and brought again the Thirty Pieces of Silver to the Chief Priefts and Elders,

4 Saying, I have finned, in that I have betrayed the innocent Blood. And they faid, What is that to us?

fee thou to that.

587

Matth.

He returns the Money to the Priefts, and goes and bangs himself. great Terror and Agony of Confcience; and re- Sect. 193. penting of the fatal Bargain he had made, whereby he had brought fuch 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 Priefts and the Elders, while they were together in the Temple that Morning; for they reforted. thither with a fpecious Appearance of Piety, before they followed the Multitude to Calvary to fee the Execution. And coming in among 4 them in a wild Disorder, he said to them, Oh Sirs! I have finned in a moft desperate Manner, in that I have betrayed innocent Blood to you; for I am well convinced, that Jefus my Master has done nothing to deferve 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 fteady Coolness of those who knew no Shame or Remorse for their Wickedness, What [is that] to us, whether thou thinkeft him innocent, or not? See thou [to that: It is fufficient for us, that we know he is Guilty, whether fuch a Wretch as thou art, approveft, or condemneft our Sentence. And 5 throwing down the Pieces of Silver Money in the Temple, in their very Prefence, with all the Marks of Agony and Diftrefs, be withdrew; and going away to the Brow of a Hill, in fome retired and melancholy Place, be there banged 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, fo that all his Bowels gushed out (b); and he lay expiring,

5 And he caft down the ple, and departed, and went

Pieces of Silver in the Tem

and hanged himself.

fome 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 fo 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, he hanged himself; but the Rope breaking &c.] This Method, which Mr. Le Clerc (Harm. pag. 527.) and feveral other learned Criticks have taken, of reconciling Matthew with what is afterwards faid of this Fact, Acts i. 18. (that falling headlong, be burft afunder in the midft, and all his Bowels gushed out ;) appears to me much preferable to that of thofe, who would render any calo, he was stifled, or fuffocated with Excess of Grief; (fee La Motte of Infpir. pag. 155.) a Verfion, which none of the Authorities I have feen, feem fufficient to juftify. Nor is it neceffary to fuppofe with Dr. Lightfoot, (Hor. Hebr. on Mat, xxvii. 5. and Atts i, 18.) that Judas was carried away by the Devil, and Eeee 2

Strangled

5.88

The Potters Field is purchased with the Money.

Sect. 193. piring, in a most painful and terrible Manner, a Spectacle of Horror to all that beheld him, alive, or dead, as a Multitude of Spectators did. (Compare Acts i. 18, 19.)

Matth.
XXVII. 5.

6

6 And the Chief Priests

took the Silver Pieces, and put them into the Treasury, because it is the Price of Blood.

faid, It is not lawful for to

7 And they took Counfel, and bought with them the Potters Field, to bury Strangers in.

And the Chief Priests, taking up the Pieces of Silver, were at fome Lofs how they fhould difpofe of them; for they faid, It is not lawful for us to put them into the Cheft which is called Corban, or the Sacred Treasury, because it is the Price of Blood, and would in Effect be offering to GoD the Life of a Man. And these Hypocrites fcrupled fuch a Point of Ceremony, while they ftill perfifted in their Refolution to destroy Jefus, which, had they defired it, they might perhaps 7 yet have prevented. But afterwards, when they met in a Body about fome other Bufinefs, having confulted together what they should do with thofe Pieces of Money, they bought with them that Close in the Neighbourhood of Jerufalem, which is called the Potters Field (c), for a Burying-Place of Foreigners, who had no Sepulchres of their own, and whofe Bodies they fcrupled to 8 lay with thofe of their own holy Nation. And therefore, by the way, that Field was called in Blood, unto this Day.. the Syriack Language, Aceldama, that is, the Field of Blood; (Acts i. 19.) and it bears that Name even to this Day, because it was purchased with that Money, which was the Price paid for the Blood of Jefus, and was in effect the Purchase of the Blood of Judas too.

9

Then was that fulfilled in a very remarkable
Manner, which was spoken by the Prophet (d),

(Zech.

8 Wherefore that Field was called, The Field of

9. (Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jere

my

Strangled in the Air, and being thrown from thence in the Sight of all the City, was dashed in Pieces by the Violence of the Fall.

(c) The Potters Field.] Thirty Pieces of Silver may feem a very inconfiderable Price for a Field fo near Jerufalem; but as Grotius well obferves, the Ground was probably much fpoiled, by digging it up for Earth to make Potters Veffels; fo that it was now unfit for Tillage, or Pafture, and confequently of fmall Value.

(d) Which was Spoken by the Prophet.] Moft Copies read it, by Jeremiah the Prophet; yet 'tis univerfally known, that thefe Words are found no where in Jeremiah, but in Zechariah, (chap. xi. 13.) It appears to me very unnatural, to fay with Dr. Lightfoot, (Hor. Hebr. in loc.) that all the Prophetic Writings might be called the Book of Jeremiah; because in antient Times the Prophecy of Jeremiah was put at the Beginning of the Volume of the Prophets; nor would the granting this Fact account for the Expreffion, of its being fpoke by him. Nor am I at all convinced by Mr. Jofeph Mede's Reasonings, (fee his Works,

pag. 963.)

