Jewish Hypocrisy, Chapter 10
CAP. X.
1. The firſt obſervable, that theſe ſins were committed when they were reformed in Church-matters. 2. The ſecond, that their knowing of themſelves to be reformed in thoſe, was the ground of their hypocriſie. 3. Proved out of Micah, Jeremiah, and others. 4. Their confidence in this opinion of their being Gods favourites, though they lived wickedly. 5. Which made them not profit by Gods judgements on their fore-fathers. 6. And upon the ten tribes. 7. And when God came nearer to them, and ſent captive a part of themſelves. 8. So far they were from amendment by it, that they grew riotous. 9. Yea after the ſecond captivity they continued in theſe ſins, out of a perſwaſion they were pious perſons. 10. The Iſraelites ruined by the ſame deceit. 11. And the Phariſees in after-times. 12. And the Jews and Chriſtians at this day. Many places of holy Writ are explained through the whole.
1. AND firſt of all, You cannot but take notice from what hath been faid, That even when they were reformed in their Divine Worſhip and Service, when Idolatry and Superſtition were caſt out of the Church, yet theſe great abuſes, theſe crying ſins remained among them. The Temple was purged; The Prieſts and Levites were ſanctified; ſacrifices according to the Law were offered; the Paſsover celebrated in ſuch a manner, that ſcarce ever was the like ſeen from its firſt inſtitution; the brazen Serpent was broken; and all this by the conſent of the Princes and Rulers, who yet continued thus unjuſt, cruel and devouring, as both Iſaiah and Micah (who lived in Hezekiah's time) and Zephaniah (who lived in Joſiah's) have informed us very largely. Do but conſult 2 Chro. 29. and 30. chap. and you will find that Hezekiah the King and the Princes ordered the worſhip of God; and chap. 35. where you may behold the Princes in Joſiah's time, giving at the Paſsover, an offering of two thouſand ſix hundred ſmall cattle, and three hundred Oxen; when notwithſtanding theſe were the men who like Lyons and Wolves tare the people in pieces, and gnawed the very bones; after they had done with the fleſh, making them as bare and poor as ever they could, according as Zephaniah hath told us. I hold it unneceſſary to lead you through all their ſtory for the proof of this, ſeeing I have ſo often reflected light upon it in my paſſage through the former diſcourſe.
2. And therefore I ſhall entreate you rather attentively to conſider a ſecond obſervation of great moment, which is this; That herein conſiſted a main ground of their hypocriſie and deceiving of themſelves, which brought them to utter ruine. A man muſt wink very hard that doth not ſee the duties of Juſtice and mercifulneſs, of pitty and favourable dealing, &c. written in capital letters, both upon his own heart, and in the book of God; and one would not think it poſſible that a man ſhould have ſuch ſtrange Arts of abuſing himſelf, as to make himſelf believe that he is a good man, and in a ſafe condition, while he lives in the violation of all theſe known principles. There muſt be ſome notable blind, ſome very plauſible trick, that can caſt ſuch a miſt before his eyes, and juggle him into ſuch a conceited belief, which here (I think) we have diſcovered. They had high thoughts of their divine worſhip, and looked upon their Religious ſervices as hugely pleaſing unto God, and they knew themſelves to be very earneſt (it is like) in this piece of reformation; and ſo they judged themſelves to be the people of God, the right worſhip being reſtored, the Altar being cleanſed, and the Temple repaired by their means. Now their great zeal in theſe matters, and their forwardneſs to introduce the true Religion after ſo much Idolatry, made them over-look theſe little trifling things (as men account them) of juſtice and equity, of mercy and compaſſion, and to hope that God would do ſo alſo, and not be angry with ſuch a reformed people for a ſmall matter. What I pray you (might they ſay in their hearts to a Prophet) will not God give leave to a people that hate idols, and obſerve diligently his Sabbaths, and offer him his conſtant ſacrifices in the right preſcribed manner, to get a little for themſelves in the world, and to uſe all Arts of growing rich, after they have been ſo faithful and liberal to him? Will he fall out with ſuch good friends of his upon ſo poor an occaſion? Cannot he be pleaſed that they give him his due, and defraud him of none of his right, though they be not ſo exact in their Juſtice one to another? Muſt he needs take notice what they do among themſelves, when they hope he hath no reaſon to complain that he is neglected in any piece of his own worſhip? Will it not ſatisfie him, that they are ſo zealous in thoſe great and weighty concernments of his, which had been ſo long diſregarded, and for which they had been ſo often threatned? Yes ſurely thought they, we are in a ſafe condition, God is well apayed, and we need not trouble our ſelves any further, but confidently wait upon him, that he will be with us and ſave us.
