Mat. IX. 13.] morals before rituals. 7
is not only fitted for righteousness, Lut holiness ; not only for holiness, but righteousness. As the sua is placed in heaven, that he may shed abroad his influence everywhere, and nothing is hidden from liis heat and light, so is grace planted in the heart, that it may diffuse itself in a uniform obedience, and that we may be holy : 1 Pet. i. 15, ' As he that hath called us is holy, in all manner of conversation.' The heart is framed to resist every sin, and to observe all the commands of God. The new creature never cometli maimed out of the birth, or wanting any part. Well, then, holiness and righteousness must ever go together, and the obedience to both tables be inseparable. We must ' serve him in holiness and righteousness all our days,' Luke i. 75 ; not in holiness only, or in righteousness only, but in both.
2. Though all are to be respected, yet all duties are not equal, nor all sins equal. A vain thought is not so heinous a crime as the killing of a man ; and to blaspheme and curse God is a greater sin than an idle word, and idolatry than stealing of a shilling. Though all God's laws stand by the same authority, yet the matter of all is not of a like moment and consequence. And therefore the sins and duties are greater and lesser, according to the importance of the law : Mat. v. 19, ' Whosoever shall break one of the least of these commandments, and shall teach men so to do, shall be least in the kingdom of heaven.' There are commandments which may be called the least, and there are others which may be called the greatest — De ordine. moduni, the order showeth the weight. The fundamental article of the covenant is to have God for our God, and to prefer natural worship before insti- tuted, the means stated before manner and time, God before man, parents before others.
3. Simple duties of the first table are greater than duties of the second. Christ himself saith. Mat. xxii. 38, that ' this is the first and great commandment.^ They must needs be the greatest, because the object of them is greatest : ' God is greater than man,' as it is said, Job xxxiii. 12. To oppose a prince in person is more than to oppose his mean officer. He that sinneth against his neighbour sinneth against God, but not so immediately, 1 Cor. viii. 12. And 2dly, because this is the great bond on the heart to enforce the duty of the second, the con- science of our duty to God : because I love, or fear, or would honour God, therefore I perform my duty to man for the Lord's sake. And so we turn second table duties into first table duties ; and so alms is a sacrifice, Heb. xiii. 16 ; and so obedience to masters is obedience to God, Eph. vi. 6. And as they enforce, so they regulate ; for we are to obey them in the Lord, and so as will stand with a higher duty we owe to God : Acts iv. 19, ' Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.' So that these are the greatest duties. But yet this must be understood so as the com- ])arison be rightly made ; the chief of the first table with the chief of the second, the middle with the middle, the least with the least, ex- ternals with externals ; otherwise not. Disobedience to parents is more than an irreverent speech of God ; adultery a greater sin than coldness in worship ; stealing than not giving. The people made many prayers, but their hands were full of blood, Isa. i, 15. And therefore the order must be rightly conceived : first, love to God, then love to
8 THE PREFERENCE OF DUTIES: [MaT. IX. 13.
men ; first, the worship of God, and then duty to men in our several relations ; first, acts of outward worship, then acts of outward respects to men— duties of piety, and also justice and charit^^ Thus the cir- cumstantial and ceremonial duties of the first table must give place to the necessary and moral duties of the second. But when the compari- son is duly made in the same rank, those laws which do simply and directly respect God are to be preferred before those duties which con- cern men ; and sins of the highest degree against the first table arc greater than sins of the highest degree against the second ; and in duties, the love of our neighbour must give place to the love of God ; as the love of father and mother, wife, children, friends, brethren : Luke xiv. 2G, ' If any man hate not father and mother,' &c., ' he cannot be my disciple.' God is chief, and most worthy of respect.
4. ]\Ioral and substantial duties should chiefly be made conscience of, and ought to take place of ceremonial observances, thougli belong- ing to the first table ; for so in the text is mercy preferred before sacri- fices. Which is to be regarded to a double end ; partly, that we may not rest in them as the better part of our duty. If men submit never so much to external institutions about religion and worship, and think to satisfy their consciences therewith, yet they will not at all be accepted and approved of God. No. He looketh more to moral obedience than positive commands concerning the externals of religion. And therefore you have morals of the first table, or the second, often compared with, and preferred al)Ove the externals of religion ; as 1 Sam. XV. 22, ' Hath the Lord any delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices ? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. Kebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness as idolatry.' It was spoken upon the occasion of Saul's sparing Agag, and the fat of the cattle for sacrifice, when he was to destroy man and beast. At other times it is compared Avitli duties of the second table. The moral duties of the second table are better than the ceremonial duties of the first. If we be scanty in the one and abound in the other, it is a note of a hypocrite : Eom. xiv. 17, 18, ' The kingdom of God standeth not in meats and drinks, but in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.' If a man do these things, he shall be accepted of the Lord, and approved of men. There are two expositions of that place, both equally probable ; the one more general, that righteousness is taken for all new obedience, and peace for peace of conscience, resulting from the rectitude of our actions, and joy in the Holy Ghost for super- natural comfort, which the Holy Ghost puts into our hearts, by reflect- ing on our privileges by Christ, and the hopes of the world to come. Now, Christianity lieth not in outward observances, but in solid godli- ness. The other ex})Osition is in a more limited sense ; that by right- eousness, is meant just dealing; by peace, a peaceable, harmless, inoffensive sort of living; by joy in the Holy Ghost, a delight to do good to one another, not dividing from, or hating, censuring, excom- municating one another for mere rituals, but pleasing one another to edification. These morals are more accej^table to God, and approved of men, than a furious zeal for lesser things, which belong to the ritual part, or external order of religion. It is an argument of a better sjiirit to be more zealous for morals and substantials than