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were once aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers to the covenants of promise, without hope, without God in the world: but that now, by the blood of Christ, we that were afar off, are made nigh unto God, fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God. If you would not renounce these privileges, consider again, I entreat you, the danger of neglecting sacramental ordinances: for these ordinances are the pledges of our adoption and of our hope, and the bonds of our communion with Christ and with the blessed company of all faithful people. May God so assist us with his grace, that we may continue in that holy fellowship, and do all such good works as he hath prepared for us to walk in, through Jesus Christ our Lord: to whom, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, world without end.

SERMON II.

THE DANGER OF AN UNFRUITFUL HEARING OF THE WORD OF GOD: ILLUSTRATED IN THE

FALL OF JUDAS ISCARIOT.

ACTS i. 25.

This ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.

THESE last words, that he might go to his own place, have commonly been understood to intimate the final doom of everlasting perdition. If such be their import, they present us with a case which has, I believe, no parallel in Scripture: for I am not aware of any other man, respecting whom we are, in God's word, assured, that his destiny is fixed to this unspeakably wretched and irretrievable condition. But be this as it may, (for the words have been variously interpreted) the case of Judas Isca

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riot is, on the lowest supposition, inexpressibly awful and affecting. He died by his own hand, he left this world in despair and distraction. His manner of death has been marked by circumstances of astonishment and horror. He committed a black and horrible crime, and took the reward of his iniquity. But he felt no enjoyment of the fruit of his wickedness; for, after he had obtained it, he was frightened to utter dismay by the terrors of his conscience, so that he desired strangling rather than life. Having purchased his field with the price of his master's blood, he went and hanged himself, and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out! Who can be unaffected when he thinks of such a death?

Let us be affected by it to our own edification. With a view to this benefit, I will claim your attention to certain particulars relating to the life and character of this wretched man: for these are adapted to throw light upon the subject of his death, and to enforce the warning which it utters.

We have seen what was the end of all his wickedness it will be useful to enquire what was the beginning of it?

But observe here, I mean, what was the beginning of that peculiar wickedness which brought him to his death? for, as to the beginning of sin in general, he, like ourselves, brought that into the world with him: it was a part of that defilement with which nature has infected us all.

Let us regard the question, then, in this limited sense. What was the beginning of that peculiar wickedness, which brought Judas to his frightful end? I would answer thus: He heard the preaching of God's word, but profited not by it. This I regard as the first step in his progress to destruction. Thus far, at least, we are quite certain: had he laid to heart and obeyed the word which had been preached to him, he would not have fallen in the way that he did.

In order to convince you of this truth, I will, in the first place, claim your attention to certain passages of Scripture.

"Take heed and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the

things which he possesseth *." "What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange

Luke xii. 15.

for his soul? *""Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal t."

To this effect our blessed Lord has delivered to us his divine precepts against covetousness. Such precepts were well known to Judas: there can be no doubt, that many such precepts had fallen from our Lord's lips while Judas was present. But it is well known that, notwithstanding such admonitions, notwithstanding a multitude of similar warnings against the love of the world, Judas retained the evil propensity of his heart: for he was to the end

a covetous man.

Such was his evil disposition: it was covetousness. But to this I do not attribute his fall. For evil dispositions we all have; they come to us by nature; but these, of whatever kind they be, the word of God, in those who duly receive it, is able to subdue. With the knowledge of this word, Judas was blessed: he heard it from the mouth of the Son of God: but he laid it not to heart, he yielded not obedience

Matt. xvi 26.

+ Ibid. vi. 19.

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