to us a pattern of all goodness, and all godliness. Hence we are told that he hath "set us an example that we should follow his steps." And hence the Apostle Paul says, that he gave himself that we should imitate him, and "walk in love; as he also loved us and gave himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour." "Forasmuch," says the Apostle Peter, "as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh, hath ceased from sin: that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God."

Now, it should be the object of the Christian, to exemplify continually this practical influence; he should endeavour to live under the power of the cross; and to show that the death of Christ is to him the wisdom and the power of God. And cherishing faith in Christ, and living in him, he will exemplify the influence of his cross; he will live and he will die as a Christian. It was the grand design of the death of Christ, practically considered in its ultimate influence on the Christian in this world, to make him like his Blessed Lord; and every good man will wish to be transformed more and more into every trait of the temper, and every characteristic of the conduct, of the Saviour; beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, he will desire to be changed into the same image from glory to glory, by the Lord the Spirit: he will go from one degree of holiness to another, from one measure of conformity to another, until the likeness between him and Christ be perfected in glory. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God; and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that when He who is our life shall appear, we also shall appear with him in glory; we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is."

In the last place, we should bear about continually the dying of the Lord Jesus by a frequent solemn commemoration of him. This, as you know, was the manner of the Apostles and of Christians in the primitive times; they observed frequently the Lord's Supper. And every good man will delight to follow their example, and to show forth, as often as may be, the death of Christ until he come again. Nor can anything be more reasonable. The sacred institution has lost nothing of its ancient and simple dignity-nothing of its tender interest or its imperishable obligation: it is now just as simple, as significant, as solemn, as delightful, as refreshing, as consolatory, as edifying, and as improving, as ever it was. There is no ordinance of the New Testament on which God has smiled more frequently. If a child of God has been brought nearer to his Heavenly Father, it has been usually at the Lord's table; and at such a time as this he has been indeed brought into God's banquetting house, and the banner of love has been spread over him. Unquestionably the Lord's Supper, duly celebrated, is the most striking image that we have of the state and the service of the upper world. "I appoint to you," says our Saviour, referring to this circumstance-" -"I appoint to you a kingdom, as my Father has appointed me, that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom."

Surrounded, then, as the Lord's Supper is, with attractions the most powerful and persuasive, enforced by recommendations so high, what ought to be so influential? Every true child of God will delight to observe it; and it is doubtless not well with the person who either slights this duty, or declines Think you that man can be a Christian whose soul

positively to observe it.

disrelishes the bread of life? Is that man likely to be a member of the family of God who absents himself, frequently or always, unnecessarily, from the table A good man loves of the Lord, and who will not eat of the children's bread? the habitations of God, and the place where his honour dwells: he loves to show forth the death of Christ till he come again: he rejoices in celebrating the Eucharist, the feast of joy and of praise: he delights to commemorate that great decease, the most wonderful event on which the sun ever shone, and to hand it down to succeeding generations. While he celebrates this death, he knows that he is joining the blessed in the better world, who with him are ever ready to exclaim, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive riches, and honour, and glory, and power, and dominion. To Him that loved us and washed us in his blood, and hath made us kings and priests to God, to Him be glory for ever and ever, Amen."

Such we apprehend, summarily, is the manner in which all, in these latter times, may bear about, spiritually and effectually, the dying of the Lord Jesus. Thus will Christians act.

But what shall we say to those who have no heart for this work, and who have no enjoyment in the Saviour's death? What shall we say to those who will not bear about this dying, and who dishonour the worthy name by which they are called? What shall we say to those who, when the minister of the Gospel proclaims to them the cross of Christ, are ready to say to him, “Go thy way for this time; when I have a more convenient season I will send for thee:" or who, when the minister of religion invites them to the Lord's table, "The table of and urges the partaking of this heavenly repast, seem to say, the Lord is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible?" Especially what can we say to them who wound Jesus in the house of his friends, who crucify him afresh, and put him to an open shame; concerning whom we may say, with weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose God is their belly, who glory in their shame, who mind earthly things? Can we praise them for this? Nay, we must condemn them. Reason condemns them; consistency condemns them: and it is impossible to measure the atrocious character, and the delinquency of such conduct and dishonour on the Christian

name.

Yet, astonishing to say, such a sinner is not excluded from the hope of mercy through the dying Saviour. Nay, that very blood that is trampled on, has been shed for the remission of the sins of such: that very death which is despised, were it embraced by faith, would ensure your best interests; and that Saviour whom you scorn, would work out for you a right to eternal happiness. Oh then, while it is yet the season, listen to the voice of God: "Turn ye, turn ye: why will ye die, O house of Israel?" "As the Lord liveth," said Jehovah, "I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that he may turn unto 66 stout-hearted that ye me and live." "Hearken to me," says Christ himself, are far from righteousness. I bring near my righteousness: it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry." Yes, brethren, it is a faithful saying (may the Spirit of God enable us all to hear it!) "It is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, even the chief of sinners."

