cursed the innocent man who brought tidings of his birth? Let them reconcile all these curses, with the ideas of a holy prophet, a perfect and upright man, whose like there was not in all the earth. When they have done this, they may perform the easy task, of reconciling the salvation of Judas, with the language of him, who declared, that hitherto he had spoken only in proverbs." But we have not done with Judas yet. Judas had an absolute promise, that he should sit upon a throne, judging one of the twelve tribes of Israel.

*

For when the Lord had told his disciples, that the salvation of the rich man, whom we have just mentioned, was impossible, (that is, with man,) and afterwards informed them, that it was not impossible: Then answered Peter, and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have, therefore? And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration,† when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.' Matt. xix. 27, 28. This promise was made only to the twelve primitive apostles, of which Judas was one.

For St. Luke, (xviii. 31.) after relating the promise, immediately adds, Then took he unto him the twelve:' and St. Mark, (x. 32.) as soon as he had narrated the same event, and informed us, also, that many that are first shall be last, and the last first,' proceeds directly to say; they were in the way going up to Jerusalem: and

6

* Like the rich man who could not enter into the kingdom of heaven; it must be confessed that Judas loved the bag, and the things that were therein.'

+Or the renovation of all things.

Jesus went before them; and they were amazed, and as they followed, they were afraid. And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto him. We have consequently the authority of St. Luke and of St. Mark, for concluding, that when our Lord had said, Ye shall also sit upon twelve thrones,' he not only then took unto him the twelve,' but took again the twelve.' These words certainly imply, that the twelve only were with him, when the promise of twelve thrones was made.

Now, if any person can prove, that eleven of the disciples of Christ, can sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel, it may possibly be admitted, that Judas was excluded. One of the apostles, in this case, must sit upon two thrones.

It was not their sacrifices to come, but their sacrifices already past, which at this time engrossed the disconsolate hearts of the disciples. This consideration deserves careful notice. •We have forsaken all, and followed thee. What shall we have therefore?" Accordingly, their Lord, in reply to this interrogation, states no condition of reward, but one-their past continuance with him in his temptations: and this one condition, (how culpable soever any of them might be,) they had actually, and, to all appearance, equally performed. Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptation: And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.' We have here, then, the condition, and the sole condition, either expressed or implied.

It has been said, that our Lord here made a promise which he knew would be accomplished, not to all, but to most of the twelve. We ask, therefore, why to most of them? why to any of them? Let us see what will be gained, by thus explaining away the promises of Scripture. The two following texts will suffice for an experiment; as it is immaterial, whether it was a promise, a declaration, or a command, if all to whom it was addressed, were not included.

For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead. Let your moderation be known

to all men.'

Explanation. For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then only a part were dead. Let your moderation be known to no man.

There is one more text, which we shall take the liberty of explaining in the same orthodox style: The Son of man goeth, as it was written of him : but wo unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed.'

Explanation continued. The Son of man goeth, as it was written of him: but perhaps. (or rather in the opinion of those who are no judges,) there may be wo to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed.

To proceed why did our Lord say, ye shall sit upon twelve thrones? could it have escaped his notice, that eleven thrones were enough for eleven apostles! Why did he not say, ye shall sit upon thrones, judging the tribes of Israel?'

6

It has been supposed, by those who are more fond of guessing than of searching, that our Lord did not in fact address Judas, but the absent Mat

6

thias; who was not one of the twelve, but ordained by the eleven, after the death of Judas, to fill up (in their imagination) the breach thus occasioned. Who then can tell, whether any part of this discourse was addressed to the apostles? the whole of it, for ought we know, was addressed only to angels of the invisible world, those other absentees, some of whom, if they had not left wives, or children, had undoubtedly ministered to our Saviour in his temptations-which is much more than we know of Matthias. If the absent can be addressed in this manner, while those present are excluded; it may also be affirmed, that Jesus Christ, when he said, 'Verily I say unto thee, to-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise,' did not mean, to-day, thou thief,' but to-day, thou absent Judas Iscariot, thou shalt be with me in Paradise.'

Besides the eleven apostles were commanded to tarry at Jerusalem, till they should be endued with power from on high. Till this event, they had not power to preach. Yet while they tarried there, before they were endued with that power, they ordained Matthias. But how could those who had not power, even to preach, have power to ordain? Much more, to ordain an apostle? It will be recollected, that the proposal for this ordination came from Peter; who on this occasion quoted Scriptures, which he applied to Judas: but we cannot discover, that those Scriptures have any special reference to him. That Simon Peter, whose recent conduct had been signalized by presumption, should in this instance have returned to his old errors-ought not to surprise those, who are acquainted with the absurdities into which he fell, even subsequent to the gift of the Holy Spirit-absurdities so gross, that Paul says

in his Epistles, I withstood him to the face; for he was to be blamed.' And perhaps, (speaking after the manner of man,) this observation of Paul, might furnish Peter with one occasion for saying, afterwards, that in brother Paul's Epistles are some things hard to be understood.'* Nor does it appear, that the ordination of Matthias ever received the divine sanction, or that his ministry was attended with any remarkable

success.

It can by no means be allowed, that Paul supplied the place of Judas. Paul was not properly an apostle of the Jews, but of the Gentiles. The first twelve were the apostles of Israel. His empire cannot be supposed to extend beyond the Gentile world.

We have drawn no inference from the repentance of Judas: though the Bible tells us plainly, that he repented, and went and hanged himself. If really insincere, a few thousand years of fatherly correction, may be quite sufficient to accomplish his reformation.

OBJECTION VI.

6

"The damned cannot obtain gospel salvation. For your hypothesis precludes all possibility of the forgiveness of the damned.' But the New Testament every where represents that those who are saved, are saved in a way of forgiveness.

The penalty of the law' cannot be a temporary punishment of longer duration than that which the Scriptures abundantly declare the damned

* Far be it from us to treat the apostles with disrespect. Even Judas shall not have that to lay to our charge. We cordially admit, that before they penned those Scriptures which bear their names, they had been sufficiently enlightened.