in the things you afk, he deals no otherwife with you than he did with Christ. "O my God (faith he) I cry in the day-time, "but thou hearest not; and in the night, and am not filent." Yet he justifies God, "but thou art holy," Pfal. xxii. 2. Christ was not heard in the thing he defired, and yet heard in that he feared, Heb. v. 7. The cup did not pafs as he defired, but God upheld him, and enabled him to drink it. He was heard as to fupport, he was not heard as to exemption from fuffering: his will was expreffed conditionally; and therefore though he had not the thing he fo de fired, yet his will was not croffed by the denial. But now, when we have a fuit depending before the throne of grace, and cry to God once and again, and no anfwer comes; how do our hands hang down, and our spirits wax feeble !

Then we complain with the church, Lam. iii. 8. "When I 66 cry and fhout, he shutteth out my prayers; thou covereft "thyfelf with a cloud, that our prayers cannot pafs through." Then, with Jonah, we conclude " we are cast out of his fight." Alas! we judge by fenfe according to what we fee and feel; and cannot live by faith on God, when he feems to hide himfelf, put us off, and refuse our requests. It calls for an Abraham's faith, to "believe against hope, giving glory to God." If we cry, and no anfwer comes prefently, our carnal reafon draws a headlong hafty conclufion. Sure I must expect no answer : God is angry with my prayers: The feed of prayer hath lain fo long under the clods, and it appears not; furely it is loft, I fhall hear no more of it.

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Our prayers may be heard, tho' their anfwer be for the fent fufpended. As David acknowledged, when he coolly confidered the matter, Pfal. xxxi. 22. "I faid in my hafte, I am "cut off from before thine eyes; nevertheless thou heardest the "voice of my fupplication, when I cried unto thee," No, no, chriftian; a prayer fent up in faith, according to the will of God, cannot be loft, tho' it be delayed. We may fay of it as David faid of Saul's fword, and Jonathan's bow, that they never returned empty.

Inference 4. Was Christ so earnest in prayer, that he prayed himself into a very agony? Let the people of God blush to think how unlike their Spirits are to Chrift, as to their prayerframes.

O what lively, fenfible, quick, deep, and tender apprehenfions and fenfe of thofe things about which he prayed, had Chrift? Though he faw his very blood starting out from his hands, and his clothes dyed in it; yet being in an agony, he

SERM. XXII. prayed the more earnestly. I do not fay Chrift is imitable in this; no, but his fervour in prayer is a pattern for us, and ferves feverely to rebuke the lazinefs, dulnefs, torpor, formality, and ftupidity, that is in our prayers. How often do we bring the facrifice of the dead before the Lord! how often do our lips move, and our hearts stand still! O how unlike Chrift are we ! his prayers were pleading prayers, full of mighty arguments and fervent affections. O that his people were in this more like him!

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Inference 5. Was Chrift in fuch an agony before any hand of man was upon him, merely from the apprehenfions of the wrath of God, with which he now contefted? Then furely it “is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God; for "our God is a confuming fire."

Ah, what is divine wrath? that Chrift ftaggered when the cup came to him. Could not he bear, and doft thou think to bear it? Did Chrift fweat clots of blood at it, and doft thou make light of it? Poor wretch, if it ftaggered him, it will confound thee. If it made him groan, it will make thee howl, and that eternally. Come, finner, come; doft thou make light of the threatnings of the wrath of God against fin? Doft thou think there is no fuch matter in it, as thefe zealous preachers make of it? Come look here upon my text, which fhews thee the face of the Son of God ftanding as full purple drops under the sense and apprehenfion of it, as the drops of dew that hang upon the grafs. Hark how he cries," Father if it be poffible, let this cup "pafs," O any thing of punishment rather than this. Hear what he tells the difciples; "My foul, (faith he,) is forrowful even to "death: amazed very heavy." Fools make a mock at fin, and the threarnings that lie against it,

Inference 6. Did Chrift meet death with fuch a heavy heart? Let the hearts of Chriftians be the lighter for this, when they come to die. The bitterness of death was all fqueezed into Christ's cup. He was made to drink up the very dregs of it, that so our death might be the fweeter to us. Alas! there is nothing now left in death that is frightful or troublesome, befide the pain of diffolution, that natural evil of it. I remember it is floried of one of the martyrs, that being obferved to be exceeding jocund and merry when he came to the ftake, one afked him, What was the reafon his heart was fo light, when death, (and that in fuch a terrible form too) was before him? O faid he, my heart is fo light at my death, because Chrift's was fo heavy at his death.

Luference 7. To conclude, what caufe have all the faints to love

their dear Lord Jefus with an abounding love? Christian, open the eyes of thy faith, and fix them upon Chrift, in the posture he lay in the garden, drenched in his own blood; and fee whether he be not lovely in thefe his dyed garments. He that fuffered for us more than any creature could or did, may well challenge more love than all the creatures in the world. O what hath he fuffered, and suffered upon thy account! it was thy pride, earthlinefs, fenfuality, unbelief, hardness of heart, that laid on more weight in that day that he sweat blood.

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SERMON

XXIII.

Discovers the first Preparation for CHRIST's Death, on his Enemies Part, by the Treason of Judas.

