3. Through this Faith

Farther, through this Experience of Faith, Chrift becomes precious to him, as Peter faith, 1 Pet. 2. 7. to you who believe he is precious: That very Christ, which to others is a Stone of ftumbling, and a rock of offence, is precious to them who have Faith, and know him by Experience; So precious, that they esteem all the greatest and most excellent things in the world but drofs and dung in comparison of Him: and fuch believers have chofen to part with their Liberty, their Eftates, their Relations, and their own Lives, all which are precious things in themselves, rather than they would part with this infinitely more precious Christ.

3. They are blessed in that through this faith have efta- they have establishment, as Chrift faith, on this blishment. rock I will build my Church: And he that hath Chrift

4. Through this efta

are free

for his only Foundation, is never offended at him, whatever fcandals the World and the Devil raise up against him: But he that hath another Foundation than Chrift, to wit, either his own works and Righteousness, or the World and the Things of the World, when fcandals come, they are prefently offended, and their offence against Christ declares they are not built on him. But they whom nothing can offend, they are furely built and eftablished on Chrift, and in this they are blessed.

4. They who have received the Revelation of blishment the Father, and through this Revelation, true from perish-Faith, and through this true Faith, firm Establishment, are farther Bleffed, in that all fuch are paft perishing; For he that cleaves fo infeparably to Chrift that nothing can offend him, and is fo firmly built on Chrift that nothing can remove him; It is impoffible for him to perifh by any thing: Wherefore it is faid, behold I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, Elect and precious, and be that believeth on him shall not be confounded: And Mat. 16. faith Christ,

Chrift, On this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hell fhall not prevail.

of Salvation

5. And laft of all, They that have escaped the 5 Offence of Chrift, are fure of Salvation: For fuch do truly partake of all that infinite and everlasting advantage that is by Chrift; they partake of his own Righteousness, and Wisdom, and Truth, and Power, and Nature, and Life, and Word, and Spirit, and of all his fulness, and thus they have true poffeffion of the beginnings of eternal life, as John faith, These things have I written to you that believe, that you may know ye have eternal life abiding in you. I John. 5. 13. and Chrift faith, Igive unto my sheep eternal life; that very life which was in the Father, and was communicated to Chrift, and manifest in his humane Nature.

And in all these Regards are they blessed that are not offended at Chrift, as Chrift affirms, bleffed is be whosoever shall not be offended in me. And fo now I proceed to fome Ufes.

5. The Uses.

5. General. The Ufes.

nish men to

felves be not

1. To warn all men of all forts, that they take 1.To admofpecial care that they be not offended at Chrift, take heed and the things of Chrift; You have heard that that them the World, and the wifeft, and greatest of the offended at world, and that the worldly Church, and the ho- Christ. liest and most religious in that are offended at Chrift; And you have heard alfo how great an evil it is to be offended, and how great a blessednefs it is not to be offended; Wherefore I do advise you from the Word, to take care that you be not found amongst them who are offended at Christ.

But you will be ready to fay, We hope we are Object. not offended at Chrift, but we do love, honour, and embrace both Chrift and the things of Chrift.

To this I anfwer, That many do ufually fay Anfw. they are not offended at Chrift, and it may be fome

Dd2

may

Many areof. tended at

may

think fo too, who yet indeed and before the Chrift, who Lord are grievously offended at him, as may thus ay they are appear, For,

not offended. 1.Theythat

1. Firft, He that is offended at the true Word are o Tended of Chrift, is offended at Christ himself; for Chrift are ofended is the Word, the Gofpel Word, the Word that was at Chrift. with God, and was God, and came into the flesh,

who are ot

true Believers.

and that fpake, and did, and fuffered, and overcame all in that flesh; and Chrift faid it was expedient for the Church, that he should withdraw his flesh or bodily prefence, and only continue that prefence of his with them, which is by the living Word of God through the Gofpel; and this is that Jefus Chrift who is prefent with Believers to the end of the world.

