2. Offences taken. Now offences are taken two ways: — (1.) As they occasion grief; and (2.) Sin. A given offence may be taken either of these ways : —
(1.) As they occasion grief. Born, xiv., " See that by thy miscar- riage 'thou grieve not thy brother.'" Men's offences who are pro- fessors are a grief, trouble, and burden, to those who are concerned in the same course of profession. But herein appears the wisdom of God, — when he doth, in his sovereigntj7, sometimes suffer persons to give offence, that may be sanctified unto the great advantage of the church. I am persuaded the church of Corinth was in so much dis- order, that it had gone near to have been lost, if God had not suffered
THE EVIL AND DANGER OF OFFENCES. 355
one anions' them to fall into a scandalous sin. But see what the end was ! You find in the First Epistle the disorder they were in, and what a scandalous sin fell out among them ; and in the Second Epistle, the sorrow upon it. When they knew it, they took offence, and were grieved at it : " For behold, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things," saith the apostle, "ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter." I look upon it to have been the greatest sanctified means that God appointed for the humiliation, recovery, and saving of that church, that he suffered, in his sovereign wisdom, such an offence to fall out among them. That is the first thing; and let us lay it up in our minds, that we may not be moved and shaken ; for I speak with a prospect of what is to come, and not of what is come: " Offences will come;" and therefore let us remember that God can sanctify the greatest offences to our humilia- tion and recovery, and to the saving of our church. Such is his infinite wisdom.
(2.) Given offences occasion sin. There comes the woe, as to the world ; for there is no woe from offences to them who are truly hum- bled for them, grieved at them, and made thereby watchful over themselves and their own ways. But now, when offences are made an occasion of sin, as in the world, the world takes no offence at all by their own sins, nor by the sins of one another. Let them be what they will, let their teachers be as scandalous in their lives as possible, they are not grieved nor concerned. And the reason is in that saying of David, 1 Sam. xxiv. 13, "As saith the proverb of the ancients" (it was a saying from the flood, if not from the beginning of the world), "Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked ;" — "Look for nothing but wickedness from wicked men." So that it is no offence at all, to see wicked men do wicked things. They do not take offence at one another ; nor doth the church of God take offence : for, as saith the proverb, they can do no otherwise. To show you how men are hardened in their prejudices against the truth, and confirmed in all their course by offences, would be too long a work for me to declare. But offences given are an occasion of sin, even among professors and believers themselves.
The worst way whereby a given offence is thus taken, is, when men countenance themselves in private sins by others' public sins ; and go on in vices because they see such and such commit greater. Woe unto us if we so take offence ! Again, a given offence is taken when our minds are provoked, exasperated, and carried off from a spirit of love and tenderness towards those that offend, and all others; and when Ave are discouraged, and despond, as though the ways of God
35G THE EVIL AND DANGER OF OFFENCES.
would not carry us out. This is to take offence to our disadvan- tage.
Thus I have showed you the great weight and import that is to be laid upon this matter of offence, as being the greatest aggravation of sin.
I have showed you the times wherein offences will abound : a time of persecution ; a time of the increase of abominable sins; and a time of the decay of churches, — such as are upon us.
I have likewise showed you, there are offences taken only, and not given : Christ and his cross, the poverty of the church, its persecution and distress in all places, and the hopes and fears of all mankind at present that it will be ruined; — these are offences taken only, and not given, being all suited to the wisdom, goodness, and righteousness of God. There are offences, also, that are given, by outward, known, public sins of persons who are under evangelical obligations to more honourable obedience. And under this head we might bring in every thing we see or hear; but some more gross than Others. And these offences occasion either grief and sorrow; and then they prove a sanctified means in the hand of God for the church's good, making them more watchful and careful for the future : or they occasion sin, both by the world and by professors; and there comes the woe.