commanded so many to be offered?

_Th._ How far God is against Sacrifices, he himself teaches us in the
first Chapter of the Prophecy of _Isaiah_. There were certain legal
Obligations among the _Jews_, which were rather Significations of
Holiness, than of the Essence of it; of this Sort are Holy-Days,
Sabbatisms, Fasts, Sacrifices; and there were certain other Obligations
of perpetual Force, being good in their own Nature, and not meerly by
being commanded. Now God was displeased with the _Jews_, not because
they did observe the Rites and Ceremonies, but because being vainly
puffed up with these, they neglected those Things which God does in a
more especial Manner require of us; and wallowing in Avarice, Pride,
Rapines, Hatred, Envy, and other Iniquities, they thought they merited
Heaven, because that upon Holy-Days, they visited the Temple, offered
Sacrifices, abstained from forbidden Meats, and frequently fasted;
embracing the Shadow of Religion, and neglecting the Substance. But in
that, he says, _I will have Mercy, and not Sacrifice_; I take it to be
said according to the Idiom of the _Hebrew_ Tongue; that is to say,
_Mercy rather than Sacrifices, as Solomon_ interprets it in this Text,
_to do Mercy and Judgment, is more acceptable to the Lord than
Sacrifices_. And again, the Scripture expresses all the charitable
Offices to our Neighbour, under the Terms of Mercy, and eleemosynary
Tenderness, which takes its Name from Pity. By Sacrifices, I suppose is
intended, whatsoever respects corporal Ceremonies, and has any Affinity
with Judaism, such as are the choice of Meats, appointed Garments,
Fasting, Sacrifices, the saying over of Prayers, as a Boy says his
Lesson: resting upon Holy-Days. These Things, as they are not to be
neglected in their due Season, so they become displeasing to God, if a
Man relying too much upon these Observances, shall neglect to do Acts of
Mercy, as often as his Brother's Necessity requires it. And it has some