3. Thus the Prophet Micah tells us they found a way to deceive themſelves, as you may read, chap. 3.11. The heads thereof judge for reward, and the Prieſts thereof teach for hire, and the Prophets thereof divine for money; yet they will lean upon the Lord, and ſay, Is not the Lord among us? none evil can come upon us. They would needs be Gods favourites, and thruſt themſelves upon him, and be confident of his goodneſs to them, though they were conſcious to themſelves of all this wickedneſs. They cryed the Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord, as long as thoſe of Epheſus cryed, Great is Diana of the Epheſians. And in this Temple-worſhip and Religion they truſted, thinking that God was fixed to that place, and that the Temple would ſecure them, as certainly as the Trojans thought themſelves out of all danger, while they could keep their Palladium. And therefore Jeremiah bids them not truſt in thoſe lying words, ſaying the Temple of the Lord are theſe; i. e. not hearken to the falſe Prophets, who told them that they were Gods Temple, a ſeparated people, an holy Nation, among whom God did dwell; for all this would not avail them, and they were words that would not profit, or give them any help, ver. 8. yet they dreamt, that as long as they kept their holy place pure, they need not fear the taking of their City: Juſt as the heathens thought their fortreſſes could never be won, while they could keep the good Genius of the place from being charmed away out of it. And ſo an excellent Linguiſt takes that word foreign or Thele, Lud. de Dieu.to refer not to the perſons, but to the ſeveral parts of the Temple, which agrees well with the words fore-going, ver. 2. where the Prophet is bid to ſtand in the gate of the Lords houſe, and to proclaim theſe words among the reſt, Truſt not in lying words, ſaying, The Temple of the Lord are theſe. As if he had pointed with his finger to the buildings of the houſe of God, and ſaid to thoſe that came to worſhip, Do not deceive your ſelves in a vain confidence, that theſe will ſave you, as if God were bound to theſe dwellings. But yet they came and ſtood before God in his houſe (as he ſaith, ver. 10.) and ſaid, We are delivered, and that made them do all thoſe forementioned abominations. And therefore he gives them that reproof which you read, ver. 11. where he asks them, Is my heuſe become a den of Robbers in your eyes? behold I have ſeen it, ſaith the Lord; i. e. Do you imagine to fly to the Temple, as thieves to their den, and think all is ſafe, if you do but offer me ſome ſacrifices? No, you are miſtaken; I ſee what you are well enough, and you cannot ſo deceive me. It is very plain that they were confident none of thoſe things ſhould come upon them, which the Prophets threatned; but gave God the lye through his meſſengers ears, as you may read, Ier. 5.11, 12, 13. and therefore ſeeing they were ſo unjuſt, as he tells us there, ver. 1, 2. and ver. 25, 26, 27, 28. there muſt be ſomething whereby they ſtrengthened their hands in this wickedneſs. And he tells us, what it was in that chapter, ver. 14 when he calls the Temple the houſe wherein they truſted. They did ſwear by the name of God, and pretended great reverence to it; but it was not in truth and righteouſneſs, Iſa. 48.1. they ſtiled themſelves by the name of the holy City, ver. 2. (viz. the men of Jeruſalem, the people of Sion) and they ſtayed themſelves on the God of Iſrael; whereas they were ſtouthearted and far from righteouſnes, as you may read, Iſa. 46.12. But they offered to God ſacrifices out of their unlawful gains, and this they thought would bribe him to take no notice, as you may gather from Iſa. 61.8. The Lord loveth judgement, I hate robberie for burnt-offerings. And ſo the Vulgar Latine renders theſe words, Jer. 11.15. Numquid carnes (anctae auferent à te malitias tuas in quibus gloriata es? Doſt thou think thy holy fleſh (i. e. thy ſacrifices) ſhall take away the wickedneſſes wherein thou glorieſt? As if he ſhould ſay, Thou canſt not expiate for thy beloved ſins, by making God many oblations, as thou thinkeſt to do; no, never dream of it, for it is a very deceit.
