spiritual family too
dear. No doubt this mean economy had caused many other collisions in
the little society.

[Footnote 1: Matt. xxvi. 1, 5; Mark xiv. 1, 2; Luke xxii. 1, 2.]

[Footnote 2: Matt. xxi. 46.]

[Footnote 3: Matt. xxvi. 55.]

[Footnote 4: John xii. 6.]

[Footnote 5: John does not even speak of a payment in money.]

[Footnote 6: John vi. 65, xii. 6.]

[Footnote 7: John vi. 65, 71, 72, xii. 6; xiii. 2, 27, and following.]

Without denying that Judas of Kerioth may have contributed to the
arrest of his Master, we still believe that the curses with which he
is loaded are somewhat unjust. There was, perhaps, in his deed more
awkwardness than perversity. The moral conscience of the man of the
people is quick and correct, but unstable and inconsistent. It is at
the mercy of the impulse of the moment. The secret societies of the
republican party were characterized by much earnestness and sincerity,
and yet their denouncers were very numerous. A trifling spite sufficed
to convert a partisan into a traitor. But if the foolish desire for a
few pieces of silver turned the head of poor Judas, he does not seem
to have lost the moral sentiment completely, since when he had seen
the consequences of his fault he repented,[1] and, it is said, killed
himself.

[Footnote 1: Matt. xxvii. 3, and following.]

Each moment of this eventful period is solemn, and counts more than
whole ages in the history of humanity. We have arrived at the
Thursday, 13th of Nisan (2d April). The evening of the next day
commenced the festival of the Passover, begun by the feast in which
the Paschal lamb was eaten. The festival continued for seven days,
during which unleavened bread was eaten. The first and the last of
these seven days were peculiarly solemn. The disciples were already
occupied with preparations for the feast.[1] As to Jesus, we are led
to believe that he knew of the treachery of Judas, and that he
suspected the fate that awaited him. In the evening he took his last
repast with his disciples. It was not the ritual feast of the
passover, as was afterward supposed, owing to an error of a day in
reckoning,[2] but for the primitive church this supper of the
Thursday was the true passover, the seal of the new covenant. Each
disciple connected with it his most cherished remembrances, and
numerous touching traits of the Master which each one preserved were
associated with this repast, which became the corner-stone of
Christian p