592

Reflections on the miferable End of Judas.

Sect. 193. letting loose his own Thoughts upon him, to prey upon his Heart like so many hungry Vulturs, and make him a Terror to others, and an Executioner to himself.

Ver. 4.

Ver. 5.

We must surely admire the Wisdom of Providence, in extorting, even from the Mouth of this Traitor, so honourable a Testimony of the Innocence of Jesus, tho' to his own Condemnation. And who could have imagined, that the Supream Court of Ifrael itself should have been fo little impressed with it, as coldly to answer, What is that to us ? See thou to that. Is this the Language of Rulers, yea, of Priests? But they had caft off the Fear of that GOD, whose Ministers they were, and had devoted themselves to Gain and Ambition. They therefore felt no Remorse, even when Judas trembled before them, and appeared almost distracted, under the Sense of a Crime, in which they had been Confederates with him. But their Confciences were feared as with a red bot Iron, and all their familiar Converse with Divine Things served only, in such a Circumstance, to harden their Hearts; as tempered Steel gathers Strength from the Furnace and the Hammer.

Judas repents; he confefles his Crime; he throws away the Reward of his Guilt : Yet was there nothing of Godly Sorrow in all this. Despairing, he becomes his own Executioner; and flies to Death, and to Hell, as a Refuge from the Rage and Fury of an awakened Confcience. Fatal Expedient! thus to seal his own Damnation! But the righteous Judgment of God erected him as a Monument of Wrath, and verified our Saviour's Declaration, It had been good for that Man, if he had never been born. (Mat. xxvi. 24. and Mark xiv. 21. pag. 435.) Tremble, oh our Souls, at this Thought! that Judas, even one of the Twelve, should fall into such Depths of Sin and Ruin! May we each of us be jealous over ourselves! and may we never presume to censure whole Bodies of Men Ver. 64. for the Fault of particular Members, when we find there was a Traitor

Ver. 63.

and Reprobate among the holy Band of the Apostles.

We see the restless and implacable Malice of Christ's Enemies, which pursued him even to his Tomb, and there endeavoured to blast his Memory as an Impostor. They demanded, and procured a Guard for bis Sepulchre. And here also we have a repeated Instance of God's taking

Ver. 65, 66. the Wife in their own Craftiness. (Job v. 13.) The Seal, and the Guard served only more fully to attest the Doctrine of Christ's Refurrection, which they were intended to overthrow, and to grace the Triumph they opposed. Thus shall all the Rage, and all the Artifice of his Enemies, at length, promote the Purposes of his Glory: Thus shall Meat at length come out of the Eater, and Sweetness out of the Strong. (Judg. xiv. 14.) The Wrath of Man, oh Lord, shall praise thee; and the Remainder of it shalt thou restrain, and shalt triumph over it, either by thy Grace, or thy Vengeance. (Pfal. lxxxvi. 10.)

SECT.

After the Sabbath, the Women go very early to the Sepulchre. 593

SECT. CXCIV.

CHRIST rising from the Dead, the Guards flee away in Aftonishment: Mary Magdalene finding the Sepulchre open, calls Peter and John, who having entered into it, return; while CHRIST himself makes his First Appearance to her. Mat. XXVIII. 1,---4. Mark XVI. 1, 2.- 3, 4. Luke XXIV. 1, 2. 12. John XX. 1,---17.

MARK XVI. 1.

th AND

AND when the Sabbath was paft, Mary Magda

lene, and [the other Mary, the Mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet Spices, that they might come and anoint him. [MAT.

XXVIII. 1.-]

MARK XVI. 1.

Mark XVI.

ND when the Sabbath was over (a), which Sect. 194. ended in the Evening, (as was often observed before,) Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, who was [the Mother] of James and Joses, and Salome, and Joanna, (compare Luke xxiv. 10. Sect. 195.) and some other pious Women, were so intent on embalming the Body of Jesus, that they had another Consultation about it; and not fatisfied with the Preparation they had made before, they bought more Spices and Ointments (b), that after a short Repose, as foon as ever they could fee to do it, they might go and anoint him with them, and inter him in the most honourable Manner they could contrive.

