and thievish spirit. His heart was a cage of unclean and hateful affections. His whole conduct proceeded from base, mean and sinful motives. Yet he was such

a profound hypocrite, that he concealed the turpitude of his heart from the eye of the world and even from the view of his fellow apostles, who were more ready to suspect their own integrity than his treachery. But "the way of transgressors is hard." It is difficult for any one always to wear the mask. It is exceedingly apt to fall off in some unguarded moment and expose the real complexion to open views. This was the case with Judas. As soon as a temptation, agreeable to his predominant passion, was presented, it immediately disclosed the blackness of his heart and branded him a base and subtle traitor.

He betrayed innocent blood. He plotted and procured the death of the greatest and most amiable personage, that ever made his appearance on earth. He, whom he betrayed, was fairer than the sons of men. He was holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners. He was one, whom all heaven loved, revered and adored. One, whom the other apostles loved with supreme affection and for whom they cheerfully laid down their lives. He was one, for whom Judas himself ought to have been willing to die and solemnly engaged to do it. He was one, who came to suffer and die for Judas, that he might not perish, but have everlasting life. Such a person he betrayed and murdered for thirty pieces of silver! Such was the sin of Judas. Hence,

6. Judas deserved eternal perdition. This single crime had he been guilty of no other, rendered him justly obnoxious to the eternal abhorrence and indignation of God and man. What would a kind and tender parent think of the villain, who had embrued his hands in the blood of his only son! How must Judas then appear in the eyes of God, when he had betrayed the Son of his love! The wages of his sin, therefore, ought to be death, even eternal death. Nothing less could be a punishment, adequate to his crime.

And Judas himself, when he came to reflect upon the guilty scenes of his life, his hypocrisy, his avarice, his treason and murder, which he had perpetrated against the clear light of his own conscience and the solemn warnings of heaven, was plunged into the depths of horror and guilt. He was conscious to himself, that he had merited the just displeasure of God and man ; that he deserved to lie down in sorrow; and that hell was his proper place. And these convictions, at length, rose so high, that he chose rather to feel than fear the torments of the damned. And therefore he resolved to plunge himself into the regions of darkness and despair, by the violence of his own guilty hand. Wherefore,

He lived

7. It is certain, that Judas is finally lost. wickedly and died wickedly. And therefore he is finally lost. Christ, who perfectly knew him from the beginning, said he had the heart of a devil and was the son of perdition and was lost, that the scripture might be fulfilled The eleven apostles, after the crucifixion of Christ, in a devout address to heaven, solemnly declare that Judas, not only by death, but by transgression, had fallen from his ministry and apostleship, that he might go to his own place; that is, the place of perdition, of which he was son and heir. But our Lord's declaration in the text, that it had been good for him if he had not been born, fixes the certainty of his eternal destruction, beyond the least possibility of doubt. Christ absolutely knew both his character and condition. And yet he asserted, that his state is worse than non-existence. But this cannot be true, if at death like pious Lazarus, or the penitent thief; he was conducted to the paradise of God and conveyed to Abraham's bosom. Nor, if at death, he was annihilated, or struck out of existence. Nor, if he was only sent to the popish purgatory. Nor, if indeed, his punishment shall ever come to an end, at any period, however distant. If his punishment should continue for years, or for ages, or for as many millions of ages, as there are stars in the firmament, or sands upon

the seashore; yet, if after this period, or any other limited duration expires, he shall be freed from misery and admitted to heaven and there spend an endless eternity in the love, service and enjoyment of God, it will be good for him, that he was born; and his existence, upon the whole, will be an unspeakable blessing. Therefore we must either deny the veracity of Christ, or believe that Judas is finally and eternally lost.

If Christ's promise to the apostles should be objected here, I answer, that promise depends upon the truth of Peter's declaration. Let us, therefore, hear and compare both the declaration and promise. "Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, that ye, that have followed me in the regeneration, when the son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." This dignity Christ promises to confer on the apostles, on the condition of their having forsaken all and followed him. But though Peter really thought, that they all bad performed this condition, yet he was under a great mistake. For Judas of whose character he was then and afterwards ignorant, never had been regenerated, nor forsaken all for Christ, nor followed him from supreme love to him. Therefore the promise did not apply to him. He had no portion nor lot, in that matter. Accordingly Christ excluded him from the number of his apostles in his last prayer. These are his words, "I pray not for the world, but for them, whom thou hast given me ; for they are thine. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those, whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. Those, that thou gavest me, I have kept and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled." This prayer, together with Christ's declaration in our text, absolutely cuts off Judas from every promise of favour and seals his eternal destruction sure. I proceed to observe,

8. That God decreed the life, the death and final state of Judas, before he was born. Judas was a very extraordinary person. Many of his actions were singular and peculiar to himself; such as were never done by any other person before nor since. Nor could they been done ever by himself had he been born in any other age, or lived in any other part of the world. And these peculiarities, we may presume, did not meet in Judas by mere chance; but were designed and effected by the supreme being. Accordingly we find, that Judas like other remarkable persons, particularly Josiah and Cyrus, was foretold and characterised, ages before he was born. David had him in his view, when he wrote the forty first Psalm and ninth verse. "Yea, mine own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me." This prophesy Christ applies to Judas, in the eighteenth verse of the thirteenth chapter of John's gospel. He says, "I speak not of you all; I know whom I have chosen ; but that the scripture might be fulfilled, He, that eateth with me hath lifted up his heel against me." And in the twenty sixth verse he expressly mentions Judas, as the person described, The untimely end of Judas is also foretold and described by David in the sixty ninth Psalm. Having represented the bitter circumstances of Christ's crucifixion, he proceeds to denounce the fearful ruin of such persons, as should be concerned in his death. "Let their table become a snare before them; and that, which should have been for their welfare, let it become atrap. Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake. Pour out thine indignation upon them and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them. Let their habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell in their tents." This prophetic denunciation of divine wrath against the murderers of Christ, the apostle Peter applies, particularly, to Judas in the first chapter of the Acts. those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples and said, men and brethren, this scripture must needs

"In

have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost, by the mouth of David, spake before concerning Judas, who was guide to them, that took Jesus. For he was numbered with us and had obtained part of this ministry. Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst and all his bowels gushed out. And it was known to all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper, tongue, Aceldema, that is to say, the field of blood. For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate and let no man dwell therein ; and his bishoprick let another take." Now David lived above a thousand years, before the birth of Judas. Consequently the life and death and end of Judas were decreed and foretold above a thousand years, before he was born, which affords a strong presumption, that they were decreed from eternity. And, indeed, this is more than intimated by the apostle Peter. He said, "Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know; Him, being delivered by the determinate council and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain." If the actions of Judas were decreed, no doubt his life and death & every thing respecting him, through his whole existence were also decreed. And if they were ever decreed, they must have been decreed from eternity. For any new thought, purpose, or design in the divine mind must be inconsistent with the absolute immutability of the divine being. Hence it is evident, that Judas was a reprobate, a son of perdition and ordained from eternity to eternal destruction.

Yet,

9. God brought Judas into being to answer wise and noble designs. God created all things, according to his eternal purpose in Christ Jesus. He had the scheme of redemption in view, before he laid the foundation of the world. He intended to save some of the