LECTURE XXII.

MATTHEW xxvii.

IN

N the preceding chapter we faw that the chief priests and elders had, in their fummary way, without the hadow of justice, without any confiftent evidence, decided the fate of Jefus, and pronounced him guilty of death. Their next care was how to get this fentence confirmed and carried into execution; for under the Roman government they had not at this time the power of the fword, the power of life and death; they could not execute a crim inal, though they might try and condemn him, without a warrant from the Roman governor; they determined therefore to carry him before Pilate, the Roman procurator of Judæa at that time. But then, to enfure fuccefs in that quarter, it was neceffary to give their accufations. against Jesus such a colour and fhape, as fhould prevail upon the governor to put him to death. For this purpose they found it expedient to change their ground, for they had condemned him for blafphemy; but this they knew would have little weight with a pagan governor, who, like Gallio, would "care for none of thofe things" which related folely to religion. They therefore refolved to bring him before Pilate as a flate prisoner, and to charge him with treasonable and feditious practices; with fetting himself up as a king in oppofition to Cæfar, and perfuading the people not to pay tribute to that prince. Accordingly we are told in the beginning of this chapter, that "when morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took council against Jefus to put him to death;" that is, to obtain permiffion to put him to death; "and when they had bound him they led him away, and dilivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor."

The evangelist, having brought the history of this diabolical tranfaction thus far, makes a fhort digreffion, to

inform us of the fate of that wretched traitor Judas, who had by his perfidy brought his Mafter into this fituation.

"Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of filver to the chief priests and elders, faying, I have finned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said. What is that to us? See thou to that. And he caft down the pieces of filver in the temple, and went and hanged himself."

From the expreffion made ufe of in the third verse, "when Judas faw that Jefus was condemned, he repented himfelf," fome commentators have thought that he did not imagine or expect that Jefus would be condemned to death; but fuppofed either that he would convey himself away from his perfecutors, or that he would prove his innocence to the fatisfaction of his judges; or that at the most some flight punishment would be inflicted upon him. One would not wish to load even the worft of men with more guilt than really belongs to them; but, from confidering the character of Judas, and comparing together all the circumstances of the cafe, it appears to me more probable that the acquittal or condemnation of Jefus never entered into his contemplation. All he thought of was gain. He had kept the common purse, and had robbed it; and his only object was, how to obtain a sum of money, which he determined to have at all events, and left confequences to take care of themselves. But when he faw that his divine Mafter, whom he knew to be perfectly innocent, was actually condemned to death, his conscience then flew in his face; his guilt rofe up before him in all its horrors. The innocence, the virtues, the gentledefs, the kindness of his Lord, with a thousand other circumstances, rushed at once upon his mind, and painted to him the enormity of his crime in fuch dreadful colours, that he could no longer bear the agonizing tortures that racked his foul, but went immediately and deftroyed himfelf.

The answer of the chief priests to Judas, when he brought back to them the thirty pieces of filver, and de

clared that he had betrayed the innocent blood, was a perfectly natural one for men of their character, "What is that to us? See thou to that." Men who had any feeling, any fentiments of common humanity, or even of common juftice, when fo convincing, a proof of the ac cused person's innocence had been given them, would naturally have relented, would have put an immediate ftop to the proceedings, and releafed the prifoner. But this was very far from entering into their plan. With the guilt or innocence of Jefus they did not concern themfelves. This was not their affair. All they wanted was the destruction of a man whom they hated and feared," and whofe life and doctrine were a standing reproach to them. This was their object: and as to the mercy or the juftice of the cafe, on this head they were at perfect ease; What is that to us? See thou to that." And yet to fee the astonishing inconfiftence of human nature, and the ftrange contrivances by which even the most abandoned of men endeavour to fatisfy their minds and quiet their apprehenfions; thefe very men, who had no fcruple at all in murdering an innocent perfon, yet had wonderful qualms of confcience about putting into the treafury the money which they themselves had given as the " price of blood!" "The chief priests took the filver pieces, and faid, it is not lawful for us to put them into the treafury, because it is the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury ftrangers in. Wherefore that field was called The Field of Blood, unto this day. Then was fulfilled that which was fpoken by Jeremy the prophet, faying, And they took the thirty pieces of filver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Ifrael did value, and gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me*."

• It happens that this paffage in found not in Jeremiah, to which the evangelift refers, but in the eleventh chapter of Zechariah. But there are various very fatisfactory ways in which learned men have account*ed for this difficulty; which after all, as the prophecy actually exists, is a matter of no moment; and in writings two or three thoufand years old, it is no great wonder if, by the careleffness of transcribers, one name fhould fometimes (especially where abbreviations are used) be put for another.

I cannot pafs on from this part of the chapter without obferving, that the short account here given us of Judas Ifcariot affords us a very striking proof of the perfect innocence and integrity of our Lord's character, and of the truth of his pretentions.

Had there been any thing reprehenfible in the former, or any deceit in the latter, it must have been known to Judas Iscariot. He was one of the twelve who were the conftant companions of our Saviour's miniftry, and witneffes to every thing he faid or did. If therefore his conduct had been in any respect irregular or immoral; if his miracles had been the effect of collufion or fraud; if there had been any plan concerted between him and his difciples to impofe a falfe religion upon the world, and under the guife of piety, to gratify their love of fame, honor, wealth, or power; if, in fhort, Jefus had been either an enthusiast or an impoftor, Judas must have been in the fecret; and when he betrayed his Mafter, would immediately have divulged it to the world.

By fuch a difcovery, he would not only have juftified his own treachery, but might probably have gratified alfo his ruling paffion, his love of money. For there can be no doubt, that when the chief priests and rulers were induftriously seeking out for evidence against Jefus, they would moft gladly have purchased that of Judas at any price, however extravagant, that he chofe to demand. But instead of producing any evidence against Jefus, he gives a voluntary and most decifive evidence in his favor. "I have finned," fays he, in an agony of grief; "I have fined, and have betrayed the innocent blood." This teftimony of Judas is invaluable, because it is the teftimony of an unwilling witnefs; the teftimony, not of a friend but of an enemy; the teftimony, not of one defirous to favor and to befriend the accufed, but of one who had actually betrayed him. After fuch an evidence as this, it seems impoffible for any ingenuous mind either to queftion the reality of our Saviour's miracles, or the divinity to which he laid claim; because, as Judas declared him innocent (which he could not be, had he in any respect deceived his difciples) he must have been, what he affumed to be, the Son of God, and his religion the word of God.