at Chrift and his things, let us take care that we be not therefore offended alfo, but let us confider,

is no new

1. That it is no new thing that Chrift and his! That it Gospel should be stumbled at, and contradicted thing for by the world and worldly Church; for thus it was men to be foretold by the Prophets, and thus it hath been Chrift. done ever fince Chrift was manifested in the flesh. In the days of his Ministry, his Doctrine was fo contrary to carnal reason, and the humane apprehenfions of men in matters of Religion, that many of his Difciples faid, This is a hard faying, who can bear it? Joh. 6. Yea, many of his Difciples murmured at his Doctrine, and went back and walked no more with him. And all along during Chrifts Ministry, many were fnared, and ftumbled, and fell, and were broken thereby; and he that is troubled and offended at this, muft get him another Chrift, and another Gospel; for the true Chrift is fet for a fign to be spoken againft, and the true Gospel is fet for a word of contention and contradiction to the carnal Chriftians, and to the whole world.

Wherefore when we fee in our time the world and worldly Church offended at Chrift and his Gospel, let us know that thus it hath been from the beginning; and let us know that as Chrift and his Gospel are the fame now as they were then, fo the World and Antichrift, and the Devil, the Head of both, are the fame alfo; and therefore it cannot be but Chrift and his Gospel must suffer the fame contradiction in our time, as they have done in all former times.

and his

worfe for

2. That we may not be offended with the com- 2. Chrift mon and general offence of others, let us confider word are that Chrift and his Gofpel are never the worfe for Bot the the offence which the World takes at them, but the offenes Christ is still the Son of the living God, aud the Gof- of the pel is ftill the Power of God to Salvation, to every

Dd 4

one

World

3. Chrift

ftill remains

offence,

one that believes, and Chrift and his Word do fill remain a fure foundation for the true Church of God; That Chrift crucified, which is to the Jews a ftumbling block, and to the Greeks foolishnefs, is notwithstanding to them who believe, Christ the Power of God, and Chrift the Wisdom of God. 1 Cor. 1. So that Chrift is not the worse for the Worlds being offended at him, neither do the faithful think him the worfe: Nay the more vile he is to others, he is still the more precious to them.

3. Let us confider that notwithstanding all the for all fuch offence of men, Christ and his Gospel still remain and continue what they are, and cannot be prevailed againft. Men may be offended at Chrift and his Word, but they cannot destroy and extinguish them, but they ftill remain, and do always prevail against all things that oppose them.

Wherefore, to deliver us from the fcandal of all Mens being offended againft Chrift, we are to confider, that as all the world have been, are and will be against Chrift, fo Chrift and his Kingdom fhall rise up and increase against all the World, and against all their thoughts and endeavours; And all their Councels, Contrivances, and induftrious Actings fhall not be able to hinder the Kingdom of Chrift from profpering and growing great; But it fhall arife and ftand up in all its Glory, out of the midst of all the offences and contradictions in the world. Wherefore Chrift and his Kingdom are called a Tried ftone; for he hath long ago indured whatever the World and worldly Church could do against Him, and whatever the might and malice of men and Devils could do against him, and yet hath overcome all: All that have oppofed Him have been dashed in pieces by him, in the several Ages of the World; and He and his Kingdom ftill remain, and fhall remain for ever; For He is a fure tried ftone. And they in this Town and Univer

fury, who are the moft grievously offended at the Word, fhall not by all their fubtilty, Malice, Slanders, evil speaking, nor by any thing they can fay or do, defign or undertake, be able to prevail against it, but they muft fhortly die and depart out of the world, and in defpite of them, leave this word of God behind them, to live, and flourish, and overspread the World. And thefe confiderations, if entertained by Faith, may keep us from being offended at the offence of the whole world: And this for the fecond Ufe.

how to car

3. In the third place, I fhall fhew you how belie- 3. Use. vers ought to carry themselves in the midst of thofe Direction, offences that are taken against Chrift, and against ry our felves themselves for Chrifts fake, that is, for his Life and in the midft Doctrines fake.

of offences,

in Chrift.

