any sacrifices, but what have ye to do with these things, saith
the Lord, since ye hate to be reformed, since ye hate personal reformation
of your lives, and in your families? What have ye to do to profess to be
my people? Psal. l. 16, 17. The Lord requires an universality, if ye would
prove sincerity: if ye have respect to any of his commands, as his
commands, then will ye respect all. If ye be partial, and choose one duty
that is easy, and refuse another harder,--will come to the church and hear,
but will not pray at home,--will fast in public, but not in private,--then,
says the Lord, ye do not at all obey me, but your own humour; ye do not at
all fast unto me, but unto yourselves. As much as your interest lies in a
duty, so much are ye carried to it. And I take this to be the reason why
many are so eager in pursuing public ordinances, following communions, and
conferences with God's people, ready to pray in public rather than alone.
If ye would follow them into their secret chamber, how much indifferency
is there! How great infrequency, how little fervency! Well, says the Lord,
did ye pray to me when ye prayed among others? No, ye prayed either to
yourselves, or the company, or both. Did ye seek me in a communion? No,
saith the Lord, ye sought not me, but yourselves: if ye sought me indeed
with others, you would be as earnest, if not more, to seek me alone, Zech.
vii. 6. And again, the Lord especially requires the weightier matters of
the law to be considered. As it was among the Jews, their ceremonies were
commanded, and so good; but they were not so much good in themselves as
because they were means appointed for another end and use. But the moral
law was binding in itself, and good in itself, without relation to another
thing; and therefore Christ lays this heavy charge to the Pharisees, "Ye
tithe mint and anise," Matt. xxiii. 23. "Woe unto you, for ye neglect the
weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ye ought
to have done, and not left the other undone." Are there not many who would
think it a great fault to stay away from the church on the Sabbath or week
day, and yet will not stick to swear,--to drink often? "Woe unto you, for
ye strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel;" therefore are the prophets full
of these expostulations. The people seemed to make conscience of
ceremonies and external ordinances, but they did not order their
conversation aright; they did not execute judgment, and relie