Two Treatises, Treatise 2 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
The ſharpe and ſeuere Iuſtice of God vponupon ſuch as giuegive Scandal.
ANd thus hauehave we ſeene the firſt Miſchiefe and Woe that comes by ſcandals, namely, that which comes to the ſcandalized World: now followes the ſecond miſchiefe and woe, that which is to the parties ſcādalizing, and to ſuch as giuegive the offence, But woe to the man by whom the offence commeth, that is, A neceſſitie there is of ſcandalous euents, but that neceſſitie ſhalbe no excuſe, or protection to the offender, but as there is a woe for the taker, ſo there is a woe for the giuer of the offence, woe bee to him by whom the offence commeth.
In which words take notice of.
The ſeuere and ſmart Iuſtice of God vponupon all Scandalizers of the Goſpell and Religion.
God will aſſuredly be meet with ſuch perſons as breake out, and fall into foule notorious ſcandalous Actions, and will meete with them ſharply, and ſeuerely. Woe vntounto him by whom the offence commeth. God threatens Eli very ſharply, I hauehave told him that I will iudge his houſe for euer, 1. Sam. 3. 18. But why would God deale ſo ſeuerely? Becauſe (ſay ſome Tranſlations) his ſonnes runne into a ſcandal, and he reſtrained them not, or frowned not vponupon them. If God would puniſh Eli for not puniſhing ſcandals, how much more will he puniſh them that giuegive ſcandals. The practices of Elies ſonnes were monſtrous ſcandalous, 1. Sam. 2. 22. and what did they by ſo doing? Becauſe his ſonnes bringing a curſe vponupon themſelues, So Iunius. So that by thoſe Scandals they brought a curſe vponupon themſelues, A woe came vponupon them by their ſcandal.
The woe that purſues ſuch is threefold. Firſt, Temporall. Secondly, Spirituall. Thirdly, An eternall woe.
1. God will purſue ſuch with temporall woes. And they are theſe three.
1. With a woe vponupon them in their Name. A good Name is exceeding pretious. For the worth and value of it preferred before Siluer, Gold, and great riches, Prou. 22. 1. For the ſweetnes, comfort, and contentment of it before ſweet oyntment, Eccleſ. 7. 2. So that for a man to looſe his good Name, is as great a loſſe as to looſe a great eſtate of great riches. It would bee iudged a woefull condition for a man that had a great eſtate, and abundance of wealth, if Gods hand ſhould follow him, and conſume him, and bring him to nothing. It is no leſſe a wo to be bereft of ones good Name, and to hauehave the ſmell of that ointment taken away. Now in this thing is there a woe to him by whom an offence and a ſcandal commeth. Not onelyonly the ſweetnes of this ointment is taken away, but that ſweetneſſe is turned into a loathſome and a noyſome ſauour, Eccleſ. 10. 1. Dead flyes cauſe the ointment of the Apothecarie to ſend forth a ſtinking ſauour, ſo doth a little folly him that is in reputation, for wiſdome and honour. Let a man hauehave the honourable name of a wiſeman, yea, of a godly, religious, zealous man, which giuegive the greateſt honour in the world to a man, yet, if he bee guiltie but of a little folly, that little folly impeaches his Name, as much as a dead flie will do a boxe of ointment. Let ointmēt be neuer ſo ſweet & good, yet if but a dead flie, or two bee in it, they doe not onelyonly take away the ſweetneſſe of the ointment, but cauſe it to ſtinke, and to hauehave a vile fauour, ſo that a man will not onelyonly not ſmell to it, but ſtops his noſe at it.
