(2.) His hypocrisy. He continued the profession of an apostle, preached against sin, seemed to be zealous for the poor. Nay, his hypocrisy was augmented by the constant means he had to convince him, he was hardened in it the more. Jesus Christ was a constant preacher of repentance ; and all those sermons and discourses Judas heard securely. Christ often admonished him of his sin : John vi. 70, ' Have I not chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil ? ' John xiii. 18, ' I speak not of you all, I know whom I have chosen ; but that the scripture may be fulfilled. He that eateth bread with me hath lift up his heel against me.' He was threatened that it had been better for him that he had never been born : Mat. xxvi. 24, ' The Son of man goeth as it is written of him ; but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed ; it had been good for that man if he had not been born.' But all this would not do, it did not rouse his conscience, and make him bethink himself, and to consider that he was not hidden in his disguise. When Christ spoke it more pressingly : Mat. xxvi.
344 SERMONS UPON JOHN XYII, [SeR. XX.
23, ' He that dippetli liis hand with me in the dish, the same shall be- tray me ; ' ver. 25, ' Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I?' A benumbed conscience grows shameless. Cer- tainly hypocrisy is a very hardening sin. With what face could the traitor, even when he was discovered, say, ' Master is it I ? '
(3.) His treason. He first made a prey of his master's money, and then of his master himself. Little sticks set the great ones on fire. When a man cleaves a block, he first enters it with small wedges and then with greater ; and so doth the devil make entrance into the soul by degrees. Judas first purloineth, and steals out of the bag ; then censures Christ as profusely lavishing : What needs this waste ? It is not only a check to the woman, but to Christ himself ; then upon Christ's rebuke he hates him, and then betrays him. Christ gave him no cause. When Peter dissuades him from suffering, he calls him Satan : Mat. xvi. 23, ' But he turned and said unto l^eter, Get thee behind me, Satan, thou art an oftence unto me ; for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.' But he dealeth with Judas mildly, reproves him in the lump. But privy sores will not be touched without recalcitration, and lifting up of the heel : Mat. xxvi. 16, ' From that time he sought opportunity to betray him. He that hath malice in his heart will not want an occa- sion. Judas, hurried with wrath and avarice, seeketh a chapman ; and at this very time the chief priests were gathered together consider- ing how to attack Christ. And when once men resolve upon a course of sin, God in his just providence suffers them to have a fit oppor- tunity. The chief priests, alarmed with the miracle of raising Lazarus, by which many were drawn to believe in him, were thinking how to seize him ; and Judas comes in fitly at this very time : Mat. xxvi. 15, ' What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you ? ' God saith, Jer. vi. 20, ' I will lay stumbling-blocks before this people.' What ! doth God lay stumbling-blocks ? he that forbids the sin upon so severe a penalty ? Providence orders the occasion, and carnal men will find the sin. If you will cherish the sin against w^arnings, it is just with God to give you the occasion. The treason may be amplified by the kindness of Christ to him; he never did him wrong, and he had been an eye-witness of his miracles, a hearer of his sermons, he had been fami- liarly treated by him. It aggravateth sins when done against mercy and kindness : John vi. 67, ' Then said Jesus unto the twelve. Will ye also go away ? ' It goes more to the heart of Christ that they should lift up the heel against him, that have been familiar with him, and been trained up as his friends.
(4.) His despair, which was a greater sin than his treason. This is ' to put a talent of lead into the ephah,' as the prophet speaks, Zech. v. 8, to make that more weighty which is weighty enough of itself already. Christ prayed for his persecutors : Luke xxiii. 34, ' Father, forgive them ; they know not what they do ; ' and some of them found mercy. Peter, that denied him with oaths and curses, found sanctuary at the grace ©f God. There might have been hope, but Judas de- spairs. Usually this hath been the end of sinners that have been for a long time hardened in sin, that they do despair of that mercy which they have abused and slighted. Oh ! hearken to this, all ye that com-
VeR. 12.] SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. 345