SERMONS upon Serm. 20. loft by Death or Defeó1ion. Spiritually, Chrift kept them again( the World, the Flefh, and the Devil. Satan had a Spite at them r Luke 22. 31. Simon, Simon, be- hold, Satan bath defied to have you, tljle may lift you as Wheat. Their own Hèatts are weak, and apt to flagger: John 6.666. Many of his Diftiples went back, and tsalkid no more with him. Then find jefus unto the Twelve, Wí11 ye go away elfo? The World is a dangerous Place. He had kept them corporally, from Death and Danger ; they were neither killed, nor drowned, as they were in danger ; Mat. 8. 25. Mafier, fave us, we perijb. That Chrift kept both ways, is clear by this Evangelif's own Expofition; John 18. g. That that Saying might be fulfilled, which he flake, Of thofe which thou gaveft me, have Ilefi none. Chrif is there capitulating for his Difciplet ; that place lheweth he had an exa& care of their Bodies, as well as their Souls. [ But the Son of Perdition.] Let us clear this a little. May any of thofe that are *iven to Chrift mifcarry ? `Certainly no ; 'his Charge was, john 6. 36, That of all which the Father had given him, he fbould lofe nothing. His Prayer is, john 17. 24. Fa- ther, Drill that they a f whom thou haft given one, be with me wbere I am. But what (hall we make of this place ? I will not trouble you with the féveral Anfwers, but give you that which I conceive molt proper. Here pray mark, it is not Except, but Bet, and it muff be fupplied i only Judas was loft, who is not excepted, but oppofed : not ex- cepted as one of the former; 61.u3, is not put exceptively, but adverfatively, as in the curt Forms of Scripture it is taken elfewhere. I fay, there is no exception made of Judas, as if he had been given to Chrift, and afterwards fallen away but when he had mentioned their keeping, he would oppofitely put the lofing of Duda :. This Phrafe, d µr., is thus ufed, Rev. 21.27. There (hall irrno'wife enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatfaever workethAbomination, and maketh a Lie, [but] el Iasi, they which are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Mat. I a. 4. It was not lawful for him to eat, ( namely, of the Shew - bread,) neither for them which were with him, [but] e pce, only for the Priefis. And yet more clearly, 2 Kings 5.17. Thy Servant will henceforth o er neither Burnt - Offering nor Sacrifice unto other Gods, [bat] unto the Lord. Ads 27. 22. There fhiall be no !obi of any Man's Life, [but] of the Ship. By the Son of Perdition, is certainly meant Judas. Chrift had before faid, One of you is a Devil, John 6.7o. John 13. 18. I (peak not of you all, 1 know what: 1 have chafen 5 but that the Scripture fbould be fulfilled, He that eateth Bread with me, bath lift up bis Heel againfi me; and, Verf.. 2 t. Verily, verily I fay unto you, that one of you fliail be.. tray me. It is an Hebraifm, as .risveeö1 bs,'Children of Wrath, Ephef. 2. 3. fo a Child of Hell. Judas did not only merit Perdition,but was defined to it, as a Son ofDeath, for be pall rarely die, I Sam. so. 31. So becaufe Judai did not only deferve Defru&i- on, but was appointed to it, therefore he is called the Son of Perdition ; tho the Trea- fon was not fully accomplifhed, yet he was about to execute it. Nonnna rendreth ir, a Son of the Deroyer, as referring to Satan. [That the Scripture might be fulfilled.] That, is many times put for Then : It was not therefore foretold, that it might be done ; this would put the Sin on God ; but this was the Event, then the Scripture was fulfilled. But what Scripture ? Our Lord bath not refpe& to one place, but to many, that fpeak of Judas's Treafon and Punifhmenr. Pfal. 41. 9. Tea, my own familiar Friend, in whom Deified, which did eat of my Bread, bath lift up his Heel againfi me. Which is applied to Judas, Joh.13.18. He which eat eth Bread with me,hath lift up his Heelagainfi me. SO, Pfal.69. from Ver.21, onwards. They gavemealfa Gall for my Meat, and in my Thirfi they gave me Pinegar to drink, &c. The 26th Verfe is applied to Judas. A &s I. 20. For it is written in the Book of Pfales, Let his Habi- tation be defolate, and let no Man dwell therein. So Pfal. 109.8. which is alfo-quoted in that place, His Bif soprick let another take. Why is this Paffage mentioned? I. To comfort the Difciples, that they might not fagger in their Faith. 2. To avoid the Scandal, as if Chrift could not difcern an Hypocrite. 3. To thewGod's Hand and Counfel in all this, as by and by mote fully. Becaufe this Text mainly concerneth a Matter paf, and there is no Common -place but what bath been handled in the former Verfe, I-litalt difpatch all in brief Hints. Firfi 5
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