SERM. fend one of thefe little ones that believe in XII. me, it is better for him that a Mill-ftone were bang'd about his Neck, and be were caft into the Sea. We are here to fee, if the Senfe of this Verfe, which is most certain in itfelf and obvious, will lead us to that of the Verfes before us.

1

The first Thing obfervable in it is, the Nature of Offence or Scandal, [whofoever fall offend ;] which in fhort is, the tempting or occafioning others to fin. After that we may confider the Perfons expofed to Danger in that refpect, [thefe little ones that believe in me ;] and they are the Weak in Natural and in Chriftian Growth, which we foe there taken fuch Care of Lastly, one must remark those most likely to fcandalize and fubvert them, the Perfons threaten'd; which are to be fure fuch as proportionably may be called. frong. And fo there opens a large Field of Confideration concerning the feveral Ways of incurring that Guilt, the provoking high Measure of it, and the Dread fulness of that just and heavy Punishment accordingly annexed and denounced to it. If then you find, (as it is evident) that

the

the Business of those Words was, to guard SERM, the undiscerning and helpless from the XII. Offences and Snares of the prefumptuous, by putting the latter under the Awe of a most severe Vengeance; you may perceive that in these of my Text, [And if thy Hand offend thee, cut it off, &c.] our Lord turns him from the 'Duty, the Tranfgref fion and Condemnation of the Givers of Scandal, to the Duty, Tranfgreffion and Condemnation of those who take it, and fuffer by it; namely, fuch of them, as are not meer Children, but have fome Degree of Ability to difcern and thun their Danger. Where Means and Capacity of marking, and avoiding those that would overthrow or mislead us, are entirely wanting; his Threatening falls wholly upon them that fo mislead and overthrow the Goings of his Children. But when the Stature of thofe little ones is once advanced, and that firft Weakness outgrown; with Ability there commences Duty, and the Neglect of it fubjects thofe that are fcandalized to Penalties of a like Nature in this, with those proclaimed against the Scandalizers in the foregoing, Text.

SERM.

This I offer, to make more apparent XII. the Connexion between them, and with how

natural a Tranfition and juft Coherence
with the Caution againft giving Scandal at
the 42d Verfe, it is fubjoin'd at Ver. 43. And
if thy Hand offend thee, cut it off; it is better
for thee to enter into Life maimed, than
having two Hands to go into Hell, into the
Fire that never fhall be quenched, &c. For
thence, from that orderly and strong Con-
nexion, it is that I would recommend my
Senfe of those Words, that alone make
any Difficulty here, the Hand, the Foot,
and the Eye; which I interpret as, pri-'
marily at least, intended of Perfons, (Neigh-
bours, Acquaintance, or Friends) that
fcandalize and corrupt thofe united with
them; because the Correfpondence and
Harmony of the whole Paffage will fo
remain most entire and unforced. As
thus "If any one fhall lead into
"Sin or Error fuch weak or unwary Be-
«lievers, as this Youth here before you;
"let him know, that as he fhews no
"Mercy to the Souls of others, he must
"expect none for his own.
And to you
"that have Sense and Skill to

diftinguish

"the

« the Authors of so great Mischief, and Serm. "their fatal Infinuations, I fay, Fly from XII. "the Infection; reject and cut off all "Intercourfe and Familiarity with them, "how near, how endear'd, how neceffary foever they may otherwise be. "The Happinefs of the Soul, which can

not otherwife be fecured from Anguish "and Torments never to ceafe, must be "preferred before all Temporal Engage"ments, Inclinations, and ConvenienThe Relatives and Inftruments

❝ces.

of these are at the moft but as Mem"bers of the Body, the Hand, the Foot, " and the Eye; and neither the Suffer"ing nor Saving of them can ever come

into Competition with the Salvation and Destruction of your better Part, "together with that Body itself, in a "Life and Kingdom, of Death and Mifery, everlasting.

Secondly, If we look into the xviiith Chapter of St. Matthew, where the fame Threatning to the Givers of Offence, and the fame Precept for cutting off the offending Members, are recorded; we shall, I believe, be determined to the Senfe of

SERM. the Text I have now given. For there XII. we have a Sentence inferted between them, (between the Threatning and the Precept, I mean) omitted by St. Mark, that points manifeftly to this Interpretation of PerJons; it makes the 7th Verfe: Wo unto the World because of Offences: For it must needs be that Offences come; but Wo to THAT MAN by whom the Offence cometh. Wherefore (fo the 8th Verfe is brought in) if thy Hand or thy Foot offend thee, cut them off, and caft them from thee, &c. What then can the Hand be, or the Foot, we muft cut off; what the Eye, we must pluck out, and caft from us; but fome MAN, BY WHOM the Offence cometh; that worketh Wo both to us and to himself?

Without these Confiderations, Men may be apt to understand the Thing otherwise, viz. that those most pleasurable and most ufeful Parts of our Bodies are put to fignify the Affections to Delight or Profit; which when they prove irregular or exceffive, must be fubdued, cut fhort, or rooted out. And this Opinion feems the more plaufible from another Place in St. Matthew, Chap. v. 29, 30. where the

fame