Commentary on Isaiah, Commentary on Isaiah · Chapter 1 · Verse 11 – Verse 14
Verſ. 11. What hauehave I to doe with the multitude of your ſacrifices, ſaith the Lord? I am full of the burnt offerings of Rammes, and the fat of fed beaſts: and I deſire not the blood of Bullocks, nor of Lambs, nor of Goates.
NOw Iſaiah brings in God ſpeaking, who interprets his owne meaning himſelfe. For it is not enough that the Lawgiuer doe command onelyonly, but that he alſo ſhould adde a natiue expoſition to the lawes, that they be not corrupted. Now it is not to be doubted, but that the former ſharpe reprehenſion was very ill taken: For what could one hauehave ſpoken more boldly or roundly againſt them? They gloried in the name of Abraham, bragging in the title of his children, and proudly vaunting themſelues thereof. For which cauſe the Prophet thus armes himſelfe with the authoritie of God againſt them. As if he ſhould ſay, Know you, that you hauehave not ſo much to doe with me, as with God himſelfe. Next he ſhewes what it is that God reſpects, and what his meaning is in demanding ſacrifices of them: namely, not that hee doth ſo much eſteeme of the ſacrificing of brute beaſts; but that they ſhould ſerue, as outward props and helpes of godlines. And therefore that the Iewes greatly deceiued themſelues, who put their chiefeſt holineſſe in ſuch outward ceremonies. For they thought they had diſcharged their duties very well, when they ſacrificed and offered their offerings: and when the Prophets required any thing more of them, then they complained as if they had been ouer hardly dealt withall. But the Lord telles them that hee abhors and reiects their offerings. Now it may ſeeme that this is too ſtrict a courſe: for were they not the things which God himſelfe had inſtituted and commanded? But wee muſt note that as touching the commandements of God ſome ought to be obeyed ſimplie, and others for another end: as for example; The law commands, firſt, that we ſerue and honor God: ſecondly, that wee ſeeke our neighbours profit.Deut. 6.5. Theſe things are of themſelues pleaſing vntounto God, and are abſolutely required of vsus. But it is otherwiſe in regard of ceremonies, Leuit. 19.18for they are exerciſes which are not ſimplie required in reſpect of themſelues,Rom. 14.17. but for another end. And the like we may ſay of faſting. For the Kingdom of God ſtands not in abſtinence from meats and drinkes: faſting therfore hath reſpect to an higher end.
God therefore hath not ſo inſtituted ceremonies as if hee would bee appeaſed by the worke wrought; but that the people ſhould by them exerciſe themſelues vntounto godlines: and ſhould thereby bee the more ſtirred and trained vp in faith, and in his pure worſhip and ſeruice. But hypocrits are onelyonly forward and carefull in obſeruing theſe, as if the principall matter of religion conſiſted in them: and thinke themſelues the moſt deuout people in the world, whilſt they wearie and tire themſelues a long time in the obſeruation thereof. And that they might yet appeare the more holy; they euer lightly ad ſomething of their owne, and inuent ſome noueltie from day to day: but in the meane time they wickedly abuſe the holy ordinances of God, in that they refer them not to their right ends. All their ceremonies therefore are nothing elſe in God his account, but prophanations of his holy worſhip and ſeruice. For whilſt they reſt fettered as it were in the bare and naked outward action only, what difference is there betweene their ſacrifices, and thoſe of the Gentiles? which wee know are ſtuffed full of ſacriledge, becauſe they are not refer- to a right and lawfull end. This then is the reaſon why the Lord reiects all ſuch ceremonies notwithſtanding himſelfe had inſtituted them: to wit, becauſe the people looked not to the right end and vſe, for which they were ordained. Herein then ſtode the continuall conflict which the Prophets had with the people; namely, in plucking off theſe vizzards from their faces: and in ſhewing them that the Lord did not content himſelfe with outward ſeruices, neither could be appeaſed with ſuch faire ſhewes.
