broken cruse; his selfish greed with her generous liberality; the price he received to dishonor and destroy with the price she paid to honor and embalm. Both did what they could; and thereby the one became eternally infamous, the other famous in earth and heaven forever.

With the commendation of her Lord, Mary of Bethany disappears from the gospel story; with the rebuke of his Master, Judas comes into bad eminence. Heretofore only his name has appeared, yet here and there his shadow falls. Many warnings of Jesus attain a more pointed significance, if we remember that Judas was a hearer, and to his presence may be attributed occasional traces of reserve and depression. Jesus knew what was in man, and from the beginning knew who should betray him. Once he alluded to Judas as a devil. Why then did he elect and retain him as an apostle? swerable.

The question is unan

Judas was ambitious and avaricious. He had heard the promise of twelve princedoms. This fired his unregenerate soul with dazzling hopes of power and splendor that blinded his moral sense. Meantime, having shown some smartness in money matters, a dangerous talent, he was made bursar, a dangerous trust. This whetted his greed, and the expectant prince practiced pilfering from the petty purse. Had he not heard, He that is unrighteous in a very little is unrighteous also in much; if therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? Such warnings, accompanied perhaps by significant glances, made his guilty soul continually uneasy, generating dislike growing into malignity.

The feast at Bethany is over; the guests are retiring.

Jesus, and perhaps two or three of the twelve, spend the night in that favored home, the others depart for the camp, and the last of the spectators from Jerusalem return to the city. Judas secretly goes with these. For the sharp rebuke had stung him; and then too he heard Jesus speak of his burial as near at hand. So he despaired of the princedom. But he knew the hot desire of the powerful hierarchy to seize Jesus, and his feverish ambition grasps at the notion of betrayal as a means of securing favor, and through this, place, power, wealth. Also it would at once gratify his resentment, and hide his past guilt. Moreover, he would be rendering an important service to the State; and so his refuge at last was patriotism.135

We read in a certain place that on a day when the Sons of God were assembled a second time before him in heaven, Satan also appeared again amongst them, having failed in his temptation. So also was this ever active, ever watchful Adversary a present spectator at the feast, having failed in his many temptations, baffled at every turn. There he heard the rebuke, looked into the soul of his acolyte, approved its mood, entered into him, fanned the flame, and used him as a willing tool to perfect his hellish scheme. Thus it was that the word of Jesus, spoken to defend a gentle woman, became a link in the chain of his destiny.

The night was deepening as Judas passed through the gate of Jerusalem. He found the chief priests, Annas and Caiaphas, at their palace, with the officers of the Levitical police, which was subject to their orders, consulting how they might trapan both Jesus and Lazarus. They recognize Judas as a follower of the Nazarene, and are glad to hear him ask:

"What are ye willing to give me, and I will deliver him unto you?"

These men were rich. The temple traffic alone, which they licensed and partly practiced, though just now checked, had yielded them large revenues. Hence Judas, in view of their intensified hostility, had reason to hope for a large bribe. What was his chagrin when, after consultation, they offered him only thirty shekels, the legal price of a slave, about eighteen dollars. No doubt he chaffered and haggled; but in the bargaining, Jew met Jew. They said it was the fitting price, it was enough, and his aid indeed was not needed. Yet they excited his greed by showing him the silver; they weighed it out before his eyes, and put it aside in a pouch, sealed. Contemptuously ranked as the servant of a slave, his vain hope of favor and promotion collapsed. Disappointed in the meagre sum offered, his dream of riches vanished. He would have refused the pitiful bribe, but it was too late to retreat. So he covenanted with them, and promised to do the deed, reaching forth his hand for the pouch. No, not yet. They covenanted with him, and promised to pay the monies when the deed was done, reserving them with reasonable distrust. Also it was covenanted that the Nazarene should be delivered unto them in the absence of the multitude, lest there be a tumult. Then, after some words with the captain of the police, Judas left the palace and the city. Thus was our Master sold as a slave, that we might be made free.

Devising how he might betray him, the vile traitor slunk across the ridge of Olivet towards the Galilean camp. It was midnight. He paused upon the hillock that lies between Olivet and Bethany, and under the full

paschal moon at meridian, he stood to gloat his wicked eyes on the village, holy in its calm stillness. There Jesus was peacefully sleeping. It was his last slumber.

"Now the last sleep,

Last of his earthly slumbers, gently sealed
The Saviour's eyes. In heavenly peace it came,
Descending from the sanctuary of God

In the still softness of the evening air."

T

XXVII

THE EUCHARIST

HE great passover festival commemorated the exodus of Israel from Egypt. It began, after

days of preliminary purifications, on the 14th of Nisan, the first month of the Jewish year, and continued eight days. In the afternoon of the 14th, the paschal lamb was slain in the Temple, and dressed for the Pascha, the feast, which took place after sunset, the beginning of the 15th, the time of full moon. Of the many hundreds of thousands assembled on the occasion in and about Jerusalem, each family, or group of persons associated for the purpose, spread its own feast, the householders of the city furnishing accommodations as far as practicable to strangers. The feast consisted of the roasted lamb, a sauce of dates, unleavened bread, and bitter herbs, together with wine. The 14th of Nisan, in the year of the Lord's fourth and last Passover, fell on Thursday, which by our calendar was April 6th, A. D. 30.

About noon of Thursday, the first day of unleavened bread, Jesus sent Peter and John, coupled now for the first time but hereafter acting together, saying, Go and make ready for us the passover. They asked him, Where? He said to them:

"Go into the city, there shall meet you a serving man bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house whereunto he goeth, and say to the goodman of the