On the other side it is incumbent on us to declare, that, if you will not hear, you cannot be established; if you will not hear, you cannot be saved; if you will not believe, you must perish in your sins. Nor is this, we fear, a very uncommon case. "I saw," says Solomon," the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done." We would hope, however, better of many amongst you; fain would we say of all amongst you. Come, then, and let us endeavour by grace to bear about daily the dying of the Lord Jesus. Thus shall we exemplify the Christian life and the Christian name: thus shall we have the fellowship of Christ's sufferings, and become conformable to his death: thus shall we breathe the spirit and imitate the example of the best of men, who loved this festival and are now in glory: and thus, as we pass along this vale of tears, the recollection of the sufferings of Christ will soften our every affliction, and heighten our every enjoyment; and after this vain world hath passed away, we shall feel the delightful assurance, that if we have suffered with Christ now, we shall be glorified together with him hereafter, for ever and for ever.

284

THE APOSTACY OF JUDAS.

HON. AND REV. B. W. NOEL, A.M.

ST. JOHN'S CHAPEL, BEDFORD ROW, AUGUST 17, 1834.

"When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily,

I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake. Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake. He then lying on Jesus' breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it? Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. And after the sop Satan entered into him."—JOHN, xiii. 21—27.

THIS was the last of a series of fatal victories which Judas Iscariot won over the different means and checks, which God had mercifully provided to withhold him from sin, and bring him to piety. From that time it seemed as if God would no more strive with him, either by his providence of love, or by the suggestions of his Spirit within. We read, that "Satan entered into him." He seems at this moment to have taken full possession of that miserable being, and thenceforth he was no more released from his grasp. It seemed as if now that awful sentence was pronounced upon Judas, "Let him alone." There was no more check to his iniquity; and he proceeded rapidly in that downward course, which was to issue in his irremediable destruction.

But we must not think, brethren, that Judas came to this degree of guilt and sin at once. Many were the checks that God had mercifully interposed. Many were the mighty means of grace which he had resisted. In this passage we read of the last of those means. Let us consider that series of the means of grace which Judas had resisted before he triumphed over this.

Judas had been acquainted with all the remarkable miracles that Jesus Christ had wrought to manifest the truth of his mission. He had been with the other disciples on the midnight lake, when he saw Jesus walking on the waters as a spirit. He had seen by what power he had sustained Peter, when he walked, likewise, on the waves. With what mighty power Jesus Christ hushed the stormy element, and at his words the winds lie still. He saw him enter the vessel, and then with a mysterious guidance conducted it to the destined port, without human aid. He had likewise joined with the other disciples in distributing the bread, which multiplied in the hands of the five thousand who were seated on the shore of the lake. He had witnessed the dead come forth from the cavern, and mingle again with living men. He had heard the voice of that demon which came from within the men, who entreated the Lord Jesus not to torment them before the time. And if he had not himself stood upon

the mountain at the time of the transfiguration, he had heard from those, whose testimony was never to be questioned, of the marvellous light which sparkled and glittered as the sun, like the body of our Saviour in the midnight air. He had heard from those whose veracity was not to be doubted, of the voice which came from heaven, saying, "This is my beloved Son." So that he knew all. He knew that it was Emanuel, the Messiah, whom God had sent to rescue mankind from misery. He knew it was he of whom the prophets had spoken; and he whom John the Baptist had introduced to the nation. God had granted to him the fullest evidence for the authority of our Saviour; which ought to have made him reverence that authority, and observe his laws.

And then, what instruction had Judas received from his Master; what an inestimable blessing was it to be under the immediate instruction of the Lord Jesus Christ! He doubtless opened to them, from day to day, the meaning of the Scriptures before him; and led them to examine those Scriptures with which they were unacquainted. He expounded to them many important truths which were before misunderstood. The instruction of our Lord, ought to have led Judas to do all his immediate duties. If there was any thing that they were not prepared to learn, he reserved it for the fuller instruction which he was shortly to bestow. Still, all that was necessary to guide them to their immediate duties, to deter them from sin, to animate them to acts of piety, did our Saviour doubtless communicate. Indeed, he intimates this, when he said to his disciples shortly afterwards, at the sixteenth chapter of St. John, "These things"—that is, the coming sufferings-" have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you." He was with them, to animate, to instruct, to console, to deter them from sin, and detect their failings;-to shew them their true character, and lead them to all the duties of the station to which they were called. All these advantages Judas enjoyed.

Then this instruction was sustained by an example of unparalleled loveliness. Judas saw, from day to day, the perfect character of his blessed Master. He saw that holy being in the midst of an unholy nation: he must have observed his fidelity, and that he never shrunk from his duty; the boldness also with which he fearlessly rebuked sin, and yet mingled his boldness with benevolence; that patience which no provocation could exhaust, and that gentleness and meekness which no insults could ever change. He saw his perfect holiness; which was so much more beautiful than in him who was called Adam: because he manifested, for instance, every thing that attracted him to God, and Christ manifested every thing that directed the mind to God. He saw an example at once venerable and endearing. We all know the power of example: such singular power and force has it upon our minds, that we might have spurned every thing mean and sinful away; and the grace of St. Paul or St. John, would seem to be at once possible and easy of attainment. Judas was the last man that ought not to have been unacquainted with the depravity of the human heart, and that it can resist any means, however conducive to our good.

Besides the example of Christ, he was favoured with constant tokens of kindness. This, indeed, was manifested to all who were around him: but Judas was one of his chosen friends, one who was continually receiving from him the