A view of the threats and punishments recorded in the Scriptures, alphabetically composed with some briefe observations upon severall texts / by Zachary Bogan ...

Religion, and religious actions used for a cloak* 1.1

Threatned.

1 With Not-being accepted. Though they be of the best sort, even free-will offerings, nay the best of that sort, (I meane the fairest and best to look to.) Thus was threatned Saul's sparing (forsooth) the best of the Oxen and Sheep, to sacrifice to the Lord, 1 Sam: 15. 21. (which was but a pretext to cover his cove∣tousnesse, & his disobedience) for Samuel told him, To obey is better then sacrifice, verse 22. Thus the Israelites their fasting for strife,

Isa 58. 3, 4, 5. Is it such a fast, that I have cho∣sen? v. 5. So in Jeremy, (saies God) What hath my beloved to doe in my house, seeing shee hath wrought lewdnesse with many? ch: 11. 15. Our Saviour speaking of those, who denied to profit (or, help) their decaied parents, upon pretence that they had given their goods to the Korban, for the use of the Church & the poore; applies the complaint of the Pro∣phet Isay, In vaine doe they worship me, Mark 7. 7. See what an Epiphonema, John puts up∣on Judas his charity (forsooth) to the poore, (when he would have had the ointment spent upon our Saviour's feet, to have beene spent upon them) Joh. 12. 6. This he said, not that he cared for the poore, but because he was a thiefe, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.

2 God's not rewarding, or, satisfying them (such as Trust, & Reliance) The heads thereof judge for reward, and the Priests thereof teach for hire, and the Prophets thereof divine for mony, yet will they leane upon the Lord & say, is not the Lord among us? None evill can come upon us. Therefore shall Zion, for your sake bee plowed as a field, Mic: 3. 11, 12.

3 God's abhorring of them. I the Lord love judgement, I hate robbery for burnt offerings, Isa 61. 8. Such robberies, the Scribes and Pha∣risees, to whom Christ spake those wordes

before mentioned, were guilty of. who pretending they tooke it for pious uses, as for offerings, and the like; by this means, rooked the poore widows and orphanes of their livelyhood. God abhorres such pretended re∣ligion, as much as he did the hire of an whore, or, the price of a dog, brought into his house, though it were for a vow: which, he saith, were an abomination to him, Deut: 23. 18. It was the saying of an Heathen* 1.2, that the Gods could not be made propitious with offe∣ring sacrifices to commit wickednesse.

4 God's being against them. Behold, I am against the Prophets that use their tongues & say, HE SAITH, Jer. 23. 31.

5 God's severe punishing them. For thus he complaines, Whose possessours slay them, and hold themselves not guilty, and they that sell them, say, Blessed be the Lord, for I am rich, Zach. 11. 5.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Comonly such as are thus used are longer, & larger, thou ordi∣nary: fit to make cloakes of: For a pre∣tence make long pray∣ers. Mat. 23. 14.
• * 1.2

  Cic. pro Cluentio. Deorum mentes nō contami∣natâ su∣perstitio∣ne neque ad scelus perficien∣dum coesis hostiis posse pla∣cari.