:

2-And very early in the And accordingly they were all ready before it 2 Morning, [Јон. when it was Day; and setting out very early in the Mornwas yet dark,] [as it began to ing, while it was yet Dark, as it began to dawn towards

60.

Judas repents, when Jesus was condemned.

E

:

586 Sect. 192. left him in the Sepulchre of Jofeph, whom they expected to have seen on the ب Throne of David? We leave for the present his Enemies in Triumph, Mat. xxvii. and his Friends in Tears, till bis Refurrection; which foon confounded the Rage of the former, and revived the Hopes of the latter; Hopes, which must otherwise have been for ever intombed under that Stone, with which they now covered him. But happy and comfortable is the Thought, that this his tranfient Vifit to the Grave has (as it were) left a Perfume in the Bed of Duft, and reconciled the Believer to dwelling a while in the Place where the Lord lay!

.

SECT. CXCIII.

Judas confeffing his Guilt, returns the Money he had received from the Chief Priests, and then bangs himself. The Jews the next Day demand, and procure a Guard to be set on CHRIST'S Sepulchre. Mat. XXVII. 3,-10. 62, to the End.

Sect. 193: H

Matth.

XXVII. 3.

MAT. XXVII. 3.

AVING thus finished the Account of the Death of Jesus, it may be convenient here to mention the miserable End of that perfidious Disciple, by whom he was betrayed into the Hands of his Enemies. The Jewish Rulers having delivered Jesus to the Roman Governour, and having prevailed upon him to give Orders for his Execution, then Judas, who had betrayed him, when he faw to his Surprize, that he was condemned by Pilate, and that they were leading him forth to die upon the Cross, to which he seemed determined to submit, tho' he could so eafily have rescued himself from it (a), was seized with great

(a) Then Judas, &c.] For the proper Place of this Story, which is here inserted out of its Order, fee Note (a) on John xix. 16. pag. 556. Matthew has introduced it immediately after the Jews had delivered Jesus to Pilate; but after this, the Jews were so intent on perfuading Pilate to consent to his Death, that there was hardly Time for the Sanbedrim's adjourning to the Temple, where this Occurrence happened, before they had prevailed with Pilate to condemn him; and as Judas must have often heard his Master say, he should be crucified, Pilate's Order for his Execution must have more sensibly affected him, than the Jews paffing Sentence on him, who had not then the Power of putting any one to Death. -The Word Tos, then, with which the Evangelist begins this Story, may be taken in fome

He returns the Money to the Priests, and goes and bangs himself. 587

and brought again the Thirty Pieces of Silver to the

Chief Priests and Elders,

4 Saying, I have finned,

in that I have betrayed the faid, What is that to us?

innocent Blood. And they

see thou to that.

:

5 And he caît down the Pieces of Silver in the Temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.

. Matth.

great Terror and Agony of Conscience; and re- Sect. 193.
penting of the fatal Bargain he had made, where- ☑
by he had brought such a Load of Guilt on his XXVII. 3.
own Soul, he carried back the Thirty Pieces of
Silver, which they had given him, to the Chief
Priests and the Elders, while they were together
in the Temple that Morning, for they resorted
thither with a specious Appearance of Piety, be-
fore they followed the Multitude to Calvary to
see the Execution. And coming in among 4
them in a wild Disorder, he said to them, Oh
Sirs! I have finned in a most desperate Manner,
in that I have betrayed innocent Blood to you; for
I am well convinced, that Jesus my Master has
done nothing to deserve this Punishment, to which
you have delivered him; and I am not able to
bear the Thought of the Concern I have had in
it. And they answered with the steady Coolness
of those who knew no Shame or Remorse for
their Wickedness, What is that] to us, whether
thou thinkest him innocent, or not? See thou [to
that:] It is sufficient for us, that we know he
is Guilty, whether such a Wretch as thou art, ap-
proveft, or condemnest our Sentence.
throwing down the Pieces of Silver Money in the
Temple, in their very Presence, with all the Marks
of Agony and Distress, he withdrew; and going
away to the Brow of a Hill, in some retired and
melancholy Place, be there hanged himself; but
the Rope breaking by the Force with which he
threw himself off, he fell down the Precipice, and
burst asunder with the Force of his Fall, so that
all his Bowels gushed out (b); and he lay ex-
piring,

And 5

some Latitude, to introduce the Mention of an Occurrence, which happened about that Time, whether a little before or after, and need not be interpreted with so much Rigour, as to determine it to an Affertion of observing the exactest Order in all Circumstances. See Note (a) on Mat. xxvii. 27. pag. 545.