What Zechariah Jaid, was then fulfilled.

my the Prophet, faying, And they took the Thirty Pieces of Silver, the Price of him that was valued, whom they of the Children of Ifrael did

value :

To And gave them for the Potters Field, as the Lord appointed me.)

589

Matth.

(Zech. xi. 13.) saying, "And I took the Thirty Sect. 193.
Pieces of Silver,
Pieces of Silver," (which Sum, the Reader will
obferve, was the ufual Price of one who was fold XXVII. 9.
for a Slave, or of one whom the Children of Ifrael
did fell, being esteemed among them on an Ave-
rage but the equitable Price of fuch a one; and
was here the, Price of the Blood of the Son of
GOD: himself, that infinitely valuable Perfon (e) :)
"And they were given for the Potters Field, as 10
(faith the Prophet,) the Lord commanded me in.
"Vision, in Token of his just Displeasure against
thofe, who had put fuch an Affront on his
"Paftoral Care (f)."

But:

pag. 963.) that thefe Words, tho' recorded by Zechariah, or rather found in his Book, were originally fpoken by Jeremiah, and by fome Accident difplaced: A Principle, on which the whole Credit of the Prophecies might be deftroyed. It would be a much lefs Difhonour to the Sacred Writings, to fuppofe a finall Error in the Pen of fome early Tranfcriber, who might (as Bp. Hall prettily conjectures,) by the Miftake of one Letter only, (fuppofing the Word to be contracted,) write Ips for Zpra And tho' it is certain, that Jeremiah was the received Reading, as early as Origen's Time, yet there is room to doubt, whether any Prophet was named in the firft Copies, as the Syriack Verfion, which is allowed to be made in the most early Times, fays only, It was spoken by the Prophet, without mentioning by whom. On the whole, I think it more respectful to the Evangelift, to fuppofe that fome officious Tranfcriber might either infert, or change the Prophet's Name, than to impute it, as Dr. Mill feems to do, to a Slip in the Author's Memory.

(e) The Price of one who was fold, &c.] We may either render the Words, [78 Telunμενε, ον ετιμησαντο απο υιών Ισραηλ,] of one who was fold, even of one whom the Children of Ifrael did fell; and fo confider them as expreffive of the common Price a Slave was rated at among them: Or we may render them, of him that was fold, or valued, (even their own Meffiah,) whom the very Children of Ifrael fold at this fhameful Price. And I think, either of thefe Verfions would fuit the Original, and convey a lively and proper Senfe: I have: therefore fuggefted both in the Paraphrafe, tho' in the Verfion, which could not well be equally ambiguous, I have preferred the former.

(f) And they were given for the Potter's Field, as the Lord commanded me.] It is plain thefe Words are not exactly quoted, either from the Hebrew, or the Septuagint; yet I cannot think the Difference fo great, as it at first appears; fince thofe Words in the Parenthefis (την τιμήν τε τετιμημένο, ον ετιμησαν ο απω υιών Ισραηλ,) which are not in either, may. be confidered as the Words of the Evangelift himself, (to which he was naturally led by those of the Prophet, A goodly Price, that I was prized at of them ;) and if, which might. eafily happen, daxar be written for edana, as exaGov. is ambiguous, it may be rendered, yet. nearer to the Original, I took-and gave them &c.-As for the general Propriety of applying thefe Words to this Occafion, I think it may well be vindicated; for the Connection and Senfe of the Prophecy in the Old Teftament feems to be this. In order to reprefent to Zechariah the Contempt which Ifrael put upon their GOD, he had a Vifion to the following Purpose. He thought GOD first appointed him to appear among them as a Shepherd; (making him by that Emblem a Reprefentation of himself:) After fome Time, he directs him to go to the Rulers of Ifrael, and afk them, What they thought he deferved for his Labour in that Office? They give him the Price of a Slave, Thirty Pieces of Silver; and this in the Houfe of the Lord, where the Court fate. On this, GOD, as refenting this Indignity offered to him in the Perfon of his Prophet, order him to throw it down with Difdain before the first poor Labourer he met, who happened to be a Potter at work by the Temple Gates, as

a fitter

590

Sect. 193. Matth. XXVII. 62.

