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LECTURE XCVI.

NECESSITY OF RENOUNCING ALL OCCASIONS OF
OFFENCE. THE CHRISTIAN'S TRIAL.

MARK ix. 43-50.

8-10.

We left Jesus in the midst of a discourse, in Matt xviii. which he had pronounced a blessing on all who should favour the least of his disciples, should relieve their difficulties or mitigate their afflictions. Whosoever shall give you a cup of cold water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward. He had also declared the sad consequence which should follow the oppressing them, and causing them to fall from the faith. Whosoever shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.

This leads him to speak further, and more generally, of the danger of inducements to sin; of causes of offence; of whatever occasions a departure from God. Rather than yield to these, or be subject to them, it was expedient to submit to the greatest self-denial and the dearest sacrifice.

43. And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:'

'See Isa. lxvi, 24.

44. Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

45. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

46. Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

47. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire :

48. Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

In these figurative expressions, the eye or the limb signify the occasion of offence; i. e., the occasion of departing from the faith, or of acting inconsistently with it: whether that occasion be a passion, a desire, as in a similar passage which occurs in St. Matthew:2 or whether it be, as seems to be meant here, a friend who is loved, or an enemy who is dreaded. If he be an enemy, woe be unto him if he be a friend, if one of thy own household become thy foe, beware of him: though he be dear to you as one of the most valuable members of the body, cut off the connexion, and cast it from thee. It is better for thee, with the loss of that which is most precious in this world, with a loss which leaves you as it were halt, and maimed, and blind, to enter into the kingdom of God, than after the enjoyment of every earthly comfort to be cast into hell fire, where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. "For we look not at the things which are seen, and are temporal, but at

2 ch. v. 29, 30.

the things which are not seen, and are eternal.

When Nicodemus, for example, being one of the Pharisees, took the part of Jesus, saying, (John vii. 51,) "Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth? They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee ?"

Now here the Pharisees were to Nicodemus in the place of the right hand or right eye, which he was to cast from him. They were a stumblingblock in his way. To do what duty required, and separate himself from the party to which he belonged, was no easy trial. Nothing could make him consent to this, except a conviction that it was desirable to enter into the kingdom of God, with a despised and persecuted party, rather than with the approbation of rulers and friends to be cast into hell.

When the early Christians saw fit to make common cause and common purse, and those who were possessors of lands or houses sold them for the support of others, the estate of Ananias and Sapphira was their snare. It was an offence to them and

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they kept back part of the price, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet." To give up the whole of the possession, would evidently have been to them like the parting with a hand, or a foot, or an eye. It was a self-denial to which they could not consent. But it would have been better for them to enter into the kingdom of God maimed of their earthly possessions, than having

Acts iv. 32-37; v. 1-3.

M M

their whole fortune to be cast into hell fire, where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

It was needful, therefore, for our Lord to urge these strong enforcements. He knew the trials to which his disciples must be exposed; not his present disciples alone, but others in every future age. He knew that nothing except the most overpowering motives could engage them to resist temptation, and remain stedfast in the faith. Therefore, he leaves them motives which might well have this effect, and supply strength to the weakness of nature.

"What

shall it profit a man, if he should gain the whole world, and lose his own soul ?"

The whole is concluded with a remark, which shows it to be part of the will of God, that his people should be proved by trials of this kind.

49. For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.

As much as to say, Do not wonder at the mortification which I have been predicting and requiring. Every one must expect to undergo mortification, and consent to self-denial. *

4

Under the law it was commanded, being rendered necessary by the climate of Judea, (Lev. ii. 13.) Every oblation of thy meat-offering shalt thou season with salt: neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat-offering. With all thy sacrifices thou

The explanation here given of these two verses will be found in Bp. Hurd, Sermon XI. It appears to me the best solution of a passage of acknowledged difficulty.

shalt offer salt." To the typical sacrifice, therefore, salt was indispensable, that it might be pure and uncorrupt. And to the spiritual sacrifice, the sacrifice of the Christian heart, trials are the seasoning which make it acceptable. Every disciple of Christ shall be salted, i. e., preserved from corruption, be cleansed and purified, with fire with fiery trials; with the furnace of affliction. This is the preparation, the seasoning, which shall be to it what salt is to the literal sacrifice, that which renders it pleasing and conformable to the will of God.

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Then follows a remark, arising from the idea which had been just introduced, the mention of salt as belonging to the sacrifice.

50. Salt is good but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.

Salt is a metaphor, expressing what preserves the moral nature, as well as the animal nature, from corruption. That which preserves the Christian nature, the renewed heart, that which fits it for the fire of temptation, is FAITH. But if that faith have lost its active and its searching power, wherewith shall the heart be seasoned? how shall it be preserved in a suitable state for acceptance with God?

Have, therefore, salt in yourselves. Have with you that preparation of the heart which comes from Christian faith; and give the proof of it, by being at peace one with another. "For by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples :"-by this shall faith in me be estimated and proved :-" that ye have love one towards another."

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