The sermons of Master Henry Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his…The sermons of Maister Henrie Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his…

Now we come to Judas to aggravate this ⟨p. 889⟩tragical counsel. The Evangelist annexeth unto it, the desperate end of the cursedst man that ever was. Three things are specially noted of this Traitor: his death, the cause of his death, & the confession which he made before his death. His death in the fifth verse: He went & hanged himself: The cause of his death in the 3. verse: For that he had betrayed his Lord, & now did see him condemned & had no joy of the money which was given unto him for his Treason. His confession in the third verse: I have sinned betraying innocent blood. I will speak of every word as they lie for your memory. Therefore, first of his Treason. When Judas the traitor: before he was called Judas the Apostle, now he is called Judas the traitor, to distinguish him from other of that name, lest any of his name should be defamed for him, a brand is set in his forehead like the letter Tau, ¹or Cain's mark, to make him hateful like a rogue which is burned in the ear: so Esau was called Edom which signifieth Read, to keep his wickedness in remembrance, because he, sold his birth-right for a mess of red pottage.² So Simon is called the Sorcerer, as though GOD would note him for the worst of that name: So God knoweth Simon Peter from Simon Magus: and Judas his brother, from Judas his betrayer: and therefore, as Jeroboam ⟨p. 890⟩comes in with his train after him:³ Jeroboam which made Israel to sin: So Judas comes in with his train after him: Judas, which betrayed the Lord: For when God said: I will honour them which honour me, he signified how he would dishonour them which dishonour him, and therefore this name is a word of reproach until this day: and all Traitors are called Judases for his sake: that the Prophecy might be fulfilled: The names of the wicked shall rot: ⁴that is, they shall be named with loathsomeness, and remembered with disdain, as a man passeth by a rotten carrion, and stoppeth his nose until he be past it: This is the just wrath of God. As Christ promised that Mary's good work should be spoken of to the worlds end: So he hath caused Judas evil work to be spoken of unto the worlds end too. For there were three evils in one: First his practise was impudent, because he offered himself to be a Traitor before he was asked. Then it was Covetous, because he was contented to betray his Lord for 30. pence.