T

MAT. XXVII. 62. Now

the next Day that followed: the Day of the Preparation, the Chief Priefts and Pharifees came together unte Pilate,

63 Saying, Sir, we remember that that Deceiver faid, while he was yet alive, After Three Days I will rife

The Priefs defire to have the Sepulchre fecured.
But to return now to the main Story. When,)
notwithstanding the Confeffion of Judas, the Jews
had crucified Chrift, and his Friends had taken
down his Body from the Cross, and laid it in
Jofeph's Tomb on the Evening of the Sixth Day
of the Week, on the Morrow, or on the Sabbath
itfelf, which followed the Day of Preparation, the
Chief Priests, and other Pharisees who belonged
to the grand Sanhedrim, affembled together in a
Body, to wait upon Pilate, as with an Addrefs"
63 of folemn Importance: Saying, Sir, we re
member, that this notorious Deceiver, who was
Yesterday put to Death for his Crimes, while he
was yet living faid, After Three Days I will rife
64 again from the Dead (g): We defire there-
fore, that fince thou haft permitted his Friends
fo honourably to inter him, thou wouldst order
that the Sepulchre where he is laid, may be ftrictly
guarded and fecured till the Third Day is paft; left
his Difciples fhould come by Night, and freal him
away, and upon this fhould tell the People, that
according to his own Prediction he is rifen from
the Dead: And fo the last Deceit will be worfe
than the first, and the deluded Populace will be
more eager to profefs their Regard to him after
his Death, than they ever were while he was
living.

again.

64 Command therefore that the Sepulchre be made. left his Difciples come by Night, and steal him away, and fay unto the People, He the laft Error shall be worfe than the first.

fure until the Third Day,

is rifen from the Dead: So

a fitter Price for a little of his paltry Ware, than a fuitable Acknowledgment of the Fa-
vours they had received from GOD. Now furely, if there was ever any Circumftance, in
which the Children of Ifrael behaved themselves fo, as to anfwer this Vifionary Reprefenta-
tation, it must be, when they gave this very Sum of Thirty Pieces of Silver, as a Price for
the very Life of that Perfon, whom God had appointed their great Shepherd. And in
order to point out the Correfpondence the more fenfibly, Providence fo ordered it, that the
Perfon to whom this Money went, fhould be a Potter; tho' the Prophecy would have
been answered, if he had been a Fuller, or of any other Profeffion. I do not remember
ever to have seen this Matter fet in, what seems to me, its just and most natural Light;
but Grotius has fome valuable Hints upon it, which I wonder he did not purfue farther.
(g) After Three Days I will rife again.] Their intending to make the Sepulchre fecure
only till the Third Day ended, fhewed that they understood our Lord's Expreffion of rifing
after Three Days, to be (as indeed it was,) equivalent to a Declaration that he would rife
on the Third Day. See Note (d) on Mat. xii. 40. Vol. i. pag. 384. Compare alfo Deut. xiv.
28. with xxvi. 12.

(b) Having

The Stone is fealed, and a Guard fet upon it.

66 So they went and made the Sepulchre fure, fealing the Stone, and fetting a Watch.

591 to keep Centinel there all Night, and thereby Sect. 193, make [it] as fecure as you poffibly can.

And accordingly they went, and took a De- Matth. tachment of Soldiers with them to the Garden of XXVII. 66. Jofeph; and having firft fatisfied themselves that the Corpfe was there (b), they fecured the Sepulchre as well as they poffibly could, fealing the Stone, that it might not be broke open without a Discovery of the Fraud (i); and also setting a Guard near it, who took Care to place themfelves fo, that they could not but take an immediate Alarm, if any had prefumed to make the leaft Attempt to open the Sepulchre, and remove the Body, or even to embalm it.

IMPROVEMENT.

N how fatal a Manner does the Way of Tranfgreffors deceive them!

IN

Judas no doubt, but a few Hours before, was thinking with eager Mat. xxvii. Impatience of receiving this Sum of Money, which was the Wages of Un- 3, righteoufhefs: But tho' he might for a little while roll it as a fweet Morfel under his Tongue, yet how foon was it turned into the Gall of Afps within bim? (Job xx. 12,-14.)

We fee the Force of Confcience, even in the worst of Men. He that Ver. 5. had flighted all the Warnings that his Mafter gave him, and neither was affected by the Remembrance of his Goodness to him, nor by the Fear of his Displeasure, while he was fet upon accomplishing his covetous Defign, no fooner comes to feel the Sting of an awakened Confcience, but he is filled with Horror, and is unable to endure the cutting Anguish of his own Reflections. And thus could GOD in a Moment drive the most hardened Sinner into all the Agonies of Remorfe and Defpair, by letting

(b) Having firft fatisfied themselves that the Corpfe was there.] Common Prudence would teach them to do this; and perhaps they might feed their Cruelty with viewing the dead Body, as Herodias did, with that fad Spectacle the Baptift's Head. See Note (0) on Mark vi. 28. Vol. i. pag. 478.

(i) Sealing the Stone.] Some have conjectured, they might also cement it with Lead, or bind it with Iron; but the Sabbath would hardly have allowed this. The Guard would prevent Violence; and the Seal would be a Security against any Fraud of theirs in Confederacy with the Difciples, if that could have been fufpected. But it is moft fenfelefs to fay, with that wretched Oppofer of the Miracles of Chrift, who has brought upon himself fuch juft Infamy, that this intimated a Contract between Chrift and them, that he should rife in the Sight of the Jewish Rulers on the Third Day. Probably their Design was on the Fourth Day to have opened the Sepulchre, and have expofed the Corpfe to publick View; which, had it been in their Power, had been the most prudent Step they could have taken. But they do not feem to have been mad enough to think, that if Jefus rofe from the Dead, it muit be just when they thought fit to attend.