Secondly , the occasion of his Repentance ; which is set forth by the circumstance of Time ; When he saw he was condemned .

Thirdly ; the Repentance itselfe , in these words , He repented himselfe , and brought againe , &c. Of which Repentance there are three parts :

1. He made restitution of that hee had taken , hee brought againe the thirty silver peeces .

2. He confesseth his sinne , saying , I have sinned in betraying innocent blood .

3. Hee shewes himselfe sorrowfull , so that if it were to doe againe , he would not doe it ; which is another effect of his Repentance .

Fourthly , the entertainment that hee had of the Chiefe Priests and Elders afterward . Wherein observe ,

1. They excule themselves , saying , What is that to us ? although they had little reason to say so ; for if hee had sinned in betraying Christ , then much more they who were the causes thereof .

2. They lay more burthen upon him , Looke thou to it .

Fifthly , the issue of all this ; wherein is set downe ,

1. What comfort hee had of those thirty silver peeces ; He cast downe the silver peeces .

2. What Judgement God inflicted on him , hee made him his owne Executioner ; He departed , and went and hanged himselfe . These are the parts of the words .

First , for the description of Iudas ( one that betrayed Christ ) From whence observe , the doctrine is this , That looke what a man is in his life-time , such shall bee Doctr. his name in the end ; if their lives have beene bad , their names at their death will be according ; if good , their report shall be thereafter : as it is here plaine in Judas , hee hath his name according to his desert .

I deny not , but for a time a good man may bee evill spoken of , and an evill man may be magnified : For the former , wee may see it in many places ; Our Saviour Christ himselfe was little regarded of the Scribes and Pharises ; David may for a while be despised ; Paul may be reproached ; and so Ioseph , and many others . For the second , wicked men for a while may have good report ; Iudas may so carry himselfe for a while , that none of the Disciples would so much as suspect him for a traytorto his Master . But behold the end of these men , it shall surely bee according to their deeds : Let Ieroboam carry a faire shew , let Ahab have a good report for a while , but marke the end of these men ; for Ieroboam , who mingled his owne devices with the worship of God , behold , he hath his brand set upon him for his perpetuall infamy ; Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat , who made all Israel to sinne , 2 King . 10. 29. and although Amazia made a great shew , yet at last was marked for an hypocrite ; so Ahab at last was branded with a name of eternal disgrace . On the centrary side , good mens names shall flourish at their death , though it may bee before disgraced . David , although hee had committed many grievous sinnes , yet at the last his name was most honourable : And thus is that verified , God blesseth the righteous , but the name of the wicked shall rot , Prov. 10. 7.

Now to come to the Reasons of this Doctrine , why the Lord doth reward every man in the end according to their wayes in their life time .

The first reason hereof is taken from God himselfe ; he blesseth and curseth mens wayes according to their workes ; therefore needs must it bee that hee must blesse the godly , but curse the wicked ; hee maketh their names to rot , and rotten things soone stincke : Hence is it that names of so many are so infamous after their death . And this the Lord doth for two reasons .

First , in regard of his truth , he cannot be corrupted . Reas. 1. And therefore as men are indeed , so hee blesseth or punisheth them ; and although men may be deceived , yet he cannot ; For hee knoweth the way of the righteous , and the way of the wicked shall perish , Psal. 1. 6. Psal. 1. 6.

Secondly , in regard of his glory ; I will honour them that honour me , saith the Lord : If those that dishonour God should be honoured ; or if those 1 Sam. 2. 30 that honour God , should be dishonoured , it would be an impeachment to his honour ; but God is tender over his honour , and therefore by no meanes will he suffer it so to be .

The second Reason is drawne from the men themselves ; ordinarily men will bee like themselves : Reas. 2. Feigned things quickly returne into their owne nature , if good mettle be covered over with bad , the bad will soone weare away , and the good will appeare ; and on the contrary side , if bad mettle bee covered with good , the good will soone weare away , and the bad will be seene ; so a godly man may have some slips , but at the last it will appeare what he is ; and an hypocrite may have many a good fit , yet sooner or later he will shew himselfe to be like himselfe .

The third reason is taken from other men ; at the end envy ceaseth , and then their consciences that Reas. 3. before did but whisper , shall now speake aloud in their eares , that they have beene good men : on the other side , for wicked men , it may be they have beene great men , and so they dare not speake as they thought , but then feare shall be removed , and then they shall use liberty of speech : for why are wicked men well spoken of in this life ? but onely because that men dare not speake their minds ; but then , when both envie and feare shall be removed , then shall Paul be Paul , and Iudas shall be Iudas .

