tion not to be repented of. For in this cafe we do not hate the Fault, but the Punishment. Nor are our Difpofitions changed one whit, or our Love of God at all increased by it. And fuch feems to have been the Sorrow of Judas. He found Matters grown to a desperate Height; that there was no probable Appearance of Jefus efcaping the Malice of the Jews; He recollected, it is likely, the Predictions of our Lord, concerning the dreadful Vengeance, which fhould overtake the Perfon, that betrayed him to Death. Thefe, and probably many Other, dreadful Reflections, working together, with all that Confufion, which Fear and Guilt ufe to create in Mens Minds, feem to have made up that Concern, which the Text hath expreft by Repenting himself. A Concern, resulting from a Principle of Selfpreservation, in the most carnal Notion of the Thing. But we find not any due Senfe of the Villany of the Fact; not any condemning himself as the baseft, the most ungrateful, the most abandoned Wretch alive; One, that had violated the Laws of God, and Society, and Nature, and caft all Fidelity, and Gratitude, and common Humanity, behind his back. All which, and a great deal more, were not only Aggravations due to his Crime, but the very propereft Occafions of Remorfe; And fuch, as till he came to be very tenderly touched for, and deeply wounded with, he was not capable of arriving at the true Contrition of a fincere Penitent.

2. Secondly, Another Advance towards Repentance was, Judas bringing back the Thirty Pieces of Silver, for which he had fold his Master's Life. And This is likewife neceffary, that Men, who have offended for Profit, fhould not fuffer the Wages of Iniquity to stick to their Fingers; but difgorge all their polluted Gains, and make Reftitution to the utmoft of their Power. For God will accept no Man's Sorrow, who is ftill pleafed with the Rewards of his Injustice, and holds the Wealth

faft, while he pretends to abhor the Guilt, that procured it. It is the vaineft thing in the World; to hope to be accepted, or to obtain a Pardon of thofe indirect Dealings, by which Men have enriched themselves; without making Satisfaction for the Wrongs they have done, and fhewing, that they do in good Earneft deteft their Frauds and Oppreffions, by giving up freely and entirely the Products, which thefe have injuriously extorted. It is not a Profeffion of Sorrow, or a Charitable Legacy upon a Death-Bed, which will ferve the turn. The Altar will not fanctify the Gift, or the Giver. If Men think to compound the Matter with God, by making over to Him a Part; This will never infure their Souls, if, in the mean while, they Build their Houses in Blood; if they tranfmit plentiful Eftates to their Heirs, or raise their Families by that Increase of Substance, which was purchafed by grinding the Face of the Poor, or crufhing the Innocent, who have a rightful Title to what They, or their Pofterity, enjoy. This is Doctrine, it may be, hard of Digeftion to the Great and Greedy. And the parting with the Fruits of their Wickedness is a fevere Saying, which they cannot endure to hear of. So far did Judas outdo too many in his Repentance. And, if He, notwithstanding, perifhed in his Iniquity, what Hopes can They have of Forgiveness, who refufe to come up to his Example in this Particular? He found not Grace, tho' he fought it with Reftitution: And yet They flatter themselves in their Hypocrify, without it. But alas! The Tears of the Oppreffed and Injured will move Compaffion above, when thofe of the diffembling Penitent will be rejected with Difdain. And, be affured, Repentance is but diffembled, till the Spoils of Deceit are caft away far from you, and all unrighteous acquifitions put into their true and proper Channel again." 3. Thirdly, Here is also a farther Progrefs toward Repentance, in that publick and free Confeffion, I have finned, in that I have betray

Ver. 4.

ed

i

451 ed the Innocent Blood. By which Judas did not only take the Shame of his Fault upon himself, but, in fome De gree, make Satisfaction to his injured Mafter. Men might be apt to fufpect, that, how fair an Appearance foever Jefus made to the World, yet, had there not been fomething of private Blame, which one fo intimately well acquainted with him, as Judas muft be, was confcious of; A Difciple, a Friend, a conftant Companion, One that had been taught and fuftained by him, could never have entertained fo Inhumanely treacherous a Thought, as to give him up into the Hands of his Enemies, that thirfted for his Blood. But now all the Ground of these Jealoufies was taken away, by the Traitor's own Teftimonies of Remorfe, and open Declaration of his Lord's unblemished Innocence. And This would not only vindicate him to the rest of the World, and preferve his Honour unftained to all Pofterity; But it ought likewife to have brought over those wicked Accomplices, and have diverted the Jewish Rulers, from their Purpose of murthering fo Holy a Perfon. For, after fuch an Evidence, They were more inflexibly wicked, than even Judas himself, in purfuing their Malice to this Perfon's Destruction.

