Contemplations and Devotions, Part 2
II. Hee is sold and betrayd by Iudas.Luk. 22.47
MAiesty and mercy (in their more happy,Quam male conventunt & in vna sede— then frequent mixture in one Throne) make vp the strongest guard 'gainst treason. Maiesty vsually so benumbs, and strikes the hand with terror, that it cannot strike,Prov. 20.8. the Kings eye scatters treason from his Throne: Mercy so becharmes, and stroakes the heart with love, that it cannot plot,Prov. 25.8. the Kings Throne is established by mercy; But the best Guard is that, which needs no Guard, innocence, and yet behold (here) a treason, that breaks through that double Guard of maiesty,Optimum munimentum munimento non carere. of mercy, and that more privy proofie maile of innocence it selfe too, if maiesty might have daunted it, how must it have shruncke backe its accursed head into abortion? 'tis he who commits no robbery, Phil. 2.in making himselfe equall with God: And yet behold they come against him, as against a theefe, Luk. 22.52a robber; if mercy might have shamed it, how had it sluncke backe into that vault of darkenesse, whence it came to hide it; 'tis hee who came to seeke, to buy them with his blood, whose blood they have thus maliciously bought, and are now come thus murderously to seeke; if innocence might have sheelded against these fierie darts of malice, Ephes. 6.let its owne confession iudge him, and it cannot but pronounce him true, a iust man, one in whom preiudice it selfe can find no fault, Mar. 12.14. Mat. 27.24.one against whom enuy it selfe can find no witnesse: Mar. 14.54.and yet anger is cruell, and wrath is raging, Prov. 27.4.but who can stand before enuy; so prevaricatiuely froward, and vnwinnable is enuy that ever (as the Psalmist speakes) what might bee for her good, Psal. 69.23.is to her an occasion of falling: maiesty, mercy, innocence, make rather but a prey to inuite, then a Guard to avoid her. But yet how ever, Iudas, what could'st thou, enuy in him; his glory, his purse, and his power too, 'twas thine, and made the devils themselues obedient to thee; had not thine then above the rest beene a mercy-proofe,2 Thef. 5. a Spirit-despighting heart, it must needs have melted, or recoyld from so blacke a proiect; didst thou not cast out devils in his name, Ioh. 13.27.out of others? what, and now take in the devill into thine owne heart, and cast out him? Thou once (with the rest) leavedst all to follow him, what and now leave him to follow the worst of that all thou hadest left, the devill; how vnhappy, how vnthrifty a change? No, but now thou art become a leader; how poore, how vnworthy an ambition, to leave following such a Leader, that thou mightest lead such a raskall regiment.Ioh. 13.26. Thou dippedst thy hand in the same Dish of fellowship with him: what, and in the same designe of blood too against him? Thou once followedst thy master, and barest the bagge, and wilt thou now change both carriage and leader too: follow the bagge and carry thy master in it, the siluerlings?Ioh. 11.6. Thou barest the bagge, and what was put therin: and therefore thy old, quorsum haec perditio, may be turned backe vponupon thee into a quorsum haec proditio, Mat. 26.whitherto tends this treason? want drave thee not to this traiterous sale, as it did (in some sort) hungry Esau, Gen. 25.thou hadst the bagge, or had that beene empty, thou mightest have gone to thy masters other treasury, the fishes mouth for money;Mat. 17.27. the bagge, as it might some way incline thy covetous heart (the Girdle of verity, Ephes. 6.for the most part drawing vsually too much that way, that the bagge hangs) so it doth every way vpbraid thy traiterous sale, a rich man and a theefe, 'tis a proverbiall agravation: nor did therein thy masters trust, but the deeper ingage thy truth; what didst thou see in those poore siluershrines of thy idolliz'd Diana, Acts 19.27.coveteousnesse, worth such a master, thou neededst not this craft to get thy living by (as those Smiths of Ephesus) thou hadst a much better in thy late seruice, hadst thou beene of later dayes, I should have thought thee some popish Merchant of the Temple, Mat. 21.one that had thought to make him a Saviour of his siluer, therewith to have bought a Pardon for this, and all thy other sinnes, but if so, the devill too seemes a better