4. Yet knowing themſelves to be very zealous in their worſhip, they have the confidence to come and challenge God, as though they had wrong done them, and had hard meaſure at his hands, in not being ſaved by him from their enemies. Wherefore have we faſted, ſay they, and thou ſeeſt not? Wherefore have we afflicted our ſoul, and thou takeſt no knowledge? Iſa. 58.3. Do we not ſeek thee daily? do we not delight to know thy wayes, and take pleaſure in approaching to thee? do we not faſt and pray, and put our ſelves to a great deal of pains in thy ſervices? Why then doſt thou take no notice of us? how canſt thou deny ſuch importunate ſuitors to thee for thy favour? It ſeemed ſtrange to them, that he ſhould not love ſuch perſons, and condeſcend to their requeſts; and they thought they might juſtly plead their cauſe with him, and that it would appear they were very innocent. But God there tels them (as you have ſeen) what was ſtill wanting; and their not obſerving of ſuch leſſons, made them run into ſuch a dangerous miſtake. And ſo the ſame Prophet ſpeaks in Gods name to them of the captivity, (by way of prediction) as though they were diſſatisfied about the Juſtice of Gods dealing with them. And he asks them, Iſa. 50.1. Where is the bill of your mothers divorcement, whom I have put away? Or which of my creditors is it to whom I have ſold you? Behold, for your inquities have you ſold your ſelves, and for your tranſgreſsions is your mother put away; i. e. you complain as if I had without any great cauſe, or meerly for my pleaſure, put away your Nation which was married to me, as you uſe to do with your wives. You make as if I had ſold you, becauſe I was in want of ſomething that you could not furniſh me withall,Exod. 21.7. 2 King. 4.1. as you uſe to do your children in caſe of poverty and diſtreſs. But what proof can you make of this? produce the bill of divorce if you can; and let it be ſeen that you were unjuſtly put away. No, no; it was for your iniquities, your horrid injuſtice and violence, that you were ſold into the hands of cruel men; and it was for your tranſgreſsions, your whoredom, by Idolatry, that I put you away. I may rather complain of you (as it is ver. 2.) and ask, Wherefore when I came was there no man? When I called there was none to anſwer. Strange it was that there ſhould be no pious and upright men to be found among them but ſtranger it is that theſe wicked men ſhould have the boldneſs to argue with God, and plead their own innocence. Sure the reaſon was none elſe but that which I have aſſigned; they had been lately reformed, a little before the captivity; the worſhip of God was much amended in the dayes of Joſiah, and they were not all faln back into ſo groſs idolatry, as formerly they had maintained. This, this was the very thing that immediately ruined them; this was it that would not let them, ſee the miſchief that was coming upon them for their oppreſſion, violence, and ſuch like ſins; nor acknowledge it juſt, when it was come. They held faſt this deceit (Jer. 8.7.) and ſo refuſed to return.
5. And this I conceive might make them interpret all the inſtances of Gods diſpleaſure againſt others, to the encouragement of themſelves in their evil wayes, rather then to the awakening of their hearts to repentance. Ahaz the predeceſſor of their good King Hezekiah, was delivered into the hand of the King of Syria, who ſmote him, and carried a great multitude captive into Damaſcus: and into the hand of the King of Iſrael, who made a ſtrange ſlaughter among them, deſtroying an hundred and twenty thouſand valiant men in one day, and carrying away captive two hundred thouſand, men, women and children, which God commanded to be ſent home again, and gave more time unto for to amend. 2 Chron. 28.4, 5, 6. The Edomites alſo and the Philiſtines came and laid them waſte, and brought them very low: The King of Aſſyria likewiſe who was hired to relieve him, did but more diſtreſs, and not at all ſtrengthen him, ver. 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. But they could eaſily impute all this evil which befell their Fathers unto their Idolatry, their offering incenſe unto other gods, and forſaking the God of their Fathers, ver. 25. As for themſelves, they were returned to him, and hated the ſtrange worſhip with all their hearts. How could they be in ſuch peril of being deſtroyed now they amended thoſe very faults for which their Fathers were ſcourged? This juſtice and righteouſneſs, which the melancholy Prophets called for, were (they might think) but Heathen vertues. The pure worſhip of God was that which diſtinguiſhed them from all others, and would ſecure them without any of that admired Pagan morality. And ſo the Prophet Ezekiel obſerves, that they were worſe then their heathen neighbours that were round about them; for they followed all their bad examples in worſhipping Idols, but not their good in doing juſtly and uprightly. Ezek. 5.7. You have not walked in my ſtatutes, neither have kept my judgements, neither have done according to the judgements of the Nations that are round about you.
