false apostle Judas Iscariot has never wanted suoo^sors and imitators. There have always been men ready to betray Christ with a kiss, and willing to deliver the Oospel to its enemies under a show of respect.
Conduct like this, we need not doubt, is utterly abo- minable in the sight of God. To injure the cause of religion under any curcumstances is a great sin, but to in- jure it while we pretend to show kindness is the blackest of crimes. To betray Christ at any time is the very height of wickedness, but to betray Him with a kiss, proves a man to have become a very child of hell.
We should learn, for another thing, from these verses, that it is much easier to fight a little for Christy than to endure hardness and go to prison and death for His sake. We read that when our Lord's enemies drew near to take Him, one of His disciples " Smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear." Yet the zeal of that disciple was very short-lived. His courage soon died away. The fear of man overcame him. By and bye when our Lord was led away prisoner, he was led away alone. The disciple who was so ready to fight and smite with the sword, had actually forsaken his Master and fled I
The lesson before us is deeply instructive. To suffer patiently for Christ is far more difficult than to woik actively. To sit still and endure calmly, is far more hard than to stir about and take part in the battle. Crusaders wiU alwa3rs be found more numerous than Martyrs. The passive graces of religion are far more rare and precious than the active graces. Work for Chnst may be done from many spurious motives, from ercite-