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2 And -when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.
3 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the Chief Priests and elders,
4 Saying, I have sinned in that 1 have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said. What u that to us ? Bee thou to tJiat.
5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.
6 And the Chief Priests took the
silver pieces, and said. It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, be- cause it is the price of blood.
7 And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in.
8 Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day.
9 Tlien was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the tliirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of tlie chil- dren of Israel did value';
10 And gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me.
The openiDg of this chapter describes the delivery of our Lord Jesus Christ into the hands of the Gentiles. The chief priests and elders of the Jews led Him away to Pontius Pilate, the Koman governor. We may see in this incident the finger of Grod. It was ordered by His providence, that Gentiles as well as Jews should be con- cerned in the murder of Christ. It was ordered by His providence, that the priests should publicly confess that the "'^sceptre had departed from Judah." They were unable to put any one to death, without going to the Komans. The words of Jacob were therefore fulfilled. The Messiah, ^'Shiloh, had indeed come." (Gen. xhx. 10.)
The subject that principally occupies the verses we have read, is the melancholy end of the false apostle, Judas Iscariot. It is a subject full of instruction. Let us mark well what it contains.
We see in the end of Judas a iplain proof of our Lord's innocence of every charge laid against Him.
If there was any living witness who could give evi- dence against our Lord Jesus Christ, Judas Iscariot was the man. A chosen apostle of Jesus, a constant companion in all His journey ings, a hearer of all His teaching, both in 2^ublic and private, — he must have known well