chapman for thy turne, hee had offered all the kingdomes of the earth for him,Mat. 4.9. thou sellest him to the Iewes, and thy selfe to the devill too in the bargaine, but for thirtie pence, thy master himselfe had not long since told thee, that the whole world were all too light in scale, but against thy one soule: but alas, to such a master, as many worlds as thou hadst pence, Esay had told thee, they were all but as the dust of the scales, Esa. 40.15.as a drop of the Bucket, thou se…lest thy master to his death, that would have sold himself… for thy life, thou betrayest him vntounto his enemies for thy gaine, that would have rescued thee from thine with his blood. But is this all? No, thou sellest that inualuable pearle, which the wise Merchant sold all he had to buy, Mat. 13.44.and that for a needlesse, a vselesse trifle; and this makes thy treachery folly, thy gaine losse, thy avarice vnthriftinesse; who, Iudas vnthriftie, that would make money of all, of the oyntment of his master, nay by by a Popish kind of Alchimy, of his God? yes, vnthrifty, banckrupted, beggered Iudas: hovv quickly vvithout either master or money, hovv vselesse, hovv restlesse is either thy money or thy selfe, without …hy master, how soone art thou as weary of it, as ever …hou wert greedy? How much more (anon) weary of it, then of thy master? How much more doth it now vpbraid thee, then ever before inuite thee? can it buy thee such another master, can it all buy thee an houres sleepe, can it bribe thy clamorous tongue of conscience, to a minuts silence? Nay, it will no… so much as buy thee a haltar, Mat. 27.5.to put a false promising end to thy present miseries, though thou couldest not misse of one else where, to put a true beginning to thy greater tortures; but as if i… were doom'd only to the hands of murder, it will no where but whence it came as if it tooke an accursed infection from the fingers it passed through, it may not into the Sanctuary, but must bee ever the price of blood: Mat. 27.8.nor hath it but ever since left this infectious cankar to all ill gotten wealth, 'tis all quick siluer, it will not stay, it will not inrich, it buyes nothing,Acts 1.19. but Aceldama's, fields of blood, and of confusion, so truely treacherous prove ever the worldlings, not onelyonly hopes, bu… heapes: Iudas did not so much betray his first master Iesus, as this his second master, money, did betray Iudas; Iudas betrayed his master, but into the hands of malice, but gaine betrayed Iudas into the haltar of despaire; coueteousnesse proues ever in the end most its owne traytor; desire, and hope are still but Bawds, when towards that painted Strumpet, the world: But I cannot so passe (Iudas) the basenesse of thy sale, or blacknesse of thy treason, what, but for thirtie pence: didst thou not value the Box of oyntment at three hundred pence, Mar. 14.5. Io. 11.5.what and thy master but at thirtie? was the womans oyntment so much more worth then the Lords anoynted? Psa. 105.15couldst thou then hold it lost, that was bestowed vponupon thy master, or if thou didst, hadst thou no way to redeeme that losse, but by selling the Redeemer? But no maruell, if (when thou once beganst to grudge thy master, ano…hers charity) thou didst not at length sticke to sell him, for thine owne gaine; hee that holds that waste, which is bestowed on God, his seruice or members, 'tis to be seared, hee would fell his God too; but that the world affords but a few chapmen in such a purchase; and yet how much, yet cheaper, viler art thou, in the offer then the price? what will yee give me, Luk. 22.as if the commodity lay vponupon thy hands, as if thy master were some peece of vnfashionable Shop-rid ware, which thou wouldest faine be rid of at any hand; never fell there such a iewell into the hands of such a Pedler, that so basely way-layes Customers, and prostitutes at once, both his will, and ware with, what will yee give? and I will, &c. Mat 26.15.And then no sooner an offer, but a price, no sooner a price, but a sale, no sooner a sale, but a delivery; how soone strikes he it vp a bargaine? and as if hee were yet affraid they might draw back, that hee may bee yet more sure, to put all beyond the benefit of error or mistake, hee gives them a signe, whomsoever I shall kisse, Mat. 26.48.that's hee, lay hold of him.
