Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.
Ver. 1. Keep thy foot,] q.d., Wouldst thou see more of the world's vanity than hitherto hath been discoursed? get thee "to the sanctuary," as David did. Psa 73:17 For as they that walk in a mist see it not so well as those that stand on a hill; so they that have their hands elbow deep in the world cannot so easily discern what they do as those that go a little out from it. To the house of God therefore, to the temple and synagogues, to the churches and oratories steer thy course, take thy way. Only "see to thy feet," i.e., keep thy senses and affections with all manner of custody, from the mire of wicked and worldly matters. Shoes we have all upon our feet - that is, to speak in St James's phrase, "filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness" Jam 1:21 in our hearts, that must be put off at God's school door, as God taught Moses and Joshua. Exodus 3:5 Jos 5:15 And Pythagoras, having read Moses belike, taught his scholars as much, when he saith, ανυποδητος θυε και προσκυνει, Put off thy shoes when thou sacrificest and worshippest. His followers, the Pythagoreans, expounded his meaning, when they would not have men εν παροδω προσκυνειν, but οικοθεν παρασκευασαμενοι, worship God carelessly or by the way, but prepare themselves at home aforehand. And Numa Pompilius, one that had tasted of his learning, would not have men worship the gods εν παρεργω και αμελως, by the by, and for fashion, but χολην αγοντας απο των αλλων, at good leisure, and as making religion their business. a In the law of Moses, the priests were commanded to wash the inwards and the feet of the sacrifice in water. And this was done, πανυ συμβολικως, saith Philo, not without a mystery - sc., to teach us to keep our feet clean when we draw nigh to God. Antonius Margarita, in his book of the rites and ceremonies of the Jews, tells us that before their synagogues they have an iron plate, against which they wipe and make clean their shoes before they enter; and that being entered, they sit solemnly there for a season, not once opening their mouths, but considering who it is with whom they have to do. Thus it was wont to be with them; but alate though they come to their synagogues with washen hands and feet, yet for any show of devotion or elevation of spirit, they are as reverent, saith one that was an eyewitness, b as grammar boys are at school when their master is absent: their holiness is the mere outward work itself, being a brainless head and a soulless body. And yet upon the walls of their synagogues they write usually this sentence, by an abbreviature, " Tephillan belo cauvannah ceguph belo neshamah, " i.e., A prayer without effection, is like a body without a soul. Solinus report eth of the Cretians, that they do very religiously worship Diana, and that no man may presume to come into her temple but barefooted. c Satan Dei aemulus, The devil is God's ape. He led these superstitious Ethnics captive, as the Chaldeans did the Egyptians, "naked and barefoot" d Isaiah 20:2 ; Isa 20:4
When thou goest to the house of God.] Called "the gate of heaven," Gen 28:17 such as none but "the righteous" may "enter," Psa 118:20 the "beauty of holiness," the place of angels and archangels, the kingdom of God, yea, heaven itself, e as Chrysostom calls it. The French Protestants called their meeting house in Paris paradise. The primitive Christians f called such places κυριακους, whence kirks, churches, and the Lord's houses; and basilicas, kingly palaces. Now it is held an uncivil thing to come to the palace of a king with dirty shoes, or to eat at his table with foul hands. Men wash their hands every day of course, but when to dine with a prince, they wash them with balls. So it should be here; when we come to God's house we should come with the best preparation we can make; we should also be there with the first, and stay till the last, as doorkeepers use to do, which office in God's house David held a high preferment. Psa 84:10 And while we are there, let our whole deportment be as in the presence of the great God, whom we must look full in the face, and be ready to hear, as those good souls in Acts 10:33; "Now therefore we are all here present before God," say they, "to hear all things that are commanded thee of God." Neither must we hear only with the hearing of the ear, but with the obedience of the heart and life - for so the original word here signifieth; Genesis 3:17, "Because thou hast heard," that is, obeyed, "the voice of thy wife," &c. - hearing diligently without distraction, and doing readily without sciscitation.
Than to give the sacrifice of fools,] i.e., The formalities and external services of profligate professors that think to set off with God for their sins by their sacrifices; for their evil deeds by their good. Hence they burden God's altar, and even cover it with their sacrifices; sticking in the bark and gnabling upon the shell of holy services, not once piercing to the heart or tasting of the kernel thereof, and are therefore "abominable, because disobedient, and to every good work reprobate." Tit 1:16 How many are there at this day that not only pray by tale, as Papists do by their beads, but turn over other duties of religion as a mere task, holding only a certain stint of them, as malt horses g do their pace, or mill horses their round, merely out of form and custom, those banes and breaknecks of due devotion! These do not only lose their labour but commit sin, Isa 1:14 compass God with a lie, Hos 11:12 because they wash not their feet before they compass God's altar. The heathen orator h can tell these fools of the people, Deum non superstitione coli velle, sed pietate, that God requires the heart in all holy duties, and must be served in spirit, Joh 4:24 even toto corde, id est amore summo, more vero, ore fideli, re omni.
“ Hoc non fit verbis: Marce, ut ameris, ama. ” - Martial.
For they consider not that they do evil.] That they despite him with seeming honours, with displeasing service, which is double dishonour; with seeming sanctity, which is double iniquity, and deserves double damnation. This they so little consider, that they think God is greatly beholden to them, and does them no small wrong that he so little regards and rewards them. Isa 58:3 Mal 3:14 Non sic Deos coluimus ut ille nos vinceret, said that emperor, i going into the field against his enemy. We have not so served the gods, that they should serve us no better than to give the enemy the better of us.
a Plutarch.
b Spec. Europ.
c Buxtorf., Abbreviat., p. 186.
d Aedem numinis praeterquam nudus vestigia nullus licito ingreditur. - Cap. 16.
e Aυτος μεν ο ουρανος .
f Concil. Laodic., cap. 28.
g A heavy kind of horse used by maltsters; used occas. as a term of abuse.
h Cicero.
i Antonin. Philos. referente Vulcat. - Gal.