But then there were a third sort, and they were more intimate with Christ then the Seventy, and all the rest, and they were twelve in number called Apostles, and these were as it were a College, and Christ the Master, these were domestic to him, they were of his household, they were never asunder, they did eat and drink, and live, and converse together, they were maintained out of one common stock and treasury. Now Judas he was one of the twelve, he was received into the most inward communion together, he was one of Christs family: So that it must needs be a great honour and prerogative to Judas, who would have other thoughts of him, then a sincere eminent man, for Christ chose him to be in the first place, Christ made as much of him, as of the rest. Who would not say, This must needs be a good man, Christ is so familiar with him; and whereas John 2. it's said, Many did believe, yet Christ would not commit himself to them, for he knew what was in man, yet here, though Judas did not truly believe, and though Christ knew what was in him, yet he committed himself to him. This familiarity of Judas with Christ, was of old prophesied of, and that to the aggravation of his sin, Psal. 41.9. It was thou my familiar friend, my acquaintance, we took sweet counsel together. Meditate then on this particular; The son of perdition is he that was constantly with Christ, one of his intimate friends, of dear relation together, and this will aggravate it more, if you consider Christ and his Apostles, not as a civil society, but a religious one: Though Christ did not in his life time on the earth set up a distinct Church from that of the Jews, but communicated with the Jews in all their Church-Ordinances, yet his family was a religious and heavenly society. He was preaching, praying and performing all heavenly duties, now Judas was as much in all these holy meetings, as the other Apostles: Therefore it's said Psal. 41 9. They took sweet counsel, yea it's said, in whom I trusted; so that Judas was admitted into all the secrets Christ had, yet the man thus in prayer often, in duties often, in heavenly conferences often, he becomes a Son of perdition; his heart was not right within him all that while:
But then there were a third sort, and they were more intimate with Christ then the Seventy, and all the rest, and they were twelve in number called Apostles, and these were as it were a Colledge, and Christ the Master, these were domestick to him, they were of his houshold, they were never asunder, they did eat and drink, and live, and converse together, they were maintained out of one common stock and treasury. Now Judas he was one of the twelve, he was received into the most inward communion together, he was one of Christs family: So that it must needs be a great honour and prerogative to Judas, who would have other thoughts of him, then a sincere eminent man, for Christ chose him to be in the first place, Christ made as much of him, as of the rest. Who would not say, This must needs be a good man, Christ is so familiar with him; and whereas John 2. it's said, Many did believe, yet Christ would not commit himself to them, for he knew what was in man, yet here, though Judas did not truly believe, and though Christ knew what was in him, yet he committed himself to him. This familiarity of Judas with Christ, was of old prophesied of, and that to the aggravation of his sinne, Psal. 41.9. It was thou my familiar friend, my acquaintance, we took sweet councel together. Meditate then on this particular; The sonne of perdition is he that was constantly with Christ, one of his intimate friends, of dear relation together, and this will aggravate it more, if you consider Christ and his Apostles, not as a civil society, but a religious one: Though Christ did not in his life time on the earth set up a distinct Church from that of the Jews, but communicated with the Jews in all their Church-Ordinances, yet his family was a religious and heavenly society. He was preaching, praying and performing all heavenly duties, now Judas was as much in all these holy meetings, as the other Apostles: Therefore it's said Psal. 41 9. They took sweet counsel, yea it's said, in whom I trusted; so that Judas was admitted into all the secrets Christ had, yet the man thus in prayer often, in duties often, in heavenly conferences often, he becomes a Sonne of perdition; his heart was not right within him all that while:
