Christ All and in All, Sermon 23
1 PET. 2. 8.
A ſtone of ſtumbling, &c.XXIV. SERM. at Mary Wolnoth. Lond. March 27. 1652.
SEcondly, Quae cauſa? How it comes to paſſe that ſo many are offended at Chriſt? The Reaſons are ſuch as theſe, viz.
1. Ignorance of Chriſt. Blindneſſe is one great cauſe of natural ſtumbling, John 11. 9, 10. If any man walk in the night he ſtumbleth, becauſe there is no light in him. The ſpiritual blindneſs of the minde is one principal reaſon why the world ſtumbleth at Chriſt. They know not the glory of his perſon, they know not the excellency of his Doctrine, they know not the nature of his Kingdome, therefore they take offence at him. This is that which the Apoſtle mentions, 1 Cor. 2. 8. This ignorance of Chriſt ariſeth partly from want of ſtudying his Word. They do not ſearch the record which is given to Chriſt in the Scriptures; partly, from their infidelity, they will not believe the report given of him, by ſuch a have the knowledge of him. The Prophet ſpeaks of this, Eſay 53. init. The worlds blindeneſſe is the cauſe of the worlds offence. Conſult thoſe two texts, and the trath of this will appeare. The one is, Prov. 3. 21, 22, 23. The other is Mat. 15. 14. The blindneſſe of the Phariſees did ariſe from the groſſe ignorance of the Phariſees.
2. Precipitancy and raſhneſſe. Though a man have eyes to ſee, yet if he be heedleſſe and raſh, his foot may ſtumble in a plaine way. A careleſſe eye occaſions a ſtumbling foot. The greateſt part of men are heedleſſe in ſpiritual matters, They ruſh on as the horſe ruſhes into the battel, Jer. 8. 6. The Scripture ſpeaks of pondering the ſteps of our feet. 'Tis the Wiſe-mans counſel, Prov. 4. 25, 26. Moſt men neglect this counſel in the things of Chriſt. They walk at all adventure, turning their eyes, now this way, now that way, and through their carleſneſſe and indiſcretion in not examining things, they take offence and fall. The Apoſtles advice is, to try, and prove all things, 1 Theſ. 5. 21. Adviſedneſſe and deliberation in the matters of God is a ſpecial vertue. Moſt men are of a hurrying ſpirit, and this makes them ſtumble.
3. Heart distemperedneſſe. A man that hath either un intoxicated head, or a diſeaſed body, ſoon ſtumbles. Wicked men have hearts full of diſtempers. There are many unmortified luſts in their hearts, which they are not willing to part with, pride, paſſion, uncleanneſſe, &c. Theſe are indulged. Theſe they will not part with. They love ſome ſinne better then Chriſt, and becauſe they cannot have Chriſt and their ſinnes, they are offended. This is hinted to u in the text. Such as ſtumble at the Word, are ſaid to be diſobedient. He that allows any ſinne unrepented of in his heart, will ſooner or later ſtumble at Chriſt. See Luke 16. 14. The Phariſees who were covetous, derided Chriſt. Our Saviour tells them they could not ſerve God and Mammon, and they being given to covetouſneſs were ſcandalized, and derided him, foreign, they ſnuffed at him as the word ſignifies. Walking in uprightneſſe, and being without offence are joyned together, Phil. 1. 10. An bypocritical and profane heart will be a ſtumbling heart. He that walks up to the knees in mire may eaſily ſtumble. Wicked men walk up to the very loynes in the mire of ſinful diſtempers, and this cauſes them to be offended at Chriſt. The way of the righteous (ſaith Solomon) is made plaine, Prov. 15. 19. It's raiſed up as a Cauſey. Godly men walk in plaine even wayes, wicked men walk in rough, uneven, myry wayes, therefore they ſtumble at Chriſt. They are burthened with the load of ſinne, therefore they ſtumble.
4. Hatred of Chriſt. Hatred will take offence at every thing done or ſaid by the perſon hated. As love doth interpret all to the beſt, ſo hatred interprets all to the worſt. Ahab hated Micaiah, and therefore took offence at every thing he ſaid. You may read the ſtory, 1 Kings 22. 8. Now wicked men ha…e Chriſt with a perfect hatred. There is diſſimilitude between Chriſt and them, and becauſe of that cruel hatred. They are impure, Chriſt is pure; they are unholy, Chriſt is holy. As ſimilitude breeds love, ſo diſſimilitude creates hatred. You reade, Luke 19. 14. that Chriſts own Citizens hated him. Chriſt is hated not only by foreigners, but by them of his own houſhold. Where there is hatred, there will be offence, Mat. 24. 10. Many ſhall be offended and they ſhall hate one another. Till the ſoul lay aſide its hatred it will not ceaſe to ſtumble at every thing of, &c.
5. Ʋnbelief. Infidelity is the cauſe of ſtumbling. This may be gathered clearly from the text compared with the foregoing ver. unto you that believe he is precious, but unto them that are unbelievers he is a ſtone of ſtumbling. Moſt men walk by ſenſe, and not by faith▪ they ſee the outſide of Chriſt in his Goſpel, but they do not ſee the beautiful inſide of Chriſt, they ſee that in Religion which appeares unpleaſing and bitter; but they want faith to ſee that which is ſweet and lovely, therefore they are ſcandalized.
6. The bad example of others. Examples have a very great efficacy and operation, whether they be good or bad; good examples are great ſtrengthnings to them that are good; and bad examples are great provocations to them that are bad, the Apoſtle ſpeaks of this 1 Cor. 8. 10. Aſahels lying dead in the way occaſioned a ſtop in the march of others, 2 Sam. 2. 23. One wicked man eyes the example of another, and becauſe he ſees that ſuch and ſuch were offended at Chriſt, eſpecially if they be learned, wiſe, &c. he upon that very example takes offence likewiſe. Thus much for the explication.
The Uſes are for Information. Exhortation.
For information. It teacheth us theſe four leſſons.
1. This may fortifie us againſt being dejected becauſe of the offence which wicked men take at as cauſleſly. It is too frequent to ſee wicked men ſcandalized at the people of God even for their holy actions. They are offended with you for your prayers, for your non compliance with them in their ſinful wayes, for their ſtrict obſerving of the Sabbath, &c. The Apoſtle mentions this, 1 Pet. 4. 4. The beſt actions of the godly are occaſions of ſtumbling to the wicked. Well; this text may greatly help the people of God againſt being offended, ſo as to deſpond becauſe of ſuch cauſleſſe offence. If Chriſt was a ſtone of ſtumbling is it any great matter if we be ſtones of ſtumbling? If they were offended at Chriſt, will they not be offended at us? It is enough for the Diſciple that he be as his maſter. Gods people ſhould take care that they give no occaſion of ſtumbling to the worſt of men; but if they will take offence at the holy practiſes, Gods people ſhould ſet but very little by ſuch offences, Mat. 15. 14. eſpecially conſidering the cloſe of the text; whereunto they were appointed.
2. How unfit and incompetent Counſellors are wicked men in the matters of Religion? They may be Oracles in and about civil and worldly thing…, but for the things of Chriſt they are of no judgement or underſtanding. Chriſt is to them a ſtone of ſtumbling, they daſh themſelves in p…eces upon him. They reject him, they deſpiſe him both in his perſon and doctrine, and therefore are not to be conſulted much leſſe followed in their advice abort theſe matters. Artifice in ſu… arte conſul…on. 'Tis a vaine thing to ask advice from men about thoſe things wherein they have no skill. Wicked men have no ſpiritual true skill in the matters of Chriſt. They are more like to ſeduce us then …n direct us in theſe matters. 'Tis unſafe to make them our Counſellors who are …o prejudiced againſt the things of God. Who would put himſelf under the conduct of a blind man, eſpecially in a way which he had never travelled? The miſchief of a wicked heart.
3. There is nothing ſo good but a wicked heart will turn it to its own detriment. As there is no thing ſo bad but a gracious heart will ſuck ſome good out of it, ſo there is nothing ſo good, but an ungracious heart will ſuck ſome hurt out of it. A wicked heart is like a ſpider, it will contract poyſon out of the ſweeteſt Roſe. Nothing better then Chriſt, and yet a wretched ſinfull heart will make him a ſtumbling ſtone; Word, Ordinances, Promiſes, Mercies of all ſorts are made pitfals and ſnares by a naughty heart. A wicked heart undoes it ſelf more by the mercies it receives then by all its evils. Its a fearful imprecation of David againſt the wicked, Pſal. 69. 22. Let their table become a ſnare, &c. A wicked heart is of ſinful ingenuity and wittineſs to undo it ſelfe by the beſt things.
4. This may be ſome relief to the poor Miniſters when they ſee men ſcandalized and enraged againſt their perſons or doctrines. Its a great grief to their ſp…rits to think how the truths they preach fall under contempt, the adminiſtrations of Ordinances divine quarrel'd at: well, it was ſo with Chriſt, his perſon that was b…tter then ours, his doctrine that was purer then ours, his adminiſtrations that were more glorious then ours were. If God will have his Miniſters lye as ſtumbling blocks upon which ſinful men ſhall fall ſo as to deſtroy themſelves, they muſt be content if God will have them preach, men judicially to impenitency and hardneſſe of heart, as Eſay did Ch. 6. 10. they muſt bear it. Chriſt hardly preached a Sermon or made a prayer or diſpenſed any Ordinance but the greateſt part of them that were preſent, were ſcandalized at him. He was ſet for the fall of many in Iſrael, as well as for their riſing, Luke 2. 37. If God will have his Miniſters to be ſo to any, it is not ſtrange, eſpecially becauſe they are, and ſhall be a ſweet ſavour to God, both in them that periſh, and in them that are ſaved, 2 Cor. 2. 15.