And the faithfull ſeruants of the Lord hauehave eueryevery where experience of the ſame combats euen at this day. For men doe alwaies meaſure God by their owne ell; and thinke to appeaſe him with outward appearances, and will not be brought by any meanes to offer vp vntounto him a pure and vpright heart. But Ieremiah will eaſily diſſolue all the difficultie of this place. Fer in the 7. chapter, he ſaith out of the mouth of the Lord: When I redeemed your fathers out of the land of Egypt, I did not command them to ſacrifice to me: onelyonly I commanded them that they ſhould heare my voyce and keepe my commandements. Wherein he ſhewes, that all the obſeruation of the ceremonies did depend vponupon the word; and that they are vaine and vnprofitable, if they be ſeparated from it, euen as if one ſhould diuide the ſoule from the bodie. Hereunto alſo belongs the argument of the fiftieth Pſalme: Will I eate the fleſh of fat Bulles, or wil I drinke the blood of Goats? Offer vntounto God praiſe, and pay thy vowes vntounto the moſt high. Ieremiah alſo in another place ſaith: Truſt not in lying words ſaying, The Temple of the Lord, This is the Temple of the Lord, but rather amend your waies, &c. Alſo Micheah: Doth the Lord delight in thouſan…s of Rammes, or in ten thouſands of fat beaſts of the valleies? By and by after he addes: I will ſhew thee O man what is good: and what it is the Lord thy God requireth of thee, to wit, To doe iudgement, to louelove merciemercy, and to humble thy ſelfe to walke with thy God: Mich. 6. By which places it appeares, that God reiects ceremonies, becauſe they were ſeparate from the word, as from their ſoule or life. Whereby we may ſee how great the blindnes of men is, who cannot bee perſwaded that all the paines they take this way in the ſeruice of God is vnprofitable vnleſſe the integritie of the heart goe before.
And this vice is not onelyonly rooted in the common people, but almoſt in all men; yea, euen in thoſe who in their owne opinion thinke they excell moſt. From hence it is at this day that this goodly deuice of*That is to ſay, a walke which they eſteeme good in it ſelfe: albeit the he…t of him which doth it be neuer fo bad. the worke wrought, connot bee pulled out of the minds of many; which the doctors of the Papiſts hauehave found out. But it is not man which ſpeakes here, but God himſefe: who by an immutable decree, declares that men ſacrifice vntounto him in vaine: and that whatſoeuer they doe elſe, is without fruite, vnleſſe they call vponupon him by a true faith.
Verſ. 12. When yee come to appeare before mee, who required this of your hands to tread in my courts?
BEhold here a moſt excellent refutation of counterfeit worſhip; when God affirmes they came not before him as hee commanded them: pronouncing in generall that it is but loſt labour when men offer him that which he requires not: becauſe he will be no otherwiſe ſerued then according to his commandement. Whence is it then that men doe ſo pleaſe themſelues in ſuch inuentions, but becauſe they vnderſtand not that all their ſeruing of God is vnprofitable and odious in his eies? For otherwiſe they would by and by thinke thus with themſ…lues, Surely, God requires obedience as the principall:1. Sam. 15.22. neither would they with ſuch ouerweening extoll the…r owne workes; which hee on the other ſi…e ſcornes and derides: not onelyonly for that he receiues no profit at all thereby; but becauſe hee would not hauehave men to attribute that vntounto him, which they hauehave raſhly inuented of their owne heads without his commandement: and alſo becauſe hee cannot endure that men ſhould eſtabliſh their owne fantaſies, in ſtead of his law. Although to the end he may yet touch them neerer to the quicke, he by and by addes, That it is a ſeruice falſely ſo called; which he eſteemes to be but loſt labour: namely, that in aſſembling themſelues in the Temple, they did nothing elſe but weare the pauements thereof with their feete: as if he ſhould ſay, You muſt needes thinke that I am much bound to you, for beating mine eares thus with your feined prayers.
Verſ. 13. Bring no moe oblations in vaine: incenſe is an abomination vntounto me: I cannot ſuffer your new moones nor ſabbaths, nor ſolemne daies (it is iniquitie) nor ſolemne aſſemblies.
