persecutes Christians for Christ's sake; offers human sacrifices to a God of infinite mercy. Thus an hideous face is put on the most humane and amiable of all religions by this traitor; while he that set him on work hath another instrument ready to dress out this cruelty in its ugliest lights; to ascribe it to the religion professed by the traitor named; to publish it over the whole world, and lament, to all mankind, the loss of that natural benevolence, which, if we believe him, the Christian religion hath banished from the hearts of men. Such is the correspondence kept up between the enemies of Christ; who, getting within the church, are ready on all occasions to betray it; and those without, who never fail to strike in, when such openings as these are given.

We find our Saviour had disciples also, who not only slept out his glorious transfiguration, as yet insensible of the honour done him by his Father; but, what was worse, fell fast asleep likewise, when his enemies were drawing near, and both his command and safety required they should be on their guard. He roused them, and they fell asleep again, and did not awake till it was too late to render him any service. How like these are his present disciples! They take their ease, and see him, without the least concern, attacked on all sides. They see his divinity called in question; they see his saving merits denied by pretended followers of his own; they see his professed enemies building deism and atheism on this foundation, and a torrent of impiety and vice rushing in through all the wide breaches made in that building, of which he is the chief corner-stone. These things they see with the utmost tranquillity. It is charity hinders them from entering into debates with the adversaries of religion, which might breed contention; and they think it better religion should come to nothing, than that they should disturb 'themselves or others about it. It is prudence that shuts their mouths on the truth; while falshood freely bellows from a thousand throats, and is possessed almost of every ear. But opposition, say they, would only oblige it to raise its voice the higher. Yes, it is prudence makes dumb dogs,' as the prophet calls them, of all these shepherds, and hinders them from barking when the wolf approaches: but then it is only the prudence and

wisdom of this world. They see the stream of promotion and worldly prosperity running altogether in favour of the loosest principles; they see all manner of discountenance given to those who shew any warmth in defence of true religion; insomuch that zeal, even in the lowest degree, is become a crime, and the word itself begins to have an ill sound. They think it imprudent to launch out into such a tide, where they may expect to be tossed and ruffled; and therefore they sleep on, and take their rest.' They say to themselves, why should we be 'righteous over-much.' It is a folly to turn knight-errant for religion. Besides, there is no danger. The principles canted up, by the kindlers of this new light, are bad enough; but nobody will quit their old opinions for such novelties. There is, therefore, no need of breaking our repose with false alarms, of keeping continually on the watch, of holding up the shield of faith' in one hand, and 'the sword of God's word' in the other, as if there were some adversary near. As good Christians, we ought to be lovers of peace and quietness. The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water;' there is no knowing when it will stop. 'Where strife is, there is confusion; and it is far from the business of a good Christian to raise confusion in the church. Therefore we will even compose ourselves and keep quiet.' 'Yet a little sleep, a little religious slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep.' Thus these worthy champions of Christ, having found that religion consists entirely in peace, and that peace is nothing but inaction and sloth,' settle on the lees' of their own lukewarm hearts, and suffer Christianity to be destroyed, for the preservation of 'Christian charity.' An absurdity of the grossest nature; yet such as may pass well enough in a dream, and on those who are asleep.

It was not so that Judas, who betrayed our Saviour, passed his time. He was watchful enough, and came with his band of enemies to set upon Christ, just as his drowsy friends were rousing, and rubbing their eyes. The latter had taken but a small share in the agonies of their master, and now opened their eyes to see how much more vigilant he was who served the devil, than themselves, who were in the service of God. This is continually acted over and over again in the church. Those who betray the religion of

