I will mention but one motive. They that do not obey all, will not long obey any, but where their interest or inclinations require it, will break all : as Herod did many things, but one command stuck with him — his Herodias, and that bringeth him to murder God's pro- phet, Mark vi. 20, One sin keepeth possession for Satan, and that one lust and corruption may undo all. A bird tied by the leg may make some show of escape ; so do many think themselves at liberty, but tlie fowler hath them fast enough.
2. Let us not rest in outward duties of worship, and place our zeal there, for that is an ill spirit that doth so, it is the badge of pharisaism: they keep a fair corresjiondence with God in the outward duties of his worshij), but in other things deny their subjection to him; the main reason is, because externals of worshij) are more easy than the denial of lusts. The sensual nature of man is such, that it is loth to be
^ Qu, * The reproaches of our enemies saith, the phariseea are only for, &c.'? — Ed. "t^u. 'Niuth'?— Ed,
Mat. IX. 13.] morals befohe rituals. 13
crossed, wliich procluceth profaneness. Wherefore do men ingulf themselves in all manner of sensuality, but because they are loth to deny their natural api)etites and desires, and to row against the stream of flesh and blood, and so to walk in the way of his own heart, and the sight of his eyes ? Eccles. xi. 9. If nature must be crossed, it shall be crossed only for a little, and in some slight manner ; they will give God some outward thing, which lieth remote from the subjection of the heart to him, therefore be zealous for externals ; and this produceth liypocrisy, gross hypocrisy, and dissembling, whereby we deceive others, and get a good name among others, by a zeal and fervency for God's outward institutions. And this close hypocrisy or partiality of obedi- ence, is that whereby we deceive ourselves, exceeding in external actions and duties, while we neglect those substantials wherein the heart and life of religion most lieth : such are the love of God, con- tempt of the world, mortification of the flesh, the heavenly mind and holy constitution of the soul, firmly set to please God in all things.
Once more ; that this deceit may be more strong, men are apt to exceed in outward observances, or by-laws of their own ; and this produceth superstition, either negative, in condemning some outward things which God never condemned, as those ordinances of men which the apostle speaketh of, Col. ii. 21, ' Touch not, taste not, handle not ;' or 'positive, in doing many things as duties, and crying them up as special acts and helps of religion, which God never instituted to that end and purpose : Mark vii. 7, 8, ' Teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.' The spirit and genius of superstition lieth in this — neglecting many things which God commandeth, but multi- plying bonds and chains of their own making. Sacrifices enough ! God shall have anything for the sin of their souls, Micah vi. 6, 7. Thus these three great evils, profaneness, hypocrisy, and superstition, do all grow upon the same stem and root. First, men must have an easy religion, where the flesh is not crossed, but no mortifying of lusts, no exercising ourselves to godliness. They can deny themselves in parting with a sacrifice, but the weighty things of piety, justice, and mercy are neglected. God shall have prayers enough, hearing enough, if the humour and temper of the body will suit with it. They can fast and gash themselves like Baal's priests ; whip their bodies, but spare their sins ; but the heart is not subdued to God. They can part with anything better than their lusts, and disturb the present ease of the body, by attending on long and tedious duties, rather than any solid and serious piety.
II, The next lesson which we learn is, the guise of hypocrites ; for our Lord intimateth that these pharisees had great need to learn the importance of that truth, as being extremely faulty : ' I will have mercy, and not sacrifice.'
1. The first thing notable in hypocrites is a partial zeal; they have not an uniform conscience ; are very exact in some things, but exceedingly defective and faulty in others. The good conscience is entire and universal : Heb. xiii. 18, ' We trust that we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.' The sincere purpose and intention of his heart was to direct his life according to the will of God in all things. Though every one hath his fiiilings, yet the will
14 THE PREFERENCE OF DUTIES! [MaT. IX. 13.
and constant endeavour of a sincere heart is to govern himself universally according to the will of God in all points of duty, whether they concern God or man : as it is vsiid of Zachary and Elizabeth, Luke i. (J, That they ' walked in all the ordinances and command- ments of the Lord blameless/ The renewed conscience doth approve all ; and the renewed will, which is the imperial power in the soul, the first mover and })rinciple of all moral actions, is bent and inclined to obey all ; and the new life is spent in striving to comply with all. But it is not so with hypocrites. They pick and choose out the easiest part in religion, and lay out all their zeal there, but let other things go: in some duties that are of easy digestion, and nourish their disease rather than cure their soul, none so zealous as they, none so partial as they. Now, a partial zeal for small things, with a plain neglect of the rest, is direct })harisaism ; all for sacrifice, nothing for mercy. Therefore every one of us sliould take heed of halving and dividing with God : if we make conscience of piety, let us also make conscience of justice; if of justice, let us also make conscience of mercy. It is harder to renounce one sin wherein we delight, than a greater wliich we do not equally affect. A man is wedded to some s[)ecial lusts, and is loth to hear of a divorce from them. We have our tender and sore places in the conscience, which we are loth should be touched. But if we be sincere with God we will keep ourselves from all, even from our own iniquity, Ps. xviii. 23 ; such as is most incident to us by temper, or custom of life, or course of our interests. To baulk or break with God, out of private reasons of pleasure, honour, or profit, or any corrupt interest, is to prefer these things before God, and to set up another chief good in our hearts, and to prefer it before his favour. Thus in general.