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A56658
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The epitome of man's duty being a discourse upon Mic. 6.8, where hypocritical people are briefly directed how to please God.
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Patrick, Simon, 1626-1707.
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1660
(1660)
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Wing P795; ESTC R203168
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52,419
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134
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Exod. 20. And likewise you may take notice of the ordinary style of Moses when he speaks of these things which runs thus These are the Commandments the Statutes and the judgements Deut. 6.1 or keep his Commandments his Statutes and judgements Deut. 30.14 the like to which you may read Mal. 4.4 In all which places and many other Commandments are put first which word comprehends the moral and everlasting precepts and then follows Statutes which denotes the Ordinances and institutions about Gods Worship and after that Judgements which signifies the Laws about matters of civil right both which were alterable and not eternal Yea the whole book of Deuteronomy or the second Law as the word signifies seems to be added after the other to teach them that it was obedience to his voice in all things that God did most regard And therefore Nazianzen reckoning up the priviledges of the Jews saith that they had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a double giving of the Law Orat. 13. one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Letter the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Spirit Which may be interpreted of that in mount Sinai and of the other in the plains of Jordan 3. And so after the Law was given And from the succeeding Ages all the people of God understood that the things chiefly intended by him were their inward mortification their purity and integrity of soul a spiritual worship and a life of temperance sobriety justice mercy humility and all other vertues To this there are a multitude of places in holy Writ that will testifie and bear witness Hath the Lord as great pleasure saith Samuel in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord Behold to obey is better then sacrifice and to hearken then the fat of ramms For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and stubborness is as iniquity and idolatry 1 Sam. 15.22 23. Samuel a witness of it Saul thought that God was delighted if they feasted him with a multitude of sacrifices and that nothing distasted him if they had a care not to entertain Idols with the good chear at the Altar and therefore Samuel tells him that God took the greatest pleasure in an hearty obedience to his commands which was better then all the outward worship that he had appointed and that rebellion against Gods commands was as bad as Idolatry and worshipping of stocks and stones From the Prophet Samuel let us go to Asaph And Asaph who lived not long after and he tells us Psal 50.7 8 9 c. that God did not hunger after the flesh of beasts and foul nor thirst after the blood of Bulls and Goats nor did he fall out with them for the neglect of this kind of service but that which he required of them was to pray to him and praise him and perform all their vows promises to him which was the best of offerings ver 14 15. And that which he reproves and chides them for was that they hated instruction and made nothing of all his commands for the regulating of their words desires and actions ver 16 17 18 c. He asks them how they dare be so impudent as to pretend be in covenant with him though they brought him never so many fat sacrifices seeing they could not indure any of his counsels but were unjust unclean lyers swearers slanderers and backbiters As long as their evil affections and desires were unmortified he cared not for the death of so many of his creatures And so you may read the sense of David in the next Psalm Psal 51.15 16 17. And David O Lord open my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise For thou desirest not sacrifice else would I give it thou delightest not in burnt-offerings The Sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise There were no Sacrifices indeed appointed for murder and adultery to which he hath a particular respect but they made a man obnoxious to death by Moses his Law Yet he saith in General that God did not delight in burnt-offerings and so his words may be extended farther than that one case of his That which pleased God was holy praises and the sacrifices of a broken heart and contrite spirit There may be an allusion to the ceremonial worship in the words broken contrite the former of which may refer to the sacrifice of beasts the latter to the perfume that was put before the testimony of the Tabernacle of the Congregation Exo. 30.35 36. And the words may signifie as if he had said that brokenness of heart and an holy shivering of the spirit in pieces so that it shall never be set together in the same frame wherein it was before is far better then the cutting and chopping of the flesh of beasts in pieces And as spices when they are beaten smell the sweetest so when your hearts are thus bruised and laid in their own dust by sincere contrition it is a more gratefull perfume to me then the beaten spices which were called most holy If you look likewise into Psal 69.30 31. You shall find that to praise God with a song and magnifie him with thanksgiving please the Lord better then an Ox or Bullock that hath horns and hoofs From him pass to Solomon his son who is of the same judgement for he saith expresly That to do justice and judgement is more acceptable to the Lord then Sacrifice And Solomon Prov. 21.3 Yea that the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord especially when he bringeth it with a wicked mind v. 27. And therefore in Eccles 5.1 he bids us be more ready to hear i. e. to obey then to offer the sacrifices of fools A fool is one that hath a body without a soul and such a carkass of religion are all sacrifices without obedience A meer skin and husk of devotion which God can no more be pleased with then we are with the gifts of a fool who knows not what he doth If from thence you pass to the Prophet Isaiah And all the Prophets he speaks so fully to my purpose in the first chapter from the eleventh verse to the twenty-first that I need not gloss upon his words And chap. 63.1 2 3. the Lord tells that people who boasted so much that they had provided him with an house and furnished his table continually with sacrifices I need no house nor am I beholden to you for a dwelling for the heavens and the earth are mine And I tell you there is no man loves me like to him that is poor in Spirit humble and obedient to my word Though you think that you please me mightily by the large provision you make at my house believe it without this contrition poverty and holy trembling at my commands he that kills a whole Ox is so far from doing me any service that it is as bad as an act of