1. Who of fended at Christ. 1.The whole World. And herein the chief 2. What those things are whereat they are of- 5. Make fome use of all. 1. Point. Who they are that are offended at Chrift. And here I affirm, firft that the whole World in general is offended at Chrift; for they living without the word and Spirit of Faith, muft needs be offended at Chrift, by all thofe scandals which are raised up against Christ, by the Devil and men; and they all having a falfe apprehenfion of Chrift, do fuck in as readily as a Spring doth water, whatever afperfions and reproaches are raised against him, and fo muft needs be offended at him: And therefore faith Chrift, Mat. 18. ver. 17. wo be to the world because of offences; for offences must needs come, and the world will needs receive them, and therefore wo be to the world. So that the whole World, that is, whofoever are not true Believers, and born of God, are all offended at Chrift and his Gofpel; and all the Children of the firft Adam, are offended at the fecond Adam, who is wholly unlike to them, yea and in all things moft contrary to them. 2. Yea fecondly, Not only the common people and choice of the World, vulgar and contemptible men, are men of the offended at Christ, but alfo all the chief and choice World. men of the world, Kings of the Earth, and Rulers, and Judges, and Magiftrates, as in Pfalm z. and all the beft, and learnedeft, and wifeft, and greatest, and most honourable men, thefe all are offended at Chrift, 1 Cor. 2. 8. which none of the Princes of this world knew; he means it of Philofophers as well as of Secular Powers; and not knowing him, they Crucified him. 2. Not the world only are offended at Chrift, 2. The but also the Worldly and carnal Church, the outward, church. Worldly visible, National Church, this is very much offended at him. This we fee in Chrifts time, that the only visible Church of God in the World, the Church of the Jews, (for the Church of the Old Testament, was a visible Church, but the Church of the New Teftament is a Spiritual Church, and not visible) I fay, the Jewish Church, which had the Law of Mofes, the Prophets, and the Pfalms, and obferved all the outward Ordinances of God exactly, they were all offended at Christ, and made an Order, That whofoever acknowledged him fhould be excommunicated, and caft out of the Synagogue. And this Offence was foretold by Ifaiah chap. 8. ver. 14. where he faith of Chrift, And he fhall be for a stone of ftumbling and for a rock of offence to both Houses of Ifrael, for a ginn, and for a snare to the Inhabitants of Jerufalem. So that not Babylon only, but Jerufalem; and not the Heathen only, 3 but both the Houfes of Ifrael were offended at Chrift; and this makes the evil yet more grie vous. the Mini lers. And yet this is not all, but fecondly, and not And herein only the Carnal Chriftians, but the Carnal Clergy fters and are offended at Chrift; and not only the common chief Rupeople of the National Church, but the chief Rulers, the moft eminent, and in appearance most Godly and Holy and Orthodox of the Clergy, are above all others moft grievously offended at Christ. This also we fee done in Chrifts time, when the Scribes, and Pharifees, and Rulers of the People, Men of great Reputation and Renown, for Religion, and Righteoufnefs, thefe were chiefly, and above the rest of the Church, offended at Chrift; and as Christ every where was moft fharp against them, and did moft reprove them; fo they did Bb 3 moft moft bitterly oppofe Chrift. And this also was foretold by the Spirit of Prophefie, Pfalm 118. 22. The stone which the Builders refufed, is become the Head of the corner; this rejected Stone, is Christ himself, and thefe Builders were the chief Rulers and Governours of the Church, and accordingly both Chrift and the Apoftles applied this Scripture to them, as you may fee Mat. 21. 42. and Acts 4. 