Now the Vses are these three :

First , If mens names shall be according to their Use 3. hearts in their life times , then take heed that thou keepe not an evill heart in secret ; for God who sees thy sinnes in secret , will reward thee openly ; Mat 6. 4. God sees thy secret prophanenesse , thy secret covetousnesse ; surely without thou doest speedily amend , God in the end will give thee a name accordingly : on the contrary , art thou secretly upright , holy , &c. God certainly who seeth it , will in the end plentifully reward thee ; for if we have not credit with God , surely all glosses and shifts will doe no good : so that this is true both as well for the evill as the good . Let every man therefore looke to his owne conscience , and see how the case standeth with him . Art thou an hypocrite ? God will even set a brand upon thee , as he did upon Cain which shall never be seperated from thee , no more Gen. 4. 15. then the shadow from the body ; thou shalt never have a good name with men ; yea , and rather then thy wickednesse shall be hidden , the very birds of the ayre shall disclose it ; and although it may be thou thinkest that thy power or authority wil shield thee from an ill report , yet I tell thee thy expectation will much be frustrated .

Secondly , This should teach us daily to renew our repentance for our sinnes ; for although it may Vse 2. be our sinnes be remitted , yet unlesse we doe daily by repentance cleanse our hearts , God at the length will bring us to shame ; and as Iosephs brethren , who because they did not repent them of their sinne against their brother , were many yeeres after grieved and troubled for the same . Therefore as you love your names , by daily repentance make up the breaches of your heart and life ; for thus did the Prophet David . Who would ever in the least manner have immagined that he , after his great sinnes of murder and adulterie , would have recovered his name ; yet because that he unfeinedly , even from the bottome of his heart repented , behold at the last he recovers againe his name , and in the end dieth both full of riches and honours . So likewise Iob , though he was in his life time very impatient yet because that he repented him of it truly ; afterward he is honoured for his patience ; and hence is it that Saint Iames saith , Remember the patience of Iob. Iam. 5. A good name cannot but must follow grace and vertue , no lesse then a sweet smell will needes follow flowers and sweet oyntments . If then thou hast committed any sinne either in secret or openly , wilt thou have thy good name recovered before thou dye ? be sure to make thy heart sure by repentance .

Thirdly , Let not good men be discouraged for Vse 3. evill reports that they may here have for a time , nor let not evill men be encouraged for the good reports for a time they may have ; for at the last all evill reports that are cast on the godly shall vanish away , and all the good report that the wicked have had shall quite forsake them , and every one then shall plainly appeare what he is : the reason of this is , because the reports of the wicked have no sure rooting . Indeede certaine it is , that the godly often have an ill name , yet most sure is it , that at the last God will make their goodnesse to breake forth as the Sunne when it hath beene long darkened . Yet here must be one caution premised , that our hearts be substantially good . I denie not but a man may have some blemishes , but we must daily labour to keepe our hearts unspotted of the world : We must behave our selves blamelesly ; but how ? not by stopping the mouthes of men ; but we must keepe our selves unspotted of the world , and arme our selves against it , by abstaining from sinne .

If paper be well oyled , cast inke upon it , and it will soone returne off againe , but if it be not oyled Simile . it will stay on ; so if our hearts be well oyled against the world , by our innocent carriage , then if they have ill reports cast upon them , they will not remaine qut off againe presently ; and so againe on the contrary side . And thus much for the first part of my Text.

2. The time [ When he saw he was condemned . ] Hence learne againe , That sinnes are commonly covered and glosses put upon them untill they becommitted , but after they becommitted Doctr. 2. they seeme most vile and odious .

This is plaine here in Iudas , before he committed this sinne it seemed a matter of nothing unto him , but after behold how hainous it is . Sathan herein is very readie to deceive us , as wee may see in manie examples . Thus delt he with Dauid when he went to number the people , when Ioab represented the sinne to him well enough , yet it seemed nothing 1 Chro. 21. 3 to him , but he must needs have it done , then afterwards see how hainous it was to him , insomuch that it made him cry out , saying , I have done exceeding foolishly . But should we trace the whole Vers. 8. Bible , we can findeno better example then this of Iudas ; Christ had given him so manie warnings , saying , One of you shall betray me : And againe , I have chosen twelue , and behold one of you is a divell . And againe , Mat. 26. 21. Iohn 6. 70. It were better for that man , by whom the Sonne Marke 14 21 of man shall be betrayed , that he had never beene borne : yet all this would not serve , but the luster of the thirtie silver peeces had so blinded his eyes , that he could not see .

