"Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place."-Peter. IN looking upon the punishments which are inflicted upon our fellowcreatures for the commission of crime, we have different feelings according to the different degrees of malignity which we conceive to be attached to the crimes of which they have been guilty. If, for instance, a person suffers greatly for a crime which is not aggravated in its nature and circumstances, we feel for him commiseration; whereas, when an individual has committed a crime of great iniquity, we acquiesce in his punishment as just, and in some cases we cannot think of the criminal without disgust and horror; conceiving that the perpetration of crimes for which he suffers, indicates a more than common degree of mental obduracy and of desperate depravity. It is with such feelings that we think of Judas, his crime exhibits such a degree of finished impiety, that we cannot think of it without indignation and fear; these, indeed, seem to have been the general feelings respecting him in the days of the apostles: hence we find, that the evangelists seldom mention his name without adverting to his sin; three of them enumerating the names of those disciples of the Saviour who were called apostles, add, when they mention Judas, "which also was the traitor,"-they thus express their detestation of his transgression, and his unworthiness of being numbered amongst them. The sin, for the commission of which Judas is distinguished, conIt sisted in betraying his Lord. will here be necessary to make a few preliminary remarks, which, though generally known, will be required in order to place the subject in a proper point of view. The Jews, it is generally known, had long expected the Messiah, they were encouraged in this expectation by the promises and the prophecies of their law, and about the time of Christ's incarnation, a general expectation prevailed that he would soon present himself. Jesus at length appeared claiming that character-when he entered upon his public ministry he chose twelve persons, whom he named apostles, to accompany him in his labours, and to assist him in his work. Judas was one of these apostles, he was chosen to this office by Christ, and appears, from his being intrusted with the office of treasurer to the rest, to have been considered as not one of the least. It is, moreover, well known, that the claims and preaching of the Saviour highly offended the scribes and pharisees, and rulers of the Jews, who would willingly have put an end to his preaching, by putting an end to his life; but they feared the people. The common people, who heard him without prejudice, and who saw the miracles which he did, heard him gladly, and looked upon him as a great prophet, if not as indeed the Christ. In proportion as they were confirmed in their regard to Christ, the enmity of the scribes and pharisees increased; but they knew not how to accomplish their diabolical purpose: they watched him, they had recourse to stratagem, trying to lay hold of something in his conversation which might have been construed into treason, seeking to entangle him in his talk; but it was trembling hand, knocks for admission at the door of some Jewish ruler; where having entered with all the composure which it was possible for him to assume, he unfolds his accursed design; he went-to betray unto them his Lord-sad errand! but they were glad, and covenanted to give him money, and he promised and sought how he might conveniently betray him unto them. An opportunity was all that all in vain, his most inveterate ene mies could not convince him of sin; he challenged them to do it on one occasion, but they were silent. It is our painful task to record, that what could not be effected by the enemies alone, of Christ, was at length accomplished by one of his professed friends. Judas, knowing the disposition of the Jewish rulers, conceived and indulged the iniquitous thought of betraying his master into their hands! Of betraying Judas now wanted, and one prehim, but in what way? not by pointing out any duplicity in the designs of Christ, not by coming forward to prove that the charge which had been brought against him was true, viz. that he cast out devils by Beelzebub, not by shewing that he was indeed an impostor; no, this he could not do, or gladly would he have done it; but he concludes to betray him into their hands "in the absence of the multitude." Luke xxii. 6. To lay hold of him in the absence of the multitude, was the chief difficulty in the way of Christ's enemies, and Judas engages to remove it. In Mark xiv. 10. we have an account of the manner in which he went to accomplish his wicked purpose; and in John xiii, 30. we are told when it was. "He then having received the sop went immediately out, and it was night." A very suitable time for the execution of so foul a deed, a deed, at the perpetration of which Judas himself would have blushed, we are ready to conceive, had it not been for the vail of darkness which surrounded him. Methinks I see the traitor stealing through the streets and lanes of the city with hesitating step, feeling, through fear, an occasional moment ary indecision as to whether or not he should put his cruel design into execution; but receiving a new impulse to iniquity from that depravity which reigned within him, he, at length, with palpitating heart and sently offered. In Matthew xxvi. we are told, that Jesus went with his disciples into the garden of Gethsemane; here was an opportunity. Judas knew the place, procures from the chief priest "a band of men and officers;" and, just after that sad conflict in which Jesus had sweat, as it were, great drops of blood, before that perspiration had been wiped from his sacred temples, Judas appears at