And so he that is offended at the true Spiritual Word, held forth by the confeflion of Faith, is offended at Chrift himself, who is present in that word; wherefore faith Peter, 1 Pet. 2. 8. He is a Stone of ftumbling and rock of offence to them that Stumble at the word. The moft People adore the outward name of Christ, but yet cannot endure the true word of Chrift. Now all that are offended at the true Spiritual word of Christ, and right Doctrine of the Gospel, are offended at Chrift himfelf, and stumble at that stumbling ftone. And thus multitudes are offended at Chrift, who do think themselves very free from this Sin.

2. And they 2. They that are offended at true Believers,are fended at offended at Chrift himself. For they are in the World as he was, and walk as he did walk; and they are one flesh and Spirit with him; they are his Members, they are himself; and whosoever is offended at them, is offended at him. For Christ is the felf fame both in himself the Head, and in Believers his Members. And these are the Children of God, together with him the first born, and these are comprehended in the fame Love, chofen

chofen with the fame Choice, called with the fame Calling, fan&tified with the fame Holiness, kept by the fame Power, and Glorified with the fame Glory; thefe partake of the fame Divine Nature, and have the fame word and Spirit dwelling in them, in the fame Righteoufnefs, Wisdom, Grace and Truth, and there is no difference between t Chrift and them, but what is between the Head and the Members, the first born and his Brethren. And fo, they that are offended at thefe, would as certainly and neceffarily be offended at Chrift himfelf, if he had lived in their time, or if they had lived in his time.

It is manifeft then that they who are offended at the word of Christ, and at the works of Chrift, at the Nature and Life of Chrift in Believers, would have been offended at them in Chrift himself; Yea, they who are offended at Chrift in Believers, would much more have been offended at Chrift in himself; because what is in a Chriftian but in part, was fully in Chrift; And what is in a Chriftian in a small measure, was in Chrift without meafure; and there was in Christ a far more glorious prefence and manifestation of God, than in any Christian; and proportionably would they have been offended at him in himself, who are truly offended at him in his members.

who are of

ings of Chri

3. They who are offended at the Sufferings which 3. And they come on Chriftians for Chrifts fake, are offended at fended at Chrift himself, because they fuffer not on their own the lufferaccount, but on Chrifts, and the Crofs they take up ans. and bear is his, and not their own. If they would live as other men in the common Religion of the Nation, and make ufe of the form of Godliness without the Power; and comply with that Doctrine and Difcipline which the Clergy fhall allow for Orthodox, and the Magiftrate accordingly approve and confirm; then might they live as quietly and Dd3

prof

profperously as other men; but because they cleave only to Christ, and take him for their only Mafter in the things of God, and do receive his word in Faith, and then hold it forth to others, therefore the world hates them, as Chrift faid, I have given them thy word, and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, as I am not of the world.

Wherefore every true Chriftian who speaks and profeffes the word of Faith, the word which exalts Chrift alone, and his things, and throws down all other things of the world, though in the highest esteem with men, must needs meet with his Enemies and Avengers, his Scribes and Pharifees, his Herods and Pilates: And now when the carnal Church which hath the favour and countenance of the State, fees poor Chriftians for the words fake, fuffering all the hatred, malice and rage of the world and worldly Church, they are greatly offended at them; and in being offended at them, they are offended at Chrift himself; for it is his Caufe in which they fuffer, and not their own; and it is he who fuffers in his Caufe more than they; as is evident by that complaint of his, Saul, Saul, why perfecuteft thou me? I fay, as it is Chrift, that is, and doth all in his true Saints, fo alfo it is he that fuffers all in them; and they who are offended at thefe Sufferings of Believers, which they fuffer in and for Chrift, are offended at Chrift himself.

And in these three regards it doth plainly appear, that many who pretend to honour the outward Name of Chrift, are yet indeed grievously 2. Ufe. offended at him.

Caution,

not to be

offended

2. The fecond Ufe is another Caution to warn all men to take heed, as not to be offended themthrough the felves at Chrift, fo alfo not to be troubled nor ofothers, by fended with the offences of others: But when we confidering fee the whole world and worldly Church offended

offences of

at