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3. Then Judas, perceiving that he was condemned. By this adverb (τότε) then, Matthew does not fix the exact point of time; for we shall find him shortly afterwards adding, that Judas, when he saw that the priests disdainfully refused to take back the reward of his treason, threw it down in the temple. But from the house of Caiaphas they came straight to the Pretorium, and stood there until Christ was condemned. It can scarcely be supposed that they were found in the temple on that day; but as the Evangelist was speaking of the rage and madness of the council, he inserted also the death of Judas, by which their blind obstinacy, and the hardness of their hearts like iron, were more fully displayed.

He says that Judas repented; not that he reformed, but that the crime which he had committed gave him uneasiness; as God frequently opens the eyes of the reprobate, so as to begin to feel their miseries, and to be alarmed at them. For those who are sincerely grieved so as to reform, are said not only (μεταμελεῖν), ²⁴¹²⁴¹     The import of those Greek words is brought out more fully in our Author’s French version. “Car ceux qui sont vrayement desplaisans pour s’amender, non seulement cognoissent leurs fautes, mais aussi changent de courage, ce qui est bien ici exprimé;” — “for those who are truly dissatisfied with themselves so as to reform, not only know their faults, but also have the resolution to amend, which is well expressed here.” He then goes on to say that Matthew attributes to Judas “une repentance que les Grecs nomment μεταμέλεια, qui est forcee, et laisse l’homme tout abruti; non pas celle qu’ils nomment μετάνοια, qui est un vraye conversation de l’homme à Dieu;” — “a repentance which the Greeks call metameleia, (μεταμέλεια,) which is forced, and leaves the man altogether brutish; not that which they call metanoia, (μετάνοια,) which is a true conversion of the man to God.” but, also (μετανοεῖν), ²⁴²²⁴²     The import of those Greek words is brought out more fully in our Author’s French version. “Car ceux qui sont vrayement desplaisans pour s’amender, non seulement cognoissent leurs fautes, mais aussi changent de courage, ce qui est bien ici exprimé;” — “for those who are truly dissatisfied with themselves so as to reform, not only know their faults, but also have the resolution to amend, which is well expressed here.” He then goes on to say that Matthew attributes to Judas “une repentance que les Grecs nomment μεταμέλεια, qui est forcee, et laisse l’homme tout abruti; non pas celle qu’ils nomment μετάνοια, qui est un vraye conversation de l’homme à Dieu;” — “a repentance which the Greeks call metameleia, (μεταμέλεια,) which is forced, and leaves the man altogether brutish; not that which they call metanoia, (μετάνοια,) which is a true conversion of the man to God.” from which is derived also (μετάνοια), ²⁴³²⁴³     The import of those Greek words is brought out more fully in our Author’s French version. “Car ceux qui sont vrayement desplaisans pour s’amender, non seulement cognoissent leurs fautes, mais aussi changent de courage, ce qui est bien ici exprimé;” — “for those who are truly dissatisfied with themselves so as to reform, not only know their faults, but also have the resolution to amend, which is well expressed here.” He then goes on to say that Matthew attributes to Judas “une repentance que les Grecs nomment μεταμέλεια, qui est forcee, et laisse l’homme tout abruti; non pas celle qu’ils nomment μετάνοια, qui est un vraye conversation de l’homme à Dieu;” — “a repentance which the Greeks call metameleia, (μεταμέλεια,) which is forced, and leaves the man altogether brutish; not that which they call metanoia, (μετάνοια,) which is a true conversion of the man to God.” which is a true conversion of the soul to God. So then, Judas conceived disgust and horror, not so as to turn to God, but rather that, being overwhelmed with despair, he might serve as an example of a man entirely shut out from the grace of God. Justly, indeed, does Paul say, that the sorrow which leads to repentance is salutary, (2 Corinthians 7:10;) but if a man stumble at the very threshold, he will derive no advantage from a confused and mistaken grief. What is more, this is a just punishment with which God at length visits the wicked, who have obstinately despised his judgment, that he gives them up to Satan to be tormented without the hope of consolation.

True repentance is displeasure at sin, arising out of fear and reverence for God, and producing, at the same time, a love and desire of righteousness. Wicked men are far from such a feeling; for they would desire to sin without intermission, and even, as far as lies in their power, they endeavor to deceive both God and their own conscience, ²⁴⁴²⁴⁴     “Et Dieu, et leur propre conscience.” but notwithstanding their reluctance and opposition, they are tormented with blind horror by their conscience, so that, though they do not hate their sin, still they feel, with sorrow and distress, that it presses heavily and painfully upon them. This is the reason why their grief is useless; for they do not cheerfully turn to God, or even aim at doing better, but, being attached to their wicked desires, they pine away in torment, which they cannot escape. In this way, as I have just said, God punishes their obstinacy; for although his elect are drawn to him by severe chastisements, and as it were contrary to their will, yet he heals in due time the wounds which he has inflicted, so that they come cheerfully to him, by whose hand they acknowledge that they are struck, and by whose wrath they are alarmed. The former, therefore, while they have no hatred to sin, not only dread, but fly from the judgment of God, and thus, having received an incurable wound, they perish in the midst of their sorrows.

If Judas had listened to the warning of Christ, there would still have been place for repentance; but since he despised so gracious an offer of salvation, he is given up to the dominion of Satan, that he may throw him into despair. But if the Papists were right in what they teach in their schools about repentance, we could find no defect in that of Judas, to which their definition of repentance fully applies; for we perceive in it contrition of heart, and confession of the mouth, and satisfaction of deed, as they talk. Hence we infer, that they take nothing more than the bark; for they leave out what was the chief point, the conversion of the man to God, when the sinner, broken down by shame and fear, denies himself so as to render obedience to righteousness.

4. What is that to us? Here is described the stupidity and madness of the priests, since even after having been warned by the dreadful example of Judas, still they do not think about themselves. I do acknowledge that hypocrites, as they are accustomed to flatter themselves, had some plausible excuse at hand for distinguishing between their case and that of Judas; for they did not think that they were partakers of his crime, though they abused the treachery of Judas. But Judas not only confesses that he has sinned, but asserts the innocence of Christ; from which it follows, that they had meditated the death of a righteous man, and, therefore, that they were guilty of a detestable murder. Nor is there any room to doubt that God intended to sear their consciences with a hot iron, to discover the hidden corruption. Let us therefore learn, that when we see wicked persons, with whom we have any thing in common, filled with alarm, those are so many excitements to repentance, and that they who neglect such excitements aggravate their criminality. We ought also to believe, that the crime of one man can have no effect in acquitting all those who are in any way involved in it; and still more, that the leading perpetrators of a crime can gain no advantage by distinguishing between themselves and their agents, that they may not suffer the same punishment.

5. And he went away, and strangled himself. This is the price for which Satan sells the allurements by which he flatters wicked men for a time. He throws them into a state of fury, so that, voluntarily cutting themselves off from the hope of salvation, they find no consolation but in death. Though others would have permitted Judas to enjoy the thirty pieces of silver, by which he had betrayed Christ and his own salvation, he throws them down, and not only deprives himself of the use of them, but, along with the base reward of the death of Christ, he throws away also his own life. Thus, though God does not put forth his hand, wicked men are disappointed of their desires, so that, when they have obtained their wishes, they not only deprive themselves of the enjoyment of unsatisfying benefits, but even make cords for themselves. But though they are their own executioners by punishing themselves, they do not in any respect alleviate or diminish the severity of the wrath of God.