SERMON VI.

ON SCANDALS.

ROм. 14. 16, 17.

Let not then your good be evil spoken of: for the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

ST. PAUL in this chapter, discoursing on the lawfulness of different kinds of food, as well as in other passages where he treats of the same subject, has laid down certain principles of conduct relative to the scandalizing our neighbour, which are of frequent and important application in the intercourse of life. A scandal is strictly speaking a stumbling block, any thing which causes another to trip or to fall. From this literal meaning, the word has been taken, both in its original language, and in our own, to signify any

thing which causes another to fall morally, or commit offence against his conscience. To scandalize is therefore to cause to offend. And this latter word offend, and offences, are the terms most frequently used by the translators of our Bible, to express the Greek word scandal.

Now it appears that at the very first preaching of the Gospel, and certainly thenceforth to the present time, there have existed amongst professing Christians a great number of scruples and doubts about the lawfulness or unlawfulness of particular practices. And in these matters they who are called the strong, or who conceived such or such a practice lawful, have by the force of their example caused the weak brother to offend, whose conscience approved not the practice which he was by others tempted to commit. Thus in the early Roman church there was a dispute about what kind of food was lawful, and amongst the Corinthians the question ran high as to whether a Christian might conscientiously eat of that meat which had been offered

to idols. By reason of the great number of their sacrifices, and the custom of exposing to sale all the victim, except certain trifling portions that were burnt on the altar, this kind of meat abounded in the markets of the heathens. The principle on which the apostle founds his reply to both enquiries is the point now to be ascertained.

I. In the first place then he assures us that these matters are of much less importance than we are disposed to imagine. "The kingdom of God is not meat and drink." To conceive that it is of any vital importance what food we eat, or wherewithal we are clothed, is a mistaken view of the essence of our holy religion. Now it is on this same principle, that I think you might rightly solve many of the questions prevalent in the present day, with respect to the lawfulness of particular employments, or amusements. The kingdom of God does not consist in these things, about which you appear so extremely anxious, but in the inward principles of "righteousness, and peace, and

joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men."

All this is however true only of those employments and amusements which are really matters of indifference. Some things there are amongst the customs of the world which the generality esteem innocent, but which you cannot partake of without certain pollution. These therefore you must avoid with firmness. It is of little use for me to mention instances, unless I were acquainted with the peculiar temptations to which you are exposed. However I may say safely in general, that the same things which in moderation are desirable, and in their own nature unobjectionable, become in excess mischievous. It is not a matter of indifference, to live in such a round of society, as would dissipate the attention from all serious thoughts. (Note XVI.) It is not a matter of indifference, to frequent places of amusement, which owing to the corruption of the world, have become scenes of vice, instead of helps to intellectual re

laxation. (Note XVII.) It is not a matter of indifference to join in illnatured conversation, in censure of others either for natural defects, or faults of their own infirmity. In another class of actions which many deem meritorious, I know not how to esteem it even a matter of indifference, to associate yourself in religious undertakings with dissenters from the church to which you belong; seeing that an adherence to unity is a duty as clearly commanded as any other; nor again, to frequent their places of worship or to wait on their ministry, seeing that heresy and schism are as strictly forbidden as any other offence against God. These are a few of the things which the world reckons matters of indifference, but which a good Christian most carefully avoids.

The difficulty lies chiefly in settling what things really belong to this class, and what things are on the other hand really in their own nature unobjectionable. Perhaps it might be naturally expected that in drawing the line of distinction, some things would occur of which it is

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