OBSERVATIONS ON THE CONDUCT AND CHARACTER OF JUDAS ISCARIOT, BY THE LATE REV. JOHN BONAR, THE next important Tract on the Evidences, to which I beg leave to direct the reader's attention, is entitled, "Observations on the Conduct and Character of Judas Iscariot, in a letter to the Rev. Mr James Primrose, by the late Rev. John Bonar, one of the Ministers of Perth." The author was one of a long line of able and faithful ministers of the Church of Scotland. His grandfather was the excellent Mr Bonar of Torphichen, who bore a part in the distinguished revival of religion in the West of Scotland, with which God was pleased to bless the church, towards the middle of last century. He has had many worthy descendents, both ministers and laymen. At present there are not less than four of them ministers of the Church of Scotland, and all in character and talent not inferior to their ancestors. The Tract was first published about the middle of the last century, when infidelity was fast spreading among the higher classes of the community. The argument I believe to be original. Many would naturally think, that 66 the case of Judas was adverse to the claims of Christ. Mr BONAR shows that it is the very reverse-that he is a distinguished witness in favour of Christianity. Dr Doddridge, who himself thought and wrote not a little upon the Evidences, was much struck with Mr BONAR'S view; and, in his Lectures, strongly recommends the Tract, as setting in a most just and beautiful light," the important testimony of the apostate Judas to the innocence of his Master. The publication was reprinted in 1822, and is noticed in some works on the Evidences, but still is comparatively little known. While the argument founded on the case of Judas is in itself complete, it is interesting to consider that it does not stand alone, but is, after all, only an illustration of a great principle on which God conducts the administration of his church, viz., to make enemies do the work of friends. To an infinite mind this is easy, and finely shows forth the Divine power and wisdom. In all ages, God has made the wrath of man to praise him. Heretics, persecutors, infidels, have all unwittingly rendered the most important services in the defence, vindication, and diffusion of the gospel. Had it not been for early errors and abuses, we never would have had various books of Scripture which were written to meet and remove them. Had it not been for infidelity, the Evidences never would have been scrutinized so thoroughly, nor the truth advanced in so satisfactory a form as it now stands; and had it not been for the violence of persecution, it is to be feared the primitive church would have kept the gospel to herself, and not gone forth, or at least not gone forth in so zealous and effective a spirit, for the conversion of the world. How different are God's ways from man's ways!-who would have thought of enlisting enemies in behalf of his cause?-but oftentimes their opposition has been overruled to do more good than all the zeal of friends. So vain is it for man to attempt to fight with God! It may be doubted whether, in various respects, Judas may not be a better witness in behalf of Christianity, than any of the faithful apostles. Without meaning to anticipate the statements of Mr BONAR's paper, I cannot better conclude these prelimi nary remarks than in the words of a recent and excellent article of the Rev. Dr Easdale of Perth, in the Scottish Christian Herald-a publication which cannot be too warmly encouraged, for its valuable services in behalf of Christianity. (Oct. 20, 1838.) Speaking of the apostles, he says:— "Unbelievers can get the better of the evidence of the martyrs only by alleging that they were enthusiasts, and that the delusion which they had cherished through life, clung to them till the last moment of existence; but, if ever there was unimpeachable evidence in the world, it is that of Judas, who neither lived nor died a Christian-who died convicted but not converted -esteeming it a lighter evil to suffer punishment with kindred reprobate spirits, than to endure the righteous, the withering scorn of those with whom he had not a high sentiment in common, and whose holy hopes and virtuous feelings would have been gall and wormwood to his corrupted soul." Again," In this then, we have a peculiar kind of evidence as strong if not stronger than that of the holy apostles, inasmuch as various reasons might be assigned for men adhering to opinions and statements which they had once openly avowed; decided boldness and the pride of consistency have often made men persist in statements which the world refuses to believe, though they scrupled not to die in confirmation of their word, Such scenes the world has witnessed; but, did we ever hear of any one who, having successfully maintained a falsehood for a long time, at last comes forward and declares the truth, and then puts himself to death, because the world will not believe him? Here, then, we have the evidence, not of an interested partisan, not of a visionary enthusiast, not of a weak and superstitious bigot, but we have the evidence of one whose interest it was to have believed the gospel to be a forgery, and whose character was concerned to prove it to be so. Yet the conscience of this hardened villain, which had carried him through so long, at last turned against him, and drove him to desperation at the recollection of his last and greatest crime." SIR, COULD I have forced you from that retirement, in which you studiously labour to conceal the fruits of an excellent genius and unwearied application, the following argument, of which you suggested the first hint, had appeared with superior strength and advantage. But, since all my endeavours to that purpose have been ineffectual, I have ventured to send abroad the result of my own reflections on that head, rather than that any thing, which tends to support Christianity, should remain unobserved in an age of so much scepticism and infidelity. When you first mentioned the conduct of JUDAS as a proof of the Christian religion, the newness of the fancy struck me: for new it was to me. Nor can I yet find any one writer who has sufficiently attended to it ;* though I must own, that the more I reflect upon it, the more am I convinced of its strength and solidity. Nothing, perhaps, contributed more to the uncom "The testimony of Judas is briefly touched upon by Dr Benson, in the History of the Life of Jesus Christ, and by Dr Craig, in his Essay on the same subject. In the Theological Repository, vol. iii. no. 2, is an Essay on the History and Character of Judas. See also vol. ii. no. 14." Note to Doddridge's Lectures, vol. ii. p. 5. mon applause and success of Mr Lyttleton's late ingenious performance, than the compendiousness of his proof, and its depending entirely upon one chain of facts. But however favourable its reception, no man was surprised to find the apostle Paul adduced as an evidence for Christianity. But to find Judas Iscariot forced into the same service, will doubtless seem whimsical to some, and absurd to others; yet, as people generally allow the testimony of an enemy to be less suspicious than that of a friend, so possibly the setting this matter in a just light, may help to remove the prejudices of those who will credit nothing that comes from the friends of JESUS. If ever there was an enemy to Christ in the world, Judas was that enemy; if ever there was an apostate from the faith, Judas was that apostate; and if ever there was a traitor, he too was the man. And yet to find this malicious, this traitorous, this apostate Judas, instead of disproving Christianity in any point, proving it in every one-sealing a testimony to the truth of it even with his blood, and giving solemn evidence against himself; this, sure, is a phenomenon pretty surprising, and what even the warmest friends of Christianity could scarce have expected. If the infidel suspects the integrity of Paul, let him now hear the testimony of Judas: if the one has no weight with him, surely the other will. The following observations, therefore, claim a fair and dispassionate hearing. This is all the favour that they ask; and, it is hoped, it is all that they need. As it is from the writings of the evangelists that we have any knowledge of the character and conduct of Judas Iscariot, we must beg leave to quote these as genuine records of the events they pretend to relate— an honour which I hope our adversaries will not deny them; or, if they should, they must be sensible, that as strong proof can be brought in favour of Luke and |