Twenty sermons preached at Oxford before His Majesty, and elsewhere

You are loth to part with your Profits, and Pleasures.

But consider, what a grand iniquity this is. Can you offer God a greater wrong and indignity? Do you thus requite the Lord you foolish and unwise? Dost thou think this the way to make thy peace with God, whom thou hast offended, as long as thou mayst to be a Rebel against him? What a high dishonour is it to him, that thou shouldst give him thy feeble and ⟨p. 10⟩doting old age; and the Devil thy lively and vigorous youth, thy strength and spirits? Dost thou think he will drink the Dregs, and eat the Orts? Will he accept thee in the next World, when thou thus scornest him in this? If you offer the Blind for sacrifice, is it not an evil? If you offer •he Lame and Sick, is it not evil? Offer it now unto thy governor, will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person, saith the Lord of Hosts? Mal. 1.8. But mark how he goes on, v. 14. Cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing. Mark, God accounts such service a corrupt thing, and the Person that offers it a mere Cheat, a Deceiver. Never look for a blessing from God in Heaven, when thou sacrificest to him such corrupt things. No, thou art Cursed of God, as long as thou continuest in this Hypocrisy. We are to offer and present our selves a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, Rom. 12.1. Now judge whether they offer God the living, who say, when my doting days come, my lame days, that I cannot go, my blind days, that I cannot see, Isle offer my self a sacrifice to God, Will this be acceptable to him? Is not this Evil, saith the Lord, to offer me such a corrupt thing? Nay more, he's accursed that offers such an offering, such a polluted sacrifice. God will not like with it; when we serve our selves first with the best and choice? Do you thus requite the Lord? Do you think he will accept it at your hands? Go offer such a gift to thy Ruler, to thy Prince, will he accept it, or be pleased with it? No, a Landlord will have the best, and the choice; and it must needs provoke God, when we give him the refuse. I am King of Kings, saith the Lord, my name is dreadful, and I will look to be served after another manner. Let no man then thus delude himself with vain hopes, but let him consider, how dishonourable a thing it will be to God.