Vers. 23. Thou hast not brought me the sheepe of thy burnt offerings, nei∣ther hast thou honoured mee with thy sacrifices: I haue not caused thee to serue with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense.
SOme may demād why the Prophet should thus reproch the Iewes, [Obiect.] seeing it is appa∣rent that they were very diligent in offering sacrifices, according to the ordinances of the Law. Some refer this to the captiuitie, during which time they could offer no sacrifices, though they had bin willing so to haue done. Why so? Because it was vnlawfull to offer them any where but in Ierusalem: [Ans.] for which respect, their sacrifices could not be accepta∣ble vnto God. But I rather take it as a gene∣rall reproch: for whilest the people had op∣portunitie to sacrifice, yet they could al∣leadge no merit nor worthinesse, as if God had been any way beholding vnto them for the same: for there was neither faith nor obe∣dience to bee seene in their sacrifices. But faith,* 1.1 as we know, and obedience, are things which God chiefly lookes vnto, without which, nothing we doe, is, or can be pleasing in his sight. They wanted therefore integri∣tie of heart; their hands were full of blood; [ 1] they were wholly defiled with robberies and [ 2] deceit; iustice and equitie was banished far [ 3] from them. Albeit then that they brought [ 4] their beasts euery day vnto the Temple, and offered them there, yet hee rightly affirmes that they offered none of these things (to him;) because God accepts of no sacrifices which are separated from the truth, and so offered them to ano∣ther, and not to him: for all he required was, that by these outward meanes, his people should exercise their faith and obedience. But these being wanting: what worth was there in the sacrifices? Hence wee gather that the Prophet speakes here of no new thing, but continues that which hee began to teach in the former verse; to wit, that hee reiects all hollow and seruile seruices.