6. And when God proceeded further in his judgements, and ſent all the ten tribes into captivity in the days of Hezekiah, as you may read, 2 King. 17. this did not at all make them to ſtand in awe, and not to ſin. For the Anſwer was ready, They worſhipped the calves in Bethel; the remnant of them laughed the meſſengers of Hezekiah to ſcorn and mocked them, who were ſent to invite them to joyn in the reformation (2 Chron. 30.6, &c.) and therefore God caſt them out of their Land, and gave it unto others. But how any ſuch evil could betide thoſe that were the reformed, they could not tell how to imagine. What, would you have them believe that Jeruſalem is no better then Samaria, and that the houſe of David ſhall not be more regarded then the houſe of Jeroboam or Jehu? Will not the Lord Jehovah, whom they worſhipped, do more for them, then Baal or the Aegyptian Gods could do for their Brethren? Yes ſurely, they were Gods beloved people, and no evil ſhould come near unto them. They were haughty becauſe of his holy mountain, as the Prophet Zephany ſpeaks, chap. 3.11. They bragged of Gods preſence with them, and of the care they had to keep his houſe clean from all heatheniſh impurities; and by this means they hugg'd themſelves in their injuſtice, and flattered their ſouls into a conceit of their acceptance with God, and ſecurity under him, though they had ſeen ſuch calamities befall others. Nay ſo ſottiſh were they that when they grew Idolatrous again after all their reformations, yet becauſe they retained ſome devotion, they ſaid they were innocent; as you may ſee, Jer. 2.33, &c. Why trimmeſt thou thy ſelf to ſeek love? Therefore haſt thou alſo taught thy wickedneſs, thy wayes. Or as the Vulgar reads it, Quid niter is bonam oſtendere viam tuam ad quaerendam dilectionem, &c. i. e. Why doſt thou endeavour to purge and clear thy ſelf, as though thy way was good, and thou hadſt no ſpot in thee, hoping hereby to obtain my favour? whereas thou haſt not only done evil thy ſelf, but taught it others alſo. And beſides thy Idolatry (ſpoken of before) in thy skirts (or wings) is found the blood of the ſouls of the poor innocents, which is ſo plain to be ſeen that one need not ſearch for it, ver. 34. As upon the wings of an Eagle or ſuch a bird of prey one ſhall find the blood of thoſe leſſer birds that they have devoured, ſo there were manifeſt marks & tokens everywhere to be ſeen of their cruelty and injuſtice. And yet they have the face to come and ſay, ver. 35. I am innocent, Surely his anger ſhall be turned from me. The worſhip of God was that which they pretended, and they would not grant that they had gone after Baalim (as you may read, ver. 23.) and ſo they thought they might ſtand upon their own juſtification, not fearing the guilt of any other ſin but Idolatry.
