First, Hereby we do evidently decl• a fearful Contempt of the great Go• we never more vilify and dispara• God, than when we do that for n• thing which we know his Soul hat• Should the Devil, when he Temp• you, take you as he took Christ, a• show you the Kingdoms of the Wor• ⟨p. 175⟩and the Glory of them all, and promise to bestow all these upon you; why, yet when God shows you the infinite Glory of the Kingdom of another World, you can plead no Natural Reason why you should consent to Sin, God infinitely out-bidding the Devil, even then when the Devil bids highest; but when you will prefer a Sin that bids nothing, a barren, fruitless, and unprofitable Lust, before the Holy Will of the great God, and the sure Promises of Eternal Glory, what Reason or Pretence can you show why you should sin, unless it be, because you are resolved rather to despite and affront God, than to advantage your own Souls. And this was the great aggravation of Judas's Sin, and that which made it so exceeding presumptuous: What • poor Temptation was Thirty Pieces of Silver, to induce him to the Vilest Wickedness that ever was committed since the World stood? It was no more •han the ordinary Value and Rate of a Slave, as you may see in Exod. 31.32. •mounting much to about Thirty Se•en Shillings Six Pence; and yet so far •id he undervalue Christ, as that for •his small Price he sells the Lord of Life ⟨p. 176⟩and Glory, and this God himself takes notice of as a great Indignity done unto him,1 Zach. 11.13. A goodly Price, says God by the Prophet there, was I prized at of them. I know that at the very hearing of this, your Hearts rise up in detestation of the Cursed Covetousness of Judas, that ever he should suffer himself to be Tempted by so base a Reward as a few Shillings were, to betray him to Death who was infinitely more worth than Heaven and Earth: Why, the Case is yours; nay wonder not at it, he betrayed him for Thirty Pieces of Silver, and you Daily Crucify him, and put him to open shame; you wound and pierce him to the very Heart for much less than that is; look back upon your past Life, can you not recall to Mind, that you have been prevailed upon to commit many a sin by such poor and inconsiderable things as scarce bear the show, or face, or appearance of a Temptation;
First, Hereby we do evidently decl• a fearful Contempt of the great Go• we never more vilifie and dispara• God, than when we do that for n• thing which we know his Soul hat• Should the Devil, when he Temp• you, take you as he took Christ, a• shew you the Kingdoms of the Wor• ⟨p. 175⟩and the Glory of them all, and promise to bestow all these upon you; why, yet when God shews you the infinite Glory of the Kingdom of another World, you can plead no Natural Reason why you should consent to Sin, God infinitely out-bidding the Devil, even then when the Devil bids highest; but when you will preferr a Sin that bids nothing, a barren, fruitless, and unprofitable Lust, before the Holy Will of the great God, and the sure Promises of Eternal Glory, what Reason or Pretence can you shew why you should sin, unless it be, because you are resolved rather to despight and affront God, than to advantage your own Souls. And this was the great aggravation of Judas's Sin, and that which made it so exceeding presumptuous: What • poor Temptation was Thirty Pieces of Silver, to enduce him to the Vilest Wickedness that ever was committed since the World stood? It was no more •han the ordinary Value and Rate of a Slave, as you may see in Exod. 31.32. •mounting much to about Thirty Se•en Shillings Six Pence; and yet so far •id he undervalue Christ, as that for •his small Price he sells the Lord of Life ⟨p. 176⟩and Glory, and this God himself takes notice of as a great Indignity done unto him,1 Zach. 11.13. A goodly Price, says God by the Prophet there, was I prized at of them. I know that at the very hearing of this, your Hearts rise up in detestation of the Cursed Covetousness of Judas, that ever he should suffer himself to be Tempted by so base a Reward as a few Shillings were, to betray him to Death who was infinitely more worth than Heaven and Earth: Why, the Case is yours; nay wonder not at it, he betrayed him for Thirty Pieces of Silver, and you Daily Crucifie him, and put him to open shame; you wound and pierce him to the very Heart for much less than that is; look back upon your past Life, can you not recall to Mind, that you have been prevailed upon to commit many a sin by such poor and inconsiderable things as scarce bear the shew, or face, or appearance of a Temptation;
- 1Zach. 11.13.