Now for the Reasons .

The first Reason is taken from a mans selfe ; our lusts within us are so strong that we cannot see the Reas. 1. sinne ; as was that in Cain : for the properties of these lusts are to cast a mist before our eyes , and to blinde-fold us thereby . As when a man doth any thing in his anger , while his anger lasts , he thinketh that he doth it with reason , but afterward he judgeth himselfe for it , and considers the thing as it is in itselfe ; so is it when a man is blinded with his lusts , he goes on in sinne , perit enim judicium , cum res transit in effectum .

The second Reason is from the Divell , who covers our sinnes before they are committed with Reas. 2. some bairs ; for hee knowes no fish will bite at a bare hooke : so sinne at the first is covered with profit , pleasures , &c. or else he laboureth to minse it with distinctions , but when it s committed , then he sets it forth in its owne proper colours .

The third Reason is from God himselfe , who Reas. 3. giueth men up oftentimes in his just judgement ; and then use all the perswasions and reasons in the world , and you cannot move them from it : hence is it that the Apostle speakes , Rom. 1. 28. As they regarded not to know God , so God gave them over to a reprobate Roin 1. 28 sense , that they were not able to discerne of the truth : which is a metaphor taken from a toughstone , which is able to discerne betweene true gold and false ; but when the vertue of this touch-stone is taken away , then it cannot difcerne ; so in like manner , when as God shall give a man up to commit sinne , and take away his right minde , he cannot discerne evill from good , no more then a blind man can judge of colours ; yea , and he is no stronger to resist any tentation , then Sampson was when his haire was cut off , to resist his enemies .

Indeed I deny not but that God may sometimes for sinne , leave good men to themselves ; thus God delt with Ezekias , 2 Chron. 32. 31. who because he had shewed the Embassadours of the Prince of Babyion all his furniture , it is said God left him to himselfe .

And this is done for these two Reasons :

First , because God is willing to it for his owne glory . Reas.

Secondly , because by this their consciences come to be awakened , and begins to ring a loud peale in their eares .

But here we must know , that there is a great difference betweene Gods leaving of wicked men to themselves , and good men to themselves .

For first , for wicked men , their conscience is awakened , but not soundly untill the day of death , although they may have some remorse and sorrow before . But commonly God awakes a good man sooner . The sinnes of a good man are either lesser or greater ; if lesser , he is sooner awakened ; if greater , he is awaked with greater difficultie ; for a grose sinne is alwayes most dangerous ; this yee may see plainly in David , when he had cut off the lap of Sauls garment , hee quickly perceived his sinne ; but when he had committed the foule sinne of adultery , he was more a great deale insensible of that .

The reason why wee are so insensible in grose sinnes is this , because when a godly man commits Reas. but a little sinne , for all that his heart stil remaines in good temper ; but when he commits a great sinne , then its all out of order , and cannot perceive it so soone . Even as a man , if he hath a great blow Simile . on the head with a staffe , he is lesse sensible then if he had a little scratch or rench ; so is it with Gods children in committing of sinne . Now the Use is this :

Seeing that this is the Divels craftinesse , first to Vse . cover sinnes before they be committed , let us then when we are assaulted with any tentation , take heed ; let us not beleeve that that sinne is little , but rather let us demurre and consider a little the matter ; If thou hast any good motions in thee , execute them speedily ; but if thou art tempted to wickednesse stay a while , and consider a while . It s the note of a foole to goe on he regardeth not whether ; but it s the signe of a wise man , to see a danger a farre off , and escape it . Consider what will follow thy sin . At the first Iudas thought that thirty peeces of silver would have made amends for all , but after he was condemned , he repented for his former folly . If before we sinne we could but feele the sequences , we would never commit it ; if we could but see the blindnesse of minde , the horrour of conscience , the hardnesse of heart that will inseparably follow them , we would certainly shun them ; for is any man so mad as to thinke that if a man felt the surfeit first , before he eat the sweet meat , that he would then eat it ? no surely : so could we but see the punishment now that will follow a little pleasure , surely we would reject all the pleasure .

