The same thing may be said concerning Judas; he apostatized from the faith, which he once made a very great profession of, being not only one of Christ’s disciples, but sent forth with the rest of them, to preach the gospel, and work miracles; yet it is evident, that he had not the saving grace of faith. For our Saviour, who knew the hearts of all men, was not deceived in him (though others were) inasmuch as it is said, _He knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him_, John vi. 64. However, the principal force of the objection lies in this, that Judas must needs have been a believer, because he was given to Christ; and our Saviour says, that _those who were given him were kept by him, and none of them was lost but the son of perdition_, chap. xvii. 12. His being styled _the son of perdition_, argues him an apostate; and his being _given to Christ_ denotes that he was once a true believer; therefore he fell totally and finally. In answer to which, (1.) Some conclude, that they who are said to _be given to Christ_, are such as were appointed, by the providence of God, to be his servants in the work of the ministry. Now it is said concerning them, that they were given to Christ, to be employed by him in this service; and that all of them were kept faithful, except the son of perdition. If this be the sense of their being given to him, it does not necessarily infer their being made partakers of special grace: it is one thing to be given to Christ, to be employed in some peculiar acts of service, in which his glory is concerned; and another thing to be given to him, as being chosen and called by him, to partake of special communion with him: if Judas had been given to him in this latter sense, he would not have been a son of perdition, but would have been kept by him, as the other disciples were; but inasmuch as he was only given to Christ, that he might serve the design of his providence, in the work of the ministry, he might be lost, or appear to be a son of perdition, and yet not fall from the truth of grace.