Malachi 3 commentary

The first words of this chapter seem an answer to the scoffers of those days. Here is a prophecy of the appearing of John the Baptist. He is Christ's harbinger. He shall prepare the way before him, by calling men to repentance. The Messiah had been long called, “He that should come,” and now shortly he will come. He is the Messenger of the covenant. Those who seek Jesus, shall find pleasure in him, often when not looked for. The Lord Jesus, prepares the sinner's heart to be his temple, by the ministry of his word and the convictions of his Spirit, and he enters it as the Messenger of peace and consolation. No hypocrite or formalist can endure his doctrine, or stand before his tribunal. Christ came to distinguish men, to separate between the precious and the vile. He shall sit as a Refiner. Christ, by his gospel, shall purify and reform his church, and by his Spirit working with it, shall regenerate and cleanse souls. He will take away the dross found in them. He will separate their corruptions, which render their faculties worthless and useless. The believer needs not fear the fiery trial of afflictions and temptations, by which the Saviour refines his gold. He will take care it is not more intense or longer than is needful for his good; and this trial will end far otherwise than that of the wicked. Christ will, by interceding for them, make them accepted. Where no fear of God is, no good is to be expected. Evil pursues sinners. God is unchangeable. And though the sentence against evil works be not executed speedily, yet it will be executed; the Lord is as much an enemy to sin as ever. We may all apply this to ourselves. Because we have to do with a God that changes not, therefore it is that we are not consumed; because his compassions fail not.

The men of that generation turned away from God, they had not kept his ordinances. God gives them a gracious call. But they said, Wherein shall we return? God notices what returns our hearts make to the calls of his word. It shows great perverseness in sin, when men make afflictions excuses for sin, which are sent to part between them and their sins. Here is an earnest exhortation to reform. God must be served in the first place; and the interest of our souls ought to be preferred before that of our bodies. Let them trust God to provide for their comfort. God has blessings ready for us, but through the weakness of our faith and the narrowness of our desires, we have not room to receive them. He who makes trial will find nothing is lost by honouring the Lord with his substance.

Among the Jews at this time, some plainly discovered themselves to be children of the wicked one. The yoke of Christ is easy. But those who work wickedness, tempt God by presumptuous sins. Judge of things as they will appear when the doom of these proud sinners comes to be executed. Those that feared the Lord, spake kindly, for preserving and promoting mutual love, when sin thus abounded. They spake one to another, in the language of those that fear the Lord, and think on his name. As evil communications corrupt good minds and manners, so good communications confirm them. A book of remembrance was written before God. He will take care that his children perish not with those that believe not. They shall be vessels of mercy and honour, when the rest are made vessels of wrath and dishonour. The saints are God's jewels; they are dear to him. He will preserve them as his jewels, when the earth is burned up like dross. Those who now own God for theirs, he will then own for his. It is our duty to serve God with the disposition of children; and he will not have his children trained up in idleness; they must do him service from a principle of love. Even God's children stand in need of sparing mercy. All are righteous or wicked, such as serve God, or such as serve him not: all are going to heaven or to hell. We are often deceived in our opinions concerning both the one and the other; but at the bar of Christ, every man's character will be known. As to ourselves, we have need to think among which we shall have our lot; and, as to others, we must judge nothing before the time. But in the end all the world will confess that those alone were wise and happy, who served the Lord and trusted in Him.

CHAPTER 3

Malachi 3:1

1. Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, who ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.

1. Ecce ego mitto Angelum meum, et purgabit viam coram facie mea; et mox veniet ad templum suum Dominus, quem vos quaeritis, et Angelo foederis quem vos expetitis; ecce venit, dicit Iehova exercituum.

Here the Prophet does not bring comfort to the wicked slanderers previously mentioned, but asserts the constancy of his faith in opposition to their blasphemous words; as though he had said, “Though they impiously declare that they have been either deceived or forsaken by the God in whom they had hoped, yet his covenant shall not be in vain.” The design of what is announced is like that of the declaration made elsewhere,

“Though men are perfidious and false, yet God remains true, and cannot depart from his own nature.” (Numbers 23:19.)

God then does here gloriously triumph over the Jews, and alleges his own covenant in opposition to their disgraceful slanders, because their wicked murmurings could not hinder him to accomplish his promises and to perform in due time what they thought would never be done; and he adopts a demonstrative adverb in order to show the certainty of what is said.

Behold, he says, I send my messenger, who will clear the way before my face As quoted by the Evangelists, it is “before thy face.” Jerome’s observation is, that the apostles and evangelists transferred the truth contained in passages without minding syllables and small words. — Ed. This passage ought doubtless to be understood of John the Baptist, for Christ himself so explains it, than whom no better interpreter can be found; and since John the Baptist was the messenger of Christ, the beginning of the verse can be applied to no other person. Afterwards the Father himself speaks as we shall see: but as he who appeared in the flesh is the same God with the Father, it is no wonder that he speaks, and then that the words which follow are spoken in the person of the Father.

There is here a striking allusion to Moses, whose office it was to intercede, that God might not in his just wrath destroy the whole people; for as then the majesty of God was more than could be borne without an intercessor, so that the people through fear cried out “Speak thou to us lest we die,” (Exodus 20:19,) so also now does Malachi teach us, that there is need of an intercessor, by whom God’s wrath might be mitigated, which the Jews had extremely provoked. This office John the Baptist undertook, who prepared the Jews to hear the voice of Christ.

By saying that he would send a messenger to clear his way, he indirectly reproved the Jews, by whom many hindrances were thrown as it were in the way; as though he had said, “They prevent by the obstacles they raise up the redemption and the promised salvation to be revealed: there will therefore be the need of a messenger to clear the way.” For the Jews had introduced impediments, as though they designedly wished to resist the favor which had been prepared and promised to them. But how the Baptist performed his work by clearing the way, is evident from the fortieth chapter of Isaiah, as well as from the Gospels; and hence may be gathered what I have already said — that God by his fidelity and mercy struggled with those obstacles which the Jews had raised up to prevent the coming of Christ. The verb פנה, rendered “purgabit” by Calvin in the sense of clearing, can hardly bear this meaning. It signifies to turn or look to a thing, and hence to provide or prepare. In this latter sense it occurs in six other places; and is rendered by the Septuagint ἑτοιμάζω, as in Genesis 24:31, and Isaiah 40:3, though here ἐπιβλέψεται, according to its primary meaning. The version of Theodoret, here is “ἐτοιμαζει — prepares.” The idea of Calvin may be said to be included; for as Henderson justly observes, “The language is borrowed from the custom of sending pioneers before an eastern monarch to cut through rocks and forests, and remove every impediment that might obstruct his course.” — Ed.

He afterwards adds, And presently shall “Εξαίφνης — suddenly,” by the Septuagint, “statim — immediately,” by Jerome, and by some others, “unexpectedly.” The meaning is, according to some, that his coming would be soon after that of John, about six months; or, according to others, unexpectedly, as a light suddenly arising in darkness, without any previous symptom of its appearance.

The literal rendering of these two lines is the following, —

And suddenly shall he come to his temple, The Lord whom ye are seeking.

The remark of Henderson and of others on the ה before “Lord” as being emphatic, is not well founded. It is owing to the relative “whom” which follows, as it is in our language. — Ed. come to his temple the Lord, whom ye seek. After having said that he would open a way for his favor, he now adds, come shall the Lord. He introduces here, not Jehovah, but the Lord, אדון, Adun; and hence he speaks distinctly of Christ, who is afterwards called the Angel or Messenger of the covenant. But the word אדון, Adun, commonly used for a Mediator, as in Psalm 110, and also in Daniel 9:17; where it is expressly said, “Hear, O Jehovah, for the sake of the Lord,” למען אדוני, lamon Aduni; the word is the same as here, come then shall the Lord. The reason for this mode of speaking was, because Christ was shown to them under the type which re presented him. As then the kingdom of David was a representation of the kingdom of Christ our Lord, it is no wonder that the Prophets designate him by this title, especially those who were the nearest to the time of Christ’s manifestation. But he is promised by another title, the angel or messenger of the covenant; but it means not the same here as in the first clause. He called John the Baptist at the beginning of this verse a messenger, the messenger of Jehovah; and now he calls Christ a messenger, but he is the messenger of the covenant; “A phrase nowhere else in Scripture.” — Secker. for it was necessary that the covenant should be confirmed by him. The title of John the Baptist was then inferior to that of Christ; for though he was God manifested in the flesh, yet this did not prevent him from being God’s minister and interpreter in order to confirm his covenant; and we know that the office of Christ consists in confirming and sealing to us the covenant of God, not only by his doctrine, but also by his blood and the sacrifice of his cross.

Malachi then promises here to the Jews both a king and a reconciler, — a king under tee title of Lord, — and a reconciler under the title of the messenger of the covenant: and we know it was the main thing in the whole doctrine of the law, that a Redeemer was to come, to reconcile the Church to Cod and to rule it.

And he says that the Mediator was sought and expected by the Jews; and through him God was to be propitious to them: but this was not said but ironically. The faithful indeed at this day have all their desires fixed on Christ, after he has been revealed in the flesh, until they shall partake at his last coming of the fruit of his death and resurrection; and under the law we know that the groaning and the sighings of the godly were towards Christ: but Malachi here, by way of contempt, checks these unreasonable charges, by which the Jews accused God, as though he had disappointed their hope and their prayers. For we have said, and the fact is evident, that God had been presumptuously and shamefully impeached by them, as though he meant not to fulfill his promises: hence the Prophet says ironically, and sharply too, that Christ was expected by the Jews, for they murmured, because God had too long deferred his coming: “O! where is the Redeemer? when will he be revealed to us?” Since then they thus pretended that they earnestly expected the coming of Christ, the Prophet upbraids them with this, and justly too, for they had expressly manifested their unbelief.

Behold, he comes, saith Jehovah of hosts Owing to this repetition, some of the fathers, Theodoret, Eusebius, and Augustine, held that this part refers to Christ’s second coming: but the repetition is only to confirm what had been previously said, and according to the usual manner of the Prophets, contains an expansion of the former idea. A literal rendering of the whole verse would exhibit this as the real meaning, —

Behold I send my messenger, And he shall prepare the way before me: And suddenly shall he come to his temple, The Lord whom ye are seeking; Yea, the angel of the covenant, in whom ye delight, Behold, he is coming, saith Jehovah of hosts.

The four last lines exhibit an example of parallelism which often occurs. The first and the last line correspond, and so do the second and the third. — Ed. Here he introduces the Father as the speaker, as it has been already stated; and the particle הנה, ene, behold, is used for the sake of removing every doubt; and then he confirms what he says by the authority of God. He might have asserted this in his own person as a teacher; but in order to produce an effect on the Jews by the majesty of God, he makes him the author of this prophecy. It follows —

Malachi 3:2

2. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fuller’s soap:

2. Et quis sustinebit diem adventus ejus? et quis consistet in apparitione ejus? quia ipse quasi ignis purgans, et quasi borith (vel, herba) fullonum.

CHAPTER 3

Mal 3:1-18. Messiah's Coming, Preceded by His Forerunner, to Punish the Guilty for Various Sins, and to Reward Those Who Fear God.

1. Behold--Calling especial attention to the momentous truths which follow. Ye unbelievingly ask, Where is the God of judgment (Mal 2:7)? "Behold," therefore, "I send," &c. Your unbelief will not prevent My keeping My covenant, and bringing to pass in due time that which ye say will never be fulfilled.

I will send ... he shall come--The Father sends the Son: the Son comes. Proving the distinctness of personality between the Father and the Son.

my messenger--John the Baptist; as Mt 3:3; 11:10; Mr 1:2, 3; Lu 1:76; 3:4; 7:26, 27; Joh 1:23, prove. This passage of Malachi evidently rests on that of Isaiah his predecessor (Is 40:3-5). Perhaps also, as Hengstenberg thinks, "messenger" includes the long line of prophets headed by Elijah (whence his name is put in Mal 4:5 as a representative name), and terminating in John, the last and greatest of the prophets (Mt 11:9-11). John as the representative prophet (the forerunner of Messiah the representative God-man) gathered in himself all the scattered lineaments of previous prophecy (hence Christ terms him "much more than a prophet," Lu 7:26), reproducing all its awful and yet inspiriting utterances: his coarse garb, like that of the old prophets, being a visible exhortation to repentance; the wilderness in which he preached symbolizing the lifeless, barren state of the Jews at that time, politically and spiritually; his topics sin, repentance, and salvation, presenting for the last time the condensed epitome of all previous teachings of God by His prophets; so that he is called pre-eminently God's "messenger." Hence the oldest and true reading of Mr 1:2 is, "as it is written in Isaiah the prophet"; the difficulty of which is, How can the prophecy of Malachi be referred to Isaiah? The explanation is: the passage in Malachi rests on that in Is 40:3, and therefore the original source of the prophecy is referred to in order to mark this dependency and connection.

the Lord--Ha-Adon in Hebrew. The article marks that it is Jehovah (Ex 23:17; 34:23; compare Jos 3:11, 13). Compare Da 9:17, where the Divine Son is meant by "for THE Lord's sake." God the speaker makes "the Lord," the "messenger of the covenant," one with Himself. "I will send ... before Me," adding, "THE Lord ... shall ... come"; so that "the Lord" must be one with the "Me," that is, He must be God, "before" whom John was sent. As the divinity of the Son and His oneness with the Father are thus proved, so the distinctness of personality is proved by "I send" and He "shall come," as distinguished from one another. He also comes to the temple as "His temple": marking His divine lordship over it, as contrasted with all creatures, who are but "servants in" it (Hag 2:7; He 3:2, 5, 6).

whom ye seek ... whom ye delight in--(see on Mal 2:17). At His first coming they "sought" and "delighted in" the hope of a temporal Saviour: not in what He then was. In the case of those whom Malachi in his time addresses, "whom ye seek ... delight in," is ironical. They unbelievingly asked, When will He come at last? Mal 2:17, "Where is the God of judgment" (Is 5:19; Am 5:18; 2Pe 3:3, 4)? In the case of the godly, the desire for Messiah was sincere (Lu 2:25, 28). He is called "Angel of God's presence" (Is 63:9), also Angel of Jehovah. Compare His appearances to Abraham (Ge 18:1, 2, 17, 33), to Jacob (Ge 31:11; 48:15, 16), to Moses in the bush (Ex 3:2-6); He went before Israel as the Shekinah (Ex 14:19), and delivered the law at Sinai (Ac 7:38).

suddenly--This epithet marks the second coming, rather than the first; the earnest of that unexpected coming (Lu 12:38-46; Re 16:15) to judgment was given in the judicial expulsion of the money-changing profaners from the temple by Messiah (Mt 21:12, 13), where also as here He calls the temple His temple. Also in the destruction of Jerusalem, most unexpected by the Jews, who to the last deceived themselves with the expectation that Messiah would suddenly appear as a temporal Saviour. Compare the use of "suddenly" in Nu 12:4-10, where He appeared in wrath.

messenger of the covenant--namely, of the ancient covenant with Israel (Is 63:9) and Abraham, in which the promise to the Gentiles is ultimately included (Ga 4:16, 17). The gospel at the first advent began with Israel, then embraced the Gentile world: so also it shall be at the second advent. All the manifestations of God in the Old Testament, the Shekinah and human appearances, were made in the person of the Divine Son (Ex 23:20, 21; He 11:26; 12:26). He was the messenger of the old covenant, as well as of the new.

2. (Mal 4:1; Re 6:16, 17). The Messiah would come, not, as they expected, to flatter the theocratic nation's prejudices, but to subject their principles to the fiery test of His heart-searching truth (Mt 3:10-12), and to destroy Jerusalem and the theocracy after they had rejected Him. His mission is here regarded as a whole from the first to the second advent: the process of refining and separating the godly from the ungodly beginning during Christ's stay on earth, going on ever since, and about to continue till the final separation (Mt 25:31-46). The refining process, whereby a third of the Jews is refined as silver of its dross, while two-thirds perish, is described, Zec 13:8, 9 (compare Is 1:25).

3. sit--The purifier sits before the crucible, fixing his eye on the metal, and taking care that the fire be not too hot, and keeping the metal in, only until he knows the dross to be completely removed by his seeing his own image reflected (Ro 8:29) in the glowing mass. So the Lord in the case of His elect (Job 23:10; Psa 66:10; Pr 17:3; Is 48:10; He 12:10; 1Pe 1:7). He will sit down to the work, not perfunctorily, but with patient love and unflinching justice. The Angel of the Covenant, as in leading His people out of Egypt by the pillar of cloud and fire, has an aspect of terror to His foes, of love to His friends. The same separating process goes on in the world as in each Christian. When the godly are completely separated from the ungodly, the world will end. When the dross is taken from the gold of the Christian, he will be for ever delivered from the furnace of trial. The purer the gold, the hotter the fire now; the whiter the garment, the harder the washing [Moore].

purify ... sons of Levi--of the sins specified above. The very Levites, the ministers of God, then needed cleansing, so universal was the depravity.

that they may offer ... in righteousness--as originally (Mal 2:6), not as latterly (Mal 1:7-14). So believers, the spiritual priesthood (1Pe 2:5).

4. as in the days of old--(Mal 1:11; 2:5, 6). The "offering" (Mincha, Hebrew) is not expiatory, but prayer, thanksgiving, and self-dedication (Ro 12:1; He 13:15; 1Pe 2:5).

5. I ... come near ... to judgment--I whom ye challenged, saying, "Where is the God of judgment?" (Mal 2:17). I whom ye think far off, and to be slow in judgment, am "near," and will come as a "swift witness"; not only a judge, but also an eye-witness against sorcerers; for Mine eyes see every sin, though ye think I take no heed. Earthly judges need witnesses to enable them to decide aright: I alone need none (Psa 10:11; 73:11; 94:7, &c.).

sorcerers--a sin into which the Jews were led in connection with their foreign idolatrous wives. The Jews of Christ's time also practised sorcery (Ac 8:9; 13:6; Ga 5:20; Josephus [Antiquities, 20.6; Wars of the Jews, 2.12.23]). It shall be a characteristic of the last Antichristian confederacy, about to be consumed by the brightness of Christ's Coming (Mt 24:24; 2Th 2:9; Re 13:13, 14; 16:13, 14; also Re 9:21; 18:23; 21:8; 22:15). Romanism has practised it; an order of exorcists exists in that Church.

adulterers--(Mal 2:15, 16).

fear not me--the source of all sins.

6. the Lord--Jehovah: a name implying His immutable faithfulness in fulfilling His promises: the covenant name of God to the Jews (Ex 6:3), called here "the sons of Jacob," in reference to God's covenant with that patriarch.

I change not--Ye are mistaken in inferring that, because I have not yet executed judgment on the wicked, I am changed from what I once was, namely, a God of judgment.

therefore ye ... are not consumed--Ye yourselves being "not consumed," as ye have long ago deserved, are a signal proof of My unchangeableness. Ro 11:29: compare the whole chapter, in which God's mercy in store for Israel is made wholly to flow from God's unchanging faithfulness to His own covenant of love. So here, as is implied by the phrase "sons of Jacob" (Ge 28:13; 35:12). They are spared because I am Jehovah, and they sons of Jacob; while I spare them, I will also punish them; and while I punish them, I will not wholly consume them. The unchangeableness of God is the sheet-anchor of the Church. The perseverance of the saints is guaranteed, not by their unchangeable love to God, but by His unchangeable love to them, and His eternal purpose and promise in Christ Jesus [Moore]. He upbraids their ingratitude that they turn His very long-suffering (La 3:22) into a ground for skeptical denial of His coming as a Judge at all (Psa 50:1, 3, 4, 21; Ec 8:11, 12; Is 57:11; Ro 2:4-10).

