Corollary 4. Moreover, in this example of Judas you may read this truth ; That men and women are never in more imminent dan- ger, than when they meet with temptations exactly suited to their master-lusts, to their own iniquity. O pray, pray, that ye may be kept from a violent suitable temptation. Satan knows that when a man is tried here, he fails by the root. The love of this world was all along Judas'* master-sin, and some conjecture he was a married man, and had a great charge ; but that is conjectural : this was his predominant lust. The devil found out this, and suited it with a temptation which fully hit his humour, and it carries him imme- diately. This is the dangerous crisis of the soul. Now you shall see what it is, and what it will do. Put money before Judas, and presently you shall see what the man is.
Corollary 5. Hence, in like manner, we are instructed, That no man knows where he shall stop, when he first engages himself' in a way of sin *.
Wickedness, as well as holiness, is not born in its full strength, but grows up to it by insensible degrees. So did the wickedness of Judas. I believe, he himself never thought he should have done what he did : and if any should have told him, in the first beginning of his profession, Thou shalt sell the blood of Christ for money, thou shalt deliver him most perfidiously into their hands that seek his life ; he would have answered as Hazael did to Elisha, " But what, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great " thing ?" 2 Kings viii. 13. His wickedness first discovered itself in murmuring and discontent, taking a pique at some small mat- ters against Christ, as you may find, by comparing John vi. from verse 60 to 70. with John xii. from verse 3 to 9. but see to what it grows at last. That lust or temptation that at first is but a little cloud as big as a man's hand, may quickly overspread the whole heaven. It is our engaging in sin, as in the motion of a stone down the hill, vires acquirit eundo, "it strengthens itself by going;" and the longer it runs, the more violent. Beware of the smallest beginnings of temptations. No wise man will neglect or slight the smallest spark of fire, especially if he see it among many barrels
* Nemo repenteJU turpissimus^ i. e. No person suddenly becomes most profligate.
SERM. XXIII. THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. 293
of gun-powder. You carry gun-powder about you, O take heed of sparks.
Corollary 6. Did Judas sell Christ for money ? Wliut a potent conqueror is the love of this world ! How many hath it cast down wounded? What great professors have been dragged at its chariot wheels as its captives ? Hymenaeus and Philetua, Ananias and Sap- phira, Demas and Judas, with thousands and ten thousands, since their days, led away in triumph. It " drowns men in perdition,"0 1 Tim. vi. 9. In that pit of perdition, this son of perdition fell, and never rose more. O you that so court and prosecute it ; that so love and admire it ; make a stand here ; pause a little upon this example; consider to what it brought this poor wretch, whom I have presented to you dead, eternally dead, by the mortal wound that the love of this world gave him : it destroyed both soul and body. Pliny tells us, that the Mermaids delight to be in green meadows, into which they draw men by their enchanting voices; but, saith he, there always lie heaps of dead men's bones by them. A lively emblem of a bewitching world ! Good had it been for many professors of religion, if they had never known what the riches, and honours, and pleasures of this world meant.
Corollary 7. Did Judas fancy so much happiness in a little money, that he would sell Christ to get it ? Learn then, That which men promise themselves much pleasure and contentment in the way of sin, may prove the greatest curse and misery to them that ever befel them in the world. Judas thought it was a brave thing to get money ! he fancied much happiness in it : but how sick was his con- science as soon as he had swallowed it ! O take it again, saith he ! It griped him to the heart. He knows not what to do, to rid himself of that money. Give me children, saith Rachel, or I die : she hath children, and they prove her death. O mortify your fancies to the world ; put no necessity upon riches. " They that will be " rich, fall into temptations, and many hurtful lusts, which drown " men in perdition,'1 1 Tim. vi. 9. You may have your desires with a curse. He that brings home a pack of fine clothes infected with the plague, has no such great bargain of it, how cheap soever he bought them.
Corollary 8. Was there one, and but one of the twelve, that pro- ved a Judas, a traitor to Christ ? Learn thence, That it is a most unreasonable thing to be prejudiced at religion, and the sincere pro- feasors of it, because some that profess it prove naught and vile.
Should the eleven suffer for one Judas ? Alas, they abhorred both the traitor and his treason. As well might the High-priest and his servants have condemned Peter, John, and all the rest, whose souls abhorred the wickedness. If Judas proved a vile wretch, vet there were eleven to one that remained upright : if
£Q4 THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. SEKM, XXIII.
Judas proved naught, it was not his profession made him so, but his hypocrisy ; he never learned it from Christ. If religion must be charged with all the miscarriages of its professors, then there is no pure religion in the world. Name that religion among the professors whereof there is not one Judas. Take heed, reader, of prejudices against godliness on this account. The design of the devil, without doubt, is to undo thee eternally by them. " Wo " to the world because of offences," Matth. xviii. 7. And what if God do permit these things to fall out, that thou mayest be har- dened in iniquity, confirmed in sin by such occasions, and so thy destruction brought about this way: Blessed is he that is not offended at Christ.
Corollary 9. Did Judas, one of the twelve, do so ? Learn thence, That a drop of grace, is better than a sea of' gifts* Gifts have some excellency in them, but the way of grace is the more excellent way* 1 Cor. xii. 31. Gifts, as one saith, are dead graces, but graces are living gifts. There is many a learned head in hell. These are not the things that accompany salvation. Gifts are the gold that beautifies the temple ; but grace is as the temple which sanctifies the gold. One tear, one groan, one breathing of an upright heart, is more than the tongues of angels.
Poor Christian, thou art troubled that thou canst not speak and pray so neatly, so handsomely, as some others can ? but canst thou go into a corner, and there pour out thy soul affectionately, though not rhetorically, to thy Father? trouble not thyself. It is better for thee to feel one divine impression from God upon thy heart, than to have ten thousand fine notions floating in thy head ; Judas was a man of parts ; but what good did they do him ?