These were stars fixed in their orb, though clouded and overcast for a time. This was but a mist or fog, which overspreads the earth in the morning till the sun be risen, and then it clears up and proves a fair day. But though it was not a total and final apostasy ; yet it was a very sinful and sad relapse from Jesus Christ, as will appear by considering the following aggravations and cir- cumstances of it. For,
First, This relapse of theirs was against the very articles of agreement, which they had sealed to Christ at their first admission into his service ; he had told them, in the beginning, what they must resolve upon, Luke xiv. 26, 27. " If any man come to me, " and hate not his father and mother, and wife, and children, " and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot " be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and " come after me, cannot be my disciple." Accordingly they sub- mitted to these terms, and told him they had left all and followed him, Mark x. 28. Against this engagement made to Christ, they now sin. Here was unfaithfulness.
Secondly, As it was against the very terms of their admission, so it was against the very principles of grace implanted by Christ in their hearts. They were holy sanctified persons, in whom dwelt the love and fear of God. By these they were strongly inclined to adhere to Christ, in the time of his sufferings, as appears by those honest resolves they had made in the case. Their grace strongly inclined them to their duty, their corruptions swayed them the contrary way. Grace bid them stand, corruption bid them fly. Grace told them it was their duty to share in the sufferings as well as in the glory of Christ. Corruption represented these suf- ferings as intolerable, and bid them shift for themselves whilst they might. So that here must needs be a force and violence offered to their light, and the loving constraints thereof ; which is no small evil.
For though I grant it was a sudden, surprising temptation, yet it cannot be imagined that this fact was wholly deliberate ; nor that, for so long time, they were without any debate or reasonings about their duty.
Thirdly, As it was against their own principles, so it was much
THE F0UXT ATX OF LIFE* 347
against the honour of their Lord and Master. By this their sinful flio-ht they exposed the Lord Jesus to the contempt and scorn of his enemies. Tins some conceive is imported in that question which the High-priest asked him, John xviii. 19. " The High-priest " then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine." He ask- ed him of his disciples, how many he had, and what was become of them now ? And what was the reason they forsook their master, and left him to shift for himself when danger appeared ? But to those questions Christ made no reply. He would not ac- cuse them to their enemies, though they had deserted him. But, doubtless, it did not a little reflect upon Christ, that there was not one of all his friends that durst own their relation to him, in a time of danger.
Fourthly, As it was against Christ's honour, so it was against their own solemn promise made to him before his apprehension, to live and die with him. They had passed their word, and given their promise that they would not flinch from him, Matt. xxvi. 35. " Peter said to him, though I should die with thee, yet will I not " deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples." This made it a perfidious relapse. Here they break promise with Christ who never did so with them. He might have told then when he met them afterwards in Galilee, as the Roman soldier told his general, when he refused his petition after the war was ended, / did not serve you so at the battle of Actium.
Fjfthiy, As it was against their solemn promise to Christ, so it was against Christ's heart-melting expostulations with them, which should have abode in their hearts while they lived. For when others that followed him went back, and walked no more with him, Jesus said to these very men, that now forsook him at last, Will ye also go away? There is an emphasis in [ye] q. d. What, ye that from eternity were given to me ! Ye whom I have called, loved, and honoured above others, for whose sakes I am ready and resolved to die. " Will ye also forsake me ?" John vi. 67. What- ever others do, I expect other things from you.
Sixthly, As it was against Christ's heart-melting expostulations with them, so it was against a late direful example presented to them in the fall of Judas. In him, as in a glass, they might see how fearful a thing it is to apostatize from Christ. They had heard Christ's dreadful threats against him. They were present when he called him the son of perdition, John xviii. 11. They had heard Christ say of him, " Good had it been if he had never been " born.11 An expression able to scare the deadest heart. They saw he had left Christ the evening before. And that very day, in which they fled, he hanged himself. And yet they fly. For all this they forsake Christ.
348 THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. SERM\ XXVIII.
Seventhly r, As it was against the dreadful warning given them in the fall of Judas, so it was against the law of love, which should have knit them closer to Christ, and to "one another.
If to avoid the present shock of persecution, they had fled, yet surely they should have kept together, praying, watching, en- couraging, and strengthening one another. This had made it a lesser evil: but as they all forsook Christ, so they forsook one another also ; for it is said, John xvi. 32. " They shall go every " man to his own, and leave Christ alone," (i. e. saith Beza) every man to his own house, and to his own business. They for- sook each other, as well as Christ. O what an hour of temptation was this !
Eighthly, and lastly, This their departure from Christ, was ac- companied with some offence at Christ. For so he tells them, Matt. xxvi. 31. " All ye shall be offended because of me this a night.-11 The word is, G%a\ba\i6Qr,te<sk, you shall be scandalized at me, or in me *. Some think the scandal they took at Christ was this, that when they saw he was fallen into his enemies' hands, and could no longer defend himself; they then began to question whether he were the Christ or no, since he could not defend him- self from his enemies. Others, more rightly, understand it of their shameful flight from Christ, seeing it was not now safe to abide longer with him. That seeing he gave himself into their hands, they thought it advisable to provide as well as they could for them- selves, and somewhere or other, to take refuge from the present storm, which had overtaken him. This was the nature and qua- lity of the fact. We enquire,
Thirdly, Into the grounds and reasons of it. Which were three.