7-12. Reproof for the non-payment of tithes and offerings, which is the cause of their national calamities, and promise of prosperity on their paying them.

from ... days of your fathers--Ye live as your fathers did when they brought on themselves the Babylonian captivity, and ye wish to follow in their steps. This shows that nothing but God's unchanging long-suffering had prevented their being long ago "consumed" (Mal 3:6).

Return unto me--in penitence.

I will return unto you--in blessings.

Wherein, &c.--(Mal 3:16). The same insensibility to their guilt continues: they speak in the tone of injured innocence, as if God calumniated them.

13-18. He notices the complaint of the Jews that it is of no profit to serve Jehovah, for that the ungodly proud are happy; and declares He will soon bring the day when it shall be known that He puts an everlasting distinction between the godly and the ungodly.

words ... stout--Hebrew, "hard"; so "the hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him" (Jude 15) [Henderson].

have we spoken--The Hebrew expresses at once their assiduity and habit of speaking against God [Vatablus]. The niphal form of the verb implies that these things were said, not directly to God, but of God, to one another (Eze 33:20) [Moore].

Behold, I will send my messenger - מלאכי Malachi, the very name of the prophet. But this speaks of John the Baptist. I, the Messiah, the Seed of God, mentioned above, will send my messenger, John the Baptist.

He shall prepare the way - Be as a pioneer before me; a corrector of civil abuses, and a preacher of righteousness.

And the Lord, whom ye seek - The Messiah, whom ye expect, from the account given by the prophet Daniel, in his seventy weeks, Dan 9:24.

Shall suddenly come to his temple - Shall soon be presented before the Lord in his temple; cleanse it from its defilement, and fill it with his teaching and his glory.

The Messenger of the covenant - He that comes to fulfill the great design, in reference to the covenant made with Abram, that in his seed all the families of the earth should be blessed. See the parallel texts in the margin, and the notes on them.

But who may abide the day of his coming? - Only they who shall believe on his name; for they that will not, shall be blinded, and the unbelieving nations shall be destroyed by the Romans.

Like fuller's soap - כברית keborith, from ברר barar, to cleanse, any thing that deterges. Kali, or fern ashes, or such things. I doubt whether the composition which we call soap, was known in ancient times.

He shall sit as a refiner - Alluding to the case of a refiner of metals, sitting at his fire; increasing it when he sees necessary, and watching the process of his work.

The sons of Levi - Those who minister in their stead under the New covenant, for the Old Levitical institutions shall be abolished; yet, under the preaching of our Lord, a great number of the priests became obedient to the faith, Act 6:7; and, as to the others that did not believe, this great Refiner threw them as dross into the Roman fire, that consumed both Jerusalem and the temple.

I will come near to you to judgment - And what fearful cases does he get to judge! Sorcerers, adulterers, false swearers, defrauders of the wages of the hireling, oppressors of widows and orphans, and perverters of the stranger and such as do not fear the Lord: a horrible crew; and the land at that time was full of them. Several were converted under the preaching of Christ and his apostles, and the rest the Romans destroyed or carried into captivity.

I am the Lord, I change not - The new dispensation of grace and goodness, which is now about to be introduced, is not the effect of any change in my counsels; it is, on the contrary, the fulfillment of my everlasting purposes; as is also the throwing aside of the Mosaic ritual, which was only intended to introduce the great and glorious Gospel of my Son.

And because of this ancient covenant, ye Jews are not totally consumed; but ye are now, and shall be still, preserved as a distinct people - monuments both of my justice and mercy.

Gone away from mine ordinances - Never acting according to their spirit and design.

Return unto me - There is still space to repent.

Wherein shall we return? - Their consciences were seared, and they knew not that they were sinners.

Will a man rob God? - Here is one point on which ye are guilty; ye withhold the tithes and offerings from the temple of God, so that the Divine worship is neglected.

Ye are cursed with a curse - The whole nation is under my displeasure. The curse of God is upon you.

Bring ye all the tithes - They had so withheld these that the priests had not food enough to support life, and the sacred service was interrupted. See Neh 13:10.

And prove me now herewith - What ye give to God shall never lessen your store. Give as ye should, and see whether I will not so increase your store by opening the windows of heaven - giving you rain and fruitful seasons - that your barns and granaries shall not be able to contain the abundance of your harvests and vintage.

I wilt rebuke the devourer - The locusts, etc., shall not come on your crops; and those that are in the country I will disperse and destroy.

Neither shall your vine cast her fruit - Every blossom shall bear fruit, and every bunch of grapes come to maturity.

All nations shall call you blessed - They shall see that a peculiar blessing of God rests upon you, and your land shall be delightsome; like Paradise, the garden of the Lord.

Your words have been stout against me - He speaks here to open infidels and revilers.

What have we spoken - They are ready either to deny the whole, or impudently to maintain and defend what they had spoken!

Ye have said, It is vain to serve God - They strove to destroy the Divine worship; they asserted that it was vanity; that, if they performed acts of worship, they should be nothing the better; and if they abstained, they should be nothing the worse. This was their teaching to the people.

Walked mournfully - Even repentance they have declared to be useless. This was a high pitch of ungodliness; but see what follows; behold the general conclusions of these reprobates: -

And now we call the proud happy - Proud and insolent men are the only happy people, for they domineer everywhere, and none dares to resist them.

They that work wickedness are set up - The humble and holy are depressed and miserable; the proud and wicked are in places of trust and profit. Too often it is so.

They that tempt God are even delivered - Even those who despise God, and insult his justice and providence, are preserved in and from dangers; while the righteous fall by them.

They that feared the Lord - There were a few godly in the land, who, hearing the language and seeing the profligacy of the rebels above, concluded that some signal mark of God's vengeance must fall upon them; they, therefore, as the corruption increased, cleaved the closer to their Maker. There are three characteristics given of this people, viz.: -

1. They feared the Lord. They had that reverence for Jehovah that caused them to depart from evil, and to keep his ordinances.

2. They spake often one to another. They kept up the communion of saints. By mutual exhortation they strengthened each other's hands in the Lord.

3. They thought on his name. His name was sacred to them; it was a fruitful source of profound and edifying meditation. The name of God is God himself in the plenitude of his power, omniscience, justice, goodness, mercy, and truth. What a source for thinking and contemplation! See how God treats such persons: The Lord hearkened to their conversation, heard the meditations of their hearts; and so approved of the whole that a book of remembrance was written before the Lord - all their names were carefully registered in heaven. Here is an allusion to records kept by kings, Est 6:1, of such as had performed signal services, and who should be the first to be rewarded.

They shall be mine - I will acknowledge them as my subjects and followers; in the day, especially, when I come to punish the wicked and reward the righteous.

When I make up my jewels - סגלה segullah, my peculium, my proper treasure; that which is a man's own, and most prized by him. Not jewels; for in no part of the Bible does the word mean a gem or precious stone of any kind. The interpretations frequently given of the word in this verse, comparing saints to jewels, are forced and false.

I will spare them - When I come to visit the wicked, I will take care of them. I will act towards them as a tender father would act towards his most loving and obedient son.

Then shall ye return - To your senses, when perhaps too late; and discern - see the difference which God makes, between the righteous and the wicked, which will be most marked and awful.

Between him that serveth God - Your obedience to whom, ye said, would be unprofitable to you.

And hits that serveth him not - Of whom ye said, his disobedience would be no prejudice to him. You will find the former received into the kingdom of glory; and the latter, with yourselves, thrust down into the bitter pains of an eternal death. Reader, ponder these things.

In the great day of the Lord, at least, if not long before, it will be fully discovered who have been the truly wise people; those who took up their cross and followed Christ; or those who satisfied the flesh, with its affections and desires, following a multitude to do evil.

I - The Messiah. My messenger - John the Baptist. The Lord - The Messiah. Whom ye seek - Whom ye, who truly fear God, long and wait for. Suddenly come - After the coming of his fore - runner. To his temple - That which was the second temple at Jerusalem, lately built by Zerubbabel and Joshua. The messenger - The angel of the covenant, the Messiah, in whose blood the covenant between God and man was confirmed. Whom ye delight in - You Jews, among whom, few there are, who do not please themselves to think of his coming, tho' from various motives.

Ye - Ye contemners of God and religion, return to your reason, forced by the convincing power of God's judgments. Discern - Clearly see the happiness of the righteous, and your own misery, who perish in your wickedness.

1 BEhold I will send my messenger , and he shall prepare the way before me : and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple , even the messenger of the covenant whom ye delight in: behold , he shall come , saith the LORD of hosts .

This note in this place, and on this occasion, requires our best attention, consider it well therefore all ye that enquire with doubt, and all ye that enquire with belief, that he will come, who is God of Judgment.

Or I am sending, I will shortly send; it is Christ who here speaketh, and who sendeth.

Iohn Baptist, the forerunner of Christ▪ as evidently appears from, Mat. 11.10. Mark 1.2. and Luk. 7.27, 28. He is this messenger, whom some by mistake, have taken to be an Angel, but though the word so signifieth, it doth also signifie a Messenger, and so 'tis very fitly rendered in this place, Vid. chap. 1. ver. 1. let. c.

By Preaching Repentance, because the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand, by Baptizing, by calling them to believe on the Messiah, who should now ere long be revealed, &c. so Iohn Baptist made ready the people to entertain Christ, and to believe in him; this was he who came in the spirit and power of Elias, and such a one the Iews expected.

Messiah, who is Lord and Christ, Act. 2.36. Lord of Lords, Revel. 17.14. and 19.16.

You ungodly disputers, seek, but not aright, for you seek, i. e. enquire whether there be such a God of Judgment? beside these, there are others also, who did seek, i. e. humbly, longing and praying that he would come, and waiting, assured that he will come; 'tis these chiefly intended.

After the coming of his forerunner; this suddenly in the Text, is not very fitly interpreted of a time, so long as between this Prophesie, and the coming of Christ, but it very well suiteth to the time between Iohn Baptists appearing to prepare the way, and Christs appearing now the way was prepared.

That Temple, which was the second Temple at Ierusalem, lately built by Zerubbabel and Ioshua, into which the Messiah was to come, and so he did; There old Simeon met him, there he disputed with the Doctors, thither he went to drive out buyers and sellers, and this according to what was foretold of him; Hag. 2.7. and all the Religious Iewes, who lived and dyed before the desolation of this second Temple, did believe, and did confess that the Messiah would come, whilest that house did stand. He is then come, for that Temple hath been ruin'd long since by the Romans.

The Angel of the Covenant, not Elias, but Christ, the Messiah, in whose blood the Covenant of Grace was confirmed, for whose sake 'tis performed to us.

You Iewes, among whom, few there are, who do not please themselves to think of his coming, for the expectation of the best among the Iews, was fixt on Salvation, as that they hoped for by Christ. Others expected great, but worldly advantage by his coming, and setting up his Kingdom among them.

Behold again, saith the Prophet, consider throughly what is foretold.

At the time, to the place, in the manner foreshewed.

All confirmed by the word of the great God.

The former Chapter, as we have it cast; ended with an enquiry made by vitious and ungodly Priests and People, who either doubted, or denyed the present Government, or future Judgment of God over the World. This being reproved in the last verse of the second Chapter; Now God condescends to give a very full and particular answer to this question, for the instruction and consolation of the good; whatever use the evil will make of it.

Marginal references: Luke 1.76.

2 But who may abide the day of his coming ? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiners fire , and like fullers sope .

And Hebr.

Among the Iewes were two sorts of enquirers, after the day of the Messiahs coming, some enquired with doubt of the truth of the promises, that he should come to set all right like them, chap. 2. ver. 17. where is the God of Judgment? Others enquir'd, hoping for preferment in the Kingdom of the Messiah, of these, who shall be able to endure? To abide this day? When the unparallel'd afflictions of that time shall cut off so many Iewes, when the sword of the God of Judgment shall destroy the ungodly scoffers, when so many must in Zech. 13.8, 9. be cut off, and so many must pass through the fire. This will be a terrible day to these ungodly ones. Nor will it be much better with those, who disappointed of the expected Worldly Grandour of the Messiah, shall stumble and fall, and be snared and broken, who will reject that [illegible: 2 letters]ssiah, who appears in a character so extreamly different from that they had preconceived, and when God shall punish for the rejecting the Messiah, it will be a dreadful day, as 'tis describ'd, Mat 24.6, 7, 8. &c. Mark 13.2, 8, 12, 13, 14. the righteous will scarcely be saved, what then will become of the sinner?

Think of, as Vulg. Lat. the forethought of those calamities would be a burthen; who shall be able to stand under the heavy weight of those crosses which in that day will fall on all sorts of men?

This day was from his Preaching, till the utter destruction of the City Ierusalem, about seventy years after the Birth of Christ; dayes they were, had they not been shortened▪ would have worn out all; but for the Elect sake they were shortened, Mat. 24.22.

An elegant ingemination to confirm the thing, and to affect us with it.

Some are like Mettals, which nothing but a fierce fire can purge, such fire shall the troubles of these dayes be.

Another allusion; Though this may express the troubles of those times somewhat more tolerable, yet troublesome enough. The boiling waters, into which spotted Cloaths are thrown, where they lie soaking ere they are taken out; the rubbing of them with the soap by which the cloaths are whitened and cleansed indeed, but withall, fretted, weakened, and in time worn out; so that day of the Lord will prove to all, a day of great Tryal, to purge and refine.

Marginal references: see Isa. 4.4. Mat. 3.10, 11, 12.

3 And he shall sit as a refiner, and purifier of silver , and he shall purifie the sons of Levi , and purge them as gold and silver , that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness .

King Messiah, Christ Jesus our Lord.

As resolved to attend this work, he will set to it vigorously, and continue in it constantly, till 'tis finished.

Overlooking the Furnace, that it be hot enough to melt down the Silver and Gold, and to consume the dross, and purifie the best part of the Gold.

The effect of this fiery Tryal, of this scouring, shall be the thorough cleansing of the persons that are to pass through it: These sufferings, together with his word, shall by the power of the Spirit accompanying them, throughly purge the good, and they shall be a fire hot enough to burn up the wicked.

Either the Jewish Levites, or all Christians, who are made Priests unto God, to offer Sacrifices to him, even Prayers, Praises and Almes, &c. or such as should minister more immediately to God, in the services of the Spiritual Temple, as the Levites did in the Material Temple.

That they may be vessels of Honour, purified for holy employments.

By the Law Phrase is set forth Gospel Worship, for it cannot be meant of Legal Offerings, which the Messiah did abolish at his coming.

In right manner, purely and uprightly.

Marginal references: Isa. 1.25.

4 Then shall the offerings of Judah, and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the dayes of old, and as in former years .

When the Lord, Messenger or Angel of the Covenant, the King Messiah shall be come, and set up his Kingdom, framed his Gospel Church.

The services and duties required of the Church, and performed by it; exprest here, in an allusion to the Law services; such are now fervent Prayers, Psal. 141.2. lively Praises, thankful memorials of the death of Christ in the Sacraments, attentive hearing the word, and giving up our selves, Soul and Body, a holy, living Sacrifice to God, Rom. 12.1. and Almes, Heb. 13.15, 16.

The whole Christian Church, exprest by the names of its Type.

Delightful as sweet odours to the smell, as savoury meats to the taste, as comely objects to the eye, every way acceptable to God.

This acceptance God will give, shall be as great and gracious as ever he gave to any of the Services of his Saints of old, we need not determine the precise times to which these expressions refer. It is certain, God did greatly delight in the Sacrifices and Offerings of his people, when they offered them in right manner. He will give as gracious acceptance still, which implyeth a continuance of these Sacrifices which he will accept, and inferreth that this coming of Christ is not his coming to judge the World, his last coming.

Marginal references: chap. 1.11.; Or, ancient.

5 And I will come near to you to judgment , and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers , and against the adulterers , and against false swearers , and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages , the widow and the fatherless , and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me , saith the LORD of hosts.

Either God the Father, or Christ the Messiah, to whom the Father hath committed all Judgment, Iohn 5.22.

You have spoken as if you thought I was far off, but by what I do, you shall see, I am near to you, and you shall [illegible: 1 word] my hand, that you may believe I am a God of Judgment, and they happy who wait for him, and they miserable who fall under his Judgments.

O Jews, not those very persons Mala[illegible: 1 letter]hi preacht to, but those who should be then living, when the Messiah cometh, which was more than 400 years after Malachi's preaching, by which time his Hearers were all dead.

Against the wicked to whom he would be what fire is to the dross in the Furnace, to the Righteous what the fire is to purer parts of the Gold: He will consume the Wicked, he will refine the good, he will be terrible to both in doing this.

In that he will be a Witness, they may be assured, that they should not be quitted in Judgment for want of Evidence, and in that a swift Witness they may be sure he will come in timely enough against them. And farther yet, he that comes near as Judge to call them to an account, was alwaies near them to observe all they did, all they spake, or thought, and he will be near, as Witness against them.

Sorcery was forbidden, and God testifies his detestation of the sin, and such as practice it, Deut. 18.10, 11, 12, 13, 14. the people of God who may consult with their God, his Word, and Prophets, do very abominably if they consult with the Devil; a sin their Fathers learnt among the Egyptians, a sin they had learnt among the Chaldeans during the Captivity, and practised under the second Temple.

Who transgressed the Law of Nature, and of God, Exod. 20.14. Deut. 5.18. and 22.22. and were by the Law to dy for it.

Perjury, against which Zech. 5.3, 4. and God hateth this sin, Zech. 8.17.

Either detaining it, or lessening it, Ier. 22.13. Iames 5.4.

Who should be relieved, Deut. 24.19, 20, 21. not oppressed, Isa. 1.17.

Such are not only those who have lost their Fathers by Death, but all friendless ones, God requires us to assist, and help such, not oppress them, Psal. 82.1, 2, 3, 4.

Pervert Judgment, or wrest the Law, or admit false Witness against a stranger. Not doing right is ill, though to an Enemy, but 'tis a crying sin to do wrong to a Stranger, and God will punish it when it cryeth, as he did upon your Fathers, Ezek. 22.7. with 13, 14, 15, 16.

Neither reverence my precepts to keep them, nor tremble at my threats to prevent the execution of them by declining the sins I threaten. Irreligion is root of all these oppressions, and God will punish them.

Marginal references: Or, defraud.

6 For I am the LORD, I change not , therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed .

This introduceth the final, and full confirmation of what hath been foretold in the verses before, the God of Judgment will come, &c.

As he loved Righteousness, and hath purposed to defend and reward it, yea, hath promised, it shall be well with the Righteous, so he now loveth Righteousness, and purposeth to deal well with them that love, and practice it, these may rejoice, I change not. And so on the other hand I do as I ever have hated wickedness, and will as I have threatned, punish it, I change not, my mind toward the things or persons that are wicked, is the same.

Either taken for all the natural branches of Iacob, or taken for such as are the Sons of Iacob according to the Faith, who did indeed fear God.

Since the same hatred of sin, and resolution to punish i[illegible: 1 letter] accompanied with the same long suffering, and patience, that you Sons of Iacob by Nature (but not by imitation) who have provoked me, and deserve to be destroyed, might yet have time to repent, and amend, since my long suffering changeth not, you are not yet consumed in your sins. So for the good, though they are opprest, and suffer, yet not consumed, for God changeth not, he now doth love as he ever hath loved them, and preserveth them. In brief God is the same in his Wisdom to order the rewards of good and bad in fittest season, and therefore neither the one or other are consumed, but both preserved to the season appointed of God, the just Judge, and then each shall be dealt with according to what they are.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 paragraph]; [illegible: 1 paragraph]

7 ¶ Even from the dayes of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances , and have not kept them : Return unto me g, and I will return unto you , saith the LORD of hosts: But ye said, Wherein shall we return ?

We need not fix a particular time, or age wherein this Apostacy began; It is an old Apostacy that is here charged on them, and they were notoriously guilty of it.

Are turned away by the Examples, and by the corrupt Doctrines of your Fathers, and false Teachers; yea, you have voluntarily and of choice gone away.