Now if a dead flie will doe ſo much in a boxe of ointment, what will a dead dogge, or ſome ſuch filthy carrion doe? If a little folly will ſtaine a mans reputation what will a great deale doe? Specially when it is folly in a high nature, not folly ſlipt into at vnawares, but artificiall, and deliberate folly, folly lyen in and practiced a long while, how much more will that ſtaine, & make a mans name ſtinke? That ſame ſpeech of Thamars (but that Luſt hath no eares) had a great deale of weight in it, when Amnon was bent vponupon the commiſſion of a foule ſcandalous fact, 2. Sam. 13. 13. And as for thee thou ſhalt be as one of the Fooles in Iſrael. Indeed that had beene enough to hauehave ſtayed him, if his Luſt would hauehave giuen him the libertie of deliberation. It was as if ſhe had ſaid. If thou doeſt this thing, woe bee vntounto thee. But what woe? Now thou art a man of ſome credite and eſteeme, but if thou doe this ſcandalous Act, God wil blaſt thy name and credit, Thou ſhalt be as one of the Fooles of Iſrael. This is the iuſt hand of God vponupon ſuch, that they ſhalbe ſmitten with the loſſe of their credit and Name, and bee counted of the number of the Fooles in Iſrael. It is a vile diſgrace to be a Foole any where, but to be a Foole in Iſrael, to be of vile, and baſe report, and repute in the Church of God, this is an heauie puniſhment. Amnon was afterward ſtabd by Abſoloms Seruants, had Amnon had but any ſenſe left after that ſinne of his, the Sword of Abſoloms Seruants could not bee ſo cutting, and ſo piercing, as was this, There goes Amnon that baſe man, that vile perſon, There goes one of the Fooles in Iſrael. When Amnon could not ſtirre, nor bee ſeene in the ſtreets, could not bee occaſionally mentioned in ordinarie talke, but one or other would bee throwing the myre of his baſe action in his face, and the mention of him had beene as the ſtirring of an vnſauourie excrement, What He? Ah vile man, ah wretched fellow; Why, theſe things were farre more keene and cutting, then the very Swords that murthered him.
Wee may ſee the truth of this, Mal. 2. 8, 9. The Prieſts were ſcandalous, and by their ſcandalous courſes had cauſed many to ſtumble at the Law. Well woe bee to them, God would meet with them for it. What woe doth God bring vponupon them? Therefore hauehave I alſo made you contemptible, and baſe before all the people. God brought a woe vponupon them in their credit and eſteeme, that they were vile in the eſteeme of all, one and another, good and bad. And herein the Lord ſerues men but iuſtly, and payes them with their owne coine, By ſcandals Gods Name is defiled, Gods Name diſgraced, & blaſphemed, therefore for their ſcandals God ſmites them in their Names, that in the woe lighting vponupon their Names, they may ſee what it was to diſhonour, & pollute the Name of God; God will pollute their Names that pollute his, and will cauſe that pearle of theirs to bee trod in the dirt, and mire. Yea, God ſo takes to heart the diſhonour of his Name by ſcandals, that though there may bee true Repentance, yet ſtill ſome ſtaine may lie vponupon the Name. Dauid made his peace with God, and truly repented, ſo as the Prophet tels him his ſinne was forgiuen him, and yet 1. King. 15. 5. after Dauid is dead and gone, that fact of his is mentioned as ſome blurre. Dauid did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, ſaue onelyonly in the matter of Vriah the Hittite. Dauid did other things that were ſinfull, the Numbring of the people, the giuing of Mephiboſheths Lands to Ziba, why then ſayes the text, ſaue in the matter of Vriah? Becauſe though the other were ſinnes, yet they were not ſcandalous ſinnes. The other was a ſcandalous ſinne, and a ſcandalous ſin is of that heynous nature, that though the guilt be taken away, yet after the wound hath done bleeding and is cloſed vp, and healed, there will remaine ſome skarre in the Name, and credit. So that of foule ſcandalous offenders it may be ſaid as of the Adulterer, Prou. 6 33. A wound, and diſhonour ſhall he get, and his reproach ſhall not be wiped away. So long as hee liues his reproach will liue with him, yea and out-liue him too, his reproach will laſt as long as his memoriall. And as Ieroboam is ſeldome named in Scripture without diſhonour, Ieroboam that made Iſrael to ſinne, ſo ſuch ſeldome be mentioned, but with the remembrance of their ſcā dal, oh that was he that made ſuch a profeſſion of Religion, and yet playde that heynous pranke. Wee hauehave a cauſe, Deut. 25. 9, 10. that when a man refuſed to doe a brothers office, his brothers wife muſt looſe his ſhooe from off his foot, and ſpit in his face, And his name ſhall bee called in Iſrael the houſe of him that hath his ſhooe looſed. Now all this was great diſgrace, and matter of great reproach, But what was this to the reproach that comes by a ſcandal? How much more reproach is it to hauehave all men readie to ſpit in ones face, to hauehave it ſaid, the houſe of him that had his conſcience looſed, the man who deſerued to hauehave his face ſpit in, becauſe hee occaſioned ſo many to ſpit on, and ſpit at religion and the Goſpell.