7. Well; but when part of Judah her ſelf is gone into captivity, then ſure we ſhall hear a new ſtory and find a great change wrought in them. One would not imagine but that he ſhould read how they were convinced when they ſaw Gods judgements come not only to their gates, but within their walls. But if you look into the Prophet Ezekiel, you ſhall ſee that they who were left behind, and not yet carried away, remained in the very ſame ſins, and ſupported themſelves with the ſame falſe hopes. Beſides thoſe places formerly mentioned, I ſhall add theſe that ſpeak of their injuſtice and violence. In chap. 7.10, 11. he ſaith the day of their deſtruction was near; the rod for their backs did bloſſome, and therefore would ere long bring forth its bitter fruits; which they might eaſily gather from hence, becauſe pride had budded among them, and violence was riſen up to a rod of wickedneſs. i. e. As their ſins encreaſed and grew to a greater hight, ſo would their puniſhment grow more ripe, and no man ſhould be able to ſtrengthen himſelf in the iniquity of his life, ver. 13. Their ſilver and gold he ſaith, ſhould not deliver them, ver. 19. but becauſe of their bloody crimes, he would bring the worſt of the heathen to poſſeſs their dwellings, ver. 23, 24. And chap. 8.17. he ſaith that to all their abominations which they committed, and as if they were not ſufficient, they filled the land with violence, and deviſed new wayes of heatheniſh worſhip alſo. But though they did ſo, and though God had done ſo already to part of their Nation, and threatned to expell them alſo from their land, yet they wearied themſelves with lyes, as it is, Ezek. 24.12. And what they were, you may gueſs from ver. 21.25. the Sanctuary was the excellency of their ſtrength, the joy of their glory, and in this they truſted, and thought to be ſafe, though their devotions there were many of them Idolatrous.
And more then this, they that were gone into captivity, would not be perſwaded that there was any other cauſe of their expulſion but the prophaning of Gods worſhip; nor any thing more required to the pleaſing him then keeping of it pure; and ſo they ſtill retained their unrighteouſneſs under the cloak of ſerving God. The Prophet Ezekiel will bear witneſs to this alſo, chap. 33. v. 31, 32, 33. They came and ſate before him as though they took a great deal of delight in hearing of Gods word, when as their hearts run after their covetouſneſs. Which words appear by the whole ſtory to have been ſpoken to them of the firſt captivity, and that after the taking of the City the ſecond time, ver. 21.
8. I muſt add further, that this people exalted themſelves to ſuch a degree of confidence in their evil wayes, that they turned good fellows (as we ordinarily ſpeak) and fell into drunkenneſs and gluttony by reaſon of their wealth and their ſecurity; See Iſa. 28.7, 8. Yea ſo haughty were they that they laught at the Prophets when they told them of thoſe Judgements that were coming upon them, and uſed to repeat their words with deriſion, ver. 10. The Prophets uſed to ſay thus hath the Lord commanded, and yet a little while and ſuch or ſuch a thing ſhall be. Now they imitate this language of theirs, and ſay manda, remanda, &c. (as the Vulgar renders it) Command again and again if you will, let us have precept upon precept, bid us expect and look for ruine; though you ſay yet a little while, yet a little while (or nearer to our tranſlation, a little while for this thing here, and a little for the other there) and then the King of Aſſyria ſhall come, we fear it not. Therefore God ſaith, a people of ſtrange lips ſhould come and ſpeak to them, ſeeing they would not hear him, v. 11. and becauſe they would not refreſh the poor and weary (but rather oppreſs them) which he told them was the way to have peace, ver. 12. And that this is the meaning of this obſcure place, ſeems very probable from v. 14. where he calls them ſcorners, who ſaid ver. 15. that hell and death was at an agreement with them, ſo that they were as ſure they ſhould not dye, as if they had a leaſe of their lives. And though the overflowing ſcourge (ſpoken of chap. 8. 8.) ſhould come, yet they doubted not but they ſhould eſcape; for they made a refuge to themſelves. But as the Prophet tells them it was a refuge of lyes and hypocriſie, and Gods judgements ſhould come upon them notwithſtanding their preſumptuous confidence, ver. 18. And do not think that the way to heaven is ſo wide that you can go between God and the world thither; do not think that the bed in which he layes his Spouſe is ſo broad that it will hold many lovers. Coanguſtatum enim eſt ſtratum, it a ut alter decidat, &c. as the Vulgar Latin tranſlates the 20th verſe, For the Bed is ſo ſtrait that it will not hold two but one muſt fall out; the covering is ſo ſhort that it will not wrap them both. Either God, or the world and all Idols, muſt be thruſt out; they cannot lye together with us, nor cannot he endure any companion in his love. Which is juſt like that of our Saviours, No man can ſerve two maſters, &c. or that of St. Pauls, What agreement is there between Chriſt and Belial. And yet notwithſtanding all theſe admonitions, they minded nothing but to fortifie Jeruſalem, to repair the breaches in the walls, and to bring a moat about it, Iſa. 22.9, 10, 11. and when God called for reformation, they betook themſelves to their pleaſures, and were jolly and merry, as though no harm could befall them, ver. 12, 13. And therefore God threatens, ver. 14. that this iniquity ſhould not be purged away till they dyed.