Which either directed my worship, or your dealings one with another, so that you have sinned greatly by polluting my Temple with your own Additions, or diminutions, with Idolatry, or, corrupt manner of performing my Service, and you have sinned against one another by Injustice, Unfaithfulness, and Cruelty, since you have gone away from my Laws, which direct the way of Righteousness and Equity.

It is a farther asseveration confirming the Truth of the charge, and added to make them more sensible of their sin. Some tell us that this chargeth on them their sins against Negative precepts, as the other charged them with sins against Positive precepts, so the whole Law was now, and had long been broken by their Fathers, and themselves.

I will yet pardon, accept you, establish, and bless you; amend your wayes and doings, and I will soon amend the state of your Affairs.

As to other, so now to this advice, they return a proud, shameless, and self-justifying Question, wherein, or what is the evil from which we should return to thee? What is our sin?

It is the only course you can take, repent e're 'tis too late, return whilest there is hope.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 paragraph]

8 ¶ Will a man rob God ? yet ye have robbed me : but ye say, Wherein have we rob bed thee ? In tithes and offerings .

Among the many deviations from Gods Law (which they do not, because they will not, see) the Prophet chargeth them with this kind of Sacrilegious Theft, they had detained his Tithes, shortned him in that portion which he had reserved to himself, and for his Service, which is as our Version expresseth it a Robbing of God. And as the words lie in the original, they do by arguing from the less to the greater aggravate this sin; as they may be read, will a man rob a great man? or, a Judge? for the word us'd will bear these Notions. Or, will a man rob the Gods? i. e. do not Heathens abhor the foulness of such a fault, and fear the punishment of Sacriledge, and therefore would not rob their Idols? as an other Prophet ask'd once the question, have any of the nations changed their Gods, which yet are no Gods? Ier. 2.11. so now, have the Nations rob'd their Gods?

But, blush ye shameless Priests! and Jewes! you have rob'd not a great man, but the great God; not Judges, but the Judge of Judges; not an Idol, but the Living God. How great is your crime!

A question just like those chap. 1.7. and 2.17. and 3.7. which see.

The People rob'd God not paying the full Tenth, which God appointed should be paid to him. The Priests rob'd God in Tithes while they took too much, or it may be all for their own particular, and family use, and did not distribute them to all that by Gods Law had a right to a proportion of them.

Either first fruits, or other oblations and gifts, which were appointed to be brought to the Temple for the service of God; in all which the People, and Priests had given him less then his due.

Marginal references: Neh. 13.10.

9 Ye are cursed with a curse : for ye have robbed me , even this whole nation .

O Priests, your sin, your Sacriledge, of which you are guilty hath provoked me.

Are greatly cursed, and are likely still to be cursed, the curse shall continue whilest you continue in this your sinful course.

This brought, increas'd and multiplied your curse. Or as some, yet ye do rob me! Strange that you dare sin, whilest I am punishing for this very sin! Or by way of question, and do ye rob me? will you go on thus to sin when you are under the curse for it? will you as Ahaz, sin when in distress? or Pharaoh-like, harden under the Judgment?

Like Priest like people, the priests and Livites did unduly imploy the tithes, and offerings, and the people did unduly pay, 'tis like the people observed how much of the Tithes were laid out otherwise than the Law directed, and they were ready to think they might do well enough to keep that for a use better (as they did think) than the use the Priests and Levites put it to, they thought 'twas ill spent by the Priests, and well saved by them, but this however seemingly excuse them to themselves, it leaves them guilty before God, the whole Nation is sacrilegious, and the whole Nation curs'd for it.

10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse , that there may be meat in mine house , and prove me now herewith , saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven , and pour you out a blessing , that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

If these persons spoken of, be the priests, then they are required not to detain the Tithes in their own hands, but as was their duty, to bring them into the publick storehouse. If the people are the persons, ye, people, it requires them to make a punctual and full payment of all tithes of corn, wine, oyl, &c. about this did Nehemiah contend with the Rulers, and made them honester, and all Judah obeyed and did the like, Neh. 13.10, 11, 12, 13.

Which was one or more large Rooms built on purpose for this use, to lay up the tithes, and to keep them for holy uses. It was some large and stately chamber, for we find that Eliashib had befriended Tobiah, letting him have it for an apartment to dwell in, Neh. 13.5, 6, 7, &c.

For the Priests and Levites to live upon, that they fly not, as many had done, from the service of God in the Temple, to take care of their countrey affairs, and by their industry provide maintenance for themselves and theirs, Neh. 13.10.

Make the experiment, the prophet doth in the name of God offer to put it to a short Trial.

By doing your duty try whether I will not make good my promise and give you a blessing instead of a curse.

This form of Speech is used Gen. 7.11. when those mighty rains that help'd to drown the world were poured forth, and now here plentiful and fruitful rains are promised in the same phrase, in a kind of proverbial speech, to express great abundance of the thing intended.

First of rain to water the Earth, and to make it fruitful, next a blessing of corn, wine and oyl, and all other products of the Earth, for the use of man and beast.

Your b[illegible: 1 letter]rns and storehouses shall not be large enough to receive it all. Your Fats shall overflow, Joel 2.23, 24. Or as 'tis Amos 9.13. you shall have Harvest work, and Vintage work, and Sowing work, as much, or more, than your Labourers can well finish in their Seasons.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word] 7.11. [illegible: 1 word] 7.2.; [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 2 letters]pty out.; [illegible: 1 letter]hron. 31.

11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes , and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground : neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field , saith the LORD of hosts.

Lay a restraint upon, or prohibit, and the prohibition shall be effectual, if God so check, no Creature is or dares be deaf to it; such a check not only quiets the unruly Sea, but can dry it up.

All kind of devourers, the Locust, the Canker-worm, Caterpillar, &c. pests of those Countreys very often, though they are in mighty Armies and incredible multitudes, yet a rebuke from God will check them all at once as if they were but one.

Not for Merit in you, but for Good to you.

Consume and eat up, as those Vermin alwayes did whereever they came.

Corn sown by your hand, and Grass springing up of it's own nature, both which these Locusts devour wheresoever they come, and leave penury or famine behind them.

No blasting or burning Winds shall make them drop, no Frosts or Hailes shall destroy your Vines. This was once the Plague of Egypt, Psal. 105.33, 34, 35, 36.

Your Vines shall carry their fruit till they are fully ripe.

Where they had large Vineyards and Oliveyards planted, and God will make them prosper if this People will return to him.

Marginal references: Heb. corrupt.

12 And all nations shall call you blessed : for ye shall be a delightsome land , saith the LORD of hosts ,

All, that are about you that know you, and see Gods dealings with you.

Praise the state and condition you are in, and pronounce you to be a very happy People, whose God is the Lord, and whose Mercies come thus from God.

Of delights, or desires able for its pleasantness; a Land so good man would desire it, and when purged, 'twill be a land the Lord will delight in, and give it the name Hephtsibah;

Added as an assurance that it shall be according to this promise, for so much as he who is Lord of hosts hath engaged his word to do it, and his word will do it, can make all Creatures cooperate for that purpose.

13 ¶ Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD: yet ye say , What have we spoken so much against thee?

Your discourses concerning my Providences over you and others, your reasonings, censures, and verdicts, passed on your own wayes, and on the wayes of your God.

Proudly justifying your selves as deserving better usage from God, or insolently arraigning God for his kindness to others, who in your Judgment are worse than your selves, by such words as those chap. 2.17.

You think you have spoken nothing so proudly and stoutly, and challenge me to tell you wherein, or with what words you have shew'd such insolence.

Marginal references: Job 21.14, 15.

14 Ye have said , It is vain to serve God : and what profit is it, that we have kept his ordinances , and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts?

Ye that are the children of forefathers, who had this good land given to them, and ever made fruitful while they feared and obeyed their God, you that have been well rewarded for your obedience, or you Priests who have Tithes, Sacrifices, Offerings, and First Fruits given you for your Services.

Have thought first, and next have discoursed it, unthankful to your God, you have Atheist like maintained it in disputes,

That all is lost Labour, no profit to God, nor any to your selves; therefore better sit still, and do nothing, than to no purpose.

While what they have before their eyes, is the fruit of Gods goodness, and what they want is punishment of their not doing it better; whilest a very unsuitable observing the ordinances of God, hath so much profit for you, dare you say there is no profit? Sottish Atheists! who will not try what a more agreeable Service would do!

So the Hypocrites and Ungodly object against God, Isa. 58.3. Yet their's, as Ahab's, dissembled Mournings had their reward, and infinitely better than they deserved.

Marginal references: Heb. observation.; Heb. in black.

15 And now we call the proud happy : yea, they that work wickedness are set up ; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered .

Or now therefore, on these false reasonings of these deceived ones, they proceed to further impiety, and audacious blasphemy.

We, (say they) see before our Eyes, and must pronounce what we see; that the proud contemners of God and his Law, are the flourishing ones; they are at present happiest, and there appears no sign of any change of affairs to them. They do boldly and despitefully oppose God and yet prosper. And could this be, say they, if there were a God of Judgment to call men to account, and to deal with them according to their wayes?

Who contrive, and then work wickedness; who choose it, study it, and glory in it, as the whole of their life; are built up, are advanced to honours, and filled with Riches, and have fair probability that all this will last to them, and theirs. And could this be, say these Priests and Iewes, under the eye of a just and Sovereign Judge? where is the God of Judgment when such disorders are every where seen?

They that dare him to his very face, that do the highest affronts to God, purposely to prove whether he would or could punish the sinners amongst men. Those escape punishment though the Law and Prophets threaten them, and would you have us (say these men) believe there is such a God of Judgment, when all is so disorderly carried in the World? Thus far the proud behaviour of these against God.

Marginal references: chap. 2.17.; Heb. built.; Psal. 95.9.

16 ¶ Then they that feared the LORD , spake often one to another , and the LORD hearkned , and heard it , and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD , and that thought upon his name .

When Atheism and bold contempt of God was grown so high, and was so plainly and smartly reproved by the Prophet.

Those that were truly Religious that knew Gods Judgments were a great deep, and that his wayes were as high above our wayes as Heaven above the Earth.

Discoursed aright of Gods Mercy, Justice, Patience, Holiness and Wisdom in his Government, and manage of the Sons of Men; establish'd one another against the assaults of such proud contemptuous disputers; encouraged each other to wait for God in the way of his Judgments. Though 'tis not said what they spake, we have reason to believe it was as good of God and his proceedings as the discourse of the wicked was evil. The godly spake things that did as much become the wayes of God, as what the wicked spake did disparage the wayes of an omniscient, holy, patient and just God.

After the manner of man, the Lord is represented as if he did listen to hear more distinctly, and as if he did incline his Ear.

Clearly, perfectly, and fully understood and observed, and what the godly spake of him and for him.

A Registry was made of the persons and their discourses. This is after the manner of men▪ spoken of God whose omniscience seeth, knoweth, and remembreth all, but this Book is written before the Lord, he will have every good man, every good word of such, and every good thought such have for him, entred under his eye, that they may be assured of a comfortable reward for it.

On their behalf,

See let. o.

With love, esteem and holy admiration.

17 And they shall be mine , saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels ; and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him .

Though now they seem to lie unregarded; as if they were not worth the owning, they shall appear to be mine.

The day wherein God will sever between Men and Men, and between Actions and Actions, which day, though ye know it not, is well known to the Lord, and beside, the great day of final discrimination, God hath several other dayes of Visitation, which are times wherein he will own his, as the good Figs, &c. Ier. 24. The day that God hath appointed, and will and did bring upon this people in the destruction of Ierusalem by Titus Vespasianus.

Or peculiar Treasure, that which I highly value and keep most safely, now they are packt up among things of no great value, but when the Casket is opened, these Jewels shall be laid up among the richest Treasures, as when they were all sent to Pella, not one Christian left in Ierusalem, and which shall be fully made good in the last great day of final Judgment, and in Heaven to Eternal Ages.

In the mean time they shall be spared, pitied, preserved, and loved. Now their weaknesses covered and pardoned, their good will approved and accepted, then their worth own'd, published, and rewarded.

As a tender Father doth with his Son, his own Son, that serveth him, so will God spare such, as in an Atheistical world do speak for God, do fear God, and highly value both his Law and Government, and so obey him.

Marginal references: Exod. 19.5. Psal. 135.4. Tit. 2.14.; Or, special treasure.; Isa. 62.3.

18 Then shall ye return f, and discern between the righteous and the wicked: between him that serveth GOD, and him that serveth him not.

When that day of the Lord punishing the Jews by the Romans shall come, and he shall do thus for his Jewels.

The blasphemous Scoffers, proud Contemners of God and Religion,

Return to your Reason, enforced by the convincing power of Gods Judgments to come to your selves, or to change your opinion, of God and his Government.

Clearly see with envy towards them, with horrour and grief in your selves; the unexpected escape and happiness of the righteous who served God, and your misery that served him not, but were wicked, and perish now in your wickedness.

Mal 3:1

Coming of the Lord to judgment. Mal 3:1. “Behold, I send my messenger, that he may prepare the way before me; and the Lord, whom ye seek, will suddenly come to His temple, and the angel of the covenant, whom ye desire; behold he comes, saith Jehovah of hosts.” To the question, Where is or remains the God of judgment? the Lord Himself replies that He will suddenly come to His temple, but that before His coming He will send a messenger to prepare the way for Him. The announcement of this messenger rests upon the prophecy in Isa 40:3., as the expression וּפנּה דרך, which is borrowed from that passage, clearly shows. The person whose voice Isaiah heard calling to make the way of Jehovah in the desert, that the glory of the Lord might be revealed to all flesh, is here described as מלאך, whom Jehovah will send before Him, i.e., before His coming. This maleâkh is not a heavenly messenger, or spiritual being (Rashi, Kimchi), nor the angel of Jehovah κατ ̓ ἐξοχήν, who is mentioned afterwards and called maleakh habberı̄th, but an earthly messenger of the Lord, and indeed the same who is called the prophet Elijah in Mal 4:5, and therefore not “an ideal person, viz., the whole choir of divine messengers, who are to prepare the way for the coming of salvation, and open the door for the future grace” (Hengst.), but a concrete personality - a messenger who was really sent to the nation in John the Baptist immediately before the coming of the Lord. The idea view is precluded not only by the historical fact, that not a single prophet arose in Israel during the whole period between Malachi and John, but also by the context of the passage before us, according to which the sending of the messenger was to take place immediately before the coming of the Lord to His temple. It is true that in Mal 2:7 the priest is also called a messenger of Jehovah; but the expression הנני שׁלח (behold I send) prevents our understanding the term maleâkh as referring to the priests, or even as including them, inasmuch as “sending” would not apply to the priests as the standing mediators between the Lord and His people. Moreover, it was because the priests did not fulfil their duty as the ordinary ambassadors of God that the Lord was about to send an extraordinary messenger. Preparing the way (פּנה דרך, an expression peculiar to Isaiah: compare Isa 40:3; also, Isa 57:14 and Isa 62:10), by clearing away the impediments lying in the road, denotes the removal of all that retards the coming of the Lord to His people, i.e., the taking away of enmity to God and of ungodliness by the preaching of repentance and the conversion of sinners. The announcement of this messenger therefore implied, that the nation in its existing moral condition was not yet prepared for the reception of the Lord, and therefore had no ground for murmuring at the delay of the manifestation of the divine glory, but ought rather to murmur at its own sin and estrangement from God. When the way shall have been prepared, the Lord will suddenly come. פּתאם, not statim, immediately (Jerome), but unexpectedly. “This suddenness is repeated in all the acts and judgments of the Lord. The Lord of glory always comes as a thief in the night to those who sleep in their sins” (Schmieder). “The Lord” (hâ'âdōn) is God; this is evident both from the fact that He comes to His temple, i.e., the temple of Jehovah, and also from the relative clause “whom ye seek,” which points back to the question, “Where is the God of judgment?” (Mal 2:17). The Lord comes to His temple (hēkhâl, lit., palace) as the God-king of Israel, to dwell therein for ever (cf. Eze 43:7; Eze 37:26-27). And He comes as the angel of the covenant, for whom the people are longing. The identity of the angel of the covenant with the “Lord” (hâ'âdōn) is placed beyond the reach of doubt by the parallelism of the clauses, and the notion is thereby refuted that the “covenant angel” is identical with the person previously mentioned as מלאכי (Hitzig, Maurer, etc.). This identity does not indeed exclude a distinction of person; but it does exclude a difference between the two, or the opinion that the angel of the covenant is that mediator whom Isaiah had promised (Isa 42:6) as the antitype of Moses, and the mediator of a new, perfect, and eternally-enduring covenant relation between God and Israel (Hofmann, Schriftbeweis, i. p. 183). For it was not for a second Moses that the people were longing, or for a mediator of the new covenant, but for the coming of God to judgment. The coming of the Lord to His temple is represented as a coming of the covenant angel, with reference to the fact that Jehovah had in the olden time revealed His glory in His Maleakh in a manner perceptible to the senses, and that in this mode of revelation He had not only redeemed Israel out of the hand of Egypt (Exo 3:6.), gone before the army of Israel (Exo 14:19), and led Israel through the desert to Canaan (Exo 23:20., Exo 33:14.), but had also filled the temple with His glory. The covenant, in relation to which the Maleakh, who is of one essence with Jehovah, is here called the angel of the covenant, is not the new covenant promised in Jer 31:31., but the covenant of Jehovah with Israel, according to which Jehovah dwells in the midst of Israel, and manifests His gracious presence by blessing the righteous and punishing the ungodly (cf. Exo 25:8; Lev 25:11-12; Deu 4:24; Isa 33:14): (Koehler). The words “Behold he (the covenant angel) cometh” serve to confirm the assurance, and are still further strengthened by אמר יי צ (saith Jehovah of hosts). This promise was fulfilled in the coming of Christ, in whom the angel of the covenant, the Logos, became flesh, and in the sending of John the Baptist, who prepared the way for Him. (See also at Mal 4:6)

Mal 3:2-4

With the coming of the Lord the judgment will also begin; not the judgment upon the heathen, however, for which the ungodly nation was longing, but the judgment upon the godless members of the covenant nation. Mal 3:2. “And who endures the day of His coming? and who can stand at His appearing? for He is like the smelter’s fire, and like washers’ lye: Mal 3:3. And will sit smelting and purifying silver, and will purify the children of Levi, and refine like gold and silver, that they may be offering to Jehovah His sacrifice in righteousness. Mal 3:4. And the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant, as in the days of the olden time, and as in the years of the past.” The question “who endures the day” has a negative meaning, like מי in Isa 53:1 : no one endures it (for the fact itself compare Joe 2:11). The prophet is speaking to the ungodly. The second clause is synonymous. עמד, to remain standing, in contrast with falling, or sinking under the burden of the judgment. The reason for this is given in the second hemistich. The Lord when He comes will be like a smelter’s fire, which burns out all the corrupt ingredients that are mixed with the gold and silver (cf. Zec 13:9), and like the lye or alkaline salt by which clothes are cleansed from dirt (cf. Isa 4:4). The double figure has but one meaning; hence only the first figure is carried out in Mal 3:3, a somewhat different turn being given to it, since the Lord is no longer compared to the fire, but represented as a smelter. As a smelter purifies gold and silver from the dross adhering to it, so will the Lord refine the sons of Levi, by whom the priests are principally intended. The yâshabh (sit) serves as a pictorial description, like ‛âmad (stand) in Mic 5:3. The participles metsârēph and metahēr describe the capacity in which He sits, viz., as a smelter and purifier of silver. זקּק: to strain, or filter; a term transferred to metals, because in smelting the pure metal is allowed to flow off, so that the earthy ingredients are left in the crucible (Psa 12:7; Job 28:1, etc.). The fact that the sons of Levi are named, as the object of the refining action of the Lord, is to be explained from what is mentioned in Mal 1:6. concerning their degeneracy. Since they, the supporters and promoters of the religious life of the nation, were quite corrupt, the renovation of the national life must begin with their purification. This purification, however, does not consist merely in the fact, that the individuals who are displeasing to God will be cut off from among them (Koehler), nor merely in their being cleansed from the sins and crimes adhering to them (Hitzig), but in both, so that those who are corrigible are improved, and the incorrigible cut off. This is implied in the idea of purification, and is confirmed by the result of the refining work of the Lord, as given in the last clause of the verse. They are to become to the Lord offerers of sacrifices in righteousness. Bitsedâqâh does not refer to the nature of the sacrifices, viz., righteous sacrifices, i.e., such as correspond to the law, but to the moral character of the offerers, viz., that they will attend to the offering of sacrifice in a proper state of heart, as in Psa 4:6. היוּ מגּישׁי is a constructio periphr. to denote the permanence of the action (cf. Ewald, §168, c). The tsaqeph-qaton does not compel us to separate היוּ ליהוה (compare, on the contrary, Gen 1:6 for example). Then, namely when the priests offer sacrifices in righteousness again, will the sacrificing of the whole nation be pleasant to the Lord, as was the case in the olden time. The days of the olden time and years of the past are the times of Moses, or the first years of the sojourn in the desert (Jer 2:2), possibly also the times of David and of the first years of the reign of Solomon; whereas now, i.e., in the time of Malachi, the sacrifices of the nation were displeasing to God, not merely on account of the sins of the people (Mal 2:13), but chiefly on account of the badness of the sacrificing priests (Mal 1:10, Mal 1:13). Moreover, we must not infer from Mal 3:3 and Mal 3:4, that Malachi imagined that the Old Testament worship would be continued during the Messianic times; but his words are to be explained from the custom of the prophets, of using the forms of the Old Testament worship to depict the reverence for God which would characterize the new covenant.

