Hos. vi. 6. I desired mercy and not sacrifice ; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
THERE is a disposition in every man to substitute external observances for the devotion of the heart ; and to rest satisfied with rendering to God some easy services, while they are utterly averse to those duties which are more difficult and self-denying. But God cannot be deceived, nor will he be mocked. He will look at the heart, and not at the outward
appearance only ; and will mark with indignation the partial obedience of the hypocrite, no less than the open disobedience of the profane. It was thus that he dealt with his people of old, " hewing them by his prophets, and slaying them by the words of his mouth," because they rested in their sacrifices and burnt-offer- ings, when he desired the more acceptable services of faith and love.
In this view the prophet intimates in the text,
I. The use of instituted ordinances —
The words of the text are not to be considered as importing that God did not require sacrifices at all, but as declaring his decided preference for spiritual obedience ; just as our Lord's injunction, " not to labour for the meat that perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto eternal life %" was not intended to prohibit the pursuit of earthly things, but only to enjoin a superior regard for the concerns of eternity.
God approves and loves the observance of his ap- pointed ordinances —
[God appointed a great variety of ordinances to be ob- served : but the most important among them were " sacrifices and burnt-offerings." These he honoured with many signal tokens of his approbation. It is not improbable, that his acceptance of Abel's offering was marked by the descent of fire from heaven to consume itb. Certain it is, that on many other occasions God vouchsafed to men this testimony of his regard0: and in unnumbered instances he imparted grace and peace to the souls of his people, while they presented their sacrifices before him.
Under the Gospel dispensation he has enjoined the public administration of his word and sacraments ; and has crowned the observance of these ordinances with the brightest displays of his glory, and the richest communications of his love. He has promised his presence in them to the end of the world d ; and that too in a manner and degree that we are not generally to expect it on other occasions.
Thus, both under the law and under the Gospel, God has
a John vi. 27. b Gen. iv. 4.
c To Moses ; Lev. ix. 24. Manoah, Judg. xiii. 19, 20. Solomon; 2 Chron. vii. 1. and Elijah, 1 Kings xviii. 38. d Matt, xxviii. 20.