146 I. Cor. 8. 9, a 0. 11, l/fe 1. 2. Rom. rq. 13 3. t7'eatife of Confcience. at meat in the Idols temple, 'hall not the Confelence of bins that se weak! be emboldened to eat thofe things which are offered to Idols ? And through thy knowledge (hall thy weak,brotber pe- rifh for whom Chrift died ? Where ye fee that weak conlcien- ces are apt to be milled. The realon is this. Becaufe when they fee others whom they know to be more learned and judicious then themfelv.es todo to and fo, that may loon tempt them to do it though their conscience be againfl it. The firfl ulè isthis; If any have weak conlciences let them labour to flrengthen them. Ye fie what imperfe&ions are in a weak confcience ; how apt it is to be offended and to judge o- ther mens liberty, how prone to misleading : therefore let every good foul labour to be flrengehened. The fecond die is this ; Tholè that be flrong mull be carefull that they offend not the weak. Though they do believe filch and loch Chriflian liberties they have, yet if they'know the ufe of them will offend their weak brother, they fhould be carefull to abtlein, Let no man pat a($ambling- block, or an. oeca/isn to fall in his brothers way. Thirdly, if it be inch a finne to (inne againfl the confcience of the weak, then what a (inne is it to (inne againfl the con - fcrence of all that are godly, whether weak ones or prong ones? Ye who walk after the fle;li, and can have diforders in your families, and vanity in your mouths, and 'apparent corruptions in your lives ; Ye who can drink and be drun ken and keep company and profane the Lords dare ; ye offend the conlciences of all that are godly it is a grief to their fouls to fee it. Let me. tell you ; It is a finne to be wicked however, and the high -way to hell ; but to be wicked when ye have godly neighbours about you, your (inne now is double For as you offend God, fo you offend then too. 'Ye may remember what Chrifl faith, Wbofoever orfendètb one of thefe little ones which believe in me, it were better for h<m that a million were hang about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the fea, Match, ti. 6. Ah ye vile wretches ! ye little imagine what fearefull vengeance ye pill on
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