Mal 3:5-6

Mal 3:5. “And I will draw near to you to judgment, and will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against those who swear for deceit, and those who press down the wages of the hireling, the widow and the orphan, and bow down the foreigner, and fear not me, saith Jehovah of hosts. Mal 3:6. For I Jehovah, I change not; and ye sons of Israel, ye are not consumed.” The refining which the Lord will perform at His coming will not limit itself to the priests, but become a judgment upon all sinners. This judgment is threatened against those who wanted the judgment of God to come, according to Mal 2:17. To these the Lord will draw near to judgment, and rise up as a swift witness against all the wicked who do not fear Him. The word קרבתּי does not imply that the judgment announced will actually commence at once. The drawing near to judgment takes place in the day of His coming (Mal 3:2), and this is preceded by the sending of the messenger to prepare the way. The words affirm nothing as to the time of the coming, because this was not revealed to the prophet. Nor is there any intimation on this point in the word ממהר, but simply the announcement that the Lord will come with unexpected rapidity, in contrast with the murmuring of the people at the delay of judgment (Mal 2:17). ממהר answers substantially to פּתאם in Mal 3:1. God comes as a practical witness against the wicked, convicting them of their guilt by punishing them. The particular sins mentioned here are such as were grievous sins in the eye of the law, and to some extent were punishable with death. On sorcerers and adulterers see Exo 22:17; Lev 20:10; Deu 22:22. That sorcery was very common among the Jews after the captivity, is evident from such passages as Act 8:9; Act 13:6, and from Josephus, Ant. xx. 6, de bell. Jud. ii. 12, 23; and the occurrence of adultery may be inferred from the condemnation of the marriages with heathen wives in Mal 2:10-16. On false swearing compare Lev 19:12. The expression to press the wages of the labourer is unusual, since the only other passage in which עשׁק is construed with a neuter object is Mic 2:2, and in every other case it is applied to persons; for עשׁק שׂכיר compare Lev 19:13 and Deu 24:14-15, to which the reproof refers. אלמנה ויתום are not genitives dependent upon שׂכר, but further objects to עשׁקי. For the fact itself compare Exo 22:21-23; Deu 24:17; Deu 27:19. To מטּי גר we are not to supply משׁפּט, after Deu 24:17 and Deu 27:19; but הטּה is used of the person as in Amo 5:12 : to bow down the stranger, i.e., to oppress him unjustly. The words, “and fear not me,” point to the source from which all these sins flowed, and refer to all the sinners mentioned before. This threat of judgment is explained in Mal 3:6 in the double clause: that Jehovah does not change, and the sons of Israel do not perish. Because Jehovah is unchangeable in His purposes, and Israel as the people of God is not to perish, therefore will God exterminate the wicked out of Israel by means of judgment, in order to refine it and shape it according to its true calling. The perfects are used to express established truths. The unchangeableness of God is implied in the name Jehovah, “who is that He is,” the absolutely independent and absolutely existing One (see at Gen 2:4). For the fact itself compare Num 23:19; 1Sa 15:29; Jam 1:17. Jehovah is in apposition to 'ănı̄ (I), and not a predicate in the sense of “I am Jehovah” (Luther, Hengstenberg, etc.); this is evident from the parallel ואתּם בּני יעקב (and ye, the sons of Jacob), where no one thinks of taking בני יעק (sons of Jacob) as a predicate. Kâlâh, to come to an end, to be destroyed, as the parallel passage, Jer 30:11, which floated before the prophet’s mind, clearly shows. The name “sons of Jacob” (poetical for sons of Israel) is used emphatically, denoting the true members of the people of God, who rightly bear the name of Israel. These do not perish, because their existence rests upon the promise of the unchangeable God (cf. Rom 11:28-29).

Mal 3:7-9

After the Lord has announced to the murmuring people that He will suddenly draw near to judgment upon the wicked, He proceeds to explain the reason why He has hitherto withheld His blessing and His salvation. Mal 3:7. “From the days of your fathers ye have departed from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, saith Jehovah of hosts; and ye say, Wherein shall we return? Mal 3:8. Dare a man indeed defraud God, that ye have defrauded me? and ye say, In what have we defrauded Thee? In the tithes and the heave-offering. Mal 3:9. Ye are cursed with the curse, and yet ye defraud me, even the whole nation.” The reason why Israel waits in vain for the judgment and the salvation dawning with it, is not to be found in God, but in the people, in the fact, that from time immemorial they have transgressed the commandments of God (see Isa 43:27; Eze 2:3; Hos 10:9). And yet they regard themselves as righteous. They reply to the call to repentance by saying, בּמּה נשׁוּב, wherein, i.e., in what particular, shall we turn? The prophet thereupon shows them their sin: they do what no man should presume to attempt - they try to defraud God in the tithe and heave-offering, namely, by either not paying them at all, or not paying them as they should into the house of God. קבע, which only occurs here and at Pro 22:23, signifies to defraud, to overreach. המּעשׂר וגתר is either an accusative of free subordination, or else we must supply the preposition ב from the question itself. On the tithe see Lev 27:30., Num 18:20., and Deu 14:22. (see also my Bibl. Ant. i. p. 337ff.); and on the heave-offering (terūmâh), the portion of his income lifted off from the rest, for the purposes of divine worship, see my Bibl. Ant. i. p. 245. And this they do, notwithstanding the fact that God has already visited them with severe punishment, viz., with the curse of barrenness and of the failure of the harvest. We may see from Mal 3:10-12, that the curse with which they were smitten consisted in this. ואתי is adversative: yet ye defraud me, and indeed the whole nation, and not merely certain individuals.

Mal 3:10-12

Mal 3:10. “Bring ye all the tithe into the treasure-house, that there may be consumption in my house, and prove me now herewith, saith Jehovah of hosts, if I do not open you the sluices of heaven, and pour you out a blessing to superabundance. Mal 3:11. And I will rebuke the devourer for you, that he may not destroy the fruit of your ground; and your vine will not miscarry in the field, saith Jehovah of hosts. Mal 3:12. And all nations will call you blessed; for ye will be a land of good pleasure, saith Jehovah of hosts.” In Mal 3:10 the emphasis lies upon kol: the whole of the tithe they are to bring, and not merely a portion of it, and so defraud the Lord; for the tithe was paid to Jehovah for His servants the Levites (Num 18:24). It was delivered, at least after the times of the later kings, at the sanctuary, where store-chambers were built for the purpose (cf. 2Ch 31:11.; Neh 10:38-39; Neh 12:44; Neh 13:12). Tereph signifies here food, or consumption, as in Pro 31:15; Psa 111:5. בּזאת, through this, i.e., through their giving to God what they are under obligation to give Him, they are to prove God, whether in His attitude towards them He is no longer the holy and righteous God (Mal 2:17; Mal 3:6). Then will they also learn, that He causes the promised blessing to flow in the richest abundance to those who keep His commandments. אם לא is not a particle of asseveration or oath (Koehler), but an indirect question: whether not. Opening the sluices of heaven is a figure, denoting the most copious supply of blessing, so that it flows down from heaven like a pouring rain (as in 2Ki 7:2). עד בּלי די, till there is no more need, i.e., in superabundance. This thought is individualized in Mal 3:11. Everything that could injure the fruits of the land God will take away. גּער, to rebuke practically, i.e., to avert the intention. אכל, the devourer, is here the locust, so called from its insatiable voracity. Shikkēl, to miscarry, is affirmed of the vine, when it has set a good quantity of grapes, which perish and drop off before they ripen. In consequence of this blessing, all nations will call Israel blessed (Mal 3:12), because its land will be an object of pleasure to every one (cf. Zec 7:14; Zec 8:13, Zec 8:23).

Mal 3:13-15

The impatient murmuring of the nation. - Mal 3:13. “Your words do violence to me, saith Jehovah; and ye say, What do we converse against Thee? Mal 3:14. Ye say, It is vain to serve God; and what gain is it, that we have kept His guard, and have gone about in deep mourning before Jehovah of hosts? Mal 3:15. And now we call the proud blessed: not only have the doers of wickedness been built up, but they have also tempted God and have been saved.” After the Lord has disclosed to the people the cause of His withholding His blessing, He shows them still further, that their murmuring against Him is unjust, and that the coming day of judgment will bring to light the distinction between the wicked and those who fear God. חזק with על, to be strong over any one, does not mean to be harsh or burdensome, but to do violence to a person, to overpower him (cf. Exo 12:33; 2Sa 24:4, etc.). The niphal nidbar has a reciprocal meaning, to converse with one another (cf. Eze 33:30). The conversations which they carry on with one another take this direction, that it is useless to serve God, because the righteous have no advantage over sinners. For שׁמר משׁמרתּו see the comm. on Gen 26:5. Hâlakh qedōrannı̄th, to go about dirty or black, either with their faces and clothes unwashed, or wrapped in black mourning costume (saq), is a sign of mourning, here of fasting, as mourning for sin (cf. Psa 35:13-14; Psa 38:7; Job 30:28; 1 Maccabees 3:48). מפּני יהוה, from awe of Jehovah. The fasting, and that in its external form, they bring into prominence as a special sign of their piety, as an act of penitence, through which they make reparation for certain sins against God, by which we are not to understand the fasting prescribed for the day of atonement, but voluntary fasting, which was regarded as a special sign of piety. What is reprehensible in the state of mind expressing itself in these words, is not so much the complaint that their piety brings them no gain (for such complaints were uttered even by believing souls in their hours of temptation; cf. Psa 73:13), as the delusion that their merely outward worship, which was bad enough according to what has already been affirmed, is the genuine worship which God must acknowledge and reward. This disposition to attribute worth to the opus operatum of fasting it attacked even by Isaiah, in Isa 58:1-14; but after the captivity it continued to increase, until it reached its culminating point in Pharisaism. How thoroughly different the persons speaking here are from the believing souls under temptation, who also appeal to their righteousness when calling upon God in their trouble, is especially clear from their further words in Mal 3:15. Because God does not reward their fasting with blessing and prosperity, they begin to call the proud sinners, who have happiness and success, blessed. ועתּה is the particle of inference. The participle מאשּׁרים has the force of a futurum instans (cf. Ewald, §306, d), denoting what men prepare to do. Zēdı̄m, the haughty or proud, are the heathen, as in Isa 13:11, who are called עשׂי רשׁעה in the following clause. The next two clauses are placed in a reciprocal relation to one another by gam ... gam (cf. Jer 12:16-17; Exo 1:21), and also, notwithstanding the fact that they have tempted God, are delivered when they fall into misfortune. Bâchan Elohim, to prove or test God, i.e., to call out His judgment through their wickedness.

Mal 3:16-18

With these foolish speeches the prophet proceeds in Mal 3:16. to contrast the conduct of those who fear God, pointing to the blessing which they derive from their piety. Mal 3:16. “Then those who feared Jehovah conversed with one another, and Jehovah attended and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before Him, for those who fear Jehovah and reverence His name. Mal 3:17. And they will be to me as a possession, saith Jehovah of hosts, for the day that I create, and I will spare them as a man spareth his son that serveth him. Mal 3:18. And ye will again perceive the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not.” אז, then, indicates that the conversation of those who feared God had been occasioned by the words of the ungodly. The substance of this conversation is not described more minutely, but may be gathered from the context, namely, from the statement as to the attitude in which Jehovah stood towards them. We may see from this, that they strengthened themselves in their faith in Jehovah, as the holy God and just Judge who would in due time repay both the wicked and the righteous according to their deeds, and thus presented a great contrast to the great mass with their blasphemous sayings. This description of the conduct of the godly is an indirect admonition to the people, as to what their attitude towards God ought to be. What was done by those who feared Jehovah ought to be taken as a model by the whole nation which called Jehovah its God. Jehovah not only took notice of these conversations, but had them written in a book of remembrance, to reward them for them in due time. Writing in a book of remembrance recals to mind the custom of the Persians, of having the names of those who deserved well of the king entered in a book with a notice of their merits, that they might be rewarded for them at some future time (Est 6:1); but it rests upon the much older idea, that the names and actions of the righteous are written in a book before God (cf. Psa 56:9; Dan 7:10). This book was written לפניו, before Jehovah, i.e., not in His presence, but in order that it might lie before Jehovah, and remind Him of the righteous and their deeds. ליראי is a dat. com.: “for those who fear God,” i.e., for their good. חשׁב שׁם, to consider or value the name of the Lord (cf. Isa 13:17; Isa 33:8). This writing was done because the Lord would make them His own on the day of His coming, and show them mercy. Layyōm: for the day = on the day; the lamed denoting the time, as in Isa 10:3; Gen 21:2, etc. The day which Jehovah makes is the day of the judgment which attends His coming. Segullâh is the object, not to ‛ōseh, as we might suppose according to the accents, but to hâyū: they will be my possession on the day which I create. This is evident partly from a comparison of Mal 4:3, where the words יום אשׁר אני עשׂה recur, and partly from the original passage in Exo 19:5 : ye will be to me segullâh, i.e., a valued possession (see the comm.). The righteous will then be a possession for Jehovah, because on that day the glory of the children of God will first be revealed, and the Israel of God will reach the mark of its heavenly calling (see Col 3:4). The Lord will spare them in the judgment as a father spares his son who serves him. The expression to spare may be explained from the contrast to the punishment of the ungodly. In Mal 3:18 the prophet bids the murmurers consider what has been said concerning the righteous, by telling them that they will then see the difference between the righteous who serve God, and the wicked who do not serve Him, that is to say, will learn that it is always profitable to serve God. שׁבתּם before ראיתם is to be taken adverbially: ye will see again. The expression “again” presupposes that the difference between those who feared God and the ungodly was to be seen before, and that the Lord had already made it manifest by former judgments. This had been the case in Egypt, where the Lord had caused such a separation to be made (Exo 11:7). The words do not imply that the persons addressed had previously stood in a different relation to this question from that in which they were standing then (Koehler). ראה בין does not mean to look in between (Hitzig), but בּין is used in the sense of a substantive, signifying that which is between the two, the difference between the two. That בּין was originally a noun is evident from the dual הבּינים in 1Sa 17:4, 1Sa 17:23.

Evangelical Predictions; The Advent of Christ Predicted. (b. c. 400.)

1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. 2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: 3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. 4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord , as in the days of old, and as in former years. 5 And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts. 6 For I am the Lord , I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

The first words of this chapter seem a direct answer to the profane atheistical demand of the scoffers of those days which closed the foregoing chapter: Where is the God of judgment? To which it is readily answered, "Here he is; he is just at the door; the long-expected Messiah is ready to appear; and he says, For judgment have I come into this world, for that judgment which you have so impudently bid defiance to." One of the rabbin says that the meaning of this is, That God will raise up a righteous King, to set things in order, even the king Messiah. And the beginning of the gospel of Christ is expressly said to be the accomplishment of this promise, with which the Old Testament concludes, Mark i. 1, 2. So that by this the two Testaments are, as it were, tacked together, and made to answer one another. Now here we have,

I. A prophecy of the appearing of his forerunner John the Baptist, which the prophet Isaiah had foretold (ch. xl. 3), as the preparing of the way of the Lord, to which this seems to have a reference, for the words of the latter prophets confirmed those of the former: Behold, I will send my messenger, or I do send him, or I am sending him. "I am determined to send him; he will now shortly come, and will not come unsent, though to a careless generation he comes unsent for." Observe, 1. He is God's messenger; that is his office; he is Malachi (so the word is), the same with the name of this prophet; he is my angel, my ambassador. John Baptist had his commission from heaven, and not of men. All held John Baptist for a prophet, for he was God's messenger, as the prophets were, and came on the same errand to the world that they were sent upon—to call men to repentance and reformation. 2. He is Christ's harbinger: He shall prepare the way before me, by calling men to those duties which qualify them to receive the comforts of the Messiah and his coming, and by taking them off from a confidence in their relation to Abraham as their father (which, they thought, would serve their turn without a saviour), and by giving notice that the Messiah was now at hand, and so raising men's expectations of him, and making them readily to go into the measures he would take for the setting up of his kingdom in the world. Note, God observes a method in his work, and, before he comes, takes care to have his way prepared. This is like the giving of a sign. The church was told, long before, that the Messiah would come; and here it is added that, a little before he appears, there shall be a signal given; a great prophet shall arise, that shall give notice of his approach, and call to the everlasting gates and doors to lift up their heads and give him admission. The accomplishment of this is a proof that Jesus is the Christ, is he that should come, and we are to look for no other; for there was such a messenger sent before him, who made ready a people prepared for the Lord, Luke i. 17. The Jewish writers run into gross absurdities to evade the conviction of this evidence; some of them say that this messenger is the angel of death, who shall take the wicked out of this life, to be sent into hell torments; others of them say that it is Messiah the son of Joseph, who shall appear before Messiah the son of David; others, this prophet himself; others, an angel from heaven: such mistakes do those run into that will not receive the truth.

