Jewish Hypocrisy, Chapter 6
CAP. VI.
1. Sacrifices another way of turning away the wrath of God. 2. But by their truſting in them, they brought his wrath upon them. 3. God did not value them, when they neglected his greater commands. 4. Therefore we ſhould not truſt in outward worſhip. Many places of Scripture are in this Chapter illuſtrated.
1. THoſe prayers that we ſpoke of in the laſt Chapter, were thought by the Iſraelites to be moſt powerful, which were offered up at the time of the morning and evening ſacrifice, which were the hours of prayer. And therefore in theſe ſacriſices they put a great deal of confidence, which they were not forgetfull to offer unto God after as liberal a ſort as he could wiſh: They hoped by theſe holy vapors, together with their own holy breath, to make heaven of their mind, and ſtoop to their deſires. And therefore as on the day of the great Faſt there was the greateſt ſacrifice of expiation offered for the ſins of the people: So we may preſume that on other dayes of faſting they offered ſome extraordinary ſacrifices. And ſo much, me thinks, may be collected out of the Book of Judith, where we read, cap. 4. 14. that on their faſting dayes the high Prieſt and the reſt of the ſons of Aaron ſtood and miniſtred before the Lord, with their loyns girt with ſack-cloth, and offered the daily burnt offerings with the vows and free gifts of the people. In Jer. 14.12. we read alſo of burnt-offerings joyned with faſting, and crying unto God. Theſe ſacred vapors, and the holy perfumes of incenſe, they thought would ſcatter all infections that might annoy the air. If they did but pay God his ſheaf and his cake, at the appointed times of firſt-fruits, and furniſh him a plentiful Table every day; then they feared no famine to eat up their Land. The beaſts that were ſlain at their Altar, they thought would fright away all wild beaſts from coming among them. While the heavenly fire burnt, they could not imagine that any other fires ſhould conſume them. They hoped that Ariel (as the Altar is called, Ezek. 43.15.) i. e. the ſtrong one, or the Lyon of God, would devour all their enemies, as it did the fleſh that was laid upon it. God is ſaid to dwell between the ſhoulders of Benjamin (Deut. 33.12.) becauſe the Altar and the houſe of God ſtood in the portion of that tribe; and therefore ſome of the Jews interpret that bleſſing which Jacob gave him, to be meant of the morning and evening ſacrifices, when it is ſaid, Gen. 49.27. Benjamin ſhall raven as a Woolf in the morning, he ſhall devour the prey, and at night he ſhall divide the ſpoil. As though the Altar did but feed upon its own conqueſts, and feaſt it ſelf with its own victories over their enemies. And indeed when God ſpeaks concerning the deſtruction of the Aſſyrians who beſieged Jeruſalem, he deſcribes himſelf in this manner, The Lord whoſe fire is in Sion, and whoſe furnace is in Jeruſalem, Iſa. 31.9. As if the Angel ſhould come with fire from the Altar to burn up the Army of Senacherib, which was incamped about the City of God. And God dwelling thus among them in a familiar manner made them much preſume upon his favour towards them, hoping that he would maintain his own habitation, and not ſuffer himſelf to be ejected. They little thought that he would ever be a conſuming fire to them, or burn up his own houſe, but they imagined his wrath would ſmoak only againſt the heathen, and this fire on the Altar would only ſcorch their adverſaries if they did take care but to feed it with conſtant ſacrifices.
2. But in this they were miſerably miſtaken, and it proved to be quite otherwiſe then they accounted. For if you read Iſa. 29.1, 2. you ſhall find that God pronounces a wo to Ariel (i. e. to Jeruſalem) and ſaith, though they ſhould obſerve all their yearly feaſts, and kill a multitude of ſacrifices, yet he will diſtreſs his own City, and it ſhall be unto him as Ariel, i. e. the people ſhould be ſlaughtered juſt as the beaſts were at the Altar. It is like that they had given to Jeruſalem this name of Ariel, becauſe of the Altar of God that was in it, wherein they truſted. They took this City to be as ſtrong as a mighty Lyon, and that none ſhould be able to prevail againſt the mountain of God (as the word Harel ſignifies, which is once uſed, Ezek. 43.15.) But the Prophet tells them, that they ſhould reſemble Ariel in a quite contrary ſenſe; that name they ſhould call their City by, but much to their coſt. For as the blood of the ſacrifices was poured out, and their fleſh torn in pieces by Ariel, or the Altar; ſo he ſaith, ſhould their blood be ſhed, and their enemies ſhould rend them, as a Lyon doth his prey. And therefore he tels them by the Prophet Jerem. cap. 14. 12. that when they faſt, he will not hear their cry, and when they offer burnt-offerings and oblations; he will not accept them, but conſume them by the ſword, and by the famine, and by the peſtilence. And the Prophet Hoſea tell them, that though they ſhould go with their flocks and with their herds to ſeek the Lord, they ſhould not find him, Hoſ. 5.6. though they ſhould bring a drove of ſacrifices to inforce their prayers, and ingratiate themſelves with him, yet they ſhould not gain his preſence, but he would be with-drawn from them. And in the next Chapter God tells them of a thing more delightful to him then any ſacrifices, and that was to do good to the poor, and become like to God whom they worſhipped, Hoſ. 6.6. But of that they had very little; no more goodneſs then a morning cloud, ver. 4. They had not much more then the reek that went up from their ſacrifices in the morning, ſome little ſprinklings and drops of good nature, but no hearty and divine love unto others. And therefore I have hewen them (ſaith he) by the Prophets, I have ſlain them by the word of my mouth, and thy judgements are as a light that goeth forth. Which laſt phraſe may be interpreted to this ſenſe, that their puniſhments ſhould be as manifeſt and viſible to all, as the flame that went from their ſacrifices was unto them; For thoſe was not the things that he ſo much deſired, but as it follows in the next verſe, He deſired mercy and not ſacrifice, &c.
