176 SERMONS upon Serm. 20. (2.) His Hypocrify. He continued the Profefiion of an Apofile, preached againft Sin, feemed to be zealous for the Poor. Nay, his Hypocrify was augmented by the confiant means he had to convince hit, he was hardened in it the more:. Jefus Chrift was a confiant Preacher of Repentance; and all thofe Sermons and Difcourfes yudar heard fecurely. Chrift often admonilhed him of his Sin ; John 6. 7o. Have I not rho - fen you twelve, and one of you is a Devil ? John 13. 18. I (peak not of yon all, I know whom I have chofen : but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth Bread with me, hath lift up his Heel againft me. He was threatned, that it had been better for him that he had never been born. Mat. 26.24. The Son of Man goeth as it is written of him : but wo unto that Man, by whom the Son of Man is betrayed : it had been good for that Man, if he bad not been born. But all this would not do, it did not rouze his Confci- ence, and make him bethink himfelf, and to confider that he was not hidden in his Difguife. When Chrift fpoke it more preffrngly : Mat. 26. 23. He that dippeth his hand with me in the Difh, the fame flsall betray me. Verf. 25. Judas, which betrayed him, an- livered, and faid, Mafier, is it I? A benummed Confcience grows fhamelee. Cer- tainly Hypocrify is ïery hardning Sin; With what. Face could the Traitor, even when he was difcovered, fay, Mafier, is it I ? (3.) His Treafon. He firft made a Prey of his Mailer's Mony, and then of his Ma- fret. himfelf. Little Sticks fet the great ones on fire. When a Man cleaves a Block, he firft enters it with fmall Wedges, and then with greater : and fo doth the Devil make entrance into the Soul by degrees. Judas firft purloineth, and fleals out of the Bag; then cenfures Chrift as profufely lavifhing, What needs this toile ? It is not only a check to the Woman, but to Chrifl himfelf then upon Chrift's Rebuke he hates him, and then betrays him : Chrift gave him no caufe. When Teter diffwades him from Suffer= ing, he calls him Satan ; Mat. 16. 23. But he turned and faid unto Peter Get thee be- hind me, Satan, thou art an Of nce unto me : for thou favourefi not the Things that be of God, but thofe that be of Men. But he dealeth with yudas mildly, reproves him in the lump. But privy Sores will not be touched without Recalcitration, and lifting up of the Heel : Mar. 26. 16. From that time be fought opportunity to betray bim. He that bath Malice in his Heart, will not want an Occafion ; Judas hurried with Wrath and Ava- rice, feeketh a Chapman; and at this very time the Chief Priefts were gathered toge- ther, confidering how to attack Chrift. And when once Men refolve upon a courfe of Sin, God in his jufi Providence fuffers them to have a fit opportunity. The Chief Priefls alarmed with the Miracle of railing Lazarus, by which many were drawn to believe in him, were thinking how to feize him; and Judas comes in fitly in this very time; Mat. 26. 15. What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto lox ? God faith, Jer. 6. 2o. I will lay fumbling- blocks before this People. What! doth God lay flumbling- blocks! he that forbids the Sin upon Co leyere a Penalty ! Providence orders the Oc- cation, and Carnal Men will find the Sin. If you will cherilh the Sin againft Warn. ings, it is jufi with God to give you the Occafion. The Treafon may be amplified by the kindnefs of Chrift to him ; he never did him wrong, and he had been an Eye - witnefs of his Miracles, .a hearer of his Setmons, he had been familiarly treated by him. It aggravateh Sins, when done againft Mercy and Kindnefs. John 6.67. Then faid yefus unto the Twelve, Will ye alfa go away ? It goes more to the Heart of Chrift, that they fhould lift up the Heel againft him,that have been familiar with him, and been trained up as his Friends. (4.) His Defpair, which was a greater Sin than his Treafon. This is to put a Talent of Lead into the Ephah, as the Prophet fpeaks, Zech. 5.8. to make that more weighty, which is weighty enough of it felf already. Chrift prayed for his Perfecutors, Luke 23.34. Father, forgive them, they know not what they do ; and fome of them found Mer- cy. 'Peter, that denied him with Oaths and Curies, found San &uary at the Grace of God. There might have been Hope, but Judas defpairs. Ufually this bath been the end of Sinners, that have been for a long time hardned in Sin, that they do defpair of that Mercy which they have abufed and flighted. Oh, hearken to this, all ye that com- mit Sin with fecurity, in the midft of all your difpleaing of God ; tho you may eat, and drink, and rife up to play, take heed left at length you cry out, I have finned, and my Sin it greater than /can bear ; for Judas came at length to this, I have finned in be- traying Innocent Blood, Mat.27. 4. Sins, till they are committed, are.hidden from the Eye of Confcience, but then Guilt flafheth in the Face. Before the Commiffion, the Devil will not let us fee it, left we fhould prevent it ; and afterwards he reprefents it in a.tertible Glafs, that we may defpair. After the A&, Sin ufually appears in its own
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