II. A prophecy of the appearing of the Messiah himself: "The Lord, whom you seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the God of judgment, who, you think, has forsaken the earth, and you wot not what has become of him. The Messiah has been long called he that should come, and you may assure yourselves that now shortly he will come." 1. He is the Lord—Adonai, the basis and foundation on which the world is founded and fastened, the ruler and governor of all, that one Lord over all (Acts x. 36) that has all power committed to him (Matt. xxviii. 18) and is to reign over the house of Jacob for ever, Luke i. 33. 2. He is the Messenger of the covenant, or the angel of the covenant, that blessed one that was sent from heaven to negotiate a peace, and settle a correspondence, between God and man. He is the angel, the archangel, the Lord of the angels, who received commission from the Father to bring man home to God by a covenant of grace, who had revolted from him by the violation of the covenant of innocency. Christ is the angel of this covenant, by whose mediation it is brought about and established as God's covenant with Israel was made by the disposition of angels, Acts vii. 53; Gal. iii. 19. Christ, as a prophet, is the messenger and mediator of the covenant; nay, he is given for a covenant, Isa. xlix. 8. That covenant which is all our salvation began to be spoken by the Lord, Heb. ii. 3. Though he is the prince of the covenant (as some read this) yet he condescended to be the messenger of it, that we might have full assurance of God's good-will towards man, upon his word. 3. He it is whom you seek, whom you delight in, whom the pious Jews expect and desire, and whose coming they think of with a great deal of pleasure. In looking and waiting for him, they looked for redemption in Jerusalem and waited for the consolation of Israel, Luke ii. 25, 38. Christ was to be the desire of all nations, desirable to all (Hag. ii. 7); but he was the desire of the Jewish nation actually, because they had the promise of his coming made to them. Note, Those that seek Jesus shall find pleasure in him. If he be our heart's desire he will be our heart's delight; and we have reason to delight in him who is the messenger of the covenant, and to bid him welcome who came to us on so kind an errand. 4. He shall suddenly come; his coming draws nigh, and we see it not at so great a distance as the patriarchs saw it at. Or, He shall come immediately after the appearing of John Baptist, shall even tread on the heels of his forerunner; when that morning-star appears, believe that the Sun of righteousness is not far off. Or, He shall come suddenly, that is, he shall come when by many he is not looked for; as his second coming will be, so his first coming was, at midnight, when some had done looking for him, for shall he find faith on the earth? Luke xviii. 8. The Jews reckon the Messiah among the things that come unawares; so Dr. Pocock. And the coming of the Son of man in his day is said to be as the lightning, which is very surprising, Luke xvii. 24. 5. He shall come to his temple, this temple at Jerusalem, which was lately built, that latter house which he was to be the glory of. It is his temple, for it is his Father's house, John ii. 16. Christ, at forty days old, was presented in the temple, and thither Simeon went by the Spirit, according to the direction of this prophecy, to see him, Luke ii. 27. At twelve years old he was in the temple about his Father's business, Luke ii. 49. When he rode in triumph into Jerusalem, it should seem that he went directly to the temple (Matt. xxi. 12), and (v. 14) thither the blind and the lame came to him to be healed; there he often preached, and often disputed, and often wrought miracles. By this it appears that the Messiah was to come while that temple was standing; that, therefore, being long since destroyed, we must conclude that he has come, and we are to look for no other. Note, Those that would be acquainted with Christ and obtain his favour must meet him in his temple, for there he records his name and there he will bless his people. There we must receive his oracles and there we must pay our homage. 6. The promise of this coming is repeated and ratified: Behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts; you may depend upon his word, who cannot lie, he shall come, he will come, he will not tarry.

III. An account given of the great ends and intentions of his coming, v. 2. He is one whom they seek, and one whom they delight in; and yet who may abide the day of his coming? It is a thing to be thought of with great seriousness, and with a holy awe and reverence; for who shall stand when he appears, though he comes not to condemn the world, but that the world through him might have life? This may refer,

1. To the terrors of his appearance. Even in the days of his flesh there were some emanations of his glory and power, such as none could stand before, witness his transfiguration, and the prodigies that attended his death; and we read of some that trembled before him, as Mark v. 33.

2. To the troublous times that should follow soon after. The Jewish doctors speak of the pangs or griefs of the Messiah, meaning (they say) the great afflictions that should be to Israel at the time of his coming; he himself speaks of great tribulation then approaching, such as was not since the beginning of the world, nor ever shall be, Matt. xxiv. 21.

3. To the trial which his coming would make of the children of men. He shall be like a refiner's fire, which separates between the gold and the dross by melting the ore, or like fuller's soap, which with much rubbing fetches the spots out of the cloth. Christ came to discover men, that the thoughts of many hearts might be revealed (Luke ii. 35), to distinguish men, to separate between the precious and the vile, for his fan in his hand (Matt. iii. 12), to send fire on the earth, not peace, but rather division (Luke xii. 49, 51), to shake heaven and earth, that the wicked might be shaken out (Job xxxviii. 13) and that the things which cannot be shaken might remain, Heb. xii. 27. See what the effect of the trial will be that shall be made by the gospel.

(1.) The gospel shall work good upon those that are disposed to be good, to them it shall be a savour of life unto life (v. 3): He shall sit as a refiner. Christ by his gospel shall purify and reform his church, and by his Spirit working with it shall regenerate and cleanse particular souls; for to this end he gave himself for the church, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word (Eph. v. 26) and purify to himself a peculiar people, Tit. ii. 14. Christ is the great refiner. Observe, [1.] Who they are that he will purify—the sons of Levi, all those that are devoted to his praise and employed in his service, as the tribe of Levi was, and whom he designs to make unto our God spiritual priests (Rev. i. 6), a holy priesthood, 1 Pet. ii. 5. Note, All true Christians are sons of Levi, set apart for God, to do the service of his sanctuary, and to war the good warfare. [2.] How he will purify them; he will purge them as gold and silver, that is, he will sanctify them inwardly; he will not only wash away the spots they have contracted from without, but will take away the dross that is found in them; he will separate from them their indwelling corruptions, which rendered their faculties worthless and useless, and so make them like gold refined, both valuable and serviceable. He will purge them with fire, as gold and silver are purged, for he baptizes with the Holy Ghost and with fire (Matt. iii. 11), with the Holy Ghost working like fire. He will purge them by afflictions and manifold temptations, that the trial of their faith may be found to praise and honour, 1 Pet. i. 6, 7. He will purge them so as to make them a precious people to himself. [3.] What will be the effect of it: That they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness, that is, that they may be in sincerity converted to God and consecrated to his praise (hence we read of the offering up, or sacrificing, of the Gentiles to God, when they were sanctified by the holy Ghost, Rom. xv. 16), and that they may in a spiritual manner worship God according to his will, may offer the sacrifices of righteousness, (Ps. iv. 5), the offering of prayer, and praise, and holy love, that they may be the true worshippers, who worship the Father in spirit and in truth, John iv. 23, 24. Note, We cannot offer unto the Lord any right performances in religion unless our persons be justified and sanctified. Till we ourselves be refined and purified by the grace of God, we cannot do any thing that will redound to the glory of God. God had respect to Abel first, and then to his offering; and therefore God purges his people, that they may offer their offerings to him in righteousness, Zeph. iii. 9. He makes the tree good that the fruit may be good. And then it follows (v. 4), The offering of Judah and Jerusalem shall be pleasant unto the Lord. It shall no longer be offensive, as it has been, when, in the former days, they worshipped other gods with the God of Israel, or when, in the present days, they brought the torn, and the lame, and the sick, for sacrifice; but it shall be acceptable; he will be pleased with the offerers, and their offerings, as in the days of old and as in former years, as in the primitive times of the church, as when God had respect to Abel's sacrifice and smelled a savour of rest from Noah's, and when he kindled Aaron's sacrifice with fire from heaven. When the Messiah comes, First, He will, by his grace in them, make them acceptable; when he has purified and refined them, then they shall offer such sacrifices as God requires and will accept. Secondly, He will, by his intercession for them, make them accepted; he will recommend them and their performances to God, so that their prayers, being perfumed with the incense of his intercession, shall be pleasant unto the Lord; for he has made us accepted in the Beloved, and in him is well pleased with those that are in him (Matt. iii. 17) and bring forth fruit in him.

(2.) It shall turn for a testimony against those that are resolved to go on in their wickedness, v. 5. This is the direct answer to their challenge, "Where is the God of judgment? You shall know where he is, and shall know it to your terror and confusion, for I will come near to you to judgment; to you that set divine justice at defiance." To them the gospel of Christ will be a savour of death unto death; it will bind them over to condemnation and will judge them in the great day, John xii. 48. Let us see here, [1.] Who the sinners are that must appear to be judged by the gospel of Christ. They are the sorcerers, who died in spiritual wickedness, that forsake the oracles of the God of truth to consult the father of lies; and the adulterers, who wallow in the lusts of the flesh, those adulterers who were charged with dealing treacherously (ch. ii. 15); and the false swearers, who profane God's name and affront his justice, by calling him to witness to a lie; and the oppressors, who barbarously injure and trample upon those who lie at their mercy, and are not able to help themselves: they defraud the hireling in his wages and will not give him what he agreed for; they crush the widow and fatherless, and will not pay them their just debts, because they cannot prove them, or have not wherewithal to sue for them; the poor stranger too, who has no friend to stand by him and is ignorant of the laws of the country, they turn aside from his right, so that he cannot keep or cannot recover his own. That which is at the bottom of all this is, They fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts. The transgression of the wicked plainly declares that there is no fear of God before his eyes. Where no fear of God is no good is to be expected. [2.] Who will appear against them: I will come near, says God, and will be a swift witness against them. They justify themselves, and, their sins having been artfully concealed, hope to escape punishment for want of proof; but God, who sees and knows all things, will himself be witness against them, and his omniscience is instead of a thousand witnesses, for to it the sinner's own conscience shall be made to subscribe, and so every mouth shall be stopped. He will be a swift witness; though they reflect upon him as slow and dilatory, and ask, Where is the God of judgment, and where the promise of his coming? they will find that he is not slack concerning his threatenings any more than he is concerning his promises. Judgment against those sinners shall not be put off for want of evidence, for he will be a swift witness. His judgment shall overtake them, and it shall be impossible for them to outrun it. Evil pursues sinners.

IV. The ratification of all this (v. 6): For I am the Lord; I change not; therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed. Here we have, 1. God's immutability asserted by Himself, and glorified in: "I am the Lord; I change not; and therefore no word that I have spoken shall fall to the ground." Is God a just revenger of those that rebel against him? Is he the bountiful rewarder of those that diligently seek him? In both these he is unchangeable. Though the sentence passed against evil works (v. 5) be not executed speedily, yet it will be executed, for he is the Lord; he changes not; he is as much an enemy to sin as ever he was, and impenitent sinners will find him so. There needs no scire facias—a writ calling one to show cause, to revive God's judgment, for it is never antiquated, or out of date, but against those that go on still in their trespasses the curse of his law still remains in full force, power, and virtue. 2. A particular proof of it, from the comfortable experience which the people of Israel had had of it. They had reason to say that he was an unchangeable God, for he had been faithful to his covenant with them and their fathers; if he had not adhered to that, they would have been consumed long ago and cut off from being a people; they had been false and fickle in their conduct to him, and he might justly have abandoned them, and then they would soon have been consumed and ruined; but because he remembered his covenant, and would not violate that, nor alter the thing that had gone forth out of his lips, they were preserved from ruin and recovered from the brink of it. It was purely because he would be as good as his word, Deut. vii. 8; Lev. xxvi. 42. Now as God had kept them from ruin, while the covenant of peculiarity remained in force, purely because he would be faithful to that covenant, and would show that he is not a man that he should lie (Num. xxiii. 19), so, when that covenant should be superseded and set aside by the New Testament, and they, by rejecting the blessings of it, lay themselves open to the curses, he will show that in the determinations of his wrath, as well as in those of his mercy, he is not a man, that he should repent, but will then be as true to his threatenings as hitherto he had been to his promises; see 1 Sam. xv. 29. We may all apply this very sensibly to ourselves; because we have to do with a God that changes not, therefore it is that we are not consumed, even because his compassions fail not; they are new every morning; great is his faithfulness, Lam. iii. 22, 23.

The Sins of the People; Encouragements to Repentance. (b. c. 400.)

7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return? 8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. 9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. 10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. 11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. 12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts.

We have here God's controversy with the men of that generation, for deserting his service and robbing him—wicked servants indeed, that not only run away from their Master, but run away with their Master's goods.

I. They had run away from their Master, and quitted the work he gave them to do (v. 7): You have gone away from my ordinances and have not kept them. The ordinances of God's worship were the business which as servants they must mind, the talents which they must trade with, and the trust which was committed to them to keep; but they went away from them, grew weary of them, and withdrew their neck from that yoke; they deviated from the rule that God had prescribed to them, and betrayed the trust lodged with them. They had revolted from God, not only in worship, but in conversation; they had not kept his ordinances. This disobedience they were chargeable with, and had been guilty of, even from the days of their fathers; either as in the days of their fathers of old, who were sent into captivity for their disobedience, or, "Now, for some generations past, you have fallen off from what you were, when first you came back out of captivity." Ezra owns it in one particular instance: Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day, Ezra ix. 7. Now observe, 1. What a gracious invitation God gives them to return and repent: "Return unto me, and to your duty, return to your service, return to your allegiance, return as a traveller that has missed his way, as a soldier that has run his colours, as a treacherous wife that has gone away from her husband; return, thou backsliding Israel, return to me; and then I will return unto you and be reconciled, will remove the judgments you are under and prevent those you fear." This had been of old the burden of the song (Zech. i. 3), and is still. 2. What a peevish answer they return to this gracious invitation: "But you said with disdain, said it to the prophets that called you, said it to one another, said it to your own hearts, to stifle the convictions you were under; you said, Wherein shall we return?" Note, God takes notice what returns our hearts make to the calls of his word, what we say and what we think when we have heard a sermon, what answer we give to the message sent us. When God calls us to return, we should answer as those did Jer. iii. 22, Behold, we come. But not as these here, Wherein shall we return? (1.) They take it as an affront to be told of their faults, and called upon to amend them; they are ready to say, "What ado do these prophets make about returning and repenting; why are we disgraced and disturbed thus, our own consciences and our neighbours stirred up against us?" It is ill with those who thus count reproofs reproaches, and kick against the pricks. (2.) They are so ignorant of themselves, and of the strictness, extent, and spiritual nature, of the divine law, that they see nothing in themselves to be repented of, or reformed; they are pure in their own eyes, and think they need no repentance. (3.) They are so firmly resolved to go on in sin that they will find a thousand foolish frivolous excuses to shift off their repentance, and turn away the calls that are given them to repent. They seem to speak only as those that wanted something to say; it is a mere evasion, a banter upon the prophet, and a challenge to him to descend to particulars. Note, Many ruin their own souls by baffling the calls that are given them to repent of their sins.

II. They had robbed their Master, and embezzled his goods. They had asked, "Wherein shall we return? What have we done amiss?" And he soon tells them. Observe, 1. The prophet's high charge exhibited, in God's name, against the people. They stand indicted for robbery, for sacrilege, the worst of robberies: You have robbed me. He expostulates with them upon it: Will a man be so daringly impudent as to rob God? Man, who is a weak creature, and cannot contend with God's power, will he think to rob him vi et armis—forcibly? Man, who lies open to God's knowledge, and cannot conceal himself from that, will he think to rob him clam et secreto—privily? Man, who depends upon God, and derives his all from him, will he rob him that is his benefactor? This is ungrateful, unjust, and unkind, indeed; and it is very unwise thus to provoke him from whom our judgment proceeds. Will a man do violence to God? so some read it. Will a man do violence to God? so some read it. Will a man stint or straiten him? so others read it. Robbing God is a heinous crime. 2. The people's high challenge in answer to that charge: But you say, Wherein have we robbed thee? They plead Not guilty, and put God upon the proof of it. Note, Robbing God is such a heinous crime that those who are guilty of it are not willing to own themselves guilty. They rob God, and know not what they do. They rob him of his honour, rob him of that which is devoted to him, to be employed in his service, rob him of themselves, rob him of sabbath-time, rob him of that which is given for the support of religion, and give him not his dues out of their estates; and yet they ask, Wherein have we robbed thee? 3. The plain proof of the charge, in answer to this challenge; it is in tithes and offerings. Out of these the priests and Levites had maintenance for themselves and their families; but they detained them, defrauded the priests of them, would not pay their tithes, or not in full, or not of the best; they brought not the offerings which God required, or brought the torn, and lame, and sick, which were not fit for use. They were all guilty of this sin, even the whole nation, as if they were in confederacy against God, and all combined to rob him of his dues and to stand by one another in it when they had done. For this they were cursed with a curse, v. 9. God punished them with famine and scarcity, through unseasonable weather, or insects that ate up the fruits of the earth. God had thus punished them for neglecting to build the temple (Hag. i. 10, 11), and now for not maintaining the temple-service. Note, Those that deny God his part of their estates may justly expect a curse upon their own part of them: "You are cursed with a curse for robbing me, and yet you go on to do it." Note, It is a great aggravation of sin when men persist in it notwithstanding the rebukes of Providence which they are under for it. Nay, it should seem, because God had punished them with scarcity of bread, they made that a pretence for robbing him-that now, being impoverished, they could not afford to bring their tithes and offerings, but must save them, that they might have bread for their families. Note, It argues great perverseness in sin when men make those afflictions excuses for sin which are sent to part between them and their sins. When they had but little they should have done the more good with that little, and that would have been the way to make it more; but it is ill with the patient when that which should cure the disease serves only to palliate it, and prevent its being searched into. 4. An earnest exhortation to reform in this matter, with a promise that if they did the judgments they were under should be quickly removed. (1.) Let them take care to do their duty (v. 10): Bring you all the tithes into the storehouse. They had brought some; but, like Ananias and Sapphira, had kept back part of the price, pretending they could not spare so much as was required, and necessity has no law; but even necessity must have this law, and it would redress the grievance of their necessity: "Bring in the full tithes to the utmost that the law requires, that there may be meat in God's house for those that serve at the altar, whether there be meat in your houses or no." Note, God must be served in the first place, and our quota must be contributed for the support of religion in the place where we live, that God's name may be sanctified, and his kingdom may come, and his will be done, even before we provide our daily bread; for the interests of our souls ought to be preferred before those of our bodies. (2.) Let them then trust God to provide for them and their comfort "Let God be first served, and then prove me herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, whether I will not open the windows of heaven." They said, "Let God give us our plenty again, as formerly, and try us whether we will not then bring him his tithes and offerings, as we did formerly." "No," says God, "do you first bring in all your tithes as they become due, and all the arrears of what is past, and try me, whether I will not then restore you your plenty." Note, Those that will deal with God must deal upon trust; and we may all venture to do so, for, though many have been losers for him, never any were losers by him in the end. It is fit that we should venture first, for his reward is with him, but his work is before him; we must first do the work which is our part, and then try him and trust him for the reward. Elijah put the widow of Zarephath into this method when he said (1 Kings xvii. 13), "Make me a little cake first, and then prove me whether there shall not be enough afterwards for thee and thy son." That which discourages people from the expenses of charity is the weakness of their faith concerning the gains and advantages of charity; they cannot think that they shall get by it. But it is a reasonable demand that God here makes: "Prove me now; is any thing to be got by charity? Come and see;" Nothing venture, nothing win. Trust upon honour, "And you shall find," [1.] "That, whereas the heavens have been shut up, and there has been no rain, now God will open to you the windows of heaven, for in his hand the key of the clouds is, and you shall have seasonable rain." Or the expression is figurative; every good gift coming from above, thence God will plentifully pour out upon them the bounties of his providence. Very sudden plenty is expressed by opening the windows of heaven, 2 Kings vii. 2. We find the windows of heaven opened, to pour down a deluge of wrath, in Noah's flood, Gen. vii. 11. But here they are opened to pour down blessings, to such a degree that there should not be room enough to receive them. So plentifully shall their ground bring forth that they shall be tempted to pull down their barns and build greater, for want of room, Luke xii. 18. Or, as Dr. Pocock explains it, "I will pour out on you such a blessing as shall be not enough only, and such as shall be sufficient, but more and more than enough;" that is, a great addition. The oil that is multiplied shall not be stayed as long as there are vessels to receive it, 2 Kings iv. 6. Note, God will not only be reconciled to sinners that repent and reform, but he will be a benefactor, a bountiful benefactor, to them. We are never straitened in him, but often straitened in our own bosoms. God has blessings ready to bestow upon us, but, through the weakness of our faith and narrowness of our desires, we have not room to receive them. [2.] That, whereas the fruits of their ground had been eaten up by locusts and caterpillars God would now remove that judgment (v. 11): "I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and will check the progress of those destroying animals, that they shall no more destroy the products of the earth and the fruits of the trees." God has all creatures at his beck, can command them and remand them at his pleasure. Neither shall the vine cast her fruit before the time; it shall not be blasted or blown off. Or, as some read it, Neither shall the devourer make your vine barren, as the locusts did, Joel i. 7. [3.] That, whereas their neighbours had upbraided them with their scarcity, and they had lain under the reproach of famine, which was the more grievous because their country used to be boasted of for its plenty, now all nations shall call them blessed, shall speak honourably of them, and own them to be a happy people. [4.] That whereas their sin had made their land unpleasing to God (even their temple, and altars, and offerings were so, ch. ii. 13), and whereas his judgments had made their land unpleasant to them, and very melancholy, "Now you shall be a delightsome land, your country shall be acceptable to God and comfortable to yourselves." Note, The reviving of religion in a land will make it indeed a delightsome land both to God and to all good people; he will say, It is my rest for ever; here will I dwell; and they will say the same, Isa. lxii. 4; Deut. xi. 12. It should seem that this charge to bring in the tithes had its good effect, for we find (Neh. xiii. 12) that all Judah did bring in their tithe into the treasuries, and, no doubt, they had the benefit of these promises, in the return of their plenty, immediately upon their return to their duty, that they might plainly discern for what cause the evil had been upon them (for when the cause was removed the evil was removed), and that they might see how perfectly reconciled God was to them upon their repentance, and how their transgression was remembered no more, for the curse was not only taken away, but turned into an abundant blessing.

