His holy inspirations, good books, sermons, and instructions! Endeavor, therefore, to know the time of your visitation. " To-day, if you should hear His voice, harden not your hearts" (Ps. xciv. 8)., but follow the divine call. Deplore the general depravity of mankind, and especially your own.
THURSDAY.
Christ is Sold by Judas.
I. Christ might have been delivered into the hands of the Jews by various ways, but for His greater ignominy He would be sold, and that, too, by His own disciple, to teach you to bear with false brethren, and to convince you that there is no state nor place so holy as to exclude the danger of falling. Christ foreknew that it would be deemed a foul disgrace to His Apostolic school; he nevertheless chose Judas for an Apostle for our instruction. " In that point," observes St. Ambrose, " He chose rather to have His judgment called in question by us than His affection for us."
II. To what excess of crime does the spirit of avarice lead its votaries! "What will ye give me, and I will deliver Him unto you?" (Matt. xxvi. 14.) Ponder who it is that is to be sold. The great God of all things. For how much? For thirty pieces of silver, for which a laboring beast could hardly have been procured. So vilely is the Sovereign of the world undervalued! By whom is He sold? By His own disciple. To whom? To His mortal and sworn enemies. Compassionate your insulted Lord, and never disdain the idea of being treated below your deserts or quality.
III. How often have you sold the same Lord for some smaller trifle, some transitory pleasure, some sinful
