Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulness of sin. The life…Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulnesse of sinne. The life…

and the Priest answered no. But if one who is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? and the Priest answered, it shall be unclean. So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the Lord, and so are all the works of their hands before me, they are unclean. They think because they are the seed of Abraham, and dwell in the land of promise, and have my worship, and oracles, and sacrifices, not in their hearts, but only in their lips and hands, which are but the skirts of the soul, that therefore doubtless they are clean; but whatever they are before themselves, in their own eyes and estimation, yet before me neither the privilege of their persons, Abraham's seed, nor the privilege of their nation, the land of promise, nor the privilege of their mere outward obedience, the works of their hands, nor the privilege of their ceremonies and worship, that which they offer before me, can do them any good, but they, and all they do is unclean in my sight. Offerings and sacrifices in themselves were holy things, but yet unto them saith the Lord, to a revolting and disobedient¹ people, they shall be as the bread of mourners, that is unclean, and the Prophet▪ elsewhere intimate the² reason, I hate, I despise your feast days, I will not smell in your solemn assemblies, though ye offer me your meat offerings I will not accept them, neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. Your burnt offerings arae ³not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me. Though the things done be by institution Gods▪ yet the evil performance of them makes them Ours, that is▪ sinful and unclean. Mercy it self without Faith, which ought to be the root of all obedience, is a sinful mercy; mercy in the thing, but sin to the man.

and the Priest answered no. But if one who is uncleane by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be uncleane? and the Priest answered, it shall be uncleane. So is this people, and so is this nation before mee, saith the Lord, and so are all the workes of their hands before me, they are uncleane. They thinke because they are the seed of Abraham, and dwell in the land of promise, and have my worship, and oracles, and sacrifices, not in their hearts, but only in their lips and hands, which are but the skirts of the soule, that therefore doubtlesse they are cleane; but whatever they are before themselves, in their owne eyes and estimation, yet before me neither the priviledge of their persons, Abrahams seede, nor the priviledge of their nation, the land of promise, nor the priviledge of their meere outward obedience, the workes of their hands, nor the priviledge of their ceremonies and worship, that which they offer before me, can doe them any good, but they, and all they doe is uncleane in my sight. Offerings and sacrifices in themselves were holy things, but yet unto them saith the Lord, to a revolting and disobedient