Man is naturally delighted with pleasant savours, and abhors noisome and stinking smells. But our God hath purer nostrils, and cannot abide the polluted heaps of iniquities. The Idle man is a standing pit; and hath an ill-savoured smell, an ill-favoured sight. The drunkard is like a bog, a fog, a fen of evil vapours: God cannot abide him. Your covetous wretch is like a dunghill; there is nothing but rottenness and infection in him. Omnis malitia eructat fumum. All wickedness belcheth forth an evil savour. Wonder you, if God refuse to dwell with the Usurer, Swearer, Idolater, Adulterer? There is a ⟨p. 64⟩poison of lust, a leprosy of putrefaction in them: no carrion is so odious to man, as mans impieties are to God. Yea the very oblations of defiled hands stink in his presence.1 He that sacrificeth a Lamb, is as if he cut off a dogs neck, &c. As if Ass a foetida was the only supply of their gardens. But good herbs give a double savour: one outward to man, another inward to God. The sweet smoke of a holy sacrifice, like a subtle air, riseth up to heaven; and is with God before man sees or smells it. It also cheers the hearts of Christians, to behold Christian works. Reverence to the Word, hallowing the Sabbaths, relieving the poor, deeds of mercy, pity, piety, give a delightful sent: solacing the souls of the Saints, and pleasing him that made them both men and Saints. Therefore Hearken unto me, ye holy children, 2and bud forth as a Rose growing by the brook of the field. Give ye a sweet savour, as frankincense, and flourish as a Lilly, send forth a smell, sing a song of praise, and bless the Lord in all his works.
Man is naturally delighted with pleasant sauours, and abhorres noysome and stinking smels. But our God hath purer nosthrils, and cannot abide the polluted heapes of iniquities. The Idle man is a standing pitte; and hath an ill-sauour'd smell, an ill-fauour'd sight. The drunkard is like a bogge, a fogge, a fenne of euill vapours: God cannot abide him. Your couetous wretch is like a dunghill; there is nothing but rottennesse and infection in him. Omnis malitia eructat fumum. All wickednesse belcheth forth an euill sauour. Wonder you, if God refuse to dwell with the Vsurer, Swearer, Idolater, Adulterer? There is a ⟨p. 64⟩poyson of lust, a leprosie of putrefaction in them: no carryon is so odious to man, as mans impieties are to God. Yea the very oblations of defiled hands stinke in his presence.1 Hee that sacrificeth a Lambe, is as if hee cut off a dogges necke, &c. As if Ass a foetida was the only supply of their gardens. But good herbes giue a double sauour: one outward to man, another inward to God. The sweete smoke of a holy sacrifice, like a subtil ayre, riseth vp to heauen; and is with God before man sees or smels it. It also cheares the hearts of Christians, to behold Christian workes. Reuerence to the Word, hallowing the Sabaoths, releeuing the poore, deeds of mercie, pittie, piety, giue a delightful sent: solacing the soules of the Saints, and pleasing him that made them both men and Saints. Therefore Hearken vnto me, ye holy children, 2and budde forth as a Rose growing by the brook of the fielde. Giue ye a sweet sauour, as frankincense, and flourish as a Lilly, send forth a smell, sing a song of prayse, and blesse the Lord in all his workes.
- 1Esa. 66. 3.
- 2Eccl. 39. 13.