Wicked Conversation Reproved; Evil Maxims of Sinners; Pious Converse Commended; Promises to the Godly. (b. c.  400.)

13 Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord . Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee? 14 Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts? 15 And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered. 16 Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord , and that thought upon his name. 17 And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. 18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

Among the people of the Jews at this time, though they all enjoyed the same privileges and advantages, there were men of very different characters (as ever were, and ever will be, in the world and in the church), like Jeremiah's figs, some very good and others very bad, some that plainly appeared to be the children of God and others that as plainly discovered themselves to be the children of the wicked one. There are tares and wheat in the same field, chaff and corn in the same floor; and here we have an account of both.

I. Here is the angry notice God takes of the impudent blasphemous talk of the sinners in Zion and his just resentments of it. Probably there was a club of them that were in league against religion, that set up for wits, and set their wits on work to run it down and ridicule it, and herein strengthened one another's hands. Here is,

1. An indictment found against them, for treasonable words spoken against the King of kings: Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord. They spoke against God, in reflection upon him, in contradiction to him, as their fathers in the wilderness (Ps. lxx. 19); yea, they spoke against God. What he said, and what he designed, they opposed, as if they had been retained of counsel against him and his cause. Their words against God were stout; they came from their pride, and haughtiness, and contempt of God. What they said against God they spoke loudly, as if they cared not who heard them; they were not themselves ashamed to say it, and they desired to propagate their atheistical notions and to infect the minds of others with them. They spoke it boldly, as those that were resolved to stand to it, and were in no fear of being called to an account. They spoke it proudly, and with insolence and disdain, scorning to be under the divine check and government. They strengthened themselves; they would be valiant against the Almighty, Job xv. 25.

2. Their plea to this indictment. They said, What have we spoken so much against thee? They deny the words, and put the prophet to prove them; or, if they spoke the words, they did not design them against God, and therefore will not own there was any harm in them; at least they extenuate the matter: What have we spoken so much against thee, so much that there needs all this ado about it? They cannot deny that they have spoken against God, but they make a light matter of it, and wonder it should be taken notice of: "Words" (say they) "are but wind; others have said more and done worse; if we are not so good as we should be, yet we hope we are not so bad as we are represented to be." Note, It is common for sinners that are unconvinced and unhumbled to deny or extenuate the faults they are justly charged with, and to insist upon their own justification, against the reproofs of the word and of their own consciences. But it will be to no purpose.

3. The words themselves which they are charged with. God keeps an account of what men say, as well as of what they do, and will let them know that he does so. We quickly forget what we have said, and are ready to deny what we have said amiss; but God can say, You have said so and so. They had said it as their deliberate judgment.

(1.) That there is nothing to be got in the service of God, thought it is a service that subjects men to labour and sorrow. They said, It is vain to serve God, or, "He is vain that serves God, that is, he labours in vain and to no purpose; he has his labour for his pains, and therefore is a fool for his labour. What profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, or his observation, that we have observed what he has appointed us to observe?" What mammon, or wealth, have we gained, says the Chaldee, intimating (says Dr. Pocock) that it was for mammon's sake only that they served God, and so indeed not God at all, but mammon. "We have walked mournfully, or in black, with great gravity and great grief, before the Lord of hosts, have afflicted our souls at the times appointed for that purpose, and yet we are never the better." Perhaps this comes in as a reason why they would not trust God to prosper them upon their bringing in the tithes (v. 10); "For," say they, "we have tried him in other things, and have lost by him." This is a very unjust and unreasonable reflection upon the service of God, and we can call witnesses enough to confront the slander. [1.] They would have it thought that they had served God and had kept his ordinances, whereas it was only the external observance of them that they had kept up, while they were perfect strangers to the inward part of the duty, and therefore might say, It is in vain. God says so (Matt. xv. 9), In vain do those worship me whose hearts are far from me while they draw near with their mouth; but whose fault is that? Not God's, who is the rewarder of those that seek him diligently, but theirs who seek him carelessly. [2.] They insisted much upon it that they had walked mournfully before God, whereas God had required them to serve him with gladness, and to walk cheerfully before him. They by their own superstitions made the service of God a task and drudgery to themselves, and then complained of it as a hard service. The yoke of Christ is easy; it is the yoke of antichrist that is heavy. [3.] They complained that they had got nothing by their religion; they were still in poverty and affliction, and behindhand in the world. This is an old piece of impiety. Job xxi. 14, 15, What profit shall we have if we pray unto him? Elihu charges Job with saying something like this. Job xxxiv. 9, It profits a man nothing that he should delight himself with God. The enemies of religion do but set up against it the old cavils that have been long since answered and exploded. Perhaps this refers to the errors of the sect of the Sadducees, which was the scandal of the Jewish church in its latter days; they denied a future state, and then said, It is vain to serve God, which has indeed some colour in it, for, if in this life only we had hope in Christ, we were of all men most miserable, 1 Cor. xv. 19. Note, Those do a great deal of wrong to God's honour who say that religion is either an unprofitable or an unpleasant thing; for the matter is not so: wisdom's ways are pleasantness, and wisdom's gains better than that of fine gold.

(2.) They maintained that wickedness was the way to prosperity, for they had observed that the workers of wickedness were set up in the world, and those that tempted God were delivered, v. 15. The outward prosperity of sinners in their sins, as it has weakened the hands of the godly in their godliness (Ps. lxxiii. 13), so it has strengthened the hands of the wicked in their wickedness. Note, [1.] Those that work wickedness tempt God by presumptuous sins; they do, as it were, try God, whether he can and will punish them as he has said in his word, and, in effect, challenge him to do his worst, by provoking him in the highest degree. [2.] Those that tempt God by their wicked works are many times both delivered out of the adversity into which they were justly brought and advanced to the prosperity which they were utterly unworthy of. They are not only set up once, but when we thought their day had come to fall, and they were in trouble, they were delivered and set up again; so strangely did Providence seem to smile upon them. [3.] Though it be thus, yet it will not warrant us to call the proud happy. For they may be delivered and set up for a while, but it will appear that God resists them, and that their pride is a preface to their fall; and, if so, they are truly miserable, and it is folly to call them happy, and to bless those whom the Lord abhors. Wait awhile, and you shall see those that work wickedness set up as a mark to the arrows of God's vengeance, and those that tempt God delivered to the tormentors. Judge of things as they will appear shortly, when the doom of these proud sinners (which follows here, ch. iv. 1) comes to be executed to the utmost.

II. Here is the gracious notice God takes of the pious talk of the saints in Zion, and the gracious recompence of it. Even in this corrupt and degenerate age, when there was so great a decay, nay, so great a contempt, of serious godliness, there were yet some that retained their integrity and zeal for God; and let us see,

1. How they distinguished themselves, and what their character was; it was the reverse of theirs that spoke so much against God; for, (1.) They feared the Lord—that is the beginning of wisdom and the root of all religion; they reverenced the majesty of God, submitted to his authority, and had a dread of his wrath in all they thought and said; they humbly complied with God, and never spoke any stout words against him. In every age there has been a remnant that feared the Lord, though sometimes but a little remnant. (2.) They thought upon his name; they seriously considered and frequently mediated upon the discoveries God has made of himself in his word and by his providences, and their mediation of him was sweet to them and influenced them. They thought on his name; they consulted the honour of God and aimed at that as their ultimate end in all they did. Note, Those that know the name of God should often think of it and dwell upon it in their thoughts; it is a copious curious subject, and frequent thoughts of it will contribute very much to our communion with God and the stirring up of our devout affections to him. (3.) They spoke often one to another concerning the God they feared, and that name of his which they thought so much of; for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth will speak, and a good man, out of a good treasure there, will bring forth good things. Those that feared the Lord kept together as those that were company for each other; they spoke kindly and endearingly one to another, for the preserving and promoting of mutual love, that that might not wax cold when iniquity did thus abound. They spoke intelligently and edifyingly to one another, for the increasing and improving of faith and holiness; they spoke one to another in the language of those that fear the Lord and think on his name—the language of Canaan. When profaneness had come to so great a height as to trample upon all that is sacred, then those that feared the Lord spoke often one to another. [1.] Then, when iniquity was bold and barefaced, the people of God took courage, and stirred up themselves, the innocent against the hypocrite, Job xvii. 8. The worse others are the better we should be; when vice is daring, let not virtue be sneaking. [2.] Then, when religion was reproached and misrepresented, its friends did all they could to support the credit of it and to keep it in countenance. It had been suggested that the ways of God are melancholy unpleasant ways, solitary and sorrowful; and therefore then those that feared God studied to evince the contrary by their cheerfulness in mutual love and converse, that they might put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. [3.] Then, when seducers were busy to deceive and to possess unwary souls with prejudices against religion, those that feared God were industrious to arm themselves and one another against the contagion by mutual instructions, excitements, and encouragements, and to strengthen one another's hands. As evil communication corrupts good minds and manners, so good communication confirms them.

2. How God dignified them, and what further honour and favour he intended for them. Those who spoke stoutly against God, no doubt looked with disdain and displeasure upon those that feared him, hectored and bantered them; but they had little reason to regard that, or be disturbed at it, when God countenanced them.

(1.) He took notice of their pious discourses, and was graciously present at their conferences: The Lord hearkened and heard it, and was well pleased with it. God says (Jer. viii. 6) that he hearkened and heard what bad men would say, and they spoke not aright; here he hearkened and heard what good men did say, for they spoke aright. Note, The gracious God observes all the gracious words that proceed out of the mouths of his people; they need not desire that men may hear them, and commend them; let them not seek praise from men by them, nor affect to be taken notice of by them; but let it satisfy them that, be the conference ever so private, God sees and hears in secret and will reward openly. When the two disciples, going to Emmaus, were discoursing concerning Christ, he hearkened and heard, and joined himself to them, and made a third, Luke xxiv. 15.

(2.) He kept an account of them: A book of remembrance was written before him. Not that the Eternal Mind needs to be reminded of things by books and writings, but it is an expression after the manner of men, intimating that their pious affections and performances are kept in remembrance as punctually and particularly as if they were written in a book, as if journals were kept of all their conferences. Great kings had books of remembrance written, and read before them, in which were entered all the services done them, when, and by whom, as Esther ii. 23. God, in like manner, remembers the services of his people, that, in the review of them, he may say, Well done; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. God has a book for the sighs and tears of his mourners (Ps. lvi. 8), much more for the pleadings of his advocates. Never was any good word spoken of God, or for God, from an honest heart, but it was registered, that it might be recompensed in the resurrection of the just, and in no wise lose its reward.

(3.) He promises them a share in his glory hereafter (v. 17): They shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels. When God utterly cuts off the Jewish church and nation for their infidelity, the remnant among them, that believed his word, and, having waited for the consolation of Israel, welcome him when he comes, shall be admitted into the Christian church, and shall become a peculiar people to God; God will take care of them, that they perish not with those that believe not; but that they be hidden in the day of the Lord's anger against that nation. They shall be my segullah—my peculiar treasure (it is the word used, Exod. xix. 5), in the day when I make or do what I have said and designed to do; so some read it. These pious ones shall have all the glorious privileges of God's Israel appropriated to them and centering in them; they shall now be his peculiar treasure, when the rest are rejected; they shall now be the vessels of mercy and honour, when the rest are made vessels of wrath and dishonour, vessels in which is no pleasure. This may be applied to all the faithful people of God, and the distinction he will put between them and others in the great day. Note, [1.] The saints are God's jewels; they are highly esteemed by him and are dear to him; they are comely with the comeliness that he puts upon them, and he is pleased to glory in them; they are a royal diadem in his hand, Isa. lxii. 3. He looks upon them as his own proper goods, his choice goods, his treasure, laid up in his cabinet, and the furniture of his closet, Ps. cxxxv. 4. The rest of the world is but lumber, in comparison with them. [2.] There is a day coming when God will make up his jewels. They shall be gathered up out of the dirt into which they are now thrown, and gathered together from all places to which they are now scattered; he shall send forth his angels to gather his elect, who are his jewels, from the four winds of heaven (Matt. xxiv. 31), to gather his jewels into his jewel-house, as the wheat from several fields into the barn. All the saints will then be gathered to Christ, and none but saints, and saints made perfect; then God's jewels will be made up, as stones into a crown, as stars into a constellation. [3.] Those who now own God for theirs, he will then own for his, will publicly confess them before angels and men: "They shall be mine; their sanctification shall be completed, and so they shall be perfectly and entirely mine, without any remaining interests of the world and the flesh." Their relation to God shall be acknowledged, and his property in them. He will separate them from those that are not his, and give them their portion with those that are his; for to them it shall be said, Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you. They were in doubt, sometimes, whether they were belonging to God or no; but the matter shall then be put out of doubt. God himself will say unto them, You are mine. Now their relation to God is what they are reproached with, but it will then be gloried in; God himself will glory in it.

(4.) He promises them a share in his grace now: I will spare them as a man spares his own son that serves him. God had promised to own them as his and take them to be with him; but it might be a discouragement to them to think that they had offended God, and that he might justly disown them, and cast them off; but, as to that, he says, "I will spare them; I will not deal with them as they deserve. I will rejoice over them" (so some expound it) "as the bridegroom over his bride," Isa. lxii. 5; Zeph. iii. 17. But the word usually signifies to spare with commiseration and compassion, as a father pities his children, Ps. ciii. 13. Note, [1.] It is our duty to serve God with the disposition of children. We must be his sons, must by a new birth partake of a divine nature, must consent to the covenant of adoption and partake of the spirit of adoption. And we must be his servants; God will not have his children trained up in idleness; they must do him service, and they must do it from a principle of love, with cheerfulness and delight, and as those that are therein serving their own true interest, and this is serving as a son with the father, Phil. ii. 22. [2.] If we serve God with the disposition of children, he will spare us with the tenderness and compassion of a Father. Even God's children that serve him stand in need of sparing mercy, that mercy to which we owe it that we are not consumed, that mercy which keeps us out of hell. Nehemiah, when he had done much good, yet, knowing there is not a just man on earth, that does good and sins not, and that every sin deserves God's wrath, prays, Lord, spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy; see Neh. xiii. 22. And God, as a Father, will show them this mercy. He will not be extreme to mark what we do amiss, but will make the best of us and our poor performances; he will mitigate the afflictions his children are exercised with, and save them from the ruin they deserve. The father continues to spare the son, and does it with complacency, because he is his own; thus God will spare humble penitents and petitioners, as a man spares his son that serves him, though we do him so little service, nay, though we do him so much disservice.

3. How they will thus be distinguished from the children of this world (v. 18): "Then shall you return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between sinners and saints, between those that serve God and make conscience of their duty to him and those that serve him not, but put contempt upon his service. You that now speak against God as making no difference between good and bad, and therefore say, It is in vain to serve him (v. 14), you shall be made to see your error; you that would speak for God, but know not what to say as to this, that there seems to be one event to the righteous and to the wicked, and all things come alike to all, will then have the matter set in a true light, and will see, to your everlasting satisfaction, the difference between the righteous and the wicked. Then you shall return, that is, you shall change you mind, and come to a right understanding of the thing." This primarily respects the manifest difference that was made by the divine Providence between the believing Jews and those that persisted in their infidelity, at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem, and of the Jewish church and nation, by the Romans. But it is to have its full accomplishment at the second coming of Jesus Christ, and on that great discriminating day when it shall be easy enough to discern between the righteous and the wicked. Note, (1.) All the children of men are either righteous or wicked, either such as serve God or such as serve him not. This is that division of the children of men which will last for ever, and by which their eternal state will be determined; all are going either to heaven or to hell. (2.) In this world it is often hard to discern between the righteous and the wicked. They are mingled together, good fish and bad in the same net. The righteous are so distempered, and the wicked so disguised, that we are often deceived in our opinions concerning both the one and the other. There are many who, we think, serve God, who, having not their hearts right with him, will be found none of his servants; and, on the other hand, many will be found his faithful servants, who, because they followed not with us, did not, as we thought, serve him. But that which especially raised the difficulty here was that the divine Providence seemed to make no difference between the righteous and the wicked; you could not know wicked men by God's frowning upon them, for they commonly prospered in the world, nor righteous men by his smiling upon them, for they were involved with others in the same common calamity. None now knows God's love or hatred by all that is before him, Eccl. ix. 1. (3.) At the bar of Christ, in the last judgment, it will be easy to discern between the righteous and the wicked; for then every man's character will be both perfected and perfectly discovered, every man will then appear in his true colours, and his disguises will be taken off. Some men's sins indeed go beforehand, and you may now tell who is wicked, but others follow after; however, in the great day, we shall see who was righteous and who wicked. Every man's condition likewise will be both perfected and everlastingly determined; the righteous will then be perfectly happy and the wicked perfectly miserable, without mixture or allay. When the righteous are all set on the right hand of Christ, and invited to come for a blessing, and all the wicked on his left hand, and are told to depart with a curse, then it will be easy to discern between them. As to ourselves, therefore, we are concerned to think among which we shall have our lot, and, as to others, we must judge nothing before the time.

CHAP. III.

Verſe 1. BEhold, I will ſend my meſſenger] It is well obſerved by the learned, that this whole Prophecy of Malachy, though diſtinguiſhed (as now) into ſeverall Chapters, yet is but one entire Sermon, at once delivered. Thoſe Atheiſts that asked in the precedent verſe, (and they did it with an accent too, that they might not be ſlighted) where is the God of judgement? are here fully anſwered: and that they might the better attend, they have it with a note of pregnancy. Behold, I will ſend, &c. q. d. differtur quidem judicium ſed non aufertur. Tandem veniet, profectò veniet. Judgement comes not ſo ſoon as you call for it: but come it will, be ſure it will. For behold, I ſend (in the preſent tenſe) my meſſenger, the Baptiſt, and (at his heels, as it were) Meſſiah the Prince, who ſhall reforme and rectifie all diſorders. For judgement, ſaith He, come I into the world, that they which ſee not might ſee, and that they which ſee, might be made blind, Joh. 9.39. And then, you that call for judgement ſhall have enough of it: when ye ſee my Meſſenger, harbinger, or herald, know that I am hard at hand. Behold, this is ſet here as the ſound of a trumpet before ſome Proclamation, to arouſe mens attention.