2. A ſecond temporall woe which God will bring vponupon them, and followes vponupon the former is eiection and caſting of them out of the ſociety & communion of Gods people. That which Dauid complaines of as iniuſtice in his friends, ſhalbe their righteous portion. Pſal. 31 11, 12. I was a reproach amongſt all mine enemies, but ſpecially amongſt my neighbours, and a feare to mine acquaintance, they that did ſee mee without fled from me, I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind, I am like a broken veſſel. Not only ſhal their enemies deſpiſe, and ſcorne them, but their neighbours, not ordinarie neighbours, but their familiar acquaintance ſhall diſcard them, yea they ſhall be afraid and aſhamed of them, and ſhall ſhunne all ſocietie, and conuerſe with them, as iudging it a matter of diſcredit to bee ſeene in their cōpanie. They ſhalbe as dead men out of minde, nay worſe, for dead men may bee mentioned with honour and regard, but they ſhalbe as dead men in regard of ſociety, their ſociety no more deſired then the ſociety of a dead man, which eueryevery man abhorres. They are like a broken veſſell. A veſſell whileſt it is whole is vſefull, and deſireable, and whileſt whole, vſe is continually made of it, it is called for, enquired for, and is at eueryevery turne in requeſt. But now let ſuch a veſſell bee broken, it is thrown by, throwne out of doores, caſt on the dunghill, none once meddles with it, nor lookes after it. So whileſt ſuch perſons are whole veſſels, they are veſſels of vſe, and honour they hauehave the honour of communion and ſociety, but if once ſuch veſſels get a knock, fall into ſcandal, & take ſuch fowle falles as that they breake their credits and their conſciences, & ſo become broken veſſels, they are then caſt out of the hearts, out of the ſociety, out of the fellowſhip of Gods people. See how theſe goe together Ierem. 22. 28. Is he a veſſell wherein is no pleaſure? wherefore are they caſt out, hee and his ſeed. So that when a man becomes a veſſell wherein there is no pleaſure, then hee is caſt out. So was Coniah. And ſuch is the caſe of ſcandalous perſons, they become veſſels wherin is no pleaſure, and ſo are caſt out. That ſame is threatned as an heauy woe to Iſrael. Hoſ. 8. 8. Now ſhall they bee amongſt the Gentiles as a veſſell wherein is no pleaſure. When they were in their owne country, they were deſireable veſſels, they were as veſſels of ſiluer and gold, as veſſels of plate that are for ſeruice, ſet vponupon the table, had in great account, and pretious eſteeme. But, now they ſhold be carried amongſt the Gentiles, and there ſhould bee as veſſels wherein is no pleaſure, that is, as baſe abiect veſſels, put to the moſt ſordid ſeruices, ſuch as God would make Moab to be. Pſal. 60. Moab my waſhpot, olla lotionis meae: Now this was an heauy woe denounced againſt Iſrael, that hee ſhould be amongſt the Gentiles as a veſſell wherein there is no pleaſure. If to be ſuch a veſſell amongſt the Gentiles be a woe, and an heauy thing, what then is it to bee ſuch a veſſell amongſt the Iſrael of God, and amongſt his people, to be a reiectitious refuſe veſſell, that a man hath no pleaſure to meddle with-al? Salt is good, that is, whilſt it is ſauory, but if the ſalt hauehave loſt its ſauour, then it is caſt out, no longer ſet vponupon the table, no nor ſuffered in the houſe but it is caſt vntounto the dunghill. A ſcandalous perſon is ſalt, that hath loſt his ſauour, vnſauory ſalt, not only wanting good but hauing a ſtinking ſauour, & therefore fit for the ſtinking dunghill, vntill his extraordinary, & deepe humiliation hauehave brought him to recouer his ſauour againe. Such is the caſe of ſcandalous ones. It is Gods Iuſtice, and it is Gods commaunde it ſhould be ſo. If a man walke diſorderly he is thus to be dealt withall. 