25
JUDAS RETURNING THE THIRTY PIECES.
"Then Judas which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought back 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.
"And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself."Matthew xxvii. 3-5.
The thirty pieces down he flung, for which his Lord he sold,
And tum'd away his murderer's face from that accursed gold.
He cannot sleep, he dares not watch; that weight is on his heart,
For which, nor earth nor heaven have hope, which never can depart.
A curse is on his memory, we shudder at his name;
At once we loathe, and scorn his guilt, and yet we do the same:
Alas! the sinfulness of man, how oft in deed and word
We act the traitor's part again, and do betray our Lord.
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