Mutual Ed cation, the Duty of Chr /ians. 21 for the love he had to his church, his body, SERM. purchafed by his own blood, pleaJéd not him- L fell. He did not gratify the molt innocent' ' demands of nature, th e defire of reputation, of eafe, or even of felf-prefervation ; he de- nied all, and gave them up a facrifice for our redemption. This fhould infpire his followers with a refolution to thwart and deny every felfifh, corrupt inclination which may Rand in the way of their ferving the end of his death, and promoting the falvation ofhispeople. But, the text has a fpecial reference to the reftraint of liberty, in the ufe of in- different things for the good of our neigh- bour, to edification ; which St. Paul, by his example and exprefs exhortation, recom- mends it to chriftians voluntarily to fubmit to. When fome were fo weak as to judge fome meats unclean, which were really not fo in themfelves, nor by anylaw of God then in force, he would have the chriftians who were ftrong, that is, who better underftood their liberty, to condefcend to their weaker bre- thren, at leaft for a time, by abftaining from fuch meats, 'till they fhould be better in- ftruEted. And the reaCon was, that the weak, feeing their brethren, of whofe knowledge in chr'ifiianity they had a high opinion, ufe li- e= 3 berty
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