Isaiah 1:12

When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?

Ver. 12. When ye come to appear before me.] Heb., To be seen; else all had been lost. Hypocrisy is very ostentous, it would be noted and noticed; whereas true devotion desireth not to be seen of any save him who seeth in secret.

Who hath required this at your hand?] This is God's voice to all superstitious will-worshippers and carnal gospellers. "Friend, how camest thou in hither?" Who sent for thee to my service? Who hath forewarned this generation of vipers to flee from the wrath to come? What hast thou to do to take up my name? &c., Psa 50:16 to tread my courts, to pollute my presence? "This is the gate of the Lord, into which the righteous" only "should enter." Psa 118:20 "The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination; how much more when he bringeth it with a wicked mind." Pro 21:27

To tread my courts.] Or, Trample on; as Isa 63:3 to foul it, and wear it out with their feet, a as in some places marble crosses graven in pavements of Popish churches, with indulgences annexed for every time they are kissed, are even worn by the kisses of the devouter sex especially. b Diodate noteth here that a phrase is picked out on purpose to show that these false appearances were rather acts of profane contempt than of right religion. The Greeks gave such honour to their temples that they durst not tread on the threshold thereof, but leap over it. The priests at their solemn services cried aloud εκας εκας οστις αλιτρος, Gressus removete prophani. The Jews at this day, before they come to the synagogue, wash themselves, and scrape their shoes with an iron fastened in a wall at the entrance. The Habassines, a mongrel kind of Christians in Africa, do neither walk, nor talk, nor sit, nor spit, nor laugh in the church, nor admit dogs into the churchyards. Sed quorsum haec omnia? to what end is all this, without an honest care to lift up pure hands and holy hearts in God's presence? See Jeremiah 7:3,4; Jeremiah 7:9,11 .

a Calcatis atria et teritis pavimentum. - A Lap.

b Sandys's Relat, of West. Relig., sec. 8.