2. Theſ. 3. 6. Wee commande you in the name of the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, that ye withdraw your ſelues from eueryevery brother that walkes diſorderly, and that diſorderly walking, what it is, we ſee in the words following. It was liuing idely. Now if men muſt withdraw themſelues out of the company of Idle diſorderly perſons, how much more then ſhould they withdraw themſelues from ſuch as bee ſcandalous? What is diſorder to ſcandal? Therefore marke how punctual the Apoſtle is, Rom. 16. 17. Now I beſeech you brethren marke foreign, thoſe that cauſe or commit ſcandals, or offences. And to what purpoſe ſhould they marke them? That they might decline and ſhunne their company, Marke them, and Auoid them. And therefore wee ſee the Apoſtles ſeuerity, in the exerciſe of diſcipline in the caſe of the Inceſtuous Corinthian; In the name of God he doth excōmunicate & caſt him out not onelyonly from ſocietie in holy things, but makes a rule vponupon it; that if any that profeſſe religion liue in any ſcandalous courſe, that they ſhould not afford him ciuill familiar conuerſe. 1. Cor. 5. 11. If any man that is called a brother be a fornicatour, or couetous, or an Idolater, or arayler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner, with ſuch an one no not to eate. It is not to be denyed but vponupon good & ſound euidences of true repentance a broken veſſell may be mended, vnſauoury ſalt may regaine his ſauour, and ſo there may be an healing of their errour, and a receiuing of ſuch into publique and priuate communion againe, for I preſſe not gMarcianus ſe Nouatiano cōiunxit tenens haereticae praeſumptionis duriſſimam prauitatem: vt ſeruis Dei poenitentibus, & dolentibus, & eccleſiam lachrymis, & gemitu, & dolore pulſantibus diuinae pietatis paternae ſolatia, & ſubſidia claudantur, nec ad fouenda vulnera admittantur vulnerati, ſed ſine ſpe pacis, & cōmunicationis relicti ad luporum rapinam, & praedam diaboli proijciantur. Cyp. Epiſt. 67.Nouitian rigidity, but yet till ſuch repentance doe appeare, all ſcandalous perſons though not touched with Church cenſures are to ſtand excommunicate out of the hearts, and familiar fellowſhip of al Gods people. What difference betweene a leprous and a ſcandalous perſon, and the leper during his leproſie, till hee were clenſed was to be ſhut vp, and kept apart. If thy right hand ſcandalize thee, cut it off, and caſt it from thee, Math. 18. 8. This hath a truth in this caſe. If a man that hath bin deere & pretious fall into ſcandal, yet ſpare him not but let him bee cut off, and caſt out of ſociety til he be brought to ſuch truth of repētāce as becomes hAdeo non pudet aut piget admiſſorum, & tamen audent venire in eccleſiam ſanctorum, audent miſſceri gregi Dominico. Tales interdum tolerat eccleſia ne prouocati magis etiam perturbent populum Dei. Sed quid prodeſt, non eijci caetu piorum, ſi merueris eijci? Nam eijci remedium eſt, & gradus ad recuperandum ſanitatem: eiectionem meruiſſe ſumma malorum eſt. Ac fruſtra miſcetur caetui ſanctorum &c. Cypr. de dupl. Martyr.And how-euer men fallen into ſome fowle ſcandal may eſcape the publique cenſure of eiection, and excommunication, and by intruſion hauehave fellowſhip in holy duties of worſhip yet litle comfort ſhall ſuch mens conſciences hauehave, ſo long as publique ſatisfaction is not giuen to the Church of God, for what ſhall it profit a man, not to be caſt out of the congregation of the faithfull, ſo long as he deſerues to bee caſt out: for for a man to bee caſt out, is a remedy and a degree towards the recouery of ſpirituall health. But to deſerue caſting out (as all ſcandalous perſons doe that will not, and doe not ſubiect to Gods ordinance of publique ſatisfaction and confeſſion) is the height of all euill.