This prophane Spirit which taunted the Prophets was more fit for the children of Eſan then of Jacob, who as you read, Iſa. 21.11. call to the Watchman, i. e. the Prophet, and ask him What of the night? What of the night? i. e. what haſt thou now to ſay concerning the black night of affliction wherewith thou uſedſt to threaten us! we ſee no darkneſs, but it is a day of peace with us. To which he anſwers, ver. 12. True, the morning is before the night, but ere long your miſery will come; therefore if you intend to amend, you had beſt do it preſently. But the ſeed of Iſrael did not only imitate them, but far exceed them; for in proceſs of time they arrived to ſuch an height of impiety as to ſay in Joſiahs dayes, The Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil, Zeph. 1.12. And after the firſt captivity, when their iniquity was exceeding great, and the land was full of blood, and the City of perverſneſs; they ſaid. The Lord hath forſaken the earth; and the Lord ſeeth not, Ezek. 9.9. i. e. they thought there was no providence, and that it came but by chance thar their brethren were carried captive, ſo that they might ſtill fare well enough.
9. But ſure when this party was removed out of their countrey alſo, and but ſome few of the poorer ſort left behind by the Chaldeans, we ſhall find better dealings. And yet you muſt not expect it; for they thought of nothing but that they ſhould increaſe and be ſtrong, becauſe they were Abrahams children. And thus they reaſoned with themſelves, Ezek. 33.24. that ſeeing their Father Abraham, though but one, had the land promiſed to him; they being many ſhould ſurely poſſeſs it, and have it for an inheritance, eſpecially having eſcaped the deſtruction that was faln on others. But they became guilty of the very ſame ſins that were formerly committed; For they ſhed blood, ver. 25. i. e. committed the greateſt violence, and they ſtood upon their ſword, v. 26. i. e. they hoped to protect themſelves by that which was the inſtrument of their violence, oppreſſion and ſuch like ſins as they practiſed. I wiſh heartily that all the men of the world at this day would take example by thoſe that have been before them, and not think that they ſhall eſcape deſtruction becauſe they did not fall with others. God can do with them as he did with this remnant of Judah whoſe doom read, ver. 27, 28. And above all I deſire that every one would apply theſe things to himſelf, and to this Nation which have been ſpoken of hypocriſie. For as far as we are parallel to them in our manner of ſining, muſt we expect the like puniſhments to be inflicted upon us. Beware therefore, Beware whoſoever thou art that readeſt theſe things, leaſt thou cheateſt thy ſelf with an hypocritical godlineſs, with a great deal of heat in ſome Religious duties, without the moſt exact and ſcrupulous juſtice and the bowels of tender mercy that the Goſpel requires of us. This deceit is very common in the world, and more familiar then many are aware of; and yet withall ſo fatally deſtructive, that men had need to have a mark ſet up whereby to avoid this rock.
10. For you muſt not think but that the Iſraelites alſo as well as the Jews were helped forward to their ruine by this falſhood. No queſtion but they thought their religion (as bad as it was) would preſerve them, and were ſo confident of it, that with the very ſpoil of the poor they would ſerve their Gods. So you may read Amos 2.6 8. They ſold the righteous for ſilver, See alſo Amos 4.1, 4, 5.and the poor for a pair of ſhoes; they were very corrupt in judgement, and they lay down upon clothes which they had in pledge by every Altar, and they drank the wine of the condemned in the houſe of their God; i. e. they ſerved God with thoſe things that they had ſo unjuſtly and violently gotten, and were content to ſpend ſomething upon him, ſo he would but wink at theſe unlawfull and cruel wayes of getting This iniquity would in all likelihood have ſtared them in the face and made them afraid, had it not been for this fine deceit (this hypocriſie which I ſpeak of) that their ſerving of God and keeping up his worſhip ſuch as it was, would be accepted of by God inſtead of all other things wherein they might be faulty. And ſo when Hoſea ſaith that the Rulers who loved gifts and bribes, ſhould be aſhamed becauſe of their ſacrifices when they were carried captive, Hoſ. 4.18, 19. he clearly intimates that in theſe they truſted while they oppreſſed the ſubjects; but found themſelves miſerably deceived and diſappointed, as all ſuch men will be in ſuch weak ſupports.