1. First then, we ought to be careful to abide. To abide in Chrift, and to walk in Chrift; To speak all our words, and to do all our works, and to live our whole life in Chrift, and in his Spirit, that fo the world may not be offended at Us who are nothing, and do nothing in our felves, but at Chrift in Us, who is and doth all in us: And then as we shall certainly be established and preferved in Chrift, through our abiding in him: fo they fhall as certainly perish and be ruined through His abiding in us, and their dashing against Him in Us.

we confefs is

God.

2. To carry our felves aright in the midst of 2.To be fure offences, let us be fure that the word we believe the Word and hold forth is Christs word, and then we may the true be very confident that this truth and caufe fhall and Word of must remain, how many Adversaries foever it may have; and though the world and Devil may rage against it, yet (as hath been faid) they fhall never be able to over throw it, much lefs to root it out.

A true Christian muft be able to fay, I know the word which I believe and profefs, is the only word

4. Vse.

2. A Word as them who are offended.

word of the Lord God, and his everlasting and unchangeable truth, and the laft manifeftation of his will by his own Son; and whatever Word agreeth not herewith, is falfe, and of the Devil, and Antichrift; and therefore by this Word will ĺ itay, though all the world be against me.

And when we are thus certain of the Word of God through Faith and the Spirit, it comforts the heart and makes it glad, and fettles it in inward Peace and Reft, in the midft of all outward Oppofitions and Troubles as through Gods goodnefs we have found by Experience. For when we know that the Word which we have received and profess, is the very Doctrine of the Son of God, then alfo we know that it fhall prevail against all Kingdoms, Commonwealths, States, Governments, Societies Universities, againft all Laws, Orders, Decrees, Acts, and against all forts and degrees of worldly and Ecclefiaftical Powers which are contrary thereunto, and fhall in the time appointed by God utterly confume them, and bring them to no. thing.

And by these Means, to wit, by abiding in Chrift and being all in him; And by being fure that the word we believe and profefs is His word, we may live fafely in the midst of all offences without the leaft prejudice.

4. Laftly, I fhall fpeak a few words to thofe in this University and Town who are offended at Chrift and his Gofpel; and alfo a few words to those who (through the Grace of God) have escaped this of fence, and fo fhall conclude this matter.

And firft, for you who are offended at Chrift and his Ward, which (we must needs fay) is come amongst you in Truth, and in plainnefs, and are angry at it, and ftorm at it, and reproach it, and think and contrive how to refift it, and to hinder the free courfe and paffage of it in this place, be

caufe

cause it is not only contrary to the Philofophical Divinity of the Schools and Univerfity, and the common carnal Religion of the Nation, but doth alfo reprove and condemn them, and will have the baughtiness of men bowed down, and the pride of men laid low, and the Lord Jefus Chrift and his things only exalted, and that here where the Wit, and Wisdom, and Parts, and Learning, and Accomplishments of men, have ruffled it, and reigned hitherto. I fay, you that are thus offended for this caufe, are offended at Chrift himself, and at God in Chrift, and you do ftumble at the fumbling Stone, and fhall fo fall thereby, as to be broken in pieces; Yea this Stone it felf fhall fall upon you, and fhall grind you to powder, and you fhall be punished with everlasting deftruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the Glory of his power, and this deftruction fhall be poured on you with the greatest severity and wrath, that God himself can inflict in all his Infiniteness and Eternity; For if (as the Penman of the Epistle to the Hebrews faith) the word Spoken by Angels was stedfaft, and every trangreffion and difobedience received a just recompence of reward, what efcaping can there be for them who neglect that great falvation, which was published at first by the Lord Chrift, and after confirmed by the first believers, and witnessed to by Signs and Miracles, and gifts of the Spirit, by God himself? Heb. 2. 2. 3. and if (as the fame Believer faith) he that defpifed Mofes Law died without mercy, of how much forer punishment shall be be guilty who treads underfoot the Son of God? &c. And affuredly it had been much better for you, that you had lived among the Heathen and Pagans, where the Gospel of God our Saviour had never been heard, than to hear this joyful found which manifefts the Love of God, and brings along with it Remiffion of fins and the gift of the Spirit, through faith in Christ, and to be offended at it, and fo to

be