The rule of faith, or, An exposition of the Apostles Creed so handled as…

Out of all this divers uses may be made: As,

Out of all this diuers vses may be made: As,

1. For Information, and so two things may be noted: First, that Ministers if they be corrupt, and lye in the practise of any gross sin, prove very devils incarnate; Judas for this cause is called a Devil, John 6. 70. Nothing is more loathsome to God than a wicked Minister; and no men prove more vile, and impudent, and senseless than they, if they make not conscience of their ways. If Salt be unsavoury, where with shall it be salted? Seldom do we read or hear of the conversion of these men. Again, if God forsake a man in his just judgement, we see how impossible it is for a man to get out of the snare of sin. Judas, after Covetousness had infected him, was still an Apostle, had excellent gifts of preaching and working miracles, enjoyed the benefit of the daily doctrine & holy example of our Saviour, saw his Miracles, was entertained into his familiar acquaintance, and had manifest warning given, Joh. 6. 70. And now at the time of his Treason frequent admonitions, as ⟨p. 330⟩was showed before, and yet so corrupt was his nature, and so had the Devil bewitched him, that he gives not over till he had fully finished his wicked device. Yea let all men take heed how they trust upon vain evasions, or pretended projects, to avoid the hurts and mischief may follow upon their wicked actions. It is probably gathered by some Divines, that Judas though he meant to betray Christ, yet he meant not to have him killed, but thought he might get the money of the Priests, and yet Christ when he came to the pinch would escape from their hands, as he had often done. And this may be gathered two ways: For first, when he comes to Christ, and gives the sign to the Jews by kissing him, he so speaks to Christ, as he seems to will him to shift for himself; when he said, Master save thy self, or hail Master. And secondly, the Evangelist observes, that when Judas saw that Christ was condemned, he was horribly troubled, and falls into despair: which imports that he thought he should never have been condemned. But all this forecast notwithstanding, by betraying him, he became guilty of Innocent blood, which he saw when it was too late. Yea yet further, all men may take warning too from Judas, to look to the beginnings of discontent. The Devil can work strange mischiefs out of small beginnings: