All this is perfectly consistent with the great scriptural truth that Christ came into the world to save his people, that his death renders certain the salvation of all those whom the Father hath given him, and therefore that he died not only for them but m their place^ and on the condition that they should never die.
12. But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.
We sin against our brethren when we wound their weak conscience. The one phrase explains the other. To wound a man's conscience is to give it the pain of remorse. When we bring on him a sense of guilt we inflict on him the greatest evil in our power ; not only because a wounded spirit is worse than a wounded body ; but also because a sense of guilt alien- ates us from God and brings us under the power of Satan. He who thus sins against his brother, sins against Christ. This is true in two senses. An injury done to a child is an injury to the parent, both because proper regard for the pa- rent would prevent one from injuring his cliild ; and also because the parent sufiers in the child. They are so united that the injury of the one is the injury of the other. So also it is a manifestation of want of love to Christ, an insult and injury to him, to injure his people ; and moreover, he and they are so united that whatever of good or evil is done to them is done also to him. " Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me," Matt. 25, 40. If we believed this aright it would render us very careful not to wound our fellow Christians, and make us also feel, it to be an honour to relieve their wants.
13. Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.
The word o-KavSoXt^w means either to offend, or to cause to offend. That is, either to provoke, or to cause to sin. The Enghsh word is also used in both these senses. Matt. 17, 27, " That we may not offend them," i. e. provoke them. Matt. 5, 29, " If thy eye offend thee," i. e. cause thee to sin ; and Matt. 18,6, "Whoso shall offend (i. e. cause to sin) one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him