Such was the ancient iNam cùm in minoribus delictis poenitentia agatur iuſto tempore, & exomologeſis fiat inſpect â vita eius qui poenitentiam agit, nec ad communicationem quis venire poſſit, niſi prius illi ab epiſcopo, & clero manus fuerit impoſita, quanto magis in his grauiſſimis, & extremis delictis ante omnia & moderatè ſecun dum diſciplinā Domini obſeruari oportet? Nemo abhinc importuno tēpore acerba poma d…cerpat, nemo nauē ſuā quaſſatā & perforatā fluctibus, priuſquā diligenter refecerit, in altū denuo committat, Nemo tunicam ſciſſam accipere & induere properet, niſi eam abartifice perito ſartam viderit, & à fullone curatā receperit. Cypr. Epiſt. 12. Legimus literas—quod Ʋictori Presbytere antiquā poenitentiam plenam egiſſet, temerè Therapius collega noſter immaturo tempore & praepropera feſtinatione pacem dederit. Quae res nos ſatis mouit, receſſum eſſe à decreti nostri auctoritate vt ante legitimum, & plenum tempus ſatisfactionis, & ſine petitu & conſcientia plebis—pax ei concederetur. Cypr. Epiſt. 59.ſeuerity of diſcipline, that ſuch as had giuē ſcā dal were neither ſuddenly nor eaſily readmitted into Communion, but there was firſt publike confeſſion, & a time it ſeemes of the tryall of their repentance before they had a freſh admittāce into Church-fellowſhip. Greene apples too ſoone gathered, they thought, might ſet ones teeth on edge, and it was dangerous to ſet a ſhip to ſea that had bin crackt, & flawed, before it were thoroughly repayred againe.
Yea and it was ſtrange to ſee the kO ſi poſſes frater chariſſime iſtic intereſſe …ùm praui iſti & peruer ſi de ſchiſmate reuertantur, videres quis mihi labor ſit perſuadere patientiam fratribus noſtris vt animi dolore ſ…pito recipiendis malis curandiſ que conſenti…nt▪vix plebi perſuadeo, imò extorqueo, vt tales patiantur admitti. Cypr. Epiſt. 55.ancient zeale of the people againſt ſuch with how much adoe they ſuffred ſuch as had giuen ſcandal, and had not yet giuen ſufficient euidence of their repentance, to bee readmitted and receiued into the Church againe.
Nay further wee ſhall finde that in iInter Chriſtianae religionis profeſſores ordinati ſunt aliquot qui inquirunt in vias & mores accedentium, vt non conceſſa facientes candidatos religionis arceant à ſuis conuentibus &c: peccantes, praecipuè libidine contaminatos è ſuâ republic â reijciunt noſtri. rurſum vero reſipiſcentes haud ſecus quā rediuiuos recipiunt tandem, ea tamen conditione vt quoniā lap ſi ſūt, excludantur in poſterū ab omnibus dignitatibus & magiſtratibus eccleſiaſticis. Origen. cont. Celſ. lib. 3.Origens time there were ſome appointed to looke into the wayes and manners of the people profeſſing chriſtian religion, that if they carried themſelues offenſiuely, they might be kept out from the publique meetings. And further if any were found ſinning ſcandalouſly, eſpecially, if defiled with luſt and vncleannes, they caſt them out of the Church. And when vponupon their repentance they were receiued againe yet was it with this condition, that becauſe they had fallen into ſcandal, they ſhould be excluded for euer after from all eccleſiaſticall dignity and gouernement. And we ſoe that in mSee Cyprian Epiſt. 64. 68.Cyprians time, alſo it went for good diſcipline, that a Biſhop that had fallē into Idolatry, and defiled himſelfe with that ſcandalous ſinne though he might communicate as Lay perſons, yet might hee hauehave no more to doe with Epiſcopal or Miniſterial function. And this Diſcipline of theirs wants not foundation in Scripture; It ſeemes to be the ſame thing that God himſelfe conſtituted, Ezek 44. 