11. And how far this peice of ſelf-coſenage prevailed in after times, when the Phariſees were in their greateſt height, I leave to thoſe to judge who read but thoſe paſſages in the Goſpel, of their making long prayers, faſting twice in the week, ſtrict obſervance of the Sabbath, and boaſting of their skill in the Law, while in the mean time they were the moſt groſs tranſgreſſors of the Law and diſhonourers of God. They thanked God that they were not Publicans, but were ſeparated by many many ſtrictneſſes from the herd of men; and they ſaid with thoſe in Iſaiah, chap. 65.5. Stand by thy ſelf, come not near, for I am holier then thou, or as De Dieu interprets it (for there is no note of compariſon in the Hebrew) Sanctus ſum tibi, I am holy to thee. Thou being a common man maiſt not touch me, no more then thou maiſt the holy things. And yet theſe ſeeming Saints were unnatural to their parents; devoured widdows houſes, abſolved men from their oaths, were full of extortion, ravening, and wickedneſs, and derided the Sermons which our Saviour made, becauſe not ſorted to their covetous humor. They would do nothing indeed but what would ſtand with their worldly luſts and deſires; or elſe their own Fathers (whoſe traditions they were ſo zealous of) would have taught them more goodneſs. For this was a ſaying among them, Be as carefull to keep a ſmall precept as a great: Ep. 2. pirke ….and they gave this reaſon for it, becauſe the Scripture doth not expreſs what precepts have the greateſt rewards, which was therefore omitted, that with the like diligence they ſhould keep them all. But for all this they have found a way to know this ſecret, and their rule is this, that the greater the puniſhment is for a tranſgreſſion of a command, V Paulum Fag. …b.the greater will be the reward for the obſervance. I hence they conclude that there ſhall be a greater reward for keeping of the Sabbath, then for keeping of the Paſſeover, becauſe the puniſhment for neglect of the former was ſtoning, but of the latter no more then cutting off Who knows but from hence th y might glory, ſo much in keeping of the Sabbath and ſuch like things, and overlook the matters of mercy and uſtice, becauſe they found ſevere puniſhments for the breach of thoſe, but as I noted before, covetouſneſs was not forbidden under ſuch penalties?
12. Some ſuch thing it was that made them eſteem themſelves ſo highly in Gods favour for the obſervance of dayes and ceremonious worſhip, and made them think the breach of moral commands would not injure their intereſt in his love; for to this day they have a ſtrange opinion of the power that a right ſanctification of the Sabbath hath to reſtore them to their ancient enjoyments. Thus one of the Doctors ſaith in the Talmud (as Hulſhius hath obſerved) he that obſerves the Sabbath according to the cuſtom,L. 1. de Theolog. Jud. part. 2. though he ſhould commit Idolatry, yet it ſhould be forgiven him (rendring that word Iſa. 56.2. foreign from prophaning it, as if it were foreign it is forgiven him) Another of them ſaith, that if they had obſerved the firſt Sabbath aright, no Nation had ever prevailed over them. But it is ſaid, Exod. 16.27, that ſome of the people went to gather Manna on the ſeventh day; and therefore it was in his opinion that Amalek came to to fight with Iſrael, Exod. 17.8 Another Doctor ſaith that if Iſrael could but now obſerve one or two Sabbaths aright, ſtrait way they ſhould be delivered; the Meſsiah would come, and he would bring them to his holy mountain again, as he gathers from Iſa. 56.4.7. So ſtrangely are they drunken with the ſame cup of hypocriſie which made their Fathers to reel, and ſtagger and fall to the ground. Of which likewiſe the Chriſtians have drunk ſo deep, and are ſo intoxicated with the ſame conceit, that it was but neceſſary that I ſhould make this long diſcourſe as an Antidote for the expelling of this deadly poyſon. And I wiſh that every man would not meerly lick the outſide of the glaſs, and give theſe things a ſuperficial reading; but would ſeriouſly conſider and ſuck in this truth into his very ſoul, That the greater Zeal we have in religious performances, the more certainly ſhall we undo our ſelves, unleſs there be an equal heat in all other duties that God hath commanded.