(b) And going away, be hanged himself; but the Rope breaking &c.] This Method, which Mr. Le Clerc (Harm. pag. 527.) and several other learned Criticks have taken, of reconciling Matthew with what is afterwards said of this Fact, Alts i. 18. (that falling headlong, be burst asunder in the midst, and all his Bowels gushed out ;) appears to me much preferable to that of those, who would render απηγξατο, he was stifled, or fuffocated with Excess of Grief; (fee La Motte of Inspir. pag. 155.) a Verfion, which none of the Authorities I have seen, seem sufficient to justify. Nor is it necessary to suppose with Dr. Lightfoot, (Hor. Hebr. on Mat. xxvii. 5. and Atts i. 18.) that Judas was carried away by the Devil, and Strangled

Ecce 2

2.

594

An Angel had been there before, and rolled away the Stone.

Sect. 194. towards the First Day of the Week, they went to vifit the Sepulchre, bringing the Spices with them, Mark XVI. which (as was said before,) they had prepared to embalm the Body of Jesus, and which indeed were a confiderable Weight: And fome [others] of their Female Friends went also with them to affift on this Occafion (c).

Matth.

3

to dawn towards the First Day of the Week,] [LUK. pulchre,] [Luk. bringing the Spices which they had prepared; and certain ethers with them.] [MAT. XXVIII. -1. LUKE XXIV. 1. Јони XX.

they came] [to see the Se

3 And they faid among themselves, Who shall roll

us away the Stone from the Door of the Sepulchre?

And as they were advancing towards the Se--]
pulchre, they were not under any Apprehenfion
from the Soldiers that were set to guard it, who
had been stationed there without their Know-
ledge on the Sabbath-Day; (Sect. 193. pag. 590.)
but remembring the Stone that was placed at the
Mouth of it, they said among themselves, Who shall
roll away the Stone for us from the Door of the
Sepulchre, which all of us together have not

4 Strength to remove ? For they had seen Nico- -4 For it was very great.
demus and Joseph stop up the Entrance with it;
and it was indeed very large and heavy.

XXVIII. 2.

But this Perplexity of theirs was altogether needless; for God had provided a very extraordinary Way to remove that Obstruction. And, behold with due Regard and Admiration, it was this: There was but a little before they arrived there, a great Earthquake, (which would naturally awaken the Guards, if any of them had fallen asleep ;) and very awful and astonishing were the Circumstances that attended it; for an Angel of the Lord descending from Heaven bad approached

MAT. XXVIII. 2. And behold, there was a great

Earthquake; for the Angel of the Lord defcended from

Heaven,

(c) Some others of their Female Friends went also with them.] It was indeed a Circum stance of Decency, confidering the Office they were intending to perform, that the Men, and the Women should perform their respective Parts in it by themselves; which accordingly the Evangelists plainly intimate they did. Their fetting out alone was a remarkable Inftance of their Zeal and Courage: Perhaps some Appointment might be made with Peter and John, (who were early up, as it should feem, on this Occasion,) either to meet them, or come after them, to assist in removing the Stone, tho' not in embalming the Body.I think Majus and Elfner justly observe, that the xxiiid Chapter of Luke should not have ended at the Place it does; for here, as in several other Places, a Sentence is divided: [To μεν σαββαλον ησυχασαν, - τη δε μια των σαββάζων - ηλθον &c.] Such Divisions are great Instances of Negligence in the Person by whom they were first made; but in a Work like this Harmony, they are less material, and hardly in some Cases avoidable. I have here rendered the Word ηλθον, went, (and have likewise explained the Word ελθέσαι in the fame manner in the first Verse of this Section,) which agrees better with the Order of the Story, and is frequently the Sense, in which our Translators have rendered it elsewhere. See Mat. xii. 9. xiii. 36. xiv. 12. Mark iii. 19. Luke ii. 44. xiv. I. John iv. 45. vi. 17. Atts iv. 23. xxviii. 14.

(d) They