4. Against restraints of providence, when God hath hedged up their way with thorns, or they have found much inconvenience in that course : 2 Chron. xxviii. 22, ' In the time of his distress he trespassed yet more and more : this is that King Ahaz ; ' the scripture sets a brand upon him. As Baalam would go on, 2 Peter ii. IG, ' But was rebuked for his iniquity : the dumb ass, speaking with man's voice, forbad the madness of the j^rophet ; ' when men go on over the belly
342 SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. [SeII. XX.
of more than ordinary opposition, till they perish. A miracle Avill not stop a sinner in the violent pursuit of his lusts. Providence hath a language that biddeth us stop, but the sway of lusts is great, and breaks through all restraints. Oh ! take heed then of being self- willed, stout-hearted in a sensual course, wedded to our own inclinations, of being a slave to sensual appetite, and being led by it more than by holy reasons. Take heed of love to some unraortified lust, especially to covetousness ; this is the cause of extreme violence in sin: Jer. xliv. 16, 17, ' As for the word that thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee. But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goetli forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings unto her.'
2. Observe from his character, ' The son of perdition.' The same name is given to antichrist, 2 Thess. ii. 3, ' That man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.' Judas was a type of antichrist ; as they said of the blind man, John ix. 9, ' Some said, This is he ; others said, He is like him.' The pope boasteth that his seat is apostolical, and that he is the successor of an apostle. If we grant it, and he will needs be a successor of an apostle, there is an error in the person ; it is not Peter, but Judas. Let us see the parallel.
[1.] Judas was not a stranger, but a pretended friend and an apostle : Acts i. 17, ' He was numbered with us, and obtained part of this ministry.' So the pope obtained part of this ministry. Turks and infidels are enemies to Christ. Antichrist must be one that seeketh to undermine Christ under a pretence of friendship, avTt- Xpi'O-To'i, for and against Christ ; he ' maketli war with the horns of the Lamb,' Rev. xiii. 11. If he were a professed adversary, what mystery were there in it ? Now it is 'a mystery of iniquity,' 2 Thes. ii. 7 ; ' a false prophet,' Rev. xvi. 13. It is wisdom to discern him : Rev. xiii. 18, ' Here is wisdom : let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast.'
[2.] Judas sold Christ for a small matter ; so omnia Romce venalia, — pardons, indulgences, freedom from purgatory, all to be bought at Rome. The antichristian state maketh a market of religion ; truth is made to yield to interest and profit.
[3.] Judas betrayed Christ with a kiss. Antichrist is a true adver- sary of Christ, and yet pretendeth to adore him. He pretendeth to be his servant and vicar, and is his enemy ; not an enemy without the church, but within the church, that betrayeth Christ under a colour of adoration,
[4] Judas was a guide to them that came to take Jesus. Christ is in heaven, death hath no more dominion over him. His natural body is above abuse, but in his mystical body he still suffereth : Acts ix. 4, ' Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me ? ' The pope is the head of the persecuting state ; others are his emissaries and agents, to perse- cute Christ in his members. It is a politic religion, carried on with cruelty.
[5.] Judas was v'm aTrcoXeta?, ' the son of perdition,' as destroying himself, and involving others in the same condemnation. So is anti- christ called in the Revelations, diroWvusv, Rev. ix. 11, and airok- \v6ixevo<i, the destroyer of souls, of himself and others.
VeR. 12.] SEKMONS UPON JOHN XVII. 343
Use. Let all these things open our eyes, that we may behold the man of sin. One egg is not more like another than Judas and anti- christ.
3. Observe, that carnal practices will end in perdition. Because Judas is called the * son of perdition,' let us see what course he took to undo himself. Let us look upon his sin and punishment.
[1.] For his sin. In the story of Judas, four sins are most remark- able— his covetousness, his hypocrisy, his treason, and his despair.
(1.) His covetousness. This was the root of all, as indeed it is ' the root of all evil,' 1 Tim. vi. 10. Christ had made him his treasurer ; and carrying the bag is a shrewd temptation to a carnal heart : John xii. 6, ' This spake he, not that be cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.' He was a bad keeper of the stock, appropriating it to his own use, to make himself a store and a subsistence ; having a mind to forsake Christ, because he had so often heard him speak of his sufferings, and the persecution of the apostles. And mark, he pretends piety and re- ligion to disguise his covetousness, when it was his own private inte- rest : ' There was a woman that took a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus ; ' ver. 3, ' And Judas said, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor ? But this he said, not that he cared for the poor, but was a tliief, and had the bag.' At length love of money, joined together with spleen, prevailed on him so far that he sold his own master. He that loveth the world hateth Grod ; he that is greedy of gain will sell his soul, and heaven, and Christ for money ; there is no- thing so vile but he will yield to it. There was somewhat of envy and revenge in it : Mat. xxvi. 14, 15, * Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, and said unto them. What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you ? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.' ' Then ; ' when was it ? When Christ had checked him for rebuking the woman, he stomached the disappointment, as carnal men will storm when their hypocrisy is discovered, and their carnal ends disappointed. Christ by commend- ing the woman enraged him.