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the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself." This expression appears to contradict what is said in Acts 1: 18, "Now this man [Judas] purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and, falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out." This account of his end is evidently correct. There is no evidence that Judas hung himself, or that he took his own life in any way. The difficulty is with the expression, "hanged himself," in Matthew. The Greek word. apegrato, rendered "hanged himself," has not of necessity that signification. It appears to have the following meaning: he [Judas] went out, being suffocated, or strangled with grief. Campbell renders it "strangled himself;" and says "it may be rendered, was suffocated." Wakefield's version is, was choked with anguish." Clarke says, "it may be rendered, was strangled." This harmonizes the two passages, and removes the apparent difficulty. Judas was evidently mortified and grieved to excess. In verses 3, 4, it is said, that "when he saw that he [Christ] was condemned, he repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, I have sinned, in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that." Upon hearing this answer, Judas cast down the pieces of silver and went out, not only repenting, but with such highly-grieved, mortified, and wounded feelings, that he was completely suffocated and choked with grief, to that degree, that he actually fell headlong, bursting asunder, and thus expiring in a moment of grief, repentance, and agony. What more pitiable could his condition have been? and what stronger evidence of sorrow and compunction could have been manifested? and he, who feels to pursue and follow him, even into eternity, and further torment him there, must be destitute of all sympathy, and even humanity itself. The motive of Judas in be traying, or delivering up Christ to the Jews, could not have been for the purpose of having him crucified. Judas knew that his Master possessed the power of delivering himself from his enemies, and this he had often seen him perform; but he might have felt somewhat avaricious, and designed the money for his own individual use, but more probably (as he was their treasurer, carried the bag, &c.) that he designed it for the use of the fraternity, or the benefit of the church. But when he saw the result, he was disappointed; he saw that he had misjudged, and was chagrined, mortified, grieved, and

repentant.

What more could he have done, on learning his own

frailty and misdoings?

But is is said by the unreflecting, that Judas has gone to an endless hell, because of the expression in Acts 1: 25, "that he might go to his own place." Admitting this phrase to allude to Judas, and what does it prove? Certainly, not that he has gone to an endless hell; for no such place is defined or taught in the Bible. And if it were, it was not pointed to as the place of Judas; for "his own place" could signify no more than to his former state or condition; or, if applied to his death, could imply no more than that he had gone to the state of the dead in general; independently of either rewards or punishments; as is evidently taught in Eccl. 3: 20, All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again."

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But it is thought by some of the best Partialist writers, that the cxpression, "his own place," does not allude to Judas at all; but to Matthias. Dr. Hammond, Priestly, and others, are of that opinion. Dr. Clarke says, "Should the 25th verse be urged against this possibility (i. e., of the salvation of Judas), because it is there said that Judas fell from his ministry and apostleship, that he might go to his own place, and that this place is hell, I answer (1), it remains to be proved that this place means hell; and (2), it is not clear that the words are spoken of Judas at all, but of Matthias; his own place meaning that vacancy in the apostolate to which he was then elected." Paige's Selections.

The Apostles appeared to be anxious to fill the vacancy, in the loss of Judas. They made choice of two, Justus and Matthias. They then prayed (not that the Lord would damn Judas — but) that the Lord would show them which of the two should succeed in filling the vacancy; that he (the chosen one) might go to his own place. All the arguments which are brought forward to prove the endless torment of Judas do utterly fail. We might as well, in reality, undertake to prove the endless ruin of any other man, as that of Judas. Hundreds have been more wicked than Judas, of whom it is believed that they are now in heaven. Judas was wicked, and, like every other sinner, suffered in proportion to the nature and demerit of his crime.

In the last place, let us consider, briefly, the more favorable part of his history. Judas was one of the twelve apostles; and in com

mon with all the other apostles, he received the power of working miracles, as evidence of his divine appointment to the apostleship. We have no reason to doubt his zeal, or distrust his faithfulness and assiduity, at least until the time of the betrayal. Long before Judas had transgressed, and before any other than Judas was known as filling his place, Christ, in answer to Peter, said, "Verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed me, in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel," Matt. 19: 28. Christ must here have alluded to the twelve, of which Judas was one, and who also had followed Christ in the regeneration, and was to sit upon one of the twelve thrones. The following facts may now be stated. 1st. Judas was actually one of the twelve apostles, and chosen as such, by Christ himself. 2d. That for a long time, at least, he was as true to his trust, and acted his part in as good faith, as did any other apostle. 3d. That the part he took in the betraying of Christ was the part for which God had raised him up, and that which was predetermined by the counsel of Heaven. 4th. That notwithstanding he was a sinner, yet, that no man ever left the world manifesting greater sorrow for sin, more compunction of heart, deeper contrition, or more regret for offences, than did Judas. 5th. That there is no shade of evidence that Judas will be eternally miserable. 6th. That, in common with all transgressors, he suffered in this world the just demerit of all his crimes. 7th. That the last account of him is, he had gone the way of all the earth-he was dead and if any one can give a further or better account of him, we will kindly receive it.

CHAPTER XIX.

BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE HOLY GHOST

SECTION I.

Those passages wherein the expression, BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE HOLY GHOST, Occurs.

Matt. 12: 31, 32. Wherefore I say unto you, all manner of sin and Plasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world [aioni], neither in the world [or age] to come.

Mark 3: 28-30. Verily I say unto you, all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme but he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgive ness, but is in danger of eternal damnation [aioniou kriseos]; because they said, he hath an unclean spirit.

SECTION II.

Remarks on the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost

The subject of the "blasphemy against the Holy Ghost" is often brought as an insurmountable objection to the doctrine of universal holiness and happiness. In the first place, we will inquire, upon the admission that the above texts teach the doctrine of endless misery, how many can possibly be exposed to that state?

Christ, in the first place, positively affirms that "all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men." "Verily I say

unto you, all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme :" or, whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him. See those passages in the preceding Section. Now it is positively declared by him who cannot lie, that all manner of sins and blasphemies, wherewith soever the sons of men shall blaspheme, shall be forgiven them: but whosoever speaketh or blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in the world to come. Among all the sins and blasphemies ever perpetrated on earth, or any which may be committed in all coming time, there is but one solitary exception; viz., the sin against the Holy Ghost. Reader, how many suppose you ever committed this sin? When this question is settled, we have data from which to determine how many will eventually suffer endless misery. What shall we do with all the wicked rebels, from Cain down to the period of our Saviour? For the Holy Ghost was not presented, either for man to receive or reject, until the day of miracles by Christ. And what shall we do with all the wicked unbelievers, drunkards, murderers and revilers, from Christ's day down to the present period? And how shall we dispose of all the blasphemous infidels and atheists, from the beginning of the world until now? For all manner of sins and blasphemies shall be forgiven unto men, with one exception. Upon the premises we have admitted the only result is this none ever were, or ever can be, sent to hell, save those very few of the Jews who stood by, saw Christ work miracles and accused him of doing the same by the power of Beelzebub, the prince of devils. It is not possible to involve any others, for all, excepting those, "shall be forgiven." In Mark 3: 22, it is said, " And the Scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of devils casteth he out devils." The sole foundation and only reason why our Saviour made the expression, "he that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness,” is based in this verse and in the expression, "by the prince of devils casteth he out devils." As evidence of this, observe the 30th verse; after having stated the result of their expression (which was sin against the Holy Ghost), he adds, "Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit." This solves the problem why the expression, "sin against the Holy Ghost," was made at all; and necessarily confines that sin to the very few who had the privilege of