Matthew 15:7-9 You hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,… Our Lord is here reproving the scribes and Pharisees for imposing on the people some commandments of their own, or traditions of their predecessors, as of equal obligations with the precepts of the law. I. THE OBJECTS OF THIS CENSURE OR THE PERSONS SPECIALLY AFFECTED BY IT. The objects of the reproof were the scribes and Pharisees, the public authorized teachers of the law. There must be public teachers who shall command and instruct; but this authority is committed to them under restrictions. II. WHEN ARE TEACHERS AND RULERS OF THE CHURCH GUILTY OF THE CRIME HERE REPROVED OF TEACHING FOR DOCTRINES THE COMMANDMENTS OF MEN? For the better clearing of which it will be of use to consider — 1. What is meant by commandments of men. They are three sorts:(1) Where the matter of the human command is the same action that God has enjoined by His law. For human authority ought to command what God has commanded; particularly in such a society as the Christian Church formed upon the laws of the gospel. (2) A second sort of commandments of men are such whose matter contradicts or interferes with the prescriptions of the Divine law. And such are not only those which expressly forbid what God has commanded, or invert the prescribed order of God's commands. (3) A third sort of commandments of men are such whose matter is actions in their nature indifferent, and neither commanded nor forbidden by God; such as the washing hands before meat. 2. Then teaching these commandments of men as doctrines is proposing them as precepts of the Divine law, or of equal authority with them, and obliging the conscience as such.Rules supposed to be indifferent but convenient and orderly may obtain in a society; but this authority may be abused: 1. When such things are prescribed as binding the conscience by direct obligation. 2. The prescription of indifferent things will be liable to the censure in the text, when it is taught that obedience to them will excuse disobedience to a law of God. 3. This censure will also be incurred when indifferent things are prescribed by men as means of grace, as having power to convey remission of sins, or any other spiritual or supernatural gifts of the Holy Ghost. They may he means of grace, but God only has authority to make them so. III. WHAT OUR LORD HAS HERE PRONOUNCED, THAT THEY WORSHIP GOD IN VAIN. (J. Rogers, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,WEB: You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, |
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