2. For Exhortation. Firſt, to the godly; and Secondly, to the wicked and ungodly.
1. For the godly.
Firſt, Bleſſe God that Chriſt is not a ſtumbling ſtone to you. That neither his perſon, nor his doctrine, nor his Kingdome do offend you. The time was when you were off…nded with Chriſt as much as any; and if God ſhould leave you to your ſelves, you would ſtumble upon him again. That you are enabled to cloſe with his perſon, to embrace his doctrine, to ſubmit to his government without offence, is a mighty mercy, eſpecially now, when ſo many are ſcandalized, Mat. 11. 6.
Secondly, Labour ſo to carry your ſelves, that ye may not occaſion others to be offended at Chriſt, 1 Cor. 10. 32. Paul was very careful of it himſelf, Acts 24. 16 The ſinfulneſſe of Profeſſours will make men take offence at Chriſt. The doctrine of Chriſt the government of Chriſt will be ſtumbled at, if you have not care of your ways more then ordinary. If you take not heed to your ſelves, both in matter of opinion and practice, you will pave a way to make many fall upon Chriſt himſelf. Your miſcarriages refl…ct diſhonour both upon Chriſts perſon and doctrine. Give no offence ſaith Paul to the Corinthians, 2 Cor. 6. 3. That the Miniſtry be not blamed; Chriſtianity will be blamed, yea, Chriſt himſelf will be blamed, if you be not careful to avoid miſcarriages. And beſides you will be inſtrumental to damne the ſouls of your brethren for whom Chriſt dyed. Remember that of our Saviour, Mat. 18. 7. Wo unto that man by whom the offence cometh.
2. For the wicked. Take heed of making Chriſt any longer a ſtumbling ſtone. It's a very ſad thing to ſtumble at Chriſt. Let me ſhew it you in theſe five particulars.
1. It's a very ſinful thing. The ſinfulneſſe of it appears in this.
(1) It's a charging of wickedneſſe upon Chriſt. He that takes offence at Chriſt, what doth he but ſay, that there is ſomething in Chriſt which is matter of exception? To make Chriſt a ſtumbling ſtone, is either to profeſſe that Chriſt is blame worthy, or that thy ſelf art fooliſh. What a high ſinne is it to aſperſe Chriſt the holy one with any miſcarriage? he was holy harmleſſe, undefiled ſeparate from ſinners, Heb. 7 26 And
2. Its the inlet to other ſinnes. It hinders the ſoul, 1. From loving Chriſt with that love that love that is meet. 2 From obeying Chriſt. 3. From beleeving in Chriſt. 4. From recommending him to others. 5. From being thankful for Chriſt. 6. It turnes the ſoul upon the ſinne of blaſpheming and reviling Chriſt. 7 I… hinders the ſoul from ſuffering for Chriſt. He that ſtumbles at Chriſt is in the high-way to all kinde of ſin againſt Chriſt; he may eaſily be perſwaded to ſet up another Chriſt.
2. It's a very dangerous thing. It's dangerous in theſe two reſpects.
For firſt, It makes all that Chriſt hath done or ſuffered of no effect to us. He that ſtumbles at Chriſt cuts himſelf off from all the merits and benefits of Chriſts death, Reſurrection, Aſcenſion, Interceſſion. We may ſay of ſuch a one, as Paul doth of circumciſion, Gal 5. 4.
Nay, ſecondly, It makes Chriſt, damnation to a perſon. That of our Saviour is a dreadful Text, Mat. 21. 44. To turne ſalvation into damnation will be a double damnation; better to have been damned without a Chriſt, then to be damned with a Chriſt; better a thouſand times to have been deſtroyed without a Redeemer, then to be deſtroyed by a Redeemer; better to die without a Saviour, then to die by a Saviour.
What ſhould be done that we may ſtumble no more? 1. Get a clear knowledge of Chriſt. 2. Be acquainted with thoſe that embrace him. 3. Be truly offended at ſin. 4. Pray that God would root out of your hearts all occaſions of offence. 5. Remember what Chriſt hath done for you, and what he is ſtill a doing for you; His doctrines, his offices, his government; All that at which offence is taken, is for your benefit and ſalvation. 6. To take offence at Chriſt, is to ſtumble at Gods wiſdom, mercy, goodneſſe in giving Chriſt, and in fitting Chriſt.