Now pious exercises can dam up life and hold it
in bounds, they may conquer from it more and more ground, and at
last turn it into one great Sabbath, but they cannot penetrate it
at the root. The occupation of the hands and the desire of the
heart fall asunder. What the hands are doing has nothing in common
with the earth, and bears no reference to earthly objects; but
with the Jews the result of this is that their hope assumes a more
worldly complexion. There is no connection between the Good One
and goodness. There are exceptions, but they disappear in the
system.
The Gospel develops hidden impulses of the Old Testament, but it is
a protest against the ruling tendency of Judaism. Jesus understands
monotheism in a different way from his contemporaries. They think
in connection with it of the folly of the heathen and their great
happiness in calling the true God their own; He thinks of the claims,
not to be disputed or avoided, which the Creator makes on the creature.
He feels the reality of God dominating the whole of life, He breathes
in the fear of the Judge who requires an account for every idle word,
and has power to destroy body and soul in hell.
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