3. And that you may ſee how much he undervalued theſe things, it is obſervable what is noted by Maimonides, that as there was no ſacrifices admitted for the greateſt ſins (as all conſidering men know) ſo the ſmalleſt ſacrifices were offered for greater ſins, and greater ſacrifices for the leſs. For Idolatry and apoſtacy from the one God of Iſrael, there was no offering preſcribed, but the guilty perſon was to be ſtoned. But for idolatry ignorantly committed (concerning which crime they interpret that place, Lev. 4.27.) the offering was a kid of the goats, and that a female. No creature that was offered, was accounted more vile then a goat, and the female is of meaner condition then the male; and yet this was all that was to be offered (according to that underſtanding of thoſe words) for ſo great a ſin: Whereas a leper, who ſuffered only a bodily defilement, was to offer two hee-lambs, (which were more noble, both in kind and ſex) beſides one ewe-lamb for his cleanſing, Lev. 14.10. And ſo an offering for a treſpaſs, which was a ſmaller fault, was to be a ram, Lev. 6.6. but in an offering for ſin, which was a greater, a goat would ſerve the turn (which was a lower creature) and a female, which was of the lower ſex, Lev. 5.6. By this might be ſignified, that as the ſacrifices could not expiate for ſin by their own worth and value (for then the greateſt muſt have been given for the greateſt fault) ſo the greater ſins they committed againſt him, of the leſs acceptableneſs were all their ſacrifices, and the more he did undervalue them. He could not be drawn to approve of their evil doings, by all the pompous entertainments they made for him at his Table, which was the Altar; no, when their iniquities increaſed, he did as good as ſay, Away with them, I care not for them, bring me not the fleſh of ramms, or of lambs, I had as leive eat of a ſhee-goat, unleſs you will be better. Inſomuch that if they grew enormous and hainous in their crimes, God would have nothing to do with them, nor accept any of their gifts that they would beſtow upon him; there being no ſacrifice appointed for the breach of any moral precept. And therefore by the Prophet Iſaiah he ſharply reproves their forwardneſs and diligence in theſe ſervices, ſaying, To what purpoſe is the multitude of your ſacrifices? I am full of burnt-offerings, &c. (i. e. I even nauſeate the plenty of theſe devotions) When you come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hands? &c. The Sabbaths, the calling of Aſſemblies I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the ſolemn meeting; your new moons, &c. are a trouble to me, I am weary to bear them, &c. And he bids them, if they intend that he ſhould ſpeak kindly to them, and be friends with them, that they ſhould ceaſe to do evil, learn to do well, and put away the evil of their doings from before his eyes, Iſa. 1.11, 12, 13, &c. Strange indeed it was, and worſe then all the reſt, that they ſhould ſee ſo much reaſon to do all thoſe things, and yet ſee no reaſon to be good. But they were like to moſt men now, who will have God to be pleaſed with what pleaſes them, and gives no great diſtaſte to their natures; but will part with nothing that they dearly love, though it be the greateſt offence to him. Very deſirous they were to give God content by ſacrifices, and make him ſatisfaction, even for the moſt ſecret ſins, if we may believe themſelves. For the burnt-offerings, as ſome of them ſay, was to expiate for the thoughts of the heart, or (in their phraſe) for that which goes up in the heart; but they forgot what Iſaiah ſaith in another place, Iſa. 55.7. that unleſs the unrighteous man forſake his thoughts, and return to the Lord, he will not have mercy on him.
4. And the Chriſtian world ſtill depends on their prayers, which are their daily ſacrifices; and on their Alms, which are another offering unto God; and upon their Altar (as the Lords Table may be called) where they repreſent Chriſts ſacrifice of himſelf: I heartily wiſh there were more of all theſe acts of Religion exerciſed; but if Prayer do but hallow our unjuſt and unrighteous actions; and if Alms be but a bribe for the paſſing by of our drunkenneſs and debauchery; and if the Table of the Lord be but the putting of a complement upon him, after we have many wayes offended him, and continue ſtill to ſin againſt him: we ſhall but ſtill maintain and propagate to poſterity that falſe and hypocritical ſpirit, againſt which, God hath of old expreſſed ſo much hatred. But of this, and concerning the ends and uſes of Sacrifices,See the Sermon hereto annexed. more hereafter.