Divine Drops Distilled from the Fountain of Holy Scripture, Part 6
Expoſitions and Obſervations on ISAIAH 65. 5.
I have ſpread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good: after their own thoughts, &c.
Which ſay, Stand by thy ſelf, come not near to me, for I am holier then thou: theſe are a ſmoak in my noſe, a fire that burneth all the day.
THe Lord doth here reprove, or rather ſhew his indignation againſt hypocrites. Here is their deſcription, they ſay, ſtand by thy ſelf, come not near to me, for I am holier then thou, yet they were a rebellious people, as we ſee before, the Lord ſpread out his hands to them all the day long, and they walked in their own wayes, after their own thoughts. The thing I drive at, is, to acquaint you with this;
How hatefull, how abominable hypocriſie is to God.
Their hypocriſie was, that they thought, and they ſaid Hypocriſie a hatefull thing to God.to their brethren, ſtand off, I am holier then thou, come not near me, &c. yet it was but outward holineſſe, and the Lord ſaith, they are a ſmoake in my noſtrills all the day long. The meaning is not, as if God had noſtrills, though uſually where you read of the anger, and wrath of God in the Hebrew, It is ſaid, Gods noſe, God tooke this to his noſe, when he was angry. But when he ſaith, they are a ſmoake in my noſtrills, God takes the compariſon from man, as it is oft in the proverbs, a ſloathfull meſſenger is as vinegar to the teeth, and ſmoak to the eyes, that is, very ſore. So God ſaith, hypocrites are as a ſmoak in his noſtrills all the day long, that is as ſmoak in a Kiln, or in a ſmoaky houſe where there is a bad chimney, it is a wondrous troubleſome thing, eſpecially if a man be driven to continue all the day, a man is not able to bear it, the ſmoak will fill his eyes, and his noſe. God takes the expreſſion from men, to ſhew his indignation, and diſpleaſure a gainſt hypocriſy. My aime is to make you ſenſible, how diſpleaſing to God hypocriſy is.
Hypocriſy, take it in the groſſeſt ſenſe (though there be a hundred degrees of it) is when men ſeeme and are not, when you ſay, and do not, as ſome expreſſe it; when you pretend to be that you are not, or pretend to be more then you are; for ſo it is here, I am more holy then thou. That is hypocriſy, when you ſeem what you are not, or in degree more then you are; yet that leſſe degree is as a ſmoak in Gods noſtrills all the day long. It is abominable to God; and that is the reaſon that Chriſt eight times in the ſame Chapter, Mat. 23. pronounceth Wo to you hypocrites, Wo to you hypocrites. It may be the Lord may call an hypocrite: for an hypocrite is but a ſinner though he be the worſt of ſinners: but hypocriſy is abominable to God.
The reaſon is, becauſe ſuch a man Idolizeth every Proved from two reaſons. 1. The hypocrite honours the creature above God.creature, and makes every creature more then God, he honours every creature more then God. For he knows that God deales with his heart, he knowes that God deals with his heart, he knows that God ſees his heart, and men, and children, and every thing, ſees his outward life: now he is more carefull to pleaſe men and creatures, and to carry himſelf religiouſly, and devoutly, as a Saint before men, then he cares how to carry his heart before the Lord, which is as if he ſhould ſay, I do more honour, and reſpect every creature that ſeeth my outſide; then the Lord God that views, and ſees my heart. What can more provoke God, when God is put below every creature, and every creature is advanced above him? That is one reaſon.
Another reaſon is this, becauſe that the name of God is more diſhonoured, and his Goſpell, and his Kingdome 2. Hypocriſy contributes moſt to Gods diſhonour.more ſcandaliſed by them, then by all the world beſides. The Saints ſometimes diſhonour God by weakneſſe: but carnall men uſually know in their conſciences that it is but weakneſſe in ſuch a Saint, looking on the courſe of his life, and the frame of his ſpirit: but hypocrites, the world ſeeing ſometimes their baſe doings, are ready to curſe them; Here are the men that go to ſuch Lectures, and ſuch Sermons, and thus they cozen, and over-reach, and all their Religion is of the ſame ſtamp; they are all hypocrites, as this ſanctified brother, cheaters they are. This doth transfigere nomen Jehovah (as blaſphemy ſignifies) it makes men pierce through the name of God, and of Chriſt, God hath ſo faſtned it on my heart how abominable it is, that it cannot out of my thoughts: therefore God may have an end in it, to reach ſome of you at this time, though you have been as a ſmoak in his noſtrills, though you have kept God no a kilne (as it were) by your villany, by ſeeming what you are not; or to be far more then you are. For take it from God, for it is from him in a ſpeciall manner, let us all look to our ſelves, let us all conſider our wayes, and let all take heed that we ſeem, and pretend not to be any thing in Religion more then we are in our cloſets; That we may be able to ſay, O Lord, if I were at thy tribunall, this is true, I deſire thy glory, I ſeek thine honour, and the welfare and advancement of thy people, and ſo whether I be well, or ill, or live or die, I care not. Look to it, and wo, wo, wo, to thoſe among us whoſoever they are, let them be Magiſtrates, or Miniſters (I leave them to the Lord to point them out) that drive on Ieſuiticall deſigns under the pretence of Religion; They talk of Reformation, and I know not what, and a blind man almoſt may ſee their covetouſneſſe, and ſelf-ſeeking, and oppreſſion of the Saints. Whoſoever thou art, thou haſt the worſt end of the ſtaff, be ſure. The hearts of the Saints are touched with the ſame loadſtone as the heart of God, they judge as he judgeth, and as God ſaith, ſuch people are a ſmoak in his noſtrills, ſo they are in the eyes of the Saints, they curſe ſuch. They pity wicked men when blindly they go againſt the Saints: but when thou putteſt the beſt ſide outward, and pretendeſt to be holy, and thou knoweſt, thou couldſt eat all the Saints of God, and throw down the Worſhip of Chriſt, O there are many prayers againſt thee, and there is a harmony between the hearts of the Saints, and the heart of God. God ſaith, ye are a ſmoak in his noſtrills, and ſo ſay the Saints. It grieves me more at the Jeſuiticall deſignes of ſome, then all the proceedings of the Cavaliers. Wo be unto them: there is nothing done in ſecret, but it ſhall be open, there is nothing ſpoken in the ear, but it ſhall be publiſhed on the houſe top; all their villany ſhall come out.
And ſo in trading, a man muſt take heed of many profeſſors (I hope the generation of the Saints ſhall not ſuffer by it) in buying, and ſelling; a man were better deal with carnall men, then with ſome profeſſors in the City that I have knowen.
I ſpeak this to thy comfort that art ſuch a one, though thou be the very heir of hell, Mat. 24. they ſhall have their portion with hypocrites, as if hell were their inheritance, Yet for thy comfort know that an hypocrite is but a ſinner, though he be as far from heaven as any. For there is that that magnifies Chriſts love, he came to die for ſinners, and thy conſcience tells thee, I am the man that the miniſter meant, my trading is ſo, I know what accompts I keep, and what wares I ſell: though thou be, yet I truſt God means thee ſo well as to bring thee to Chriſt, and when thou art as bad as thou canſt be, think yet thou art but a ſinner, the Lord doth but rank thee among ſinners, learn this ſhort word, to ſee how hatefull hypocriſy is.