6. And the chief priests took the filver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. 7. And they took counsel, and bought with them the potters field, to bury ftrangers in. 8. Wherefore that field was called, the field of blood unto this day. 9. (Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, Jaying, And they took the thirty pieces of filver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Ifrael did value: 10. And they gave them for the potters field, as the Lord appointed me.) 11. And Jefus ftond before the governor, and the governor asked him, saying, Art ti ou the king of the Jews? And Jefus faidi unto him, Thou fayeft. 12. And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, be answered nothing. 13. Then faith Pilate unto bim, Heareft thou not bow many things they witness against thee? 14. And be answered him to never a word: infomuch that the governor marvelled greatly. 15. Now at that feaft the governor was wont to release unto the people a prijoner, whom they would. 16. And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas. 17. Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate faid unto them, Whom will ye that I releafe unto you? Barabbas, or Jefus, which is called Chrift? 18. For be knew that for envy they had delivered him. 19. When he was fet down on the judgment feat, his wife fent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man; for I bave suffered many things this day a dream, because of him. 20. But the chief priests and elders perfuaded the multitude, that they should ask Barabbas, and deftroy Jesus. 21. The governor answered, and faid unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that Ireleafe unto you? They faid, Barabbas. 22. Pilate faid unto them, What shall I do then with Jefus, which is called Chrift? They all faid unto him, Let him be crucified. 23. And the governor faid, Why? what evil bath be done? But they cried out the more, faying, Let bim be crucified. 24. When Pilate faw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and evafhed his bands before the multitude, faying, I am innocent of the blood of this juft perfon: fee ye to it. 25. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be cn us and on our children. 26. Then releafed be Barabbas unto them, and when he had scourged Jefus, be delivered him to be crucified. 27. Then the foldiers of the governor took Jefus into the common ball, and gathered unto him the whole band of foldiers. 28. And they firipped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. 29. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head; and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked bim, faying, Hail king of the Jews. 30. And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote bim on the bead. 31. And after they had mocked him, they took the robe from off him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucifie him. 32. And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: bim they compelled to bear bis crefs. 33. And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to fay, a place of a skull, 34. They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall; and when he had tafted thereof, be would not drink. 35. And they crucified him, and parted his garments, cafting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my veture did they caft lots. 36. And fitting down, they watched him there : 37. And 37. And fet over bis bead his accufation, written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 38. Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right band, and another on the left. 39. And they that passed by, reviled him, wagging their heads, 40. And faying, Thou that deftroyeft the temple, and buildeft it in three days, favo thy felf: if thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. 41. Likewife alfo the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, faid, 42. He faved others, bimself he cannot save: If be be the king of Ifrael, let bim now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. 43. He trufted in God, let him deliver bim now if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. 44. The thieves also which were crucified with him, caft the fame in bis teeth. 45. Now from the fixth bour there was darkness over the land unto the ninth hour. 46. And about the ninth bour, Jefus cried with a loud voice, faying, Eli, Eli, lama fabachthani, that is to Jay, My God, my God, why haft thou forfaken me? 47. Some of them that flood there, when they heard that, faid, This man calleth for Elias. 48. And ftraightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a read, and gave him to drink. 49. The reft faid, Let be, let us fee whether Elias will come to fave him. 50. Jefus, when be had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the gbost. 51. And bebold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain, from the top to the bottom, and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent, 52. And the graves were opened, and many bodies of faints which fept, arofe, 53. And came out of the graves after bis refurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. 