It had beene somtime our Saviours complaint: Simon since I came, Luk. 7.45.thou gauest mee no kisse; but can he find that fault with this sonne of Simon. Luk 22 4….Hee drawes neere and kisses him. But alas 'tis but with the lips hee drawes neere him, Heb 10.the heart is farre from him, and so better hee had with Peter, followed him a farre off, or with the Prodigall, gone farre from him. Luk. 15.13.Nay, had it beene against him, if openly (as Paul at first) hee himselfe saies,Psal. 55.12. he could more easily have borne it: no, but it was thou my owne familiar friend, whom I trusted, Psal 41.9.which did also eat of my bread, that hath layd great wait for mee: what, Iudas betrayest thou the Sonne of man? what thou, my companion, my choice, my charge, my trust, my treasurer:Luk. 22.48 what and betrayest thou the Sonne of man, thy friend, thy master, thy God, one who; though the Son of God, stucke not to become the Sonne of man to live with thee, & for ought thou knowest to die for thee, what, and with a kisse, the pledge of friendship, made the gin of falshood; loves gage become treasons snare; every word is a degree in treason, and both vpbraids the deed, and brands the Doer, the price, the offer, the instrument, the Author, the subiect, doe each of them swell, and heighten the treason still to a greater measure, or rather mysterie of iniquity: did hee among the rest of the Apostles,Ioh. 13. wash his feet too, what and presently so nimble in the devils errand,Rom. 3.15. so swift to shed blood? The outward act (I see) then of one, greater then a popish Priest, confers no grace at all; Iudas that hath his feet washd, hath yet his hand, his heart in blood. How farre doth hypocrisie (often times) goe with, yet short of truth in piety.Luk. 22. Psal. 2.12. David will draw neere vntounto the Lord, & so doth Iudas, David will kisse the Son, least he be angry, and so doth Iudas, Iudas hath his haile, as well as David his haleluiah;Psal. 51.4. I have sinned is Davids confession, after that his sinfull arithmetike, and I have sinned, Mat. 27.4.'tis Iudas his confession too, after this his accursed treason; the one yet layes hold on the Altar, the other on the Haltar, Mat. 27.5.'tis not the tongue nor hand, 'tis the heart that seasons devotion; nay how farre in the outward offices of piety doth hypocrisie out-doe the truth it selfe;Io 12. doth Mary thinke it much to kisse his feet, that other woman to touch but the hemme of his M…rke ….garment: but Iudas will goe on to touch, to kisse his lips, and that with a haile of gratulation in his mouth, though there bee a Hell of treason in his heart: Comets blaze more a while then fixed Stars, the vnfruited Bough mostly hath the most leafes. How stupid too, how sottish is hypocrisie, evē in the wisest worldling? Else, how could Iudas, having harbour'd such a purpose, but easily conceive, how easily his master would perceive this devill of treason, though vnderunder the likest outside of an Angell of light, 2 Cor. 11.14he chose indeed the fittest time the night; but alas! what, what is the darkest night to those eyes, to which the darknes and light are both alike, the darker night was in his heart, yet, nor is that a vaile to …hose eyes of his, whose faculty is To search the heart it selfe, and can see into Pharoahs, more inscrutable hardned heart, Exod. 7.13through that double cloud of Egypts darknesse, and its own: with such over-reaching folly, doth God vsually punish hypocrisies, overweening fraud, that from first deceiving the world, but most it selfe, God suffers it to goe on at length, to foole it selfe into a hope of deceiving him too, hast thou not taught in our streets, and have wee not in thy name done miracles, Mat. 25.and cast out devils; shall be the hypocrites plea, as if they might possibly deceive God, as they had done men: as if the kingdome of Heaven would suffer cousanage,Mat. 11.12. as well as violence, Ier. 17.9.no, the heart (indeed) is deceitfull above all things, and towards all things, save onelyonly him who made it: gifts may blind the eyes of the wise, Iere. 17.11.and hee that gathereth gaine, and not by right, he shall leave it ere hee dies, and at his end shall be a foole (as it fares with Iudas, here) with God 'tis otherwise, he cannot be either blinded with guile, or bribed with gifts; as he hath his Throne in Heaven, so he hath his Theater in the heart, where happily hee may be sometimes vnseene, but never vnseeing.