I will ſend] Heb. I do ſend, or, am ſending: though the thing was not done till four or five hundred years after: but in Gods purpoſe and promiſe it was a done thing already. All things are preſent with him, for he is a pure act; his whole eſſence is wholly an eye, or a mind: he is all things eminently, exemplarily, and contains all things in himſelf. Hence he knows temporal things after an eternall manner, mutable things immutably, contingent things infallibly, future things preſently. Hence he calleth things that yet are not, as if they were, Rom. 4.17. and this, as in the works of Creation, Renovation, Reſurrection, ſo in the accompliſhment of his promiſes, which we muſt not antedate, as we are apt to do; but learn to live by faith, Hab. 2.2. Poſſibly the Kalendar of heaven hath a poſt-date to ours. Strive to be ſtrong in faith, and glorifie God.

my meſſenger] Not Chriſt, as Enſebius doated: nor Meſlias the ſonne of J[illegible: 1 letter]ſeph, Lib. 5. de demon. Evang. cap. 28. that is, of the tribe of Joſeph, as Rabbi Abraham would have it. (For the Jews ſooliſhly expect two Meſlians's, one the ſonne of David, and the other the ſonne of Joſeph) Nor an Angel of heaven, as Rabbi David interprets it, according to Exod. 23.20. But John Baptiſt, as our Saviour expounds himſelf, Mat. 11.10. who is here called Chriſts Meſſenger, or Angel, by reaſon of his office: one, by whom he would manifeſt his mind to his people. He was a burning and a ſhining light, Joh. 5.35 or lamp, and ſhone for a ſeaſon, till the Sun of righteouſneſſe came in place: as lights and candles are of good uſe till the Sun riſeth. See 1 Sam. 3.3.

and he ſhall prepare the way] Expurgabit, Everret, emund[illegible: 1 letter]bit. He ſhall clear the way, ſweep it, accoutre, or dreſſe it. He ſhall remove all rubs, and remora's out of the way, he ſhall pare and pave a path for Chriſt into the ſoul, open thoſe everlaſting doors that the king of glory may come in, he ſhall make ready a people for the Lord. Luke 1.17. Mans heart is full of mountains and vallies, Luke 3.5. Theſe muſt be levelled, ere Chriſt can be admitted: and that's not done but by repentance unto life. As John Baptiſt was Chriſts fore-runner into the world; ſo muſt repentance be his fore-runner into the heart: for he that repenteth not, the kingdom of heaven is far from him: [non-Latin text not transcribed] viam apertam & oculis intuentium conſpicuam faciet. ſo he that cannot ſee it (as the Hebrew word here uſed imports he muſt do) for his luſts that hang in his light.

and the Lord whom ye ſeek] Dominator, that Lord Paramount of whom David ſpeaketh, Pſal. 110.1. and for whoſe ſake Daniel deſireth to be heard, chap. 9.17. Meſſiah the Prince, verſe 25. the Prince and Saviour, Act. 5.31. Lord and Chriſt, Acts 2.36. the God of judgement, whom they called for, Mal. 2.17. and whom they are ſaid to ſeek for. As God he is not very sar from any one of us, ſaith Paul Acts 17.27. not ſo far as the bark is from the tree; for in him we all live, and move, and ſubſiſt. And as God-Man he ſhall ſuddenly come to his Temple] ſuddenly, that is, in the fulneſſe of time, (which is but a ſhort time in reſpect of the long expectation of the Patriarches) and ſpeedily after John Baptiſts birth; ſuddenly alſo, becauſe unexpectedly to the moſt, who ſtood amazed at his preaching, and ſaid, Whence hath this man this wiſdom, and theſe mighty works? Is not this the carpenter, &c? To his Temple he came, when preſented there to be circumciſed, Luke 2. when he put forth a beam of his Divinity there, in his diſputation with the Doctours, verſe 46. But eſpecially when he purged the Temple: 1. By his Doctrine, Matt. 5. and 15. and 2. By his Diſcipline, Joh 2.14, 15, 16. and 12.12. at which time, Tell ye the daughter of Zion, ſaith God, Behold, thy king cometh unto thee, Mat. 21.5. meek and ſitting upon an aſſe, &c. Not upon a ſtately palſrey, as an earthly Potentate. And that was the very cauſe, that theſe in the text that are ſaid to ſee him, when they had him amongſt them, could by no means think well of him in reſpect of his mean and deſpicable condition. They had a certain notion of the Meſſiah: and were in expectation of him, and of temporall deliverance and felicity by [illegible: 1 word]. Of which, when diſappointed, they were as blank, as when they ſaw the hoped iſſue of their late Jewiſh Virgin turned to a daughter: or as when they ſaw Mahomet eat of a camell; whom till then, when they ſaw him ariſing in ſuch powetr, D. Halfs Peacemaker. hey were ready to cry up for their long looked-for Meſſiah.

even the meſſenger of the Covenant] viz. of the covenant of grace: for in Chriſt God reconciled the world to himſelf. And of this covenant Chriſt is the Angel, or Meſſenger, becauſe 1. He revealeth it, and we muſt take heed how we ſlight it, Heb. 2.3. ſhift it, Heb. 12.25. 2. He mediateth it, 1 Tim. 2.5. and in, and by him it hath accompliſhment, 2 Cor. 1.20. Hence Eſay 9.6. he is called the Prince of peace, and (according to the Septuagint there) the Angel of the great Counſel. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Let all that would receive mercy from God, get into Chrſt, and ſo into Covenant For as the Mercy-ſeat was no larger then the Ark, ſo neither is the grace of God, then the covenant of grace: And as the Ark and Mercy-ſeat were never ſeparated, ſo neither are ſuch from God, as are found in Chriſt.

whom ye delight in] They delighted in his day (the better ſort of them) though afar off, Joh. 8.56. they ſaluted him, and were reſaluted by him, Heb. 11.13. They promiſed themſelves through Chriſt malorum ademptionem, bonorum adeptionem, freedom from all evil, and fruition of all good. Hence he is called, the deſire of all Nations, Hag. 2.8. The Church in the Canticles, ſaith he is totus deſiderabilis, altogether deſireable, chap. 5.16. The Church in Eſay deſires him with her whole ſoul, chap. 26.9. and chap. 64.1. as impatient of further delayes, crieth out, Oh that thou wouldeſt rent the heavens, and come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy preſence. Drop down ye heavens from above, and let the skies pour aown righteouſneſſe: Let the earth open, and let them bring forth ſalvation, &c. chap. 45.8. Lo what earneſt pantings and inquietations were in thoſe ancient beleevers after Chriſt, what continuall fallies, as it were, and egreſſions of affection.

behold, he ſhall come] He ſhall, he ſhall: nay he is even come already: for ſo the Hebrew hath it. Hinneh ba, behold, he is come: me-thinks I even ſee him. A like text there is, Habak 2.3. The duty required is, Wait: the promiſe is delivered, doubled, and trebled: It ſhall speak, it will come, it will ſurely come. Nay doubled again. It ſhall not lie, it will not tarry. It is as if God had ſaid, Do but wait, and you ſhall be delivered, you ſhall be delivered, you ſhall be delivered; you ſhall, you ſhall. Oh the Rhetorike of God! oh the certainty of the promiſes! A Lapide his Note is not here to be paſſed by. This word Behold, ſignifieth that this comming of Chriſt in the fleſh, ſhould be 1. New, admirable, and ſtupendious. 2. Sure and certain. 3. Deſireable, and joyfull. 4. Famous and renowned.

ſaith the Lord of Hoſts] And that's aſſurance good enough: for hath he ſaid it, and ſhall he not do it? Here is firm footing for faith: and men are bound to reſt in Gods Ipſe dixit. Abraham did, and required no other evidence, Rom. 4. He cared not for the deadneſſe of his own body, or of his wives womb. He ſtaggered not at the promiſe of God through unbeleef, &c. No more muſt we, if we will be heirs of the world, with faithfull Abraham. Gods truth and power are the Jachin and Bozez, the two pillars whereupon faith muſt repoſe: belee[illegible: 1 letter]ing God upon his bare word, and that againſt ſenſe in things inviſible, and againſt reaſon, in things incredible.

Verſe 2. But who may abide the day of his coming?] The Prophet Eſay asketh, Who ſhall declare his generation? Eſay 53.8. Daniel. 2.11. that is, the myſtery of his incarnation, (that habitatio Dei cum carne, which the Magicians held impoſlible) or the hiſtory of his birth, life, and death (as ſome ſence it) whoſe tongue ſhall be able to ſpeak it, or pen to write it? Who can think of the day of his coming? ſo the Vulgar reads this text: viz. of all the glory, graces, benefits of that day? But the Hebrew word is the ſame, as Prov. 18.14. The ſpirit of a man will ſuſtain his infirmity: and is ſo rendred here by the Chaldee and Kimchi. Who can ſuſtain, or abide the day of his coming, ſc. in the fleſh? What wicked man will be able to endre it? for he ſhall ſmite the earth with the rod of his mouth, (that is, the conſciences of carnall men glued to the earth) and with the breath of his lips ſhall he ſlay the wicked, Eſay 11.4. And this is ſpoken of the Branch that grew out of the root of Jeſſe, verſ. 1. when th[illegible: 2 letters] goodly family was ſunk ſo low, as from David the king, to Joſeph the Carpenter. With what terrour ſtruck he the hearts of Herod, and all Jeruſalem by the news of his nativity? Mat. 2.3. And ſi praeſepe vagientis Herodem tantum terruit, quid tribunal judicantis? If Chriſt in the cradle were ſo terrible, what will he be on the Tribunall? The Text that troubled thoſe miſcreants, was Mic. 5.2. which ſome (taking tſagnir in the Neuter Gender) render thus: And thou Bethlehem Ephrata, it is a ſmall thing to be among the Princes of Judah: out of thee ſhall come a ruler, &c. This, Herod and his complices could not hear of without horrour: as neither could that other Herod, of the ſame of Chriſts mighty works, Mart. 14.1, 2. ſuch a glimpſe of Divine glory ſhone in them. The ſinners in Zion are afraid: fearfulneſſe ſurprizeth the hypocrites: and they run as farre, and as faſt as they can from Chriſt, with theſe frightfull words in their mouthes. Who amongst us ſhall dwell with the devouring fire? who ſhall abide with the everlaſting burnings? The Ruffianly ſouldiers were flung flat on their backs, when he ſaid no more but, Lam he, Auguſt. Joh. 18.6. Quid autem judicaturus ſaciet, qui udicandus hoc fecit? What will he do when he comes to judgement, who was thus terrible now that he was to be judged? Oh that the terrour of the Lord might perſwade people to forſake their ſins, and to kiſſe the Son, leſt he be angry. Though a lamb, he can be terrible to the kings of the earth: and though he break not the bruiſed reed, Matth. 12.20. yet his enemies he will break with a rod of iron, and daſh them in pieces like a potters veſſell. Be wiſe now therefore, O ye kings, &c. Pſal. 2.9, 10. And as the Sun, Moon, and eleven Starres in Joſcphs viſion, did obeyſance to him; ſo let our ſouls, bodies, all our temporall, naturall, morall, and ſpirituall abilities bee ſubject and ſerviceable to Chriſt, as ever wee hope to look him in the face with comfort.

and who ſhall ſtand when he appeareth?] Heb. at the ſight of him. True it is, that Chriſt coming to help us in diſtreſſe, for the want of externall pomp in his Ordinances, and worldly glory in his Miniſters, and members, and ſplendour of humane Eloquence in his Doctrines, is deſpiſed by thoſe that form and frame to themſelves a Chriſt like to the mighty Monarchs of the earth: like as Ageſilaus King of Spartans, coming to help the King of Egypt, was ſlighted in that countrey for his mean habit, and contemptible outſide. But if the Centurion were worthy of reſpect, becauſe he loved the Jewiſh Nation, and built them a Synagogue; Shall not Chriſt much more, even as Prince of the Kings of the earth, ſith hee loved us, and waſhed us with his own blood, and hath made us kings and prieſts unto God and his Father, Revel. 1.5, 6? By whom alſo hee is made unto us, righteouſneſſe, (imputatively) wiſdom, ſanctiſication, and redemption, effectively, by way of inherency and gracious operation? Who is able to ſtand before this holy Lord God? 1 Sam. 6.20. Jer. 10.7. as the men of Bethſhemeſh once ſaid. Who would not fear this king of Nations, ſaith Jeremy, this king of Saints, ſaith John? for to him doth it appertain: Rev. 15.3, 4. ſith there is none like unto him: neither can any ſtand before him when he appeareth, any more then a glaſſe bottle can ſtand before a Cannon ſhot. O come, let us worſhip, and bow aown, Pſal. 95. let us keel befo[illegible: 1 letter]e this Lord our maker. If we harden our hearts he will harden his hand, and haſten our deſtruction. There's no ſtanding before this Lion, no bearing up ſail in the tempeſt of his wrath: you muſt either be his ſubjects, or his footſtool: either vail to him, or periſh by him. Thine arrows are ſharp i[illegible: 1 letter] the hoa[illegible: 1 letter]t of the kings enemtes, whereby the people ſall under thee, Pſal. 45.5. What a world of miſeries have the refractary Jews ſuffered, and do yet, for rejecting the Lord Jeſus? They might have known out of their own Cabaliſts (beſides D[illegible: 1 letter]ntels ſeventy weeks, and other Scripture-evidences) that the Meſliah was amongſt them: for it is there expreſſely recorded,Vide Malcolin. in Act. 18.28. that Meſſias ſhould come in the time of Hillels diſciples: one of whom was S[illegible: 3 letters]on the [illegible: 1 word], who embraced the child Jeſus in his arms: who alſo foretold that that child was ſet for the [illegible: 1 word] and riſing again of many in Iſrael, and ſo[illegible: 1 letter] a ſigne which ſhoui[illegible: 3 letters] sp[illegible: 1 letter]k[illegible: 1 letter]n againſt, Luk. 2.34, 35. th[illegible: 1 letter]u the thoughts of many hearts might be revealed. And to the ſame purpoſe St. Peter 1 Epiſt. cap. 2. ver. 7, 8. But before them both, Our Prophet here.

For he is like a refiners fire] Intimating, that the times of the Meſſiah would be diſcriminating, ſhedding times: and that he would ſeparate the precious from the vile, the gold from the droſſe, the ſheep from the goats: That Nabal ſhould no more be called Nadib, the vile perſon liberali, the churle bountifull, Eſay 32.5. but that good people ſhould be diſcerned, and honoured; hypocrites detected, and deteſted, as was Judas, Magus, Denias, &c. ſlit up and ſlain by Chriſts two-edged ſword, by his preſence and preaching,. Surely his ſanne is [illegible: 2 letters] his hand, though the devil and his imps would fain wring it out, Auguſtin. Mat. 3.12. Jer 23.20. and he will th[illegible: 1 letter]roughly pur[illegible: 1 letter]ge his [illegible: 1 letter]loo (mali in area nobiſcum eſſe poſſum, in horrco non peſſunt) he will drive the chaff one way, and the wheat another: for what is the chiff to the wheat, ſaith the Lord? he will purifie the ſouls of his Saints, in obeying the truth through the ſpirit, unto unfained love of the brethren, 1 Pet. 1.22. So that they ſhall be united to ſuch, and ſeparated from ſinners. Fire, we know, congregat homog nea, ſegregat heterogenea: for what fellowſhip hath light with darkneſſe? The ſpirit of Chriſt, called a ſpirit of judgement, and of burning, waſheth away (lo here reſiners fire, and ſullers [illegible: 1 word] ) the filth of the daughter of Zion, and purgeth the blood of Jeruſalem from the mideſt thereof, Eſay 4.4. By ſilth and blood underſtand their exceſlive bravery, mentioned chap. 3. which now they had learned to call by another name, ſince their own names were written among the living in Jeruſalem, verſe 3. And here God made good to them that he had promiſed, Chap. 1.25. that he would purely purge away theeir droſſe, and take away all their tinne: and that though their ſinnes were as ſear let, they ſhould be white as [illegible: 1 word]: though red like crimſon, they ſhould be as wooll verſe 18. Fullers [illegible: 1 span], as ſome render it) is of ſingular uſe to fetch out ſtains and ſpots, and to a biter wooll: 5 P[illegible: 1 letter]naria. [illegible: 2 letters]de Puin. lib. 1[illegible: 1 letter]. chap. 3. [illegible: 1 span]. So (much more) is the blood and ſpirit of Chriſt, to whiten ſinfull [illegible: 1 word], and to make men his Candidates. Such were thoſe Corinthians 1 Eph. 6.11. Such were ſome of you, (that is, as bad as bad might be, lepers all over) but ye are waſhed ſc. by that Fuller of ſoules Chriſt Jeſus. And if any ask, How waſhed? It ſollowes, but ye are ſanctified, but ye are juſt ified in the name, that is, [illegible: 1 word]. by the merit of the Lord Jeſus, and by the ſpirit of our God. The Jews in their Talmud hammer at this, when they queſtion, What is the name of Meſſias? Their anſwer is Hhevara Leprous (ſc. by imputation 2 Cor. 5.[illegible: 1 letter]0. Eſay 53.6.Auguſt. de R[illegible: 2 letters]na in Concil. Baſil. whence alſo he is ſaid by one to be Maximus peccatorum, the greateſt of ſinners) and he ſitteth among the poor in the gates of Rome, carrying their ſickneſſes, according to that, Himſelf took our infirmities, and here our [illegible: 2 letters]kneſſes. There are two things in guilt. 1. The meit and deſert of it [illegible: 1 span] took not. 2. The obligation to puniſhment: this he took, and ſo he [illegible: 1 word], that is, bound to the puniſhment of ſin: which alſo he ſuffered even to the [illegible: 3 letters]ſion of his blood (that true Pactolus, or rather Jordan) whereby he hath cleamed his people from ſins both guiltineſſe and filthineſſe. We have inveterate ſtaines, which will hardly be got out till the cloth be allmoſt rub'd to peeces [illegible: 1 span] leaves ſo cloſe to us,Jer. 1[illegible: 1 letter].13. that fire and fullers ſope is but needfull to ſetch it off. Nature and cuſtome have made our ſpots like that of the Leopard, which no art can cure, no water waſh off: becauſe they are not in the skin only, but in the fleſh and bones, in the ſinews and in the moſt inner parts. Hence David prayeth again and again to be waſhed thorowly, to be purged with hyſſop, to be waſhed and wrung in this fullers ſope of Chriſts blood, and with the clean water of his holy ſpirit. This is the only true Purgatory, the Kings bath, the fountain opened for ſin and for uncleanneſle Zach. 13.1. Here Chriſt waſheth his, not only from outward defilement, but from their ſwiniſh nature: that when waſhed clean they may not, (as elſe they would) wallow in the next guzzle. Here are thoſe ſoveraign mundifying waters of the Sanctuary, which ſo waſh off the corruption of the ulcer, that they cool the heat, and ſtay the ſpred of the infection: and by degrees heal the ſame. Hither poor ſinners need not come as to the poole of Betheſda one by one, but, as Turks to their Mahomet, Papiſts to their Lady, by troops and Caravans, true Chriſtians to their All-ſufficient Saviour, how much more? In that poole of Betheſda, the Prieſts uſed to waſh their ſacrifices; becauſe no unclean thing might come within the Temple.Itinerar. Scrip. pag. 20. The water was of reddiſh colour, and ran into that place in great abundance; and therefore it was called ſaith One, the houſe of effuſion. This ſhadowed out, that every of Chriſts ſheep muſt be waſhed in the poole of his blood, before they can be meet ſacrifices, an offering unto the Lord in righteouſneſſe, as it is in the next verſe. Other blood ſlaines what is waſhed in it: this blood of the ſpotleſſe lambe whiteneth as fuilers ſope, and purifieth from all pollution of fleſh and ſpirit Rev. 7.14. This is he that came by water and blood, even Jeſus Chriſt: not by water only but by water and blood 1 Ioh. 5.6. The Prieſts of the old law were conſecrated firſt with oyle, and then with blood: So was Chriſt, firſt with the ſpirit Eſa. 61.1. and then with his own blood for our benefit.