the head of an armed multitude, and by a sign, which had been previously agreed upon, delivers his master into their hands! Two principles seem to have instigated Judas to the com. mission of this crime, these were, covetousness and revenge; he appears to have been impelled to it by covetousness. That this was the governing principle of his mind, is attested by the evangelists, when Judas found fault with Mary for anointing the feet of Jesus; he urged as the reason of his chiding her, that the ointment might have been 'sold and given to the poor; but three of the evangelists assert, that he said this, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bear what was put therein. John xii. 4. This disposition, accompanied with an idea that Christ was about to establish a temporary kingdom, induced him, in all probability, to become a disciple of his at first, and it seems likely, that the same dispo sition, in connexion with his subtlety, brought him in possession of "the bag;" and when he found that his carnal views of Christ's kingdom were incorrect and unfounded, that there was no emolument of a worldly nature connected with his service, he seems to have concluded to relinquish his discipleship; but his covetousness suggests the desirableness of gaining something before he leaves the service of Christ, and his depravity fixes upon the infamous crime of betraying his Lord, as the most likely, if not the only method, of satisfying his desires; and he went and sold him for thirty pieces of silver, a sum equal to about four pounds of English money. This sum appears, however, to be but small, to be received by Judas for selling his master; and this leads to the supposition, that he was induced to this act by revenge as well as covetousness. Covetousness seems to have led him to form the design at first, and this seems finally to have been connected with resentment. Jesus Christ had manifested, some time before he was betrayed, an intimate knowledge of the traitor. "I have chosen," said he, “ you twelve, and one of you is a devil;" such an expression from the lips of injured goodness and truth, must have greatly irritated the mind of Judas; and in particular, was this the case at the Last Supper. He was then pointed out by Jesus as the ungrateful wretch, and he heard the most dreadful judgments pronounced upon himself; and this seems to have filled his mind with the keepest desires of resentment, so that he rises from the table in a rage, and goes immediately and puts his purpose into execution. The aggravations of his sin were very great, and were most strikingly glanced at in our Lord's address to Judas, when he appeared at the head of the armed force who came to apprehend him. Luke xxii, 48. "Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?" here every word is emphatical and deserves attention. Jesus notices the peculiar character of the crime itself, "Judas betrayest thou, &c. &c." This was one of the greatest offences against the person of Christ which he could possibly commit. Judas is here charged, not with his dishonesty in regard to the contents of the bag, not with his having merely deserted Christ and gone back to his former associates and engagements, but with having, in addition to his dishonesty and desertion, betrayed his Lord into the hands of his enemies. Of all crimes which one person can commit against another, that of treachery seems to be the most flagrant; it acts in secret, and it is next to impossible to guard against its consequences. A traitor, unlike an honourable enemy who gives notice of his attack, and opportu nity to prepare for it, comes upon us like a dark assassin, unawares; treachery breaks all sacred bonds, making use, frequently, of even the kindness of another to bring about his destruction. This was the sin of Judas. Betrayest thou the Son of man." Christ notices in this address, The peculiar manner in which the crime was committed. " 'Betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?". This is supposed to have been the usual method of salutation betwixt Christ and his disciples, it was expressive of the truest affection, it was intended as a pledge of the sincerest regard, particularly by the person who gave the kiss to another; this Judas did when he led the armed force to apprehend Christ, he went to Jesus and said, "Hail master," and kissed him. What treachery was here! treachery continued to the last! we should have supposed, that having united himself with Christ's enemies, Judas would have thrown off the disguise of attachment to him; but no, he fixes upon this expression of love itself, as the mark which should direct the bitterest enemies of Christ to his master to be the victim of their rage: we should have thought, that having deserted the Saviour, Judas would not have dared again to confront his master; what could the monster mean, unless to mock the Redeemer and to put him at defiance; rather perhaps, he was so infatuated as to hope, that by this one bold step, of saluting his master in this way, his sin in betraying him would be undiscovered, and this expression of affection be received by Christ as sincere; but Christ soon undeceived him, "Judas," said he, "betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?" The character of the person whom Judas betrayed suggests another aggravation of his offence. The person betrayed by Judas was "the Son of man." It is worthy of remark, how Jesus, as to this, expresses himself in his address to the traitor. He might have said, "Do you betray me? I who have treated you with uniform kindness and friendship?" But instead of this he says, "Betrayest thou the Son of man?" Now this appellation was expressive of Christ's Messiahship, the disciples of Christ always considered