Let us therefore be so wise for to looke to the baits that the divell casts before us , for he is cunning and subtill , and its good for us to thinke so .

We usually labour and strive against evill company , to abstaine from them ; why should we then meddle with the divell , or be in his company ? Evah was drawne to sinne through conference with Gen. 3. ● him , although it may be at the first she intended it not . Gaze not at all upon these baits of sathan . And if he doe presse sore upon you , consider the consequents that will certainly follow , and say as Iezabel said ( though after another manner ) had Zimri peace , who slew his Master . If he tempt thee to lying , then say , had Annanias and Saphira peace , who lyed to the Lord ? If he tempteth you to other sinnes , looke what the Scripture saith against such sinnes ; as if he intice thee to commit fornication , remember that of the Apostle , Commit not fornication , as some did , whereof dyed three and twenty thou sands : 1 Corin. 10 Gen 38. 9 or say thus , had Onan peace , who sinned in thus doing . Doth he intice thee to drunkennesse , say with thy selfe , had Nabal peace , who died not for his churlishnesse , but for his drunkennesse ; so for any sinne in generall , doth he intice thee to it , looke to the plaine words of the Scripture ; for there is no sinne without bitternesse .

But now to the intent we may the better be able to avoide his baits , let us consider the deceits and glosses which he useth to put before us : which are these :

His first deceit is , that he seldome tempts one to Satansdeceits 1 the committing of one of the lest sinnes , but he promiseth either profit , pleasure , or some reward .

Now to this I answer , first , Here consider , if thou Answ. 2. doest not deprive thy selfe of a greater pleasure , even of the pleasure of a good conscience , surely that will bring more joy and comfort then any earthly thing can , yea , and at the last , more advantage in outward things then sinne .

Secondly , when he tels thee of his profitand pleasure ; Answ. 2. tell him that he cannot be as good as his word , for the pleasures of sinare but for a season , and in the midst of these pleasures there is griese .

Now there is a double misery in every sinne :

First , that which is inherent , which is the sinne itselfe . The minde can never take contentment till it have the proper object ; and every thing taketh pleasure when it is as it should be , otherwise it doth not , but as alegge or an arme being out of joynt , is full of paine and griefe ; so when the mind and faculties thereof are distracted , they were as it were out of joynt , and full of griefe . The pleasures of the wicked have sorrow with them , but the sorrowes of the godly have joy .

Secondly , as to good actions there is pleasure adjoyned , so there are also some wils which follow every sinne . Sathan hee presents before our eyes faire pleasures , when he tempts us to hainous sins ; but he never shewes us the paine and griefe that will follow . Thus did he with our Saviour , when he tempted him , shewing him all the kingdomes of the world , and the glory of them ; but never did he shew him the griefe . Thus likewise did he when he tempted the Jsraelites , shewing them their flesh-pots in Egypt , and their onions , &c. but he never shewed them the grievous paine and servitude that there in making brickes they did undergoe .

His second deceipt is this ; he tels us , that though we sinne , yet we may escape and goe to heaven notwithstanding . 2. Deceit .

I answer : Doe but remember what God saith to this temptation , Deut. 29. 19. When hee shall heare Answ. the words of this curse , if hee shall blesse himselfe in his heart , saying , I shall haue peace , although I walke according to the stubbornenesse of mine owne heart , quasi dixit , though I commit such and such sinnes , yet notwithstanding I shall goe to heaven ; but marke what God saith , I willnot be mercifull unto that man , but my wrath and my jealousie shall smoake against him , every curse that is written in this booke shall light upon him , and his name shall be ro●ted out from under heaven . So Esd. 28. 12. I will disanull your covenant , and your agreement with hell shall not stand , qvasi dixit , when a man thinkes he shall efcape hell , and goe to heaven , though he commitsinne , he doth , as it were , make a covenant with hell , but God saith that covenant shall not stand . So Esd. 44. 11. Destruction shall come suddenly on them , and they shall not know the morning thereof . Indeed , perhaps they say , we will repent in the meane time ; but I wish them seriously to consider the fore-named places .

Thirdly , the Divell tels us , that though we commit 3. Deceit . finne , yet we may leave it when we will .

But for the answer of this ; know , it is a meere Answ. delusion ; for can a black-moore change his skinne , Ier. 13. 23. Suppose a black-moore should be warned to come before a Prince with a faire skinne , and have a weekes space to prepare himselfe , and deferre it untill the last day , thinking he could doe it soone enough ; would he not be accounted a foole ? yet a black-moore shall sooner change his skin , then a wicked man depart from his evill way . Sinne is like to sicknesse , it weakens the strength of the mind , of the judgment , and affections , and takes away all our purposes which we had at the first .

