alarming charge, did not wait the slow form of regularity. When Christ made such a home, heinous, and direct charge, the eleven had not far to seek for an answer. From the abundance of their hearts their mouths spake. Prompted by love to their Master, an abhorrence of the crime, and a consciousness of innocence, they exclaimed, "Lord, is it I?" With them this question was the spontaneous burst of love, fear, and every grace. Influenced by different motives, last of all Judas dragged out "Master, is it I ?” One scarcely knows how to account for the traitor's conduct when he asked this question. As far as they knew their hearts, the eleven could not but be conscious that they had neither thought, said, or done any thing which laid a foundation for such a charge. It behooved him to know the contrary. But studiously to conceal the truth, induced by the example of the disciples, and to avoid singularity, he stammered out, Master, is it I? The time when he asked the question betrayed a consciousness of guilt; the manner of asking it was expressive of that effrontery peculiar to hypocrites; and the question itself was an instance of that contempt of Omniscience which ruins the nominål professor. It was a question which he ought never to have asked, and which, in all probability, he never wished to be answered.

We shall only further observe, that when Christ's enemies discover themselves, and desert and oppose him and his interest, his friends appear, and make vigorous exertions in his cause. If Judas betrayed want of love to the Redeemer, the disciples evinced that theirs was genuine and strong. If he formed the

resolution of betraying him, they gave ample and explicit testimony of unfeigned love to his person and interest. Grace improves every opportunity of promoting the Redeemer's cause, and is peculiarly active when open enemies attack, and secret foes desert it. We have an instance of this recorded John vi. 66— 69, "From that time many of the disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go ? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe, and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God." This was an open confession of Christ made directly by Peter, in which the rest joined him, and was occasioned by the apostacy of many professed disciples. Often grace in the heart, like Israel in Egypt, the more it is oppressed, the more it grows: and among the many instances of oppression, scarcely is any felt more severely, or produces more immediate effects, than the treachery and apostacy of pretended friends. Like an army fired with zeal for liberty and a love to their country, true Christians, enlisted under Christ's banner, make stronger exertions in proportion to the number and malice of deserters.

From this part of the subject we may infer,

1. That a great sinner may be a great professor. Judas made the same profession with the eleven. A high profession of love to Christ, and superlative love to sin, often dwell together. The Pharisees made high professions of religion, and were inexpressibly wicked. With peculiar emphasis did Christ give

them the designation of a whited sepulchre, The monument or grave stone, beautifully ornamented; pleases the beholder, while it covers the most nauseous putrefaction. Often the gifts and appearance of the hypocrite may please others; but could the rottenness of his heart be seen, it would be offensive and loathsome, as the putrid carcass which hourly feeds the worms. Christ Christ says elsewhere, concerning these hypocrites, that they make long prayers, and devour widows' houses. Like Judas, many a professor has betrayed Christ with a kiss.

2. Great grace may consist with great fear. The disciples were very gracious persons; but such an alarming and home charge made them tremble, and filled their hearts with fear, lest they should prove the traitors. In the history of the saints a fear of being mistaken, falling away, or giving offence, will be found strongly characteristic of genuine grace." Fear is so descriptive of the real character of the true Christian that he is often denominated by it, and called a fearer of the Lord. A filial and holy fear keeps the Christian depending on Christ for strength, and leads him to watchfulness against his enemies, and over his own heart. Grace makes progress in proportion to this fear.

3. Of all sinners none are more cherished by Satan, or better fitted for promoting his interest than the hypocrite. When the Jews could not prevail against Christ, a false disciple betrayed him. What befell the head, has often happened to his cause and members; a Judas has betrayed them. While Satan hates the power of godliness, he has no objection to

the form. Persons professing a form, but denying the power, are eminently calculated to injure Christ's interest, and promote Satan's. They have better access to know how matters stand in Israel, and Satan employs them as spies. Sometimes he makes the hypocrite a clog on the Lord's people to retard them; at other times a pest to disturb, and sow discord among them. Sometimes he makes him a great discouragement; at other times a great temptation to the true Christian. The truth of these things are evident from many passages in the Scriptures. The tares are ready to choke the wheat. Evil communications corrupt good manners. The foolish virgins entice the wise to sleep. Hypocrites open a large field for Satan to act in the church.

4. That Gospel hearers in the entry and progress of their profession should frequently inspect their hearts, and maintain a holy jealousy lest they be mistaken. Without watching and keeping the heart, we must be strangers at home. To point out the great advantages of a holy jealousy, the Scriptures assert, that blessed is the man who feareth always. Jealousy leads the Christian to fix the one eye upon God, and the other on his own heart and conduct. Thus "he stands in awe and sins not, but communes with his heart;" and "fears lest a promise being left of entering into God's rest, he should seem to come short of it." Like a trusty and vigilant guard, jealousy watches at once over the old and new man;- -over the new, to see if he exists in the heart, and prospers:-over the old, with his allies, to oppose their deceit and violence. If, at any time, the Christian sleeps, he finds, in his sad experience, that the watchful ad

versary has improved the opportunity, and sowed

tares.

5. That hypocrisy must be in a singular manner odious to God. Such a heart and conduct as Judas had are directly contrary to that truth, in which God delighteth. Hypocrisy betrays a great contempt of God and his perfections. The language of the treacherous heart is, "The Lord shall not see; neither shall the God of Jacob regard." Hypocrisy treats the omniscient Jehovah as if he were on a level with the idol gods of the nations, “which are silver and gold, the work of men's hands: which have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they but they see not: they have ears but they hear not, &c." Well did Isaiah describe the hypocrites, when he said, "This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honour me with their lips; but their hearts are far from me." They deal with God as they durst not with their fellow-creatures; for which they are sharply reproved by the Prophet Malachi. He charges them with offering the blind, the lame, and the sick for sacrifice. Having emphatically asserted the heinousness of such conduct, he appeals to them if they could have presented such offerings to their governor, or if he would have been pleased, or accepted them. He charges them with having a male in their flock, and vowing and sacrificing unto the Lord a corrupt thing. Jehovah himself addresses them. He appeals to themselves and asks, should I accept this of your hands? He curses such deceivers, and proclaims his own Majesty as infinitely enough to eradicate from the heart the least thought that such deception could be pleasing to him, or that he