Full and true account of the birth, life, and death of Judas Iscariot

A Full and True

ACCOUNT

OF THE

BIRTH, LIFE, and DEATH

OF

JUDASISCARIOT:

Who was the Son of SIMON, and of the Tribe and Lineage of BENJAMIN.

Shewing how his Mother was foretold by a dream, that ſhe would bear a Son that would betray the Saviour of the World; how his Father thought to prevent it, by putting him in a ſmall Boat, and committing him to the Seas ; how he was found by ſome Fiſhermen that belonged to the Iſland of Iſcariot, how a Prince brought him up, and made him his Son's Companion ; how he treacherouſly drowned the Prince's Son, and for fear of diſcovery fled to the Land of Canaan, where he killed his own Father and married his Mother ; afterwards betrayed our bleſſed Lord and Saviour our Jeſus Chriſt ; laſt of all how he hanged himſelf, and his Bowels guſhed out.

GLASGOW :

PRINTED IN THE YEAR.

MDCCLXXIV.

A Full and true Account of the Birth, Life, and Death of JUDAS ISCARIOT ; who was the Son of SIMON, and of the Tribe and Lineage of BENJAMIN, &c.

HISTORIANS give an account that Simon the Father of Judas lived in a ſea port-town in the land of Canaan, and married to a kinſwoman of his own, which was alſo of the tribe of Benjamin, being a cuſtom, and allowed among the Jews to this day. Now when Simon's wife was with child, ſhe dreamed two dreams in one night, and both her dreams were to the ſame effect (reſembling that of Joſeph's and Pharaoh's) which is obſervable among the Jews, that if one ſhould dream twice, and both to the ſame effect, that it will certainly come to paſs: After this, ſhe was much troubled, and diſconfolate in mind that ſhe could not eat or drink as ſhe had wont to do, inſomuch that her huſband taking notice that ſhe was out of order, aſked the reaſon of her grievance, and why ſhe was ſo fad and melancholy ? Now ſhe being loath to tell him, leſt it ſhould grieve him alſo, ſhe waved the diſcourſe with a kind of ſilent anſwer, and ſaid ſhe ailed nothing. But her huſband obſerving her countenance ſtill ſad, did much intreat her to ſatisfy him, why it was ſo with her. At laſt ſhe told him, that ſhe dreamed two dreams in one night, and both her dreams were to the ſame effect : and that was, That ſhe ſhould bring forth that child, which was in her womb, and that he ſhould betray the Saviour of the world, and that was the cauſe of her great grief and diſcontent. Her huſband being much aſtoniſhed at the expreſſions of his wife and her dreams, ſtood ſomewhat ainazed at the ſaying, and after a little conſideration ſtrove to perſuade his wife to be contented, and not to grieve and pine herſelf away ſo as ſhe did, and he would find a way after the child was born to prevent this. So when the time was fulfilled, ſhe was brought to bed of a ſtrong lively child to look to as moſt was, and they being loath to lay violent hands upon him themſelves, for they thought that was too horrible a fact. But Simon being a rich man, wanted not confederates enough to accompliſh his deſign. So he cauſed a boat to be built with all manner of conveniencies that could poſſibly be made in it.

Now this being finiſhed, they obſerved when the tide of ebb ran out of the harbour, and alſo a hard gale of wind blew off the ſhore, that they arrayed the child in very rich raiment, and ſo conveyed him into the boat, and turned it, and ſet the child a drift to Providence and the mercy of the ſeas.

Now it happened, that ſome fisher-men that belonged to the iſland of Iſcariot were at ſea a fiſhing, and they eſpied a boat at ſome diſtance from them a drift in the ſea, and ſo made towards it, but as ſoon as the came on board and opened the cabin-door that was in the boat, found a young child crying in the craddle, very richly arrayed, like ſome nobleman or prince's fon. Now after taking ſome care for preſerving the young babe's life, they made what haſte they could for the iſland of Iſcariot from whence they came.

After they came on ſhore they came to the prince of the iſland, and told what had happened to them at ſea. The prince came to the boat himſelf to ſee the child, and wondering at ſuch a miraculous providence, he forthwith ordered that a nurfe ſhould be provided for him. So after a while he grew up and was ſent to ſchool, and educate in all the learning that iſland could afford him ; after that he was ſent ſor to the prince’s court ; who loved him ſo well, that he allowed him as much attendance as his own ſon had ; ſo he being made equal with the young prince, the devil began to enter into his covetous heart betimes : for when he was about fixteen years of age, he thought to himſelf, that if he could any ways make away with this young prince, then he ſhould be heir to the iſland of Ifcariot after the old prince’s deceaſe.

So at one time they were walking together to take their recreation in the fields, and no body with them at this time but themſelves, Judas thought this a fit time for him to accompliſh his wicked deſign. And as they were coming along, they came where there was a deep pit, which had ſome water at the bottom of it, then Judas turning out of the way from the young prince to look down into it, the prince aſked him what he was doing there ? He preſently 'replied, that he ſaw ſomething more than ordinary in the pit, but what it was he could not rightly diſcern : The poor innocent prince being curious to ſee what was therein, came to the brink of the well to look down there, and then Judas treacherous like, as he was, came behind him, and with all his might thruſt him down headlong into the well, where he miſerably ended his life. Now when the young prince was a-miſſing, great ſearch was made for him through the iſland, but all in vain ; but ſome whiſpered it about that he was ſeen along with Judas on the day he was miſſing, and muſt needs know what is become of him. Judas hearing this noiſed abroad, and his conſcience accuſing him withal, thought it not fit for him to abide there; and having furniſhed himſelf with a competent ſum of ſilver and gold, as he was wont to do, he went to the ſea-ſide, and there found a ſhip making ready to go out of the harbour ; he aſked the ſkipper very cunningly where they were bound, they immediately told him, and he ſaid he was bound for the ſame port, and aſked the ſkipper if he would take in a paſſenger, and he would handſomely reward him, ſo the ſkipper and he ſoon agreed : and then embarked and ſet ſail. Now Judas thought himſelf ſecure, not ſeeing the vengeance following him. The ſhip after two or three days ſailing came to Rome the deſired harbour, then Judas came aſhore, and after he was there a while, he being of great parts, and alſo endued with much natural wit, kept company with the chiefeſt in the town: At laſt he came to be very gracious with Pontius Pilate, ſo he became his particular friend, inſomuch, that he kept him in his houſe. Now at one time as they were walking together, they happened to come in ſight of an orchard wherein was great plenty of choice fruit, ſo Pontius Pilate caſt his eye on the orchard, and wiſhed he could get ſome of the fruit, he would gladly give any money for them. Judas made anſwer, No doubt, the gentleman that owes the orchard will give ſome of them for money, no ſays he, The gentleman that owes them will take no money of me for them, and to accept them as a preſent is below me. When he came home to dinner, the fruit was ſo much in his mind, that he could not forbear talking of them: Well ſir, ſays Judas, Have patience to-day, and I will get you ſome of them for your dinner to-morrow.

Now Judas went to ſleep that night betimes, and next morning roſe early and went toward the orchard; and when he came there he boldly climbed over the wall and got in : Now by this time the ſun ariſing, the gentleman happened to riſe, and looking out at his window, he eſpied a man in his garden, he then put on his morning gown and ſlippers, and came to his orchard, where Judas was placking off the choiceſt of his fruit, and ſeeing he appeared ſomewhat like a gentleman, rebuked him very mildly, ſaying to him, “ Sir, this is very uncivil of a gentleman, to come into my garden without my leave, and to take the choiceſt of my fruit." Judas makes no more ado, but took up a ſtone and threw it at the gentleman's head and knocks his brains out, and ſo went his way, but the gentleman's wife miſſing her huſband, enquired of the family whether any of them did not ſee him that day? And they ſaid they did not ſee him : So after diligent ſearch was made, they found him dead, with his brains knocked out in his own garden, grear enquiry was made, but it could not be found who did the fact.

Now Judas after he came home, preſented Pilate with ſome of his ſtollen fruit, which he accepted as a preſent : And now he was more in favour with him than before.

So after he had been with him about two years, he aſked him, whether he had a mind to alter his condition and betake himſelf to a wife, if he did, he knew a very rich widow, and he would do what he could to help him in that matter. Judas very obligingly thanked him for his favour, and that he would gladly embrace ſuch an occaſion : ſo Pilate and Judas went to the widow, and after ſome time ſhe gave conſent, and they were married together And for ſometime they lived very lovingly together. Now at one time when they were both in bed, Judas called for a ſhirt to ſhift himſelf, as he took off his ſhirt, ſhe eſpied a black ſpot upon his back, the ſame form, and in the ſame manner as her ſon had, that her firſt huſband ſent in a boat adrift to the ſea ; at which ſhe gave a great ſigh, and roſe out of bed, when ſhe was at dinner ſhe could eat no meat, but was very melancholy and ſad, Judas ſeeing her fo, aſked her very earneſtly what was the matter of her trouble, or if he was any ways the cauſe of her forrow ? She ſaid no, he was not the cauſe as ſhe knew of ; ſo he being very earneſt to know, at laſt ſhe told him, That ſhe dreamed two dreams, when ſhe was firſt with child, that the child that was in her womb, ſhould betray the Saviour of the world. After the child was born, being two or three months old, my huſband and I conſented, with the advice of friends, that a boat ſhould be built, and ordered all manner of conveniency on board of it, and alſo with his name written in a piece of paper pinned at his breaſt, and ſet the boat and him adrift to the mercy of the ſeas. And not two years ago, my huſband's brains was knocked out with a ſtone, as he was walking in his garden. This I looked upon as a juſt judgment for doing fo barbarouſly with an innocent child : and when I ſaw the black ſpot upon your back, it put me in mind of my child : Now when Judas heard her lamentable ſtory he cry'd out, Oh I am the man! So began to tell her how that he was taken in a boat at ſea, by ſome that did belong to the iſland of Iſcariot, and likewiſe told her how he had killed the prince of Iſcariot's fon, that brought him up ; and he was the man that killed as he underſtood the man that was his father in the garden ; now I am married to you my mother; and ſo came way from her, being almoſt in a deſpairing condition as he did at laſt. So about this time, our bleſſed Lord and Saviour began publicly to preach forgiveneſs of ſins to all that would believe in the name of God, though the ſin be never ſo heineous and criminal.

Judas hearing the power of Jeſus, and knowing himſelf to be a notorious ſinner, as the worſt of men ſometimes may have good thoughts, when taken to be one of the apoſtles. Note, Our bleſſed Lord and Saviour knew what he was, and what he would be, there he was accepted, and there continued for a while, but it was no longer than he found an opportunity to betray our Saviour Chriſt, and he ſold him for thirty pieces of ſilver.

After that he repented of that horrid act, which was worſe than all the reſt that he did in his life, and then fell into deſpair of mercy with God. After that he went out and hanged himſelf, and all his bowels guſhed out.

It is known when a malefactor commits high treaſon, againſt the king that the executioner rips open his belly, and takes out his heart, and holds it in his hand, in view of all the ſpectators, crying there behold the heart of a traitor : And for Judas who was a traitor to the King of kings, it was no wonder that the ream of his belly did burſt aſunder : that all who paſſed by might behold his treacherous heart.

FINIS.