THis is a very profitable admonition to repreſſe ye inordinate appetite of thoſe who ceaſed not obſtinately to follow their vaine and fained ſeruices, that at leaſt being warned of God, they might repent, if at any hand they would be admoniſhed. But it appeares by this place, how obſtinate hypocrits are in their falſe confidence, being once hardned therein, becauſe they cannot poſſiblie heare the Lord, although hee manifeſtly warne them that they ſhould ceaſe to loſe their labour as they doe. Incenſe is an abomination] &c. That he might pricke them vntounto the quicke indeede, he paſſeth yet further, and tels them that ſuch ſeruice is not only vnprofitable, but that he alſo deteſts it, as abominable vntounto him: and very iuſtly; for it is an high ſacriledge to prophane the ſeruice of God; vnderunder which they falſely ſhrouded themſelues. For euen as God eſteemes nothing more deare and precious vntounto him thē his glory; ſo is nothing leſſe tolerable vntounto him, then to ſee it trodden vnderunder feete by any corruption whatſoeuer: which yet is then done, when eueryevery vaine thing is ſet vp in ſtead of his true worſhip. Some are deceiued in vnderſtanding this place, thinking that the Prophet ſpeakes of the aboliſhing of the law; for that is not his meaning; but he rather brings the people of his time to the true obſeruation of the ceremonies; and ſhewes wherefore, and to what end they were inſtituted. The ſeruice of God was ſpirituall euen from the beginning of the world. And whereas there were other exerciſes diuers from ours in the old Teſtament, it was in regard of men, and not of God; for there is no changing with him;Iames 1.17. but he applied himſelfe to the weakenes of man. This gouernment then was fit for the Iewes, as an Abce for children. Therefore he ſhewes to what end this gouernment was eſtabliſhed, and what was the true vſe of ceremonies.
Verſ. 14. My ſoule hateth your new moones and your appointed feaſts: they are a burthen vntounto me: I am wearie to beare them.
THe Prophet addes nothing different from the former doctrine, but in generall pronoūceth of al ceremonies,”Viz. In the performer; as after appeareth by M. Caluins owne words. where there is not ſpirituall trueth ioyned but onelyonly a falſe pretence appeareth, that they are not onelyonly things vnprofitable,”1. As he performeth them, that is, an hypocrite his actions is vnprofitable to himſelfe and impious. but wicked. From hence we muſt obſerue, that we labour but in vaine vnleſſe we worſhip God aright as it is meete, and himſelfe preſcribeth: For if trueth be it indeede which pleaſeth God in all things, then much more doth he looke for it in the worſhip which is done to his Maieſtie. Moreouer our labour is not only loſt (as hath been ſaid heretofore) but the worſhip of God is hereby peruerted, which is the greateſt villanie that can be committed. Now all ſuperſtitions are ſo many corruptions of the pure worſhip of God: and therefore it followes that they are wicked and deteſtable. Superſtition then is to be eſteemed either by the thing it ſelfe, or by the affection of the heart from whence it proceedes. By the thing it ſelfe; when men dare bring in of their owne heades, that which God hath not commanded. As all thoſe things are which ſuperſtition (commonly called deuotion) hath begotten. One will ſet vp and Idoll; another will build a chappel; the third will found yeerely penſions to hauehave Maſſes ſaid daily for him; others, ſuch like paltrie ſtuffe without end or meaſure. Now when men take vponupon them to be ſo malepert as to forge new ſeruices, there hath ſuperſtition the full ſwinge. It may alſo be in the affection of the heart, when men doe vſe the ceremonies (which God hath allowed and commanded) in outward appearance: who in the meane while ſticke faſt there; neuer aiming at the marke, and trueth of them. As for example, the Iewes hold the ceremonies ordained by Moſes with tooth and naile, but yet they leaue that which is the principall behind them. For they regard a good conſcience nothing at all; a man ſhall not heare them ſpeake of faith, or of repentance; they hauehave no knowledge of their ſpirituall miſerie: and (which is worſt of all) they ſeparate Chriſt from their ſacrifices, giuing no place at all to the trueth. Wherein we cleerely ſee the trueth of that which wee hauehave taught heretofore; to wit, that it was a baſtardly & painted ſhew which they made: ſo as their ſacrifices differed in nothing from the ſacrifices of the heathen. We neede not wonder then if the Lord call them an abomination. I will not ſtand to ſcan the phraſes of ſpeech which the Prophet here vſeth; they are diuers: and yet notwithſtanding they are not to be lightly paſſed ouer. For the Lord well diſcernes how great the rage of man is to forge new ſeruices, and therefore he vſeth amplifications to depreſſe this vice the more; and againe pronounceth, that hee hates them. Beſides, for as much as men doe flatter themſelues and are perſwaded that the Lord will make ſome account of their dreames and ſtore of deuices, he on the contrarie ſaith that he abhorres and deteſts them.