' But the son of perdition.' — Let us clear this a little. May any of those that are given to Christ miscarry ? Certainly no ; his charge was, John vi. 36, ' That of all whicli the Father had given him, he should lose nothing.' His prayer is, John xvii. 24, ' Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am.' But what shall we make of this place ? I will not trouble you with the several answers, but give you that which I conceive most proper. Here pray mark, it is not except, but hut, and it must be supplied ; only Judas was lost, who is not excepted, but opposed : not excepted as one of the former ; el fi'>] is not put exceptively, but adversatively, as in the curt forms of scripture it is taken elsewhere. I say, there is no exception made of Judas, as if he had been given to Christ, and afterwards fallen away ; but when he had mentioned their keeping, he would oppositely
33G SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. [SeR. XX.
put the losing of Judas. This phrase, el /j,y, is thus used, Eev. xxi. 27, ' There shall in nowise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination and maketh a lie, but, el fii], they which are written in the Lamb's book of life ; ' Mat. xii. 4, ' It was not lawful for him to eat (namely, of the shew-bread), neither for them which were with him, but, el /x?), only for the priests.' And yet more clearly, 2 Kings v. 17,/ Thy serv'ant will henceforth ofTer neither burnt- offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the Lord ; ' Acts xxvii. 22, ' There shall be no loss of any man's life, but of the ship.'
By the ' son of perdition,' is certainly meant Judas. Christ had before said, 'One of you is a devil,' John vi. 70; John xiii. 18, ' I speak not of you all, I know whom I have chosen ; but that the scrip- ture should be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lift up his heel against me ; ' and ver. 21, ' Verily, verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.' It is a Hebraism, as reKva op7?}9, ' Children of wrath,' Eph. ii. 3, so a child of hell. Judas did not only merit' per- dition, but was destined to it, as a son of death ; ' for he shall surely die,' 1 Sam. xs. 31. So because Judas did not only deserve destruc- tion, but was appointed to it, therefore he is called the ' son of perdition ;' though the treason was not fully accomplished, yet he was about to execute it. Nonnus rendereth it, ' a son of the destroyer,' as referring to Satan.
' That the scripture might be fulfilled.' — That is many times put for tJmi. 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 hath not respect to one place, but to many, that speak of Judas's treason and punishment: Ps. xli. 9, • Yea, my own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lift up his heel against me.' Which is applied to Judas, John xiii. 18, 'He which eateth bread with me hath lift up his heel against me.' So Ps. Ixix. from ver. 21 onwards, ' They gave me also gall for my meat, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink,' &c. The 2Gth verse is a,pplied to Judas. Acts i. 20, ' For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dw-ell therein.' So Ps. cix. 8, which is also quoted in that place, ' His bishopric let another take.'
Why is this passage mentioned ?
1. To comfort the disciples, that they might not stagger in their faith.
2. To avoid the scandal, as if Christ could not discern a hypocrite.
3. To show God's hand and counsel in all this, as by and by more
fully.
Because this text mainly concerneth a matter past, and there is no commonplace but what hath been handled in the former verse, I shall despatch all in brief hints.
Pirst, I begin with Christ's care : ' Whilst I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name.'
1. Observe, we cannot withstand danger by our ow-n strength. It is Jerome's observation. Christ saith, ' I kept them ; ' he doth not say, I gave them free-will to keep themselves. And it is confirmed by another scripture, 1 Sam. ii. 0, ' He kcepeth the feet of his saints.'
VeR. 12.] SERMONS UPON JOHN XYII. 337
The feet are put for all kind of actions, courses, and endeavours ; ' For by strength shall no man prevail ; ' that is, by his own strength. God will have this honour, as to be the author of grace, so the preserver of it ; as the making of the world and keeping of the world is put into the same hands. You rob God of his honour when you look elsewhere. Take heed then of going forth in the strength of your own resolutions. The devil doth not fear us, but the guard that is about us. Peter was a sad instance : ' Though all men do deny thee, yet will not I deny thee.' At first he outbraveth a whole troop, and afterwards falleth by the accusation of one damsel. A bold resolution doth not carry out a man so far as a humble dependence ; a silly wench discourageth this stout champion. Every small temptation is sufficient to overturn a man puffed up with the confidence of his own strength, the weak blast of a damsel's question. What poor creatures are we when God leavcth us ! We cannot be without these providences. Audeo dicer e, saith Austin, utile esse superhis cadere in aliquod manifestum apertmn j)eccaium, ut saluhrius sibi displiceant. The saints fall so often that they may stand the firmer. Nay, if you do not fall foully, you will meet with a great deal of uncomfortableness and weariness in the ways of God ; our strength will soon tire. Learn this, the best of you, j'ou that seem to have most reason to stand. Peter had been with Christ on the mount, Mat. xvii. 1, in the garden. Mat. xxvi. 37, assured of his glory, armed against his sufferings, and yet now denieth him.