Now here again Judas far outftripped too many Pretenders to Repentance. Men are, it may be, well enough content, to acknowledge their Guilt between God and their own Confciences; but hardly to be prevailed upon fo far, as to make an open Confeffion of their Crimes; or do publick Juftice to thofe, whofe Rights or Reputations they have injured. There is a fort of prepofterous Modefty, which cannot bear the Reproaches of Other Men, at the fame time, that it hath little or no Apprehenfions of the Condemnation of one's own Mind; And is much more afraid, that the World should know one hath done amifs, than that God, the Judge of all the World fhould know it. Whereas, in Truth, this taking of Shame to our felves is much more neceffary, in order

Ff 2

to

to Reftitution and Satisfaction, for any wrong done to our Brethren, than any private Confeffions to God can poffibly be. For, as we cannot hide our Injuftice from Him, fo neither can They, whom we have injured, fuffer in his Efteem. And therefore no Acknowledgments of our Faults are fufficient, but fuch as make Them Reparation: Such, as may be effectual to the correcting any mistaken Imputations, in those, whom our unrighteous Proceedings had led into Mistakes; and lay the Blame, where of right it ought to lie: That is, upon the Offender himself. A frank and open Confeffion is fo much a Debt to the Innocent; that we have by no means cleared him as we ought; till the Acknowledgment, the Sorrow, and the Reproach of our having done amifs be made as folemn, and as generally known, if it be poffible, as ever the Injury, or the Afperfion had been. Thus only can we prevent that, yet more to be dreaded, Publication of our Crimes; which, whether we will or no, fhall be made before Angels and all Mankind, at the last terrible Day of Account, when God fhall bring the whole World to Judgment, and detect all the hidden things of Dishonesty.

Some indeed there are, who have taken Pains to shew, that, even in the Inftances laft mentioned, Judas had by no means done all that became him; In regard he made no Reftitution, or Confeffion to our Lord, who was the injured Party; but only to the Jewish Rulers, his Partners and Companions in Wickednefs. But it were heartily to be wifhed, that the Generality of wicked Perfons would be perfuaded to keep him Company thus far, and go the fame Lengths that He did.

They might, upon Thefe Conditions, entertain much more reasonable Hopes of attaining to another, no lefs neceffary, Qualification of Repentance, in which His was manifeftly wanting. And that is, an humble, but ftedfaft, Faith in the Mercy of God, and a Dependence upon that Sacrifice of his Son, which is available for the

Forgive

Forgiveness even of the chief of Sinners, provided they be believing and returning Sinners.

Now here was Judas his Downfal. The Horror of his Guilt threw him into Amazement, and Confufion, and Despair; and kept him from applying the proper, the only Remedy, that could have any Effect for his Recovery. For, Whether we understand the Account given us of his Death, here, and in the First of the Ats, of laying violent Hands upon himself, or whether of a Suffocation by extreme Melancholy: Either Senfe implies intolerable Agonies, and fruitless Remorse, a fearful Expectation of Divine Vengeance, and a Diftruft of Mercy, for fo great a Villany.

Here then, I conceive, lay the main Defect of Judas his Repentance. And then we cannot be at a lofs for a fubftantial Reason, why it met with no better Success. For Repentance does not barely confift in Sorrow for Sin; but in fuch a Sorrow, as is tempered and fupported with Hope. Not in a mere Confeffion of Sin, but in fuch a one, as trufts to be forgiven for Sins confefs'd. It imports a Change of Manners; But if there be not first a strong Perfuafion, that our fincere Endeavours for the future will be kindly received, and our former Tranfgreffions graciously pafs'd over; All Ground and Encouragement for fuch a Change is utterly taken away. It requires, that we chufe new Objects for our Affections, draw them off from the World and its treacherous Allurements, from the Flefh, and its Lufts; and fettle them upon God and Heavenly Things. But He, who loves God, muft of neceffity confider him, under fome other Characters, than thofe of a ftern Judge, and Implacable Avenger. He must have fome Notions of his Goodnefs. Both of That, which is effential to the Perfection of his own Nature, and of That, which infers a Difpofition, to be good and gracious, tender and compaffionate to Him in particular. For, nothing but Good, is, or can poffibly be, the Motive of

Ff3

Qur