the matter to the test. Secure of doing no personal harm to Jesus, he might (consistently with his other views) have supposed, that when the Messiah had extricated himself by a miracle from

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his enemies, his excessive zeal in hastening the crisis would be overlooked, or even applauded. Once resigned to temptation, the very means of grace might have become to him ruinous, as wholesome food is often found injurious to the diseased stomach. The very warning which our Lord at the last supper conveyed to him, "What thou doest, do quickly," might have been welcomed as a sanction of his intended negociation with the chief priests, which, then at least, he was sure was not unknown to Jesus. Such must have been his impression. For could he, after being aware that Jesus was privy to his scheme, have approached him in the garden of Gethsemane with, Hail, Master," and a kiss of friendship and respect, unless he were under a delusion of this sort? Judas's case reminds us of the prophet Balaam. God forbade him to go to Balak; but, eager to be promoted to very great honour, he was discontented under the prohibition, and sought to have it removed. So "God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up and go with them."-" And God's anger was kindled, because he went1." Like the prophet, Judas

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i Numbers xxii. 20.

blindly mistook for a sanction the words which were addressed to his presumptuous obstinacy, "What thou doest, do quickly."

But if we would see the whole character of the transaction plainly developed, we must follow the traitor beyond the scene of his treachery, and observe his behaviour, when, to his dismay, he saw Jesus submit to be condemned, and led away for execution. Where was the miracle on which he had confidently reckoned? The truth then flashed across him; and the Saviour's declaration which he had so often heard and marvelled at, now gave light to scriptural prophecies which he had hitherto perversely kept out of sight, or misinterpreted. "I have betrayed the innocent blood," he exclaimed, in allusion to that prophecy which came most home to him. The thirty pieces of silver he cast away-how could these have tempted him?—and went and hanged himself.

THE LAST SUPPER.

Ver. 12-25.

And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we

* Psalm xciv. 21.

go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover? And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water follow him. And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? And he will shew you a large upper room furnished and prepared: there make ready for us. And his disciples went forth, and came into the city, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover. And in the evening he cometh with the twelve. And as they sat and did eat, Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray me. And they began to be sorrowful, and to say unto him one by one, Is it I? and another said, Is it I? And he answered and said unto them, It is one of the twelve, that dippeth with me in the dish. The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man if he had never been born. And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body. And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it. And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many. Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.

As the providing the ass on which Christ's entry was made into Jerusalem was the subject

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