partisans, but also to manage those whom he may have gained with the utmost delicacy and address, lest, forsaking his party, they should work his ruin: an observation which stands confirmed by the practice of all impostors that have yet appeared in the world. But instead of this address and management, we find Jesus always treating his disciples with the greatest plainness and freedom. When two of them, incensed at the conduct of the Samaritans, would have prayed down fire from heaven upon those despisers of their Master, instead of applauding their zeal, Jesus tells them, that they knew not what spirits they were of. How oft in presence of the multitude, does he blame the twelve for their dulness and incredulity? And when, from the tenderest affection, Peter had declared himself unwilling to hear of his sufferings and death, he receives the sharp rebuke, "Get thee behind me, Satan ; for thou savourest not of the things which be of God."

But not to insist on these, and many instances of the same kind which occur in the gospel with regard to the other disciples, let us observe the behaviour of Jesus towards this very Judas, and we shall find it such as naturally tended to irritate and provoke him to a discovery, if he had any discovery to make.

If Judas had conceived a design of betraying his Master some considerable time before he put it into execution, we find Jesus speaking of it even then as a thing he was well acquainted with. "Behold, I have chosen you twelve, and one of you shall prove my accuser. This he repeats at sundry times. And though, as afterwards appears, he was as well acquainted with the person of the traitor, as the treachery in general; yet he by no means observes any particular delicacy of conduct towards him. When he was to be transfigured, he keeps him back from the honour of that glorious transaction. When this Judas animadverts upon Mary's anointing his Master's feet,

we find Jesus soon silencing him, by openly vindicating the woman, and condemning the reflection thrown out against her. But as if all this had not been sufficient, at the last paschal supper, we find him pointed out by Jesus as the ungrateful monster who, though he dipped with him in the dish, should in a few hours betray him. Then too does he hear the most dread

ful judgments denounced against himself, which immediately filled his mind with the keenest desires of revenge; so that in fury he springs from the table. But Jesus, instead of being alarmed at this, as he must certainly have been had not all his conduct been fair and honest, puts him, as it were, to the defiance; bids him go do what he intended; and that, instead of flying from him, he would even so far countenance his design as to retire to the private garden of Gethsemane, a place with which the traitor was well acquainted, and where he might apprehend him without disturbance.

To all which I may add, that, knowing the covetous temper of Judas, he had before committed the bag to him, that he might always have it in his power to run off with advantage.

Now, let any man say if he discerns ought in such a conduct that can give the least suspicion of imposture? Nay, does not the fair and open part which Jesus acts, strongly argue the contrary?

Thus I have endeavoured to show, that Judas was thoroughly acquainted with the most secret designs of Jesus; that he had sufficient capacity to discover any fraud that might be carrying on; and that he had all possible inducements to lead him to make such a discovery so that it only remains that we inquire in fact what part this Judas acted.

Does he, in consequence of having got to the bottom of the plot, go to the rulers of the Jews, and make the discovery? Sure, nothing could have so much ingra

tiated him into their favour. Such a discovery would have been of far greater importance to them than the death of the impostor. Hereby should they have been enabled effectually to oppose his designs, and ruin his credit with the people. Hereby should they have been furnished with a just ground of accusation against him; an accusation not founded on matters of doubtful disputation, or questions of their law, but on the reason of things-on common justice and equity.

This too would have most successfully gratified Judas' revenge against Christ, and fully exonerate him in forsaking a party he had once espoused.

How wide of this was the part he acted! From covetousness and revenge he resolves to deliver his Master into the hands of the Jewish priests. This resolution he executes in the manner above mentioned: yet he has not the effrontery to allege any one crime of which he was guilty; although I think it pretty evident from the history, that the Jewish Sanhedrim had examined Judas very particularly about Jesusabout his miracles, his doctrine, and his predictions; and that he had told them every thing he knew about these.*

Had Judas made any discoveries to the prejudice of Christ, which no doubt he would have done, had he been able, it would not long have remained a secret. Our Lord had been twitted with it at his trial; it had been thrown up to Judas when he came, saying, "I have betrayed innocent blood;" and it would have been objected to his apostles afterwards when brought to a trial for propagating the same religion. But in none of these cases was there the least insinuation to this purpose; but, on the contrary, after all they could

It seems probable, that it was Judas who informed the Sanhedrim of what Christ had said about his resurrection on the third day; otherwise, I cannot see how they came to be so distinctly in. formed about it, as they tell Pilate they were; for, so far as I can recollect, Christ never spoke of his resurrection plainly to any but the apostles.

expiscate, we find them entirely at a loss how to lay their accusation against Christ, or how to prove it even after it was laid.

And as for Judas, no sooner does he see what the consequences of his treachery would be, and that the Jews were actually proceeding to put Christ to death, than his conscience takes the alarm, and drives him in despair to be his own executioner. For it is the same thing as to the present argument, whether, according to our translation, we make Judas to have hanged himself, or, as the Greek words might be rendered, that, falling down on his face, he was suffocated through the excess of his grief, and burst asunder in the middle. Only, if we take this last to be the fact, it is worth observing, that the Talmudists make such a suffocation the punishment which God was wont to inflict on such persons as bore false witness against their neighbour.†

Now, let any man attempt to account rationally for this excess of grief and remorse, upon the supposition that Jesus was an impostor, and that Judas knew him to be such. In which case, his discovery would have stood justified by the most rational arguments, and no foundation could have been laid for such anguish of mind. But allowing the fact as it stands, and this to have been the end of Judas, does it not strongly conclude, that after Judas, a man of sense and ability, had been thoroughly acquainted with Christ's life and doctrine, and for a considerable time had watched

+ What it was that drove Judas to despair, rather than to ask forgiveness of this meek and merciful Lamb of God, I shall not determine. But it seems to me evident, that two things contributed greatly to it:-1st. A conviction that he had betrayed the true Messiah; and 2dly. A remembrance of those awful warnings that Christ had formerly given him. "The Son of Man," saith Christ, 66 goeth, as it is written of him; but wo unto that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed: good were it for that man that he had never been born."

every occasion against him, and at last, from covetousness and revenge, had delivered him into the hands of his enemies; yet he was firmly persuaded that Jesus was an innocent person, and the true Messiah; whose religion we are bound to receive as a revelation sent from God.

Having thus observed the consequences of Judas' treachery with regard to himself, it may not be improper, before I shut up the argument, to show what influence it had on Jesus and his apostles.

As to Jesus himself, I am persuaded every man who reads the gospels, must be charmed with his behaviour in this last period of his life. Whether Jesus was the Messiah or not, this will be allowed, that he was one betrayed by a pretended friend; than which, no circumstance can tend more to sour the mind, and ruffle the temper, and every one must know what bitter reproaches such traitors receive, and ought to receive. But Jesus, superior to all trials, meets this horria treachery with a heroic fortitude, and reproaches the traitor in no harsher terms than these, "Judas, betrayest thou the Son of Man with a kiss?"

As to the disciples of Jesus, especially the eleven, notwithstanding this horrid treachery of one of their number, and the crucifixion of their Master which happened thereupon; yet they continue firmly united in carrying on the design of Christ, and establishing his religion in the world; which it was impossible for them to do had they been carrying on a fraud, or aggrandizing an impostor. For the case is the same here as in common life. If any twelve persons were engaged in a conspiracy, and one of them should go and discover the plot, this would at once put an end to the designs of the other eleven, and render it impossible for them any longer to carry them into execution,

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