Christ, like their father Judas, are always upon the watch, and come upon it by stealth,' and 'in the night;' when works of darkness, and covert doings, may be best carried on. They bear its bag;' and, with its profits, which they appropriate to themselves, they mix the wages of treachery. It is true, they speak highly of our religion, and with some little respect of its author; yet they do almost the whole work of the adversary for him, by endeavouring to refute the divinity of our Saviour, and the satisfaction made by his death. The consequence of which is, that those who see both so strongly and frequently asserted in Scripture, looking however on both to be absurd and senseless doctrines, they quickly lay aside all respect for revelation. It is true, Christ might have been seized, and his religion may be attacked, by open enemies only; but the most expeditious and effectual way, in all such cases, is that of treachery. Accordingly those, who betray our religion, hail it' with a thousand encomiums; they kiss it' with a seeming affection for it; but point it, at the same time, to its enemies, whom they lead forward to destroy it. Where had the deist borrowed his hints and materials, if the Socinian, the Arian, and the preacher of new light, had not furnished him with them? How could any man have strode over the wide gulph between Christianity and absolute infidelity? This was too great a stretch at once; but the builders, just now mentioned, have erected a very convenient bridge, consisting of several arches, that reach from one side to the other. First, the divinity of Christ is to be disbelieved; then it is an easy matter to destroy the authority of the Scriptures, in which that doctrine is so copiously set forth: after this, the eternal law of nature may, for decency's sake, be adopted; because, as that is a law of a man's own dictating, or, at least, explaining, it will leave him at full liberty to do whatsoever his head, or heart, or any other part of his nature, more corrupt, if possible, prompts him to; that is, it will leave him a libertine and a deist. These are the men, with Judas at their head, against whom the woe in my text is denounced. These are the persons, who betray Christ's 'mystical body,' to a 'figurative cross,' erected for it by the loose and diabolical spirit of the times. These are the men, who dip in the dish with' Christ, often taking the fattest

bit to themselves; and, after getting all they can from him, with bellies filled at his table, go out and sell him to his most irreconcileable enemies. Had these men lived in the days of our Saviour himself, they would have done that to his person, which they now do to his church and religion; that is, they would have done what Judas did, and earned the wages of treachery then, as they now earn those of dissimulation and infidelity.

Those of Christ's disciples, who loved him most, as they were but men, being left to themselves, and struck with the terror of prisons, trials, and crosses, all forsook him,' and one of them forswore him. It is thus he is deserted in these times, by the generality of his followers; although all they have to fear, who would oppose the present prevailing heresies, and deceitful practices, of our false teachers, is very inconsiderable. They might miss of promotion; they might be out of the fashion; they might make themselves enemies; but still their persons and their fortunes would be safe; and therefore their suffering infidelity to triumph, without opposition, is deserting the cause of Christ, when they have little or nothing to fear in its defence; is sacrificing their master to slavish fears, and mere worldly views.

Thus is our blessed Master deserted by some, betrayed by others, and crucified afresh on all occasions. There is no need of one day in the year to commemorate his crucifixion, since our crying sins act that tragedy over again, and repeat it every day. If our lives and conversations are of such a nature as to do the utmost dishonour to our profession; if they only serve to expose religion to the reproaches and insults of infidels; if they 'put Christ to open shame' before his enemies; it must then be owned we keep this anniversary as Jews, and not as Christians. The Jews and Romans looked upon Christ as a deceiver, and therefore they crucified him. But we know him to be the son of God, and our Redeemer, yet do the same. Thus we 'fill up the measure of their iniquity.' By their putting him to death, they fulfilled the prophecies, and were unwillingly the instruments of redemption to mankind. But our treachery and wickedness, so far as concerns ourselves, defeat all the ends of his coming, and give the lie to the prophecies, and our own professions. He chose the death he suf

fered at Jerusalem; and therefore power was given to his enemies from above.' But the death we put him to, is utterly against his will, and against the power of that Holy Spirit given us from above, to prevent our acting so unnatural a.part. We are therefore rebels against God, as well as traitors to our Saviour, and destroyers of ourselves.

Let us not carry the cross of Christ only in order to nail him to it again. Let us rather crucify our corruptions and sins. Let us sacrifice the old man' to him who offered up himself for us.' Let us put on the new man,' and, by a new life and conversation, try to adorn our profession, to do honour to our infinite benefactor, and add strength to his body, by the accession of so many sound and wholesome members. If we really belong to Christ, and are thankful for what he hath done and suffered, let us no more 'grieve his Holy Spirit,' nor pierce his precious body with our sins. Let one Judas, and one crucifixion, suffice. Let Jews, and pagans, and infidels of all sorts, vilify his character, and deride his sufferings; but let us, who call ourselves by his blessed name, refute their cavils by our virtues; and shew, that he hath been indeed a Saviour to us, by delivering us from a sinful life, from an accusing conscience, and from a fearful death. Thus shall we offer the best argument in the world for our religion, and the most ignorant professor of it may put to silence its most artful and subtile opposers.

May God enable his word to produce these fruits in our hearts; and may he be graciously pleased to accept of them, through the merits of our blessed Saviour; to whom, with God the Father, and God the Holy Ghost, be all glory, and honour, all might, majesty, dignity, and dominion, now and for evermore. Amen.