VOL. II. B
18 THE PREFERENCE OF DUTIES: [MaT. IX. 13.
hunger-starved, for greediness did eat the flesh and the blood together, contrary to God's law, Gen. ix. 4; Lev. xvii. 13, 14. Mark there: though hunger could not force to transgress Saul's commandment for tear of death, yet it forced them to break God's express commandment in eating the blood, which was so expressly forbidden. And at night, when God answered him not, Saul thought somewhat was in the matter ; he goeth to cast lots, and the lot had found out Jonathan. Saul never thinketh of the breach of God's law— first by himself, in imposing a rash and sinful oath ; or of the people's sin, in eating the blood with the flesh ; and presumeth it must needs be the breach of that oath which he had im[)0scd ; and so, like a hypocrite, preferreth his own groundless command before the law of God, and of punish- ing this with rigour when the other is never spoken of I have brought this story to show you how zealous men are for their own impositions on themselves and others, and how easily they can dis- pense with God's laws to comply with tlieir own ; and how drunken- ness, whoredom, and fornication do not seem sucli odious crimes as violating man's customs and institutions and private rules of their own.
5. Hypocrites have a conceit of their own righteousness, and a disdain of others. This was the very case in the text ; they were angry because Christ entered into the house of Matthew, a publican, and did eat meat there, though he had converted him. And elsewhere it is made the characteristic note of the pharisees : Luke xviii. 9, ' They trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others.' Men that fly to externals are soon puffed up, and nothing humbleth so much as a sound sense of religion ; and a solemn exer- cising ourselves to godliness maketli us see and loathe ourselves and l)ity others. I find the pharisees enemies ever to the f reeness of God's grace to sinners and the work of repentance, and that the bringing of poor sinners to salvation was the great eyesore. They call Christ a wine-bibber and a friend of publicans and sinners, because of his social and free, but sanctified, converse with all sorts of men. Mat. xi. 18. He would not take such a strict form as John did, because he would not seem to justify their pharisaical rigours. So again, Luke XV. 2, ' This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them ;' because he went to them as a physician to heal their souls. Christ refused not familiarity with the poorest and worst, as was needful for their cure, and would not observe the humour of proud Pharisaical separation, by the parables of the lost sheep and the lost groat, but confuteth it ; showeth that this is the spirit of the elder brother who envied the prodigal's return ; and telleth them in another place that ' Publicans and harlots enter into the kingdom of heaven before them,' Mat. xxi. 31 ; pleadeth the cause of the woman against Simon the pharisee, Luke vii. 39. ' If this man had been a prophet, he would have known who and what manner of woman this is that touched him,' Luke vii. 47: Christ telleth liim, ' She had much for- given lier, lor she loved much.' Well, then, a penitent, broken- hearted sense of our own being indebted to grace, and tender com- passion towards others that yet go astray, discovereth the true spirit of the go.spel. But to stand aloof from otliers by a foolish singularity,
Mat. IX. 13.] morals before rituals. 19
Isa. Ixv. 5, which say, ' Stand by thyself, come not near to me, for I am holier than thou.' Some, though impure and profane, counted all others unholy and unclean but themselves. This inclosing spirit is the spirit of Pharisaism ; an outside strictness, without that faith, love, charity, meekness, usefulness, and humility, which is the very soul and life of Christianity. Usually gifts and outward strictness puff up men with a vain conceit of their own righteousness, and a censuring and de- spising others. This one text showeth us both the spirit of pharisaism and the spirit of Christianity. The pharisees, who abounded in external observances, censured Christ for his free converse, disdained these peni- tent people whom he invited to a better life. But now true religion maketh men humble and lowly in their own eyes, by acquainting them with the desert of sin and their own misery, and maketh men pitiful and compassionate towards others, more ready to help than to censure them, and to use all ways and means to do them good. But when men would shine alone in the repute of holiness, they are envious to those who penitently return to their duty, as those servants who had wrought all the day envied those that came in at the last hour. Mat. XX. 12, or as the elder brother envied the prodigal, or Simon the pharisee repined at Mary Magdalene's ^ observance of Christ. They esteem much of their own works, merits, sufferings, and righteous- ness. Oh, take heed of this spirit !
[1.] The use of this branch is to press us to regard internals more than externals, and the substantial s more than the ceremonials of worship, and a broken-hearted, thankful sense of our Kedeemer's love before a legal righteousness. Inward worship is love, fear, and trust ; outward worship is prayer, praise, hearing, reading. Outward worship is not a duty at all times, but inward worship is a duty at all times ; for we should always love God, and delight in Grod, and trust in God. Outward worship may be omitted for a work of mercy, and in case of invincible necessities ; but inward worship may never be omitted, never dispensed with. We always owe love and renewed obedience to God, and must depend upon him and delight in him. Outward worship may be counterfeited ; and external worship, without holiness, is highly dis- pleasing to God, and never pleasing but when it is in conjunction with it. Hypocrites may abound in externals, but hypocrites will not de- light themselves in the Lord, nor heartily devote themselves to him, so as to serve, please, and glorify him : the inward graces cannot be counterfeited, but the outward expression may.