him to be "the sent of God." They were mistaken, it is true, with reference to the particular object of his mission into our world, but they never questioned his being the Messiah: when Christ, on one occasion, put the question to them, "Whom do ye say that I am?" They answered, "Thou art the Christ." This was their settled opinion, the confirmed conviction of their minds; and it is very evident, that Judas must have been conscious of this, as well as the rest of the apostles. He, as well as they, had seen the proofs which Christ had given of his being the Messiah. He, as well as the rest of the apostles, had received from Christ power to work miracles, Luke ix. 1. Now when we look at the case in this way, to what an awful magnitude does the sin of Judas increase in our conceptions. It was betraying him, who was not his master only, but him whom Judas himself could not but be conscious was "the Christ, the Son of the living God!" It was to the magnitude of tire sin, considered in this point of view, that Christ referred at the Last Sup per. Mark xiv. 21. "The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man if he had never been born." And to this especial aggravation of his offence Jesus referred, with striking emphasis in the garden when he said to Judas, "Betrayest thou the Son of man?" The last thing which our Lord's address to Judas at this time suggests to us, is, The character and situation of the traitor himself. What was he? An officer to the Roman governor? A servant to one of the chief priests? No, he was one of Christ's own family, a disciple, nay, an apostle of Christ! What an aggravation of his crime was this! Jesus himself was troubled in spirit on this account, and said, "One of you shall betray me." Upon this Jesus lays an emphasis in his address to Judas, "Betrayest thou the Son of man?" This touched the tender heart of Christ. "For it was not an enemy. that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him: but it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and my acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked to the house of God in company.' Psalm lv. "He that eateth bread with me, hath lifted up his heel to excite in our minds, a more than against me." The consequences of common emotion of unfeigned rethe traitor's sin were, as to himself, gret; we view him as cut off from exceedingly calamitous. Attempts the heritage of God, while the adhave indeed been made to prove, versity of his condition is augmentthat they were not so, but that the ed in our estimation, by reflecting repentance of Judas was evangelical, upon the elevation from which he and consequently, that he was par descended to it. This emotion of doned, and is now in heaven; but regret we feel in reference to Judas', these opinions are completely at he fell from his apostleship; to this variance with the entire impression the words of Peter which we have which is made upon our minds, by just cited immediately refer, Acts i. the history of the traitor's conduct 25. He fell into despair. The acafter his defection, and also, as ap- count of this is given in Matt. xxvii. pears to the writer of this paper, 3, 4, 5. His despair appears to have with our Lord's assertion respecting been produced gradually, it seems the traitor, "Woe unto that man by to have commenced with what Christ whom the Son of man is betrayed! said to him in the garden; this, at good were it for that man if he had once, set all the aggravations of his never been born!" If Judas ad- sin before his eyes. We hear no vanced by penitence and faith to more of him after the treacherous heaven, and is now enjoying the kiss, till we hear of his despair; he felicity or eternity, how it could seems immediately to have slunk have been better for him that he away as though struck dumb with had never been born, is inconceiv- horror, and confounded at the greatable? No, this assertion of our Lord's, ness of his erime, and Christ's knowtogether with the natural impression ledge of it. His only hope appears which is made upon our minds by to have now been, that Jesus would the conduct of the traitor after his escape from his enemies; imagining, apostacy, force upon us the painful it is probable, that this would lessen conclusion, that the consequences his guilt in betraying him. But, of his sin were, as to the traitor him- "when he saw that Christ was self, exceedingly calamitous. These condemned," this increased his conconsequences of the traitor's sin, sternation. He seems scarcely to are suggested by Peter in those have known what to do; at length words of his which are placed at he concludes to go to the chief the head of this article, "Judas by priests, and in their presence to contransgression fell, that he might go fess his sin, and speak a word in fa to his own place." He fell from vour of his master, which might inhis apostleship. This may be con- duce them to let him go; but when sidered as the least adverse circum- they would not hear him, and all stance which attended his iniquity, hope was gone, he threw down with yet it was by no means a circum- despair the thirty pieces of silver, stance not to be deplored. When a went out and hanged himself. We person who has been raised to a see herein the bitterness of his deplace of eminence in the church, spair; he was naturally covetous, renders himself unworthy of his situ. yet he could not keep his ill-gotten ation; when a man is banished from money, the silver was a witness any office in the church on account against him, it "eat his flesh as it of transgression, it is a proof that were fire;" he casts it therefore from that man's case is bad. The con- him as that, the love of which had dition of such an individual is suited been the occasion of his wretched |