12, 13. Becauſe they miniſtred vntounto them before their Idols, they ſhall beare their iniquitie, and they ſhall not come neere vntounto mee to doe the office of a Prieſt vntounto me, nor to come neere to any of mine holy things in the moſt holy place, but they ſhall beare their ſhame, and their abominations which they hauehave committed. VponUpon their Repentance they were receiued againe to ſome other places, Ver. 10. 11. but they muſt meddle no more after that ſcandal of Idolatrie with the Prieſt-hood. And this Diſcipline did Ioſiah put in practiſe, 2. King. 23. 9. Some priuiledges vponupon their Repentance were granted vntounto the Prieſts of the high places, that had defiled themſelues with Idolatrie, but the office of Prieſthood they were quite excluded from it. And this was the ancient Diſcipline againſt the giuers of offence, and indeed ſuch zeale, and ſuch ſeueritie it did concerne, and euer will concerne the Church of God to ſhew to ſcandalous delinquents. Facilitie, and an ouer eaſie readineſſe to comply with ſuch, breedes a freſh ſcandal to the world, and giues them iuſt cauſe to nEt quoniam and…o, Chariſſimifratres, impudentia vos quorundā premi, & verecundiam veſtram vim pati, oro vos quibus poſſum precibus vt euā gelij memores—vos quo que ſollicitè et cautè petentiū deſideria ponderetis, vtpote amici domini, & cùm illo poſt modum indicaturi, inſpiciatis & actū & opera & merita ſingulorū, ipſorum quoque delictorum genera & qualitates cogitetis, ne ſi quid abrupte & indignè vel à vobis promiſſum vel à nobis factū fuerit, apud Gentiles quo que ipſos eccleſia noſira erubeſcere incipiat. Cypr. Epiſt. 11.reproach the Church, and opens the mouth of iniquitie to ſay, you bee all ſuch; Whereas diſcommoning, and diſcarding ſuch from our familiar and priuate ſocietie, and when neede and power is, from communion in holy things, gaines the Church a great deale of honour and ſtops the mouth of iniquitie from calumniating Gods people to bee fauourers, and countenancers of ſuch perſons. Such will bee preſſing in, to gaine their credit and to recouer their reſpect, but when ſuch ſuddenly and eaſily get into credit it is no whit for the honour and credit of the Church.
God will bring woes vponupon them in their outward ſtate, their peace, their poſteritie. Elies ſonnes runne into foule Scandals, 1. Sam. 2. 22. It was ſcandalous for priuate perſons, much more for Prieſts to bee vncleane, and adulterous. It was ſcandalous to hauehave done ſo vnclean an act in any place, but to doe it in a ſcared place with women comming thither vponupon deuotion, this was egregiouſly ſcandalous. God therefore takes them to doe, and does execution vponupon them, and cuts them both off in one day by the Sword of the Philiſtims, God brought the wo of the Sword vponupon them. Nay, when they ranne into Scandal becauſe Eli did not reſtraine them, ſee what God threatens vponupon his Poſteritie, 1. Sam. 2. 36. that hee would plague them with ſuch baſe beggerie and miſerie that they ſhould beg their bread. If God thus puniſh him for not reſtraining, how much more would he hauehave puniſhed him for the committing of a Scandal? If it goe thus hard with Eli that reſtraines not, how hard will it goe with Hophni and Phinehas that commit the ſcandal?