11. So that the Builders, that teach, and inftruct, and govern the Church, and are reputed the beft, and most profitable and neceffary men in it, yea the very Pillars of the Church, fo that all would come to naught, and to ruine without them, these are the men that are moft offended at Christ. These are the Husbandmen mentioned by Chrift, Mat. 21. that confpired againft the Son of the Lord of the Vineyard, and killed him; and these Nullus eft have been, and still are, the chief and great outalius Anti-ward Antichrift in the World. Chriftus mundo, ncq; venturus quam Sacer Hus. Now when the People fee the Rulers and Governors of the Church, who are thought to have dotes. Joh. more Knowledge, Learning, Light, and Religion By PricAs than others, offended at Chrift, this exceedingly he means increases their Offence; and when they see the the Clergy, Builders rejecting and throwing away this Stone, this caufes them to reject him alfo with the greater who chal lenge to a themfe ved indignation. proper and fingular And thus you fee that this offence at Chrift, is Priesthood, a great and a large evil, and is fpread over all the apart from World and Worldly Church, and very few there other Ceri- are who do escape it. ftians. 2. General. At what of And this for the first thing. 2. Point. At what things in Chrift they are Offended, and why fended in they are offended at them. Cbrift. Now the World and the Worldy Church are Offended, 1. At Chrift Himself. 2. At his true Word. 3. At his true Worship. 4. At his true Church. 5. At his true Ministry. 6. At his true Government. Of these things I fhall speak in Order, according to the good hand of God with me, and fhall defire to be so faithful to Chrift, as not to depart one hairs breadth from his truth, though it may be it will come to pafs that all or the greatest part of you, will be grievously offended at it. I begin with the firft, and will fhew, that the World and Worldly Church are offended. 1. At Chrift Himself. 1. At Chrift himself, and And they are offended at him in many regards, in him. of which, I fhall mention these five. 1. They are offended at the meannefs of his outward Condition in the World. For indeed he was in a very low, plain, fimple, and contemptable Condition, in the days of his flesh, as any ordinary Tradesmen in this Town, and lived with Jofeph in his Trade of a Carpenter. Wherefore Paul faith of him, Phil. 2. That he made himself of no account, and took upon him the form of a Servant, and was made in outward appearance as any other man. That is, he was in the outward Condition of any ordinary man in the World. Now this mean Condition of Christ, did much offend them; for thought they, is this the Chrift, of who all the Prophets have spoke fuch glorious things? whom all the Jews expect, and who is the defire of all Nations? Is this He whofe Name is wonderful, Councellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Fa ther, the Prince of Peace, of the increase of whofe Government and Peace there fhould be no end, upon the Throne of David, and upon his Kingdom, to order it, and to ftablish it with justice and judgment from bence Bb 4 forth 1. At the meanness of his outward Condition in the World. 2. That in fo low a Condition, freken of bin. forth and for ever? Is this plain ordinary Man the Meias? How can this thing be? For they thought that the true Chrift, of whom fuch excellent things were fpoken, fhould be fome great Prince, or learned Prieft; and that that form of a Servant, and mean Condition in which he was, could in no meafure agree or be fuitable to the true Chrift; And for this Caufe, they were greatly offended at him, and thought him not worthy to be in any place of reckoning. 2. They were offended that he being in fo mean an outward condition, John Baptift should yet fuch high fpeak fuch high things of Him, and he of H mfelf. things were John Baptift teftified of him, that he was the only begotten Son in the bofome of the Father; the Lamb of God that takes away the fins of the World; the fountain of the fulness of all the Saints; the beloved Son unto whofe hands the Father had given all things; and that he that did believe in him, had everlafting life; and he that did not, should not fee life, but the wrath of God fhould abide on him, &c. And thefe all were wonderful things, to be fpoken of one whose outward condition in the World was fo plain and contemptible. And as John had spoken these things of Christ, fo Chrift everywhere gives forth himself as the Son of God, and faid, He and his Father were one. And this exceedingly offended the Jews, as you may fee John. 5. 18. The Jews fought to kill him, not only becaufe he had broken the Sabbath, but also because he had faid, God was his Father, making himself equal with God. And John. 10. 31. The Jews took up Stones to Stone him, and said, we Stone thee not for a good work, but for blafphemy, and because thou being a man makeft thy felf God. And fo they were all offended at this Myftery, God manifeft in the flesh, in the flesh of fo mean and defpicable a perfon in the eye of the World. 3. They |