John Trapp on Ecclesiastes 5:1

CHAP. V. Verſ. 1. Keep thy foot.

QƲa. d. Wouldſt thou ſee more of the worlds vanity than hitherto hath been diſcourſed? get thee to the Sanctuary, as David did, Pſal. 73. 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. Onely ſee to thy feet, i. e. keep thy ſenſes and affections with all manner of cuſtody, from the mire of wicked and worldly matters. Shooes wee have all upon our feet, that is, (to ſpeak in St. James his phraſe) filthineſs and ſuperfluity of naughtineſs in our hearts, Jam. 1. Exod. 3.5. Joſh. 5.15. that muſt bee put off at Gods School-door, as God taught Moſes and Joſhuah. And Pythagoras (having read Moſes belike) taught his ſcholars as much, when hee ſaith, [non-Latin text not transcribed], Put off thy ſhooes when thou ſacrificeſt, and worſhippeſt. His followers the Pythagorians expounded his meaning, when they would not have men, [non-Latin text not transcribed], but [non-Latin text not transcribed], worſhip God careleſly, 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 [non-Latin text not transcribed], by the by, and for faſhion, but [non-Latin text not transcribed],Plutarch. at good leiſure, and as making Religion their buſineſs. 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, [non-Latin text not transcribed], ſaith Philo, not without a myſtery, ſc. to teach us to keep our feet clean when wee 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 ſhooes before they enter: and that being entred 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 bee with them: But alate, though they come to their Synagogues with waſhen hands and feet; yet for any ſhew of devotion or elevation of ſpirit,Spec. Europ. they are as reverent (ſaith one that was an eye-witneſs) as Grammar-boys are at ſchool when their maſter is abſent: Their holineſs is the meer outward work it ſelf, being a brain-leſs head, and a ſoul-leſs body. And yet upon the walls of their Synagogues they write uſually this ſentence,Euxtorf. Abbreviat. p. 186. by an abbreviature, Tephillan belo canvannah ceguph belo neſhamah: i. e. A prayer without affection, is like a body without a ſoul. Solinus reporteth of the Cretians, that they do very religiouſly worſhip Diana: and that no man may preſume to come into her Temple,Adem numinis praterquam nudus veſtigia null[illegible: 2 letters] licito ingreditur. cap. 16. but bare-footed: Satan Dei aemulus, the Devil is Gods ape: hee led theſe ſuperſtitious Ethnicks captive, as the Chaldeans did the Aegyptians, naked and bare-foot, Eſay 20.2, 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, Pſal. 118.20. the beauty of holineſs, the place of Angels, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. and Arch-angels, the Kingdom of God, yea Heaven it ſelf, as Chryſoſtom calls it. The French Proteſtants called their Meeting-houſe in Paris, Paradiſe. The primitive Chriſtians called ſuch places [non-Latin text not transcribed], (whence Kirkes, Concil. Laodic. cap. 28. Churches) and the Lords Houſes, and Baſilicas, Kingly palaces. Now it is held an uncivil thing to come to the palace of a King with dirty ſhooes, or to cat 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 bee here; when wee come to Gods houſe, wee ſhould come with the beſt preparation wee can make; wee ſhould alſo bee there with the firſt, and ſtay till the laſt, as door-keepers uſe to do; which office in Gods Houſe David held an high preferment. And whiles wee are there, let our whole deportment bee as in the preſence of the great God, whom wee muſt look full in the face, and bee ready to hear, as thoſe good ſouls, Act. 10.33. Now therfore wee are all here preſent before God, ſay they, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God. Neither muſt wee hear onely with the hearing of the ear, but with the obedience of the heart and life, (for ſo the Original word here ſignifieth) Gen. 3.17. Becauſe thou hast heard, that is, obeyed the voyce 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 ſinnes, by their ſacrifices; for their evill deeds, by their good. Hence they burthen Gods altar, and even cover it with their ſacrifices; ſticking in the bark, and gnabling upon the ſhell of holy ſervices, not once peircing 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 bee there at this day, that not onely pray by tale, as Papiſts do by their beads, but turn over other duties of Religion as a meer task; holding only a certain ſtint of them, as Malt-horſes do their pace, or Mill-horſes their round, meerly out of form and cuſtom, thoſe banes and break-necks of due devotion? Theſe do not onely loſe their labour, but commit ſinne, Eſay 1.14. compaſs God with a lye, Hoſ. 11.12. becauſe they waſh not their feet before they compaſs Gods altar.Cicero. The Heathen Oratour can tell theſe fools of the people, Deum non ſuperſtitione coli velle, ſed pietate, that God requires the heart in all holy duties, John 4 24. and muſt be ſerved in Spirit, even totocorde, 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 evill] 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 hee ſo little regards and rewards them, Eſa. 58.3. Mal. 3.14. Non ſic Deos coluimus ut ille nos vinceret, Antonin. Philiſ. referente Vulcat. Gal. ſaid that Emperour going into the field againſt his enemy. Wee have not ſo ſerved the Gods, that they ſhould ſerve us no better, than to give the enemy the better of us.