Agai11jl Scal!dalizjllg. nanccs of God, or opportunities of getting good : And it is this Temptation which is indeed the fcandal. This is before proved in the infiance of Peur, Gal. z, who l_candalized, or hardenLd the Jews, by yielding to a finful fcpuation from the Gentiles, and fearing the CenforioufDefs of the ]tws whom he fought to pleafe, and the offending of whom he was avoiding when he r<ally offended thtm that is, was a fcandal or tcmptarion to them. ' Di~<ll· 2· 9· 24. Direct. 2· Ht that wiU efoape the guilt of Scandal, mHjl ~e no contrmntr of tht foul! of others but muji be tmly cbarii.Jb/e, tmd have a tender love to foutJ. That which a man highly va!ueth and dearly loveth, he will be careful to preferve, and loth to hurt. Such a man will ealily put with his own rigbu, or fnbmit to loffcs, injuries, or difgrace, to preferve his Neighbours foul from fin. Whereas a defpijtr of foulJ, will in(in upon his own power, and right and honour, and will entrap and damn a hundred fouls, rather than he will abatea word or a Ceremony which he thin!{s his intcreH Hquireth him to exact ! Tell him that it wi\l tnfnare mens fOuls in tin, and he is ready to fay as the Pharilecs to Jud,;r, JVbat's that to m? See thou t~ t!Jat. A Dog hath as much pity on a Han:, or a H1wk on a. }J.uriidge, as a carnal worldly ambitious Diotrephu or an ElymaJ hath ot fouls. Tdl him that it will occalion men to Jin, to wound their Confciences, to offend their God, it movcth him no more than to tell him of the fmal\efi incommodity to himfdf: He will do more to fave a Horle or a Dog of his own, than to Cwe anothers foul from fin! To lay fnares in their way, or to deprive them of the preaching of the Gofpel, or other means of their falvation, is a thing which they may be induced to by the fmallefi interefi of their own; yea, though it be but a point of fecming honour. And there~ fore when 'arnal worldly men do become the difpofers ot m.uttrs ot Religi1-n, ir is C:<ttie to fee what meafure and ufage men mufi exptCt: Yea, though they affume the c,ffice and name of Paltors who !hould have the moll: tender fatherly care of the fouls of all the flocks, yet will their c:nnai inclinations and imtrefiS engage them in the work of Wolves, to tntrap, or fami{h, or deitroy ChriHs Sheep. Dire/1. 3• §·25· Dircd. 3• Alfo youmuft be perfonswbovaluc your own fo•ls, and arc diligently exercij(d in foving them from tempttuionJ: or elfe you are very lik._e to be fcJ.ndalizl'rJ and tempter! of the [ ulJ of others. And therefore when fuch a man is m•de a CnuH::h Govcrnour as is unacquaint<.d with the rtnewing work of grace, and With the inward Government of Chrifi: in the fouJ, what D vili(h work is he like to make among the fhcep ot Chriit, under the name of G(;vemrneut! what corrupting of the D(,Chine , Worfhip or D•fc!plint ot Chrifi: ! What inventions of his own to cnfn.ue mens Omk:icnccs ? and driving them on by armed force to do that which at le ..fi: to them :s fin, and which can m:ver countervail the Jofs, either of thtir fouls, or of the Church by fuch dillurbJnccs ! How mercilcfs will be he when a poor member of Chrifi 1 fhall beg of him but to hav.. pity on his foul? and tcH him, I cannot do thff, or fwtar thi1, or[uhfcribe thff. "''irh<'t'' the gl,;h of a dd·bcratc fin! and I cannot fin without difpleafing God, and hindering my falvatior:. He rh.u due: wilflllly fin himfclf, and make it his delibcr:ue choice, Jnd d~re pi ty away his owr: falvation, at the p0nrdf game that the Devil will invite him to, and will fdl hisown[oulat the bzfefi price, even tor a little pelf or pleature or high titles for fo fhort a rime., certainly this man is unlike to be very tender of the fouls of orhers, or to flick at fcandaliimg and cnfnaring them, or to care any more to murder fOuls, than a Butcht:r doth to kill a Hog : JHd<H's hearr, will make them fell their Lord or his flock at Judar's price; and prepare themtelves for Jud.JJ's reward. An.d hence it is that the Carnal feed even r.rithiJfthe Church, hath ordinarily ptrfecutcd the fpiritual fc<.d. For faith Paul, .A1 he that was born after the ft4hptr[ecuted him lhe~t was bC!rn after the jfirir> even [o it i.r '1tf/W G tl. 4 29· Dirtll• t• 9· 26. DireCt. 4· '"{, be wtU acquflinted with I he mttiJods of Satan, aud the way of particHlar ttlllptalimu, i1 agreat help again(t your [canM.al1zing others. He rhat feeth the Devil <r.s the principal m each tcmpration, and knowcth in what m;umn he engageth his inftrumenrs to carry on his work and whither all rhis tendeth at the lalt, will fcatee be willing to ferve fuch a maiter in fo b..:d ; work. Rernembtr that fcand•lizers and temprers of others, and hindners of mens falvarion are the fervants of the Devil, and are executing his milice for the damnation of their brethrens fouls. And what reward can they expect for fucb a work from fucb a maficr ? The Devil ufeth them bur as men do :r crrets, whofe mouths are fealtd becaufe they muft not purake of the prey ; but only bring it to their rnafiers hand. Live in a confbnt watchful rcfifionce of tempracions your fdves, and you will have no mind to the drudgery of ttmpring others. E!irel/. 5• §. 27· Direct. 5· Set not yoHr /ilvu ttpo• any rporldly ambitiol/4 dtfign: For the Love of the Richtl and HonourJ of the World, will not only c:ngJge you in a courfe of {inning, but alfo make it feem your interefi, to make othtrs as bad and ualerable as your fdvc:s, and to drive them on to ferve your interdls by their fin. Dir<ll• 6. §· 28. Dircd:. 6. Tal(! heed lrft af/efhly inclinati,n do draw yru to tbc Love of flejhly pleafuw ! and that your minds be not fet upon the pleahngof your tan!ies fc:n{C or appt..tirc; eirhc:r in melt, or drink or. cloaths or dwellings, or recreations, or any fuch delights : It once the Love of rhefe grow jlrong, it will conquer your reafon, and fc:ducc i~ into Libertinifm, and make you think that a.voluptuous fldh·plcaling life, ( fo it be not by gro!s dilgroccd fins) is but the lawful ufc of the Creature, which Chrift hath purchaftd not only im our nectffity but for our deli?.,ht; and dut the contrary opinion is but the too much rigour of fuch as undedland noc thtir Chriflian li– berty, Dirtll• 7 • ~· 29· DireCt. 7· Be not rajhly and ignorantly ze•loUf in {olicitinJ{ and importunin~ otl;ers to }'OUr privase upiniont, bej'art )OH are cer111in th•t they are of Gcd• .0 what abundance ot zeal and labour ' hub
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