Wee cannot hauehave a more pregnant and full example in this kinde, then Dauid himſelfe. Hee after his ſcandal committed was truly penitent, the guilt of his ſinne pardoned, a ſolemne abſolution and diſcharge giuen him by the Prophet. And yet for all this wee ſhall ſee how terribly this woe purſued him in temporall croſſes in this kinde. Firſt, God ſmites his childe with death, then followes his daughter Thamars defilement by her brother Amnon, then Amnons murder, then the treaſon of Abſalom, in which the hand of God was exceeding ſmart, God turnes him out of houſe and home. Whoſe heart would not earne, and bleede to ſee his dolefull departure from Ieruſalem, 2. Sam 15. 30. And Dauid went vp by the aſcent of mount Oliuet, and wept as he went vp, and had his head couered, and hee went barefoote, and all the people that was with him couered eueryevery man his head and they went vp weeping, as they went vp. Who could hauehave beheld ſo ſad and ſo woefull a ſpectacle with drie eyes? But this was not all, his life is endangered, his Concubines defiled in open view on the houſe top. And what thinke wee was the ground of all this? For the childs death we ſee, 2. Sam. 12. 13, 14. The Lord hath put away thy ſinne, thou ſhalt not die, howbeit becauſe by this thy deede thou haſt giuen great occaſion to the enemies of the Lord to blaſpheme the child alſo that is borne vntounto thee ſhall ſurely die. It is verie much that faſting and praying can doe, it can caſt out deuils, This kind goes not out but by faſting and praying, Mark. 9. 29. And yet faſting and praying could not keepe off this woe that Dauids ſcandal brings vponupon him in the childes death, woe vntounto Dauid by whom that offence came, therefore ſhall his childe die. And for all the reſt of all thoſe wofull ſorrowes 2. Sam. 12. 9. 10. 11. 12. we ſee the cauſe of them all, theſe woes were vponupon Dauid for his ſcandal. And if Gods woe in theſe temporall, & outward calamities will thus purſue and follow a repēting, & an humbled ſcandalous offender, how much more will that hand of God purſue that man, vponupon whoſe ſcandal followes no Repentance and Humiliation. If Dauid the man after Gods owne heart muſt not eſcape, what then ſhall others looke for? If a beloued Dauid ſhall hauehave his teeth on edge with his owne ſowre grapes of his ſcandalous courſes, who then ſhall thinke to goe ſcotfree that is guilty of ſcandalous tranſgreſſions? what a ſure & irreſiſtible wo is that which Repentance it ſelfe cannot keepe off from a mans children, his life, perſon and goods? And thus temporall woe is to him by whom offences come.
2. God will purſue, and pinch ſuch as giuegive offence with ſpirituall woe. God will fill ſuch mens hearts, ſpecially if they belong to him, with much ſpirituall woe, and bitterneſſe of ſoule. He will awaken conſcience to ſmite, pinch and gripe them at the heart; He will ſo loade, and burden their conſciences that in the anguiſh and bitternes of their ſpirits they ſhalbe forced to cry out, woe is mee vile wretch that I was borne, that euer I breathed thus to diſhonour God. It is true that there is an happineſſe in this woe, and it is ſingular mercy that men are not ſeared, and hardened in their ſinne, but yet for all that there it a great deale of ſmart, & ſorrow, and a great deale of wofull bitternes in the worke of Repentance after a ſcandalous fall, And before ſuch ſhall recouer their peace with God, he will giuegive them many a woefull gripe of Conſcience, and many a bitter portion to drinke. Wee hauehave an example of it in the Inceſtuous Corinthian. He indeede recouered his peace, and his pardon, but yet how woefull was his caſe before it was done. 2. Cor. 2. 7. Leaſt ſuch an one ſhould bee ſwallowed vp of ouer much ſorrow. See then in what a woefull plight hee was euen in a ſea and gulfe of ſorrow, ready to bee abſorpt, and ſwallowed vp therein. The Lord therfore plūged him into the deeps of bitter ſorrow of ſpirit, and plunged him ſo deep as that he was ready to deſpaire, and to bee wholly caſt away. Thus God would make his ſoule ſmart, and his heart ake for this ſcandal of his, would make him feele the truth of Chriſts ſaying, woe vntounto him by whom the offence comes. It was Dauids caſe before him. When hee had fallen into ſcandal, in the matter of Bathſheba, and Vriah, before hee comes to a redintegration of his former condition, God brings him vponupon the racke. Pſ. 51. 12. Reſtore vntounto me the ioy of thy ſaluation, therefore that was taken away & gone, that ſweet ſunſhine was ouerclouded, yea that ſunne was dreadfully eclipſed, and how fearefull ſuch eclipſes be, they knowe that ſee them. It is no leſſe woe for the preſent to looſe the Ioy of ones ſaluation, then to looſe ſaluation it ſelfe. But that was not all. See Verſe 8. make mee to heare ioy, and gladneſſe that the bones which thou haſt broken may reioyce. God therefore not onelyonly tooke away his ioy, but God brake the bones of him. What an exquiſite torture is the puniſhment of the wheele, when a Malefactour hath his bones broken one to day, another to morrow? Such is the woe that God wil bring vponupon ſcandalous ones, ſpecially if they belong to him, He will bring them to the wheele, he will cracke and breake their bones, he will hauehave them to the racke, & fill their conſciences with ſo much anguiſh, that they ſhall vndergoe as much woe as if all the bones in their bodies were broken in pieces, That the bones which thou haſt broken. Yea their bones ſhalbe ſo broken, that they will not quickly, nor ſuddenly bee healed againe. Nathan in the Name of God did that which one would hauehave thought might hauehave ſet Dauids bones and giuen them eaſe, Thy ſinne is forgiuen thee, and yet wee ſee after this he cries out of his bones, It lay in his bones ſtill.