If a man that is sicke can keepe his strength , then may a man that lives in finne keepe his , and rouze himselfe up by repentance at his pleasure ; but it is not so , its God onely that giveth repentance , now the spirit bloweth were it lusteth . If you say , I will be sorrowfull , forsake my sinnes , and repent when sicknesse comes , this will hardly prove true repentance , for Iudas did so . This repentance most commonly riseth from selfe-love ; every creature loveth his owne safety ; so at death a man is willing to leave sinne , but this comes from nature and selfe-love , because he would not goe to hell , and most commonly thesemen , if it please God that ever they recover out of their sicknesses , they fall into the same courses againe .

Fourthly , He will excuse our sinne by some vertues wherewith it hath affinity ; he will put on us 4. Deceit . palliata vitia , those vices that have some neerenesse to vertue

I answer : howsoever the divell may use such distinctions to helpe out his baits to sinne for a time , Answ. yet in the time of trouble they will not hold out , but appeare as they are indeed .

Fifthly , He makes men beleeve their nature is prone to it , and they cannot leave it . If I were as 5. Deceit . such and such men are indeed I could abstaine , but my nature is such that it will not suffer me .

I answer : Thou must know that this doth not excuse but aggravate thy sinne ; if thy nature be Answ. prone to any sinne , know , that the sinne is much more grievous : we loathe a toad because of the venomous nature of it ; so God loatheth our nature , because its sinfull . As a drunken man that murthers another commits a double sinne , one of drunkennesse , another of murther , which comes from drunkennesse ; so , if our nature be prone to any sin which we commit , it s a double sinne ; first , in that it is naturall to us and originall : secondly , that we commit thereby originall transgressions . We had you know , a part in Adams sinne by propagation ; now if we have a hand in it our selves by our strong inclinations thereunto , wee our selves are causes thereof : likewise let us not therefore goe about to excuse our selves with this , that because I am of an other temper then another man , I may take more liberty , and God will beare with us herein ; for God certainly will beare with us the lesse .

Sixthly , He will turne away thy thoughts from the sinne , and fasten them on something else ; so 6. Deceit . Iudas , his eye at the first was fastened on the thirty peeces of silver , but afterwards he thought of his sinne .

For this I commend unto you Davids practice , Answ. Psalme 119. I considered my wayes , and turned my feet unto thy testimonies . So looke thou first upon thy sinne before thou commit it , and labour to see his cunning therein . If David had seriously looked on the sinne of adultery before he had committed it , he would never have done it ; hence is it that the Wise man councelleth us , Prov. 4. last . Ponder thy wayes aright , &c. And this is commonly the greatest deceit of all .

Seventhly , Helabours to draw men on to sinne 7. Deceit . by degrees , by a little and a little ; he never aggravates the sin at the first , but extenuates it .

I answer : when water hath gotten a little passage , it will soone make a great breach ; one little Answ. wedge makes way for a greater : so it may be a man commits but a little sinne at the first , but afterward the Divell drawes him to commit greater . A man that commits sinne is as one in a quicke sand , who sinkes deeper and deeper : or as a little sparke that kindles a great fire . Seeing therefore the case standeth thus , we ought to resist the beginnings of sin , and give peremptory deniall to the first temptations . And thus much for this point .

Now followeth the third point , viz. the repentance of Iudas in these words , Hee repented himselfe , &c. which repentance of his consisteth of three parts .

From which repentance of his learne this Doctrine , That there is a false repentance , confession and restitution that is very like the true repentance , confession and restitution , Doctr. and can hardly be discerned .

This repentance , consession and restitution which Iudas made was not true , yet it was very like to true . Such was that of Saul , Ahab , and the rest . Such is the repentance of many at this day , who in some good mood , or in some afflictions seeme to repent ; but this repentance breakes as bubbles , and vanisheth as the lightning in the ayre . This repentance is false , yet so like the true , that the difference betweene them is very hard to discerne , although in themselus they differ much ; as true gold and counterfeit are hard to be discerned asunder by us , although in themselves there is a broad difference , as much as betweene gold and copper .

This false repentance may goefarre ,

First , if we consider the substance , it may goe farre , for ,