The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 41

the" all he had loft," together with the other disciples, when he first" followed" Jes,18 However, now he stakes "all" on one cast,---the event too clearly demonstrates it. li~ shows himself not the man to b_oo~ tlisappoi~tment _and loss, especially when riled, as he prob£\bly now felt, by a conv1cl)on of havm~ st~Jfored under some delusion. He j 3 not of the temper ~o brook a pra~tJc~I affront, Jet 1t have come whence or how it may! He refuses to remam partners with rnward discontent one unnecessary, one avoidable hour l And not the first man of the lcind, though ~he undoubted first of the solemn pitch of enormity, he miscalculates-awfully miscalculates-the hour, and in another hour is falling into the lowest 'l'ophet, under the name of" the son of perdition"! So fell the selfish and typical gambler of this world and time. 5. A man-em]Jhatically not "stricken, smitten of God, and afilicted," but,---whose branded heart a11J seared conscience were stricken of God, being restored for one moment to their maximum vitality, that moment their very last I It is impossible to acconnt for the previous phenomena of the history of Judas as recorded, and for this fierce end of hi~ career, without believing that he had long been hardening-heart and conscience grievously and dreadfully injured, Nemo fit repente turpissimw. And Peter, the thrice-denier, stands close by Judas, the betrayer, to point with Heaven's own method of distinctness the difference. The death-struggle not unfrequently has witnessed to the measure of life that body and mind together can claim. And supineness has suddenly sna.tch"d and for a moment wielded the weapons of preternatural, if not supernatural, force. And it must be that this was the philosophy of Judas doing these three things at once- " repenting himself," "confessing his sin,n and "hanging hilll8elf." The third of this series interprets for us the former two. The man who breaks thus, breaks because he is intrinsically weak. The keenest potency of feeling, the fullest, simplest confession of sin, the unequivocal renunciation of his unholy gai11, and this all in tile right arena, in face of the priests and on the temple floor-and yet these not followed by mercy and forgiveness, but blackened to sight by a tielf-inflicted dog's death-must proclaim a man strengtliless, hopeless, for ever the disinherited "son of perdition." Let us ask- 111. WHAT IMPLICATIONS MAY BE INVOLVED IN THE STRANGE AND REMARKABLY STRONG EXPRESSION HERE APPLIED TO JUDAS, AS DESCRIPTIVE OF THE END OF HIS EARTHLY CAREER, St. Peter says that Judas "fell by transgression" from his apostle- ship, "that he might go to his own place." It can scarcely be that Peter, who ruse to speak thus in the midst of his "brethren," should entirely forget how near he himself had been to falling from his apostleship; and yet there are essential considerations so differencing the two cases that we could imagine it possible that, in real fact, he never connected them for so much as a moment in his own mind. This the difference- not that, having strayed, Peter so soon and with so genuine a penitence came back, and not that be bad been perfectly sinoere and was so sound at heart still, but,---that, though he undoubtedly fell suddenly by transgression (as Judas fell suddenly), he did not fall "that he might go to his own place." He fell that he might get more estranged from " his own place," and, regaining his footing, might find himself nearer "placed" to his Master, aud safer far than before. It is very noticeable that St. Peter does not say that Judas went " to his own place" because he "fell by transgression," but that his fall, come at by distinct and flagrant transgression such as admitted neither defence nor palliation, made his own way to his own place. Some make a bridge of escape, and some cut off from their enemies or for higher reasons from themselves a. bridge of escape, but Judas, "by transgression," actually bridges a way of destruction for himself; yes, "by transgression" so pronounced, so aggravated, so enormous, but which drew its greatest, its most distinctive peculiarities from what was antecedent to it, Its long roots lay in a long past, i'rom these it was nourished till it became monstrous. Harder thnn it is to" pluck a rooted sorrow from the memory" did Judas find it, arrived at a certain point, to pluck himself from "his own n destruction. 'l'he disease will now have its course. 'l'he road leads to a visible precipice, but Judas cannot stop his driving. The stream bears irresistibly to the gulf. To what do these things poiut? What were t.he antecedent peculiarities? 1. V11ry strong individuality of character ungoverned. Such may make very fine character. But it lli)eds ,ery skilful management, very strict observation; a very firm hand must be kept upon it. Let it be ever remombered that it is not likely to be and is not on side issues that the battle of character, of life, of destiny, is fought, And it is not on side issues that any 86 TRE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. [OH. L 1-28,