And now his master is sold, how well may he cry out with Reuben, when they had sold Ioseph, Gen. 37.30as for me whither shall I goe? Goe hee to them that put him a worke, they (with a carelesse, Matt. 27.4.what is that to vsus, see thou to that) send him to the Sanctuary of those his siluer Gods, his hire, that will not steed him neither, he is now more weary of it, then ever greedy, more weary of it, then of his master, that leaves him too; but 'tis to one, who will bee sure never to leave him, the devill, nor is hee willing to stay long for him, (no more then he for his hire) but how soone (as Iael to Sisera) iuggler-like doth he change hands fromIudg. 4. the milke, to the ham…r from the hire, to the …, and that leads him to his owne place:Acts 1.2. Poena damni. Poena sensus. Where if that the punishmēt of losse be the greater of the two (as Divines are of opinion) then how can his bee but the greatest of all other? to see his sometimes fellow Apostles on their seates, iudging the twelue Tribes of Israel, Mat. 19.28and himselfe among his now fellow devils, Ioh. 6.70.trembling at the Barre; to heare his master, who once so kindly gave him the Sop, Ioh. 13.26.and washed his feet, now giving him his sentence to be bound hands and feet, Mat. 10.and cast into vtter darknesse, to see those devils, which before hee had power to cast out, now to have power to cast him into endlesse torments, where to leave him as his proper place. Acts 1.Let vsus cast (at least) a glance of gratulation at our blessed Saviours victorious patience, even in this passage of his passion, whereof what fuller heartier proofe, then that difference of language, which hee vses to those his two Apostles, Peter and Iudas, Peters compassionate pittie, because it looked with a more tender eye towards his masters life, then mans redemption; him he cals devill for't,Mat. 16.23. get thee behind mee Satan, thou savourest not the things of God, but man, whereas Iudas his treason, though savoring the things of neither God, nor man, but all divell, yet because it caried though an vnwitting bent to mans purposd redemptiō, and that though through so much blood and torment, yet doth hee call him friend:Mat. 26.50. friend wherefore art thou come, and refuses neither his complement, nor kisse; so well might his Spouse say, that hee came skipping on the hils, Cant. 2.8.and leaping on the mountaines, 'tis not the lesser hils of his enemies malice, nor the greater mountaines of his fathers wrath can stop him, but that as a Giant, Psal. 19.5.he will reioyce to run his course, though of blood and death; and that with such alacrity and swiftnesse, that even Iudas, who no doubt made no small haste, for (as they say) the devill drave him: Ioh. 13.2.yet him doth hee seeme to tax of sloth,vers. 27. what thou doest doe quickly. But, O my blessed Sauiour, the ransome of my soule,1 Cor. 6. the price of my saluation, how infinitly a greater price did my poore wretched worthlesse soule cost, that was but a lost Great, not worth the sweeping for,Luke 15. a mite scarce worth the casting into thy treasury, Mar. 12.then did thine owne inestimable selfe, who art the treasury it selfe,Coll. 2.3. the treasuries of wisedome? was not I bought vnderunder the stocke of Heaven, and wouldest thou bee bought with a few crumms of earth; well mightest thou call it (in way of ironie) a goodly price that thou wert prized at: Zach. 11.13but how well mightest thou say of vsus;1 Cor. 6.20. yee are bought with a great price; how truely mightest thou call vsus,1 Pet. 1.18. a deare, a precious people? And yet (alas) how farre art thou from grudging to vsus, even this, thy so much vnderualued cheapnesse? (would wee buy, buy thee but the right way, so farre, that thou becomest to vsus thine owne, yet cheaper Merchant, and Cryer too.Esa. 55.1. Hoe yee that passe by, come and buy without money. David (Lord) then needs not much complaine, that thou sellest thy people for nought, Psal. 44.13.and takest no money for them; when as thou settest no higher price vponupon thy selfe; and yet how infinitly hast thou improved this thy so much misualued sale, to a ransome great enough for the whole world: how mercifully hast thou entitled mee (Lord) who was sold vnderunder sinne, Rom. 7.14.to this enriching sale and purchase of thy inualuable selfe: and made the Iewes and Iudas in it, but my vnwitting vnthrifty Factors, and me the happy gainer, by this their vndoeing bargaine? And yet alas, Lord doe I not still (with Iudas) sell thee, still betray thee? if thou be (as thine Apostle cals thee) love, 1 Ioh. 4 8.incharitable avarice still sels thee; if thou be, as thou callest thy selfe, truth, Ioh. 14.6.false hypocrisie stil betraies thee, when I make gaine my godlinesse, 1 Tim 6.6.I must confesse (Lord) I sell thee; when I make godlinesse but my gaine & worldly aduantage, then I must confesse, I doe but betray thee. O let mee never, though (with Iudas) betray as well thy mercy by despaire, as thy truth by hypocrisie: But as when I had sold my selfe vnderunder sinne, Rom. 7.thou did'st mercifully redeem me by thy blood, and merit; so grant (Lord) that when ever I shall sell thee for sinne, I may as often redeeme, Esay 55.1.regaine thee by my faith, and repentance: had Iudas himselfe but found them, hee had found thee, and not lost himselfe: hee did not sinne, no not wrong thee so much by betraying thee (Lord) as himselfe to death; nor his kisse, nor haile, did so much betray, as his either hire or haltar: his despaire more betrayed himselfe, than his treason thee, and that of a better life vntounto a worse death, and no maruell, for treason ever in the end proves more the Traytors, then the trusters Traitor.