MATTH. XXVI. 47, 48, 49. And while he yet spake, lo, Judas one of the twelve came, and with him a great multitude, with fwords and faves, from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now he that betrayed him gave them a fign, faying, Whomfoever I fhall kifs, that fame is he, hold him faft. And forthwith he came to Jefus, and faid, Hail mafter; and kissed him.

THE former fermons give you an account how Chrift improved every moment of his time, with bufy diligence, to make himself ready for his death. He hath commended his charge to the Father, inftituted the bleffed memorial of his death, poured out his foul to God in the garden, with refpect to the grievous fufferings he fhould undergo; and now he is ready, and waits for the coming of the enemies, being first in the field.

And think you that they were idle on their parts? No, no, their malice made them reftlefs. They had agreed with Judas to betray him. Under his conduct, a band of foldiers was fent to apprehend him. The hour, fo long expected, is come. For "while he yet fpake," faith the text, "lo Judas, one of the "twelve, came, and with him a great multitude, with fwords "and ftaves."

Thefe words contain the first preparative act, on their part, for the death of Chrift, even to betray him, and that by one of bis own difciples. Now they execute what they had plotted, VOL. I.

SERM. XXIII. ver. 14, 15. And in this paragraph you have an account, I. Of the traitor, who he was. 2. Of the treason, what he did. 3. Of the manner of its execution, how it was contrived and effected. Laftly, Of the time, when they put this hellish plot in execution.

1. We have here a description of the traitor: and it is remarkable how carefully the feveral evangelifts have described him, both by his name, firname, and office, "Judas, Judas If"cariot, Judas Iscariot one of the twelve;" that he might not be mistaken for Jude or Judas the apostle. God is tender of the names and reputations of his upright-hearted fervants. His office, "one of the twelve," is added to aggravate the fact, and to fhew how that prophecy was accomplished in him, Pfal. xli. 9. "Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which "did eat of my bread, hath lift up his heel against me." Lo, this was the traitor, and this was his name and office.

2. You have a description of the treafon, or an account what this man did. He led an armed multitude to the place where Christ was, gave them a fignal to discover him, and encouraged them to lay hands on him, and hold him fast. This was that hellifh defign, which the devil put into his heart, working upon that principle, or luft of covetoufnefs, which was predominant there. What will not a carnal heart attempt, if the devil suit a temptation to the predominant luft, and God withhold restraining grace!

3. You have here the way and manner in which this hellish plot was executed. It was managed both with force and with fraud. He comes with a multitude, armed with fwords and staves, in cafe he should meet with any refiftance. And he comes to him with a kifs, which was their fignal, left they should mistake the man. For they aimed reither at small nor great, fave only, at the King of Ifrael, the King of glory *. Here was much ado, you fee, to take a harmlefs Lamb, that did not once start from them, but freely offered himself to them.

4. And lastly, When this treafonable defign was executed upon Chrift. And it was executed upon him while he stood among his difciples, exhorting them to prayer and watchfulness, dropping heavenly and most seasonable counfels upon them. "While he yet fpake, lo Judas, and with him a multitude, came

* What need was there of arms against one who was unarmed? who, if he had pleased to exert his power, could not be overcome Dy any arms. To what purpose was a fign? to prevent mistaking the perfon, because it was night. D. Pareus in lac.

" with fwords and staves." Surely, it is no better than a Judas's trick, to disturb and afflict the fervants of God in the discharge of their duties. This was the traitor and his treason; thus it was executed, and at this time. Hence we observe,

Doct. That it was the lot of our Lord Jefus Chrift, to be he trayed into the hands of his mortal enemies, by the affiftance of a falfe and diffembling friend.

Look, as Jofeph was betrayed and fold by his brethren; David by Achitophel, his old friend; Sampfon by Dalilah, that lay in his bofom; fo Chrift by Judas, one of the twelve; a man, his friend, his familiar, that had been fo long converfant with him he that by profeffion had lifted up his hand to Christ, now by treafon lifts up his heel against him; he bids the foldiers bind those blessed hands, that not long before had washed the traitor's feet.

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In the point before us, we will,

First, Confider Judas, according to that eminent station and place he had under Chrift..

Secondly, We will confider his treafon, according to the feveral aggravations of it.

Thirdly, We will enquire into the cause or motives that put him upon fuch a dreadful, hellish design as this was.

Fourthly, and laftly, We will view the issue, and fee the event of this treason, both as to Chrift and as to himself. apply it.

And then

First, As for the person that did this, he was very eminent by reafon of that dignity Christ had raised him to. For,

1. He was one of the twelve; one retained not in a more general, and common, but in the nearest, and most intimate and honourable relation and fervice to Jefus Chrift. There were in Chrift's time feveral forts and ranks of perfons that had relation to him. There were fecret disciples; men that believ ed, but kept their stations, and abode with their relations in their callings. There were feventy alfo who Chrift sent forth: but none of these were fo much with Christ or fo eminent in respect of their place, as the twelve; they were Christ's family, day and night converfant with him it was the highest dignity that was conferred upon any: and of this number was Judas. The ancients have much extolled the apoftolical dignity. Some ftiled these twelve pedes Chrifti, the feet of Chrift; because they, as it were, carried Chrift up and down the world.

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