Whē men after Scādals are ouerquickly whole againe, cranke, and iolly, it is to bee feared, their bones were neuer broken to the purpoſe. Well thus we ſee what a wo there is for giuers of offēce, wo be to the man whoſe bones God will breake, and therfore woe to him by whom the offence commeth. If he belong to God, God will breake his bones, if he belong not to God, but were an hypocrite, God wil thē happily hardē his heart that he may breake his necke.
3. God will bring eternall woe vponupon them. That is, if the perſon falling into ſcandal did before his ſcandal but act a part & perſonate religion, and were no better then an Hypocrite, then though poſſibly he may eſcape ſome of the former woes, yet God will pay him with aduantage, and make vp all forbearance with doubling, and trebling the principall. The greater his fall was here, the deeper ſhall his fall be into Hell. oVniuſcuiuſ que caſus tanto maioris est criminis, quanto prius quam caderet maioris erat virtutis. Bern. de interior. Dom. cap. 50.The higher the place is from which a man fals, the deeper a man plunges into the pit of myre into which hee fals. A man that makes profeſſion of Religion, is ſet higher then another man is, and if hee profeſſe in hypocriſie, and fall into ſcandal, hee by reaſon of the height from whence hee fals, fals deeper into wrath & hel, then another doth. At this happily our Sauiour aymes, Matth. 18. 6. It were better for him that a milſtone were hanged about his necke, and that hee were drowned in the depth of the ſea.
A man ſo vſed were but in an ill caſe, and yet it is a better caſe then the caſe of ſome ſcandalous perſon. A man caſt into the Sea in any place of it is but in an ill caſe, for ſuppoſe he be not drowned, yet will hee bee ſhrewdly douſed, & cannot but be in danger. But caſt a man into the depth of the Sea, into the huge Deepes which cannot be bottom'd and there is but little hope of ſuch a mans life. But yet ſuch a man may ſcape. Ionas was caſt into the deepe, in the middeſt of the ſeas, the deptb cloſed him round about, Ion. 2. 3. 5. and yet hee eſcaped. A man by prouidence may meete with a planke or a piece of a maſt in ſuch vaſt depths and poſſibly may eſcape. But take a man and caſt him not only into the Sea, but into the depth of the Sea, and not onelyonly into the depth, but caſt him in with an heauie ſtone, ſpecially a milſtone, ſpecially with ſuch an heauie milſtone as cannot bee turned about with a mans hand, but muſt bee turned about with the ſtrength of a beaſt (and ſuch a milſtone ſome thinke is here intended foreign, mola aſinaria, ſuch a milſtone as is turned about by the helpe of an Aſſe) and let him be caſt into the depth of the Sea with it (as Hierome ſayes ſome Malefactors in thoſe Countries vſed to be ſerued) and what poſſibilitie is there to eſcape drowning.
Now this is the caſe of ſcandalous Hypocrites. If ſcandalous perſons bee Hypocrites then will their iudgement, and woe be great, and ineuitable. Their ſcandal is a great heauie milſtone about their necke, with this milſtone God caſts them not into the ſhallow, but into the depth, the gulfe of Hell. And this milſtone ſinkes them, and this milſtone holds them downe for euer riſing againe. Milſtones do not make ſurer worke for the drowning, then Scandals doe for the damning of perſonating groſſe Hypocrites.