they become stumbling-blocks to us and betray us into sin, then they become sinful in themselves, and must instantly be cut off. Nor must any consideration whatever induce us to spare them. If they be dear to us as an "eye," or useful and apparently necessary to us as a "hand" or "foot," we must sacrifice them without pity or reserve. Different situations indeed call for much prudence and discretion in the execution of this duty. We must not lose sight of meekness and humility when we are exercising a necessary firmness and self-denial. Nevertheless we must not tamper with our consciences, but fulfil our duty, and leave events to God.]
To aid us in obeying our Lord's injunctions let us consider,
II. The arguments with which he enforced them —
Men in general are averse to hear any thing of the terrors of the Lord ; but St. Paul insisted on them in order to persuade men ; and our Lord himself fre- quently urged them on his hearers as inducements to obedience. The arguments with which he enforced his precepts in the text are most solemn and weighty :
1. God will surely deal with men hereafter accord- ing to their conduct in this life —
[This truth is not merely asserted, but assumed in the text as incontrovertible and undoubted : nor is there any truth whatever that is more agreeable to reason, or more abundantly confirmed by the sacred oracles f. And can any thing be a stronger argument for self-denial ? Surely if eternal happiness or misery must be the issue of our conduct, we should diligently consider our ways, and put away the accursed thing that would ruin our souls. If we had no future account to give of our conduct, we might say, " Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die ;" but, if we believe the Scrip- tures, we shall rather labour to act with a view to the future judgment.]
2. Heaven, notwithstanding all the trials we may endure in our way to it, is infinitely better than hell, whatever we may enjoy in our way thither —
[It is certain that the mortification of sin is often painful, like the cutting off a member from the body. But it is no less certain that that pain is followed by much peace and joy. But supposing the road to heaven were ever so thorny, will not eternal glory be a sufficient recompence for our toil ? And
f Rom. viii. 13. Gal. vi. 7, 8.