1 Cor. X. 32, S3, & xi. 1. Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the Church of God : even as I please all men in all thi?igs, not seeking mine own profit, hut the profit of many, that they may he saved. Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ,
CHRISTIAN morals, in their sublimer parts, are far from being fully understood, or duly appreciated, even by those who are most zealous in the profession of Christian principles. The duties of Christian for- bearance, and Christian forgiveness, and Christian liberality, are but very imperfectly discerned, and, consequently, but very imperfectly practised, in the religious world. Nor are the limits of true Christian charity by any means clearly ascertained. On this subject, in particular, I must say, that I think there is scarcely a Christian upon earth that would have made the distinctions contained in this chapter ; and not many that would approve of them, now they are made, if they were not forced to yield to apostolic authority. It is an easy thing to lay down broad principles ; as, that " We must not do evil that good may come :" and it is easy to decry " expediency," as the refuge of time-serving and dishonest men. But it is not easy to see the different modifications of a good principle, as affected by different circumstances ; or the different situations under which expediency alone can guide us. And even the discussion of such a subject as this, however carefully conducted, would be condemned at once by many, as no better than Jesuistical sophistry and refinement. But we must not, therefore, be deterred from treading in the Apostle's steps, and marking what we beheve to be the true boundaries of Christian liberty and Christian duty.
I shall take occasion, from the passage before us, to shew,
I. Our duty in reference to things which are indiffe- rent—
There are many things on which different parties lay a great stress ; which yet, in the sight of God, are altogether indifferent —
[In the apostolic age, the observance of the Jewish ritual was regarded by some as of primary and indispensable import- ance. The keeping of certain days, and tlie abstaining from certain meats, and the practice of circumcision, were by many insisted on as of continued obligation ; notwithstanding they