Stumbling Blocks

Stumbling Blocks A very foolish man had at his doorstep an awkward stone that people were always falling over. So, being grieved at this, he set a lantern on the stone to draw attention to the obstacle. Do you see any connection between that stone and the Church Catechism? The Catechism tells us that people are "born again" in baptism, and a great many other things that are not true; but the Evangelical clergy put a lantern upon the stone, and say, "Yes, it does say that white's black; but it does not mean quite that; there's a different construction to be put on the words." That is how they talk. If the man had used a little commonsense, and digged the stone up, and cast the stumbling block out of the way, he could have used the lantern to far better purpose, And so these Evangelical clergymen could better employ their time in rooting out the evil than in apologizing for it. An illustration might be drawn from the use of plaster all over London. I am always glad to see the stucco come off; for then it shows that, after all, the house was only built of brick, though it was a good imitation of stone. This age is an age of stucco; everywhere men are trying to make things look like what they are not.

Stones are often a blessing to the land. I have heard that in one of our English counties some of the farmers cleared all the stones from their land, and they had worse crops that year in consequence. A very small stone is not a small thing when it is in your boot; and so a very small evil may injure our travelling to heaven.

There are stones on the Alps which contain gold; but in such minute quantities that it would not be worth the labour needed to turn it to account.