Corollary 10. Did the devil win the consent of Judas to such a design as this ? Could he get no other but the hand of an apostle to assist him? Learn hence, That the policy of Satan lies much in tJie choice of Ms instruments he works by. No bird, (saith one) like a living bird to tempt others into the net. Pelagius Socinus, $c. were fit for that work the devil put them upon. * Austin told an ingenious young scholar, " The devil coveted him for an orna- « ment." He knows he hath a foul cause to manage, and there- fore will get the fairest hand he can to manage it with the less suspicion.
Corollary 11. Did Judas, one of the twelve, do this? Then cer- tainly, Christians may approve and join with such men on earth, whose faces they shall never see in heaven. The apostles held com- munion a long time with this man, and did not suspect him. O please not yourselves therefore, that you have communion with the saints
* Cajnt aba te ornari JUiabolus.
«ERM. XXir. THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. 29£
here, and that they think and speak charitably of you. " All the " churches shall know, (saith the Lord) that I am he that search- " eth the heart and reins, and will give to every man as his work (i shall be," Rev. ii. 23. In heaven we shall meet many that wo never thought to meet there, and miss many we were confident we should see there.
Corollary 12. Lastly, Did Judas, one of the twelve, a man so obliged, raised and honoured by Christ, do this ? Cease then from, man, be not too confident, but beware of men. " Trust ye not in M a friend, put no confidence in a guide, keep the door of thy lips " from her that lieth in thy bosom,11 Mic. vii. 5. Not that there is no sincerity in any man, but because there is so much hypocrisy in many men, and so much corruption in the best of men, that we may not be too confident, nor lay too great a stress upon any man. Peter's modest expression of Sylvanus is a pattern for us ; " Sylvanus*, " a faithful brother unto you (as I suppose11) 1 Pet. v. \% The time- shall come, saith Christ, that " brother shall betray brother to " death,11 Mat. x. 11. Your charity for others may be your duty, but your too great confidence may be your snare. Fear what others »ay do, but fear thyself more.
The second and third Preparatives for the Death of Christ, by his illegal Trial and Condemnation.
And they were instant with loud voices requiring that he might be crucified; and the voices of them and of the chief priests pre- vailed, And Pilate gave sentence tliat it should be as they re* quired.
d UDAS has made good his promise to the high-priest, and deli- vered Jesus a prisoner into their hands. These wolves of the even- ing, no sooner seize the Lamb of God, but they thirst and long to be sucking his precious innocent blood ; their revenge and malice admit no delay, as fearing a rescue by the people.
When Herod had taken Peter, he committed him to prison, " intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people *," Acts
• In so great a mixed multitude it was easy to raise a tumult, if the people had thought so great a prophet was murdered, contrary to aH law and justice. Par* in Matth. xxvi. 5.
296 THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. SERM. XXIV.
xii. 4. But these men cannot sleep till they have his blood, and therefore the preparation of the passover being come, they resolve in all haste to destroy him ; yet lest it should look like a down- right murder, it shall be formalized with a trial. This his triad and condemnation are the two last acts by which they prepared for his death, and are both contained in this context; in which we may observe, 1. The indictment. 2. The sentence to which the judge proceeded.
1. The indictment drawn up against Christ, wherein they ac- cuse him of many things, but can prove nothing. They charge him with sedition and blasphemy, but falter shamefully in the proof. However, what is wanting in evidence, shall be supplied with clamour and importunity. For saith the text, " They were " instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified ; " and their voices prevailed :" When they can neither prove the sedition and blasphemy they charged him with, then, Crucify him, Crucify him, must serve the turn, instead of all witnesses and proofs.
The sentence pronounced upon him ; Pilate gave sentence, that it should be as they required : i. e. he sentenced Christ to be nailed to the cross, and there to hang till he was dead. From both these we may observe these two doctrinal conclusions.
Doct. 1. That the trial of Christ for his life, was managed most ma~ liciously, and illegally against him, by his unrighteous judges.
Doct. 2. Though nothing could be proved against our Lord Jesus Christ worthy of death, or of bonds ; yet he was condemned to be nailed to the cross, and there to hang till he died.
I shall handle these two points distinctly in their order, begin- ning with the first, namely,
Doct. 1. That the trial of Christ for his life, was managed most ma- liciously and illegally against him, by his unrighteous judges.
Reader, here thou mayest see the Judge of all the world stand- ing himself to be judged ; he that shall judge the world in righte- ousness, judged most unrighteously ; he that shall one day come to the throne of judgment, attended with thousands, and ten thou- sands of angels and saints, standing as a prisoner at man's bar, and there denied the common right which a thief or murderer might claim, and is commonly given them.
To manifest the illegality of Christ's trial, let the following par- ticulars be needfully weighed.
SERM. XXIV. THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. 297
1. That he was inhumanly abused, both in words and actions, before the court met, or any examination was taken of the fact : for as soon as they had taken him, they forthwith bound him, and led him away to the High-priest's house, Luke xxii. 54. And there they that held him, mocked him, smote him, blind-folded him, struck him on the face, and bid him prophesy who smote him ; and many other things blasphemously spake they against him, ver. 63, 64, 65. How illegal and barbarous a thing was this ? When. they were but binding Paul with thongs, he thought himself abused contrary to law, and asked the centurion that stood by, " Is it law- " ful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncon- " demned ?" q. d. Is this legal ! What, punish a man first, and judge him afterwards ! But Christ was not only bound, but horri- bly abused by them all that night, dealing with him as the lords of the Philistines did with Samson, to whom it was sport to abuse him. No rest had Jesus that night ; no more sleep for him now in this world : O it was a sad night to him : and this under Caia- phas\s own roof.