54. Now when the Centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jefus, faw the earthquake, and thofe things that were done, they feared greatly, faying, Truly this was the Son of God. The Gospels for this, and the following Days of the Week, being very long, and altogether Hiftorical; and best understood by comparing the Parallel Places in the other Evangelifts; (all which are read in the Course of the Week) It is thought not neceffary, to fwell this Volume with particular Paraphrafes upon them. COMMENT. T COMMENT. Hough Almighty God was pleafed to permit, that his Bleffed Son fhould fuffer all the Scandal and Punishment, due to the most heinous Malefactors; Yet did his Wifdom order Matters fo, that all poffible Right fhould be done to his Innocence. To this Purpose we read fuch Teftimonies given of it, as, if the Jews had not been blinded by the Obftinacy of their own inveterate Malice and Rage, were abundantly full, and clear enough, to have convinced his bittereft Enemies, that they did very wickedly, in treating him fo ignominiously, fo barbaroufly. He was acquitted in the most folemn and publick Manner, by Herod and Pilate. All the Evidence, the Jews laboured to pick up and fuborn against him, was acknowledged, either infufficient, or inconfiftent. Nay, even the wicked Inftrument of delivering him up into the Hands of them that fought his Life, enraged at their implacable and Blood-thirsty Proceedings, relented, defired to retract his Bargain, openly confeffed his own Guilt, and the unblemish'd Holiness of his injured Master. For, finding that the Chief Priests had declared him guilty of Blafphemy, and delivered him over to the Power of the Roman Governor; Even This wretched Man was touched with a Compaffion of his Cafe, and applied himself to the Jewish Rulers, to prevent farther Mischief. Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he faw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty Pieces of Silver to the Chief Priests, and Elders, faying, I have finned in that I have betrayed the Innocent Blood. This is the first remarkable Paffage in the Gofpel for the Day. And my Defign is, to enquire into the Nature of Judas his Repentance, as we find it here defcrib'd; to fhew, what Qualifications it had, and wherein it was defective. And afterwards, to make fuch Collections from hence, as the Circumftances of that wretched Man, and the foregoing Particulars, minifter occafion for. I. First, I fhall enquire into the Nature of Judas his Repentance, and Then, what Qualifications it had, and wherein it was defective. For, that it was defective in the main, I fuppofe there need no other Proofs, than fuch as offer themselves, from what our Saviour himself fpoke concerning him. Thofe that thou ga- John xvii. 12. veft me I have kept, and none of them is loft, Matth. xxvi. 24. Save the Son of Perdition. And again, The Son of Man goeth, as it is written of him, but wo unto that Man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed, it bad been better for that Man, if he had never been born. Now, how these things could be true of Judas, if his Repentance had been fuch, as was available for procuring Pardon and Salvation; it is not poffible to comprehend. He furely is not loft, whom true Repentance recovers; Nor had it been good for that Man never to have been born, who is faved at last, tho' at the Expence of never fo painful and laborious a Repentance. And therefore, fince no one Truth in the Gospel is more exprefs than This, that all who truly repent, fhall moft certainly be faved ;It must follow, That the Perfon, of whom thofe dreadful things are pronouced, did not truly and effectually repent. The Evangelift indeed tells us, that he repented himfelf; and I am well content to lay no particular Stress upon the Original Word laneis here. It being fufficiently notorious, to any attentive Reader, that μleμider and μlávora are promifcuoufly used in Scripture; Which renders any Diftinctions, from the Manner of Expreffion, of very little or no Force, in the Cafe before us. But then it is no lefs evident, that, by repenting, is not every where intended a Change of Heart and Life; Not the whole of that, which Repentance ftrictly fignifies, when made the Condition of Pardon and Salvation; but only fome part, or imperfect Degree, of it. And thus we are to take it here. Not that Judas was a thorough Penitent, and became a new Man; but, that he did fomething neceffary to be done, in order to our becoming new Men. He felt fome remorse for what he had done; He wifhed he had not done it at all. This is one of the first Steps which all Penitents fet out with. It is the Beginning, but very far from the Perfection, of Repentance. And yet This is all, which that Expreffion feems to import; And therefore no Argument can be formed from hence, to prove the Truth and Validity of his Repentance, properly fo called. The most that can be made of it, is This; that fomewhat he did. towards it, but not enough to bring it to due Perfection. And therefore it is, that I purpose to confider, fo far as this Paffage will guide us in the Matter, how far he advanced, and how far he fell fhort. 1. Now First, One good Step towards Repentance was, That Judas, as I faid, expreft great Sorrow for what he had done, and condemned himself feverely for his wicked Treachery. This is ufually the Beginning of Reformation, to be fenfible of one's Mifery, and forely afflicted for it. But then we are to look at the Motives, which ftir that Paffion and Remorfe, in an Offender's Breast. Few People fo defperately hardned, as not to be ftruck with Terror, when they fee the wretched Confequences of their Sins. And Fear and Suffering are Arguments, which oftentimes lay hold on those, who seem loft to all Arguments befides. Many are fo profligate, as to have out-grown all Impreffions of Ingenuity and Shame; But we cannot continue to be Men, and remain unconcerned for our own Intereft and Safety, when once made fenfible of it. Now, tho' these are Confiderations, which are commonly the first in hardned and habitual Sinners, and capable of being improved from a Natural, to a Godly Sorrow; Yet, where this is the Main, or the Only Argument of our Remorfe; I am afraid, it is not fufficient to work Repentance to Salva tion |