But the Lord accepteth them not

But the Lord accepteth them not.

As if he said: I would not have them, I was not pleased with them. Whatever our services be, if self be regarded, all is rejected, not only if sin be regarded, if I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my prayer, but if self be regarded, our services may please our selves but not please God. And for this you have a famous Scripture in Amos (Amos 5:22), I will not regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. And this text in Amos has a special reference to this very thing, and Amos was contemporary with Hosea, and so met with the very same thing that here Hosea did, this text in Amos may help us to understand this in Hosea, I will not accept the offering of your fat beasts. But observe it, they are their peace offerings; he does not say, I will not accept the burnt offerings of your fat beasts: but of your peace offerings, because in their peace offerings they eat part of it themselves, and says God, let your offerings be never such fat beasts, yet I will not accept of them. So let your duties be never so zealous and abundant, yet if they be only in respect of your selves, God accepts them not. It follows.