Verſe 3. And he ſhall ſit as refiner] i. e. he ſhall ſtick to the work, and not ſtart from it, till he bring forth judgement to victory Mat. 12.20. that is, till he have perfected the work of grace begun in his people, (for he is Authour and finiſher of their faith Heb. 12.2.) and by patience, made them perfict and entire, wanting nothing, Iam. 1.4. Chriſt, who is the God of all grace, and hath called them to his eternall glory, will, after they have ſuffered [illegible: 1 word], in his fornace or fining-pot (Pro. 17.3.) of afflictions, wake them perfect, ſtabliſh, ſtrengthen, ſettle them 1 Pet. 2 Cor. 9 8. 5.10. yea make all grace to abound toward them: that they alwayes having all ſufficiency in all things may abound to every good work. For which holy purpoſe, Chriſt our Refiner hath his fire in Zion, and his furnace in Ieruſalem Iſai. 31.9. his conſlatories, and his crucibles, wherein his third part being brought thorough the fire ſhall be reſined as ſilver is reſened, and tried as gold is tried Zach. 13.9. that the triall of their faith (who have glorified him in the very fires Iſa. 24.15.) being much more precious then that of gold that periſheth, may be found to praiſe and honour and glory 1 Pet. 1.7. True gold will undergoe the t[illegible: 1 letter]iall of the ſeventh fire, which Alchymy gold will not. Chriſt Jeſus after that he hath been to his people as a refiners fire, and fullers ſope, that is, after that he hath juſtified, and ſanctified them alſo in ſome part, will ſit as a refiner and purifier of ſilver, that is, he will be ſerious, accurate, and aſſiduous in ſcouring them from corruption by correption, in purging out the remnants of ſin by affliction ſanctified. For by this ſhall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, and this is all the fruit, to take away his ſin, Iſa. 27.9. Chriſt hath bought off all our corruptions, redeemed us from all iniquity Tit. 2.14. and God will have the price of Chriſts blood out: what the word purgeth not, the rod muſt; like as what evill humours Summer purgeth not out by ſweating. Winter concocts by driving in the heat. And as winter is of uſe for mellowing the ground, and for killing worms and weed &c. ſo is the croſſe ſanctified for quelling and killing fleſhly luſts that fight againſt the ſoul. He that hold, the winds in his fiſt, ſtayes his rough wind, Eſay 27.8. and lets out of his treaſury ſuch a wind as ſhall make his yong plants fruitfull, and blow away their unkindly bloſſomes and leaves. Black ſope makes white clothes, if God ſet in and ſet it on with his battle-dore, as that Martyr phraſed it. Fowl and ſtained garments are whitened and purified, by laying abroad in cold ſroſty nights. Scouring and beating of them with a ſtick, beats out the mothes and the duſt: ſo do afflictions, corruptions from the heart. Aloes kills wormes: ſo do bitter croſſes crawling luſts. Rubarbe is full of choler, yet doth mightily purge choler. Hemlock is a deadly plant, yet the juyce applyed heales ignis ſacer and hot corroding ulcors: and much aſſwageth the inflammation of the eyes. The ſting of a ſcorpion, though arrant poyſon, yet is an antidote againſt poyſon. Nothing is better to cure a leproſie, then the drinking of that wine wherein a viper hach been drown'd. The viper (the head and tail being cut off) beaten and applied cures her own biting. Affliction is in it ſelf an evill, a fruit of Gods wrath, and a peece of the curſe. Chriſt alters the property to his, and makes one poiſon antidotary to another, and cures ſecurity by miſery: as Phyſitians oft cure a letharby a fever. Every affliction ſanctified rubbs off ſome ruſt, melts off ſome droſſe, empties and evacuates ſome ſuperfluity of naughtineſſe, ſtrains out ſome corruption. Iob 10.10. Chriſt ſtraines out our motes, whiles our hearts are powred out like milk, with grief and fear: he alſo keeps us from ſetling on the lees, by emptying us from veſſel to veſſel: Ier. 48.11. when as the wicked have no changes, and therefore they fear not God: Pſal. 73. they come not in trouble like other men, therefore they face the heavens, and their tongues walk thorough the earth: All that are Chriſts people are ſure of ſore and ſharp afflictions, fiery tryals and tribulations, piercing and preſſing croſles Pſal. 34.19. Iam. 1.2. He will be ſure to plow his own ground, whatſoever becomes of the waſt; and to weed his own garden, though the reſt of the world ſhould be let alone to grow wild. He will caſt his pureſt gold into the fire of afflictions: but they ſhall loſe nothing by it. Gold caſt into the fire waſteth not, caſt into the water ruſteth not. No ſaint was ever the worſe for his ſufferings, but the better: the leaſt that can come of it, is to do good duties with greater zeal, and large affection Eſay 26.9. Now, who would not fetch ſuch gold out of a fiery crucible?

and he ſhall purifie the ſons of Levi] Whom he had before faulted chap. 1. and 2. Or he may mean the Miniſters of the Goſpell, called Prieſts and Levites Eſay 66.21. Or rather, all the royall Prieſt-hood of Gods people, whoſe office is to [illegible: 1 letter]ffer up ſpirituall ſacrifices, acceptable to God by Jeſus chriſt. 1 Pet. 2.5, 9. Rom. 12.1, 2. Now for theſe, Chriſt 1. Of bad make them good, as he did Joſes the Levite Act. 4.36. and many prieſts Act. 6.7. He makes them paſſe under the rod, and ſo brings them into the bond of the covenant Ezek. 20.37. 2. Of good he makes them better and brighter, he powres them forth as molten mettall, ſo the Septuagint read this text. Gold that is melted in the furnace, is not only purified, but alſo made malleable: yea fit for the mould. Their bearts are brought down, they ſpeak as out of the ground Eſay 29.4. in a low language, and like broken men: they put their mouths in the duſt, they lie low at Chriſts feet, and ſay, Speak Lord, for thy ſervant heareth. Thus haughty Hagar humbled by a ſ[illegible: 2 letters]tion harkeneth to the Angell, and ſubmits to her miſtreſſe: that yong gallant, that in the pride of his proſperity, in the ruffe of his jollity would not be warned; when [illegible: 1 letter]s fleſh and his body was conſumed, when his bones clattered in his skin,Prov. 5.11, 12, 13. and the mourners expected him at the doors, he is of another mind, and he [illegible: 1 word] talked with: then like the beaten viper caſteth up his poyſon both of high mindedneſſe and of earthly-mindedneſſe, and if you have any good [illegible: 1 word] to give him, he is ready to receive it. See the like Iob 33.19, 20, 21. &c.

and purge them as gold and ſilver] Colabit cos, Si[illegible: 1 letter] [illegible: 1 span] ſaith the Vulgar. He ſhall [illegible: 1 word] them as ſome liquor or liquid matter: ſo that the purer part ſhall go thoro. the ſtrayner or colander, and the dreggy may be left. The ſame thing is again and again promiſed, as for more certainty ſake, ſo to ſhew that the purity ſhould be very great in the dayes of the goſpell. Howbeit for the comfort of his poor people who are conſcious of more droſſe then good oare, Chriſt hath promiſed that he will reſire them, but not as ſilver, he will not be over-exact with them,Iſa. 48.1[illegible: 1 letter]. he will not mark all that's amiſſe he will not contend very much, leſt the choice ſpiri[illegible: 2 letters] of his afflicted people ſhould faile before him Iſae. 57.16. when the child ſworm[illegible: 1 letter]s in the whipping, Chriſt lets fal[illegible: 1 letter] the rod, and falls a kiſſing it, to fetch life [illegible: 1 word] it again. As 'tis a rule in phyſick ſtill to maintain nature: ſo God [illegible: 1 span] to keep up his peoples ſpirits by cordials; though he purge them [illegible: 1 span] till he bring them almoſt to skin and bone, that there may be a ſpring of bett [illegible: 1 span] its.

[illegible: 1 span] the Lord an affering in rightcousneſſe] Or a right offering, a [illegible: 1 span] holy d[illegible: 1 letter]ties from a right principle, and to a right purpoſe. Two things make a good Chriſtian, good [illegible: 1 word], and good aymes. Though a good a[illegible: 1 letter]me doth not in [illegible: 1 letter]e a bad action good (as we ſee in Ʋzza) yet a bad ayme makes a good action bad, as we ſee in John. If Gods work be not duely done, we may meet with breaches inſtead of bleſſings 1 Chron. 15.17. David fa[illegible: 1 letter]led but in a ceremony: yet God wa[illegible: 1 letter]angry. J[illegible: 1 letter]h[illegible: 1 letter]'s [illegible: 1 letter]eal was rewarded in an act of juſtice quoad ſub [illegible: 4 letters]tion, aperis, in regard of the ſubſtance of the work: and yet puniſhed as an act of policy, quoad m[illegible: 1 letter]dum for the perverſe end. Let no man meaſure himſelf by the matter of things done; for there may be malum opus in bona materia, an evill [illegible: 3 letters]k in a good matter: Works materia[illegible: 1 letter]ly good may never prove ſo formally and [illegible: 1 span] gion is a curious clock-work: if but one wheel be diſtempered, all may go wrong. David in numbring the people omitted that duty Exod. 30.12, 13, 14, 15. a[illegible: 2 letters] thence, the plagne.

Verſe 4. Then ſhall the offerings of Judah and Jeruſalem] That is, of the Latine Church, and of Rome, ſaith Ribera. A partiall fancy of a Poniſh Interpreter boldly pr[illegible: 1 letter]pou [illegible: 1 word], barely proved: and therefore as he affirmeth without reaſon, ſo h[illegible: 1 letter] may b[illegible: 1 letter] diſm[illegible: 1 letter]ſſed without refutation. Uaderſtand it rather of the whole church wh[illegible: 3 letters]ſo[illegible: 1 letter]ver, in Cities, or Countries: and obſerve, that neither Judah nor Jeru[illegible: 1 letter]d[illegible: 1 letter]m, how highly ſoever honoured or favoured otherwiſe, ſhall have their oftering accepted in heaven, unleſſe their hearts be firſt purified by faith. Till then,Rom. 12.1 their ſacrifices, how ſpecious ſoever, are neither living (but dead works, as the [illegible: 1 letter]uthow to the Hebrews calles it) nor holy, that is, pure and unpolluted 1 Cor. 7.34. unleſſe themſelves be partakers of the grace of life 1 Pet. 3.7. and can boldly ſay with David, preſerve my ſoule, for I am holy, or one whom thou favoureſt. Pſal. 86.2. So Pſal. 4.3. he makes this the ground of his hope, that his prayer ſh[illegible: 2 letters]ld [illegible: 2 letters] heard, that the Lord looked upon him as a godly perſon. God regards [illegible: 1 word] the praye, if the man be not right. The blood of a ſheeep and of a ſwine are like: yea, it may be the blood of a ſwine is better and ſweeter then of a ſheep, yet was [illegible: 1 letter]t not to be offered, becauſe of a ſwine. See Heb. 13.16. Philip. 4.18. Joh. 15.16. Pſal. 147 11. Eſay 62.4. Heb. 11.6. Look how light, ſaith Chryſ[illegible: 1 letter]ſt[illegible: 1 letter]ne, maketh all things pleaſing to men: ſo doth faith to God. True faith is like t[illegible: 1 letter]e ſalt that healed the waters 2 King. 2.21. O pray Chriſt to caſt in a curſeful[illegible: 3 letters] it into our hearts, or elſe we loſe all our ſervices; nay we do worſe then loſe our labour, for diſpleaſing ſervice is double diſhonour: we do but take paines to go to hell. See more of this matter in the Notes on chap. 1. verſe 9, 10.

as in the dayes of old, as in former years] i. e. As the ſacrifices of Abel, Abraham, Aaron, &c. as the prayers and holy performances of David, Eliah, Samuel (who is thought to be the ſame with Pethu[illegible: 1 letter]l lo[illegible: 1 letter] 1.1. which ſignifieth a I'erſwader of God, and that he was ſo called, becauſe he could have what he would of God) Cornelius, Paul &c. were very effectuall and available, and did wonders even to the opening and ſhutting of heaven,Iob. 41 14. as Eliab to the opening of the doores of Leviathan, as Ionah, to the delivering even graves of their dead, as Heb. 11.35. &c. ſo they ſhall be ſtill, as effectuall, as thoſe Ancient Saints, we draw near with a true heart, in full aſſurance of faith, having our hearts ſprinkled from an evill conſcience, and our bodyes waſhed with pure water Heb. 10.22. See Iam. 5.16, 17, 18. and Hoſ. 12.4. The Prophet ſpeaking of Jacob his wreſtling with God by weeping, and his prevailing by praying (ſo that he was knighted for his good ſervice, and dubb'd Iſrael, or a Prince of God) ſubjoynes for our comfort, God found him in Bethel, and there he ſpake with us. So then, what encouragement acceſſe and ſucceſſe Iacob had at Bethel, the ſame have we: provided that we ſo carry the matter, that it may be ſaid of us, as Pſal. 24.6. This is the generation of them that ſeek him; of them that ſeek thy face: this is Jacob: Provided that as Jarob wreſtled in the night, and alone, and when God was leaving him, and upon one leg: ſo do we, amidſt all difficulties and diſcouragements.

Verſe 5. And I will come neer to you to judgement] q. d. You conceit mea great way off, and put far from you the thoughts of my comming, having been ſo bold as to ask, Where is the God of judgement &c. Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me. Not, as you deſired, to avenge you of your enemies, but as juſtice requireth, to be avenged of you for your impieties which I have here billed up againſt you. And that ye may not think to eſcape, know that as I am a Judge at hand, ſo a preſent witneſſe, teſt is feſtinantiſſimus a moſt ſwift witneſſe, to evict and puniſh you, for your moſt ſecret ſins. So then, howſoever the Lord ſpare long, yet he will be at length, both a haſty witneſſe and a ſevere Judge againſt thoſe that abuſe his patience: he will not alwayes ſtand them for a ſinning-ſtock, but pay them home for the new and the old. Ier. 6.6. Mic. 1.3 God owed a revenge to the houſe of Eli: and yet at length, by the delation of Doeg, takes occaſion to pay it. It is a vain hope that is raiſed from the delay of judgement: No time can be any prejudice to the Ancient of dayes. If his word ſleep, it ſhall not dye: but after long intermiſſions breaks forth into thoſe effects which men had forgotten to look for, and ceaſed to fear. The ſleeping of vengeance cauſeth the overſlow of ſin Eccleſ. 8.11. and the overſlow of ſin cauſeth the a wakening of vengeance Pſal. 50.21. ſo that ſometimes he ſtrikes ere he gives any ſinther warning: as Abſalom intending to kill Amnon, ſpake neither good nor evill to him. Subito tollitur qui diu toleratur. Till the fiery ſerpents, God had ever conſolted with Moſes, and threatened ere he puniſhed. Now he ſtrikes and ſayes nothing. The anger is ſo much more, by how much leſſe notified. Still revenges are ever moſt daugerous and deadly, when God is not heard before he is felt (as in hewing of wood, the blow is not heard, till the axe be ſeen to have ſtruck) or if he be heard to ſay as Neh. 1.9. what do ye imagine againſt the Lord? he will make an utter end: affliction ſhall not ariſe up the ſecond time: its a ſigne he is implacably hent, and meanes to have but one blow. The wickeds happineſſe will take its end ſurely and ſwiftly. The end is come, is come, is come, ſaith Ezechiel chap. 7. The Lord is come near to you to judgement, and he will be a ſpeedy witneſſe, Judge and witneſſe both: which in mens courts cannot be: but God being infinitely both wiſe and holy, may be and will be both witneſſe and Judge againſt the workers of iniquity: and when they are (as Adonijah's gueſts were 1 King. 1.) at the height of their joyes and hopes, he confounds all their devices, and layes them open to the ſcorn of the world, to the anguiſh of their own guilty hearts, and the dint of his own unſupportable diſpleaſure, which is ſuch as none can avert or avoid.

Ad poenam tardus Deus eſt, ad praemia velox, Sed penſare ſolet vi graviore moram. Poena venit grovior, quò magè ſera venit.

againſt the ſorcerers] Or Juglers, Wizzards, Negromancers &c. See the ſeveral ſorts forbidden, and to be puniſhed Deut. 18.10. By Gods law ſuch might not be ſuffered to live, Exod 22.8. yet did this evil prevail in Iſrael 2 Chron. 33.6. Jer. 27.9. and here, It was done by unlawful means, as Saul ſaid to the witch, Divine unto me by the familiar ſpirit, 1 Sam. 28.8. and it was a thing hateful to God, even as high rebellion, 1 Sam. 15.23. ſith the ground of this familiarity is a diobolical contract ovort, or covert, explicit or implicit. It is fitly called the black Art, for theres no true light in them that uſe it Iſai. 8.19. they depart from God and his teſtimony, ib. and ſo tempt the devil to tempt them. This was Sauls ſin, for which the Lord killed him 1 Chron. 10.13. and hath threatened to cut off all from among his people, that do enquire of ſuch, Levit. 20.6. Thou haſt been partaker with the adulterer, Pſal. 50.18. ſo are ſuch with ſorcerers. Surely the wounds of God are better then the ſalves of Satan; as Ahaziah found it. And they which in caſe of loſſe or ſickneſſe &c. make hell their refuge, ſhall ſmoke and ſmart for it in the end. Satan ſeeks to them in his temptations, they in their conſultations ſeek to him: and now that they have mutually found each other, if ever they part, it is a miracle: He is an unſpeakable proud ſpirit, and yet will ſtoop to the meaneſt man or woman to be at their command (the witch of Endor is twice in one verſe 1 Sam. 28.7. called the Miſtriſſe of the Spirit, becauſe in covenant with him) whereby he may cheat them, and their clients of Salvation. Every one that conſults with him, worſhips him, though he bow not, as Saul did: neither doth that old man-ſlayer deſire any other reverence, then to be ſought unto.

and againſt the adulterers] Sept. the adultereſſes. Adultrinum, qu [illegible: 1 letter]ſi ad alterum, out alterius torum, a going up to another mans bed, as Reuben did, and was ſeverely ſentenced for it, Gen. 49.4 It was to be puniſhed with death, even by the law of Nature: becauſe the ſociety and purity of poſterity could not otherwiſe continue amongſt men. Nebuchad. nazzar roaſted in the fire Zedekiah and Ahab two falſe prophets of Judah, becauſe they committed adultery with their neighbours wives, Jer. 29.22, 23. The Egyptians uſed to cut off the noſe of the adultereſſe: the Prophet alludes to this Ezek. 23.25. The Athenians, Lacedemomans, and Romans were very ſevere againſt this ſin; as Plutarch recordeth in his parallels. The old French and Saxons alſo, as Tacitus tells us. By Gods law they were to be ſtoned to death; and the High-prieſts daughter was to be burned for this fault, Lev. [illegible: 1 letter]1.9. a peculiar puniſhment, and not to be paralleld in the whole law. If men fail to fall upon ſuch (it is an hainous crime ſaith holy Job, and an iniquity to be puniſhed by the Judges,Venus ab antiquis [non-Latin text not transcribed] dicla See Pro. 5.8. Chap. 31.10.) God himſelf will do it, Heb. 13.4. and did it effectually, 1 Cor. 10.8. and on the filthy Sodomites, Gen. 19. and on Charles 2. King of Navar who was much addicted to this ſin, which ſo waſted his ſpirits, that in his old age he fell into a Lethargy. To comfort his benumbed joynts he was bound and ſewed up in a ſheet ſteeped in boyling Aquavitae. The Surgeon having made an end of ſewing him, and wanting a knife to cut off his threed, took a wax candle that ſtood lighted by him. But the flame running down by the threed, caught hold on the ſheet, which according to the nature of the Aquavitae burned with that vehemency, that the miſerable king ended his dayes in the fire. But ſay the adulterer be neither ſtoned, nor burned: yet God uſually ſtoneth ſuch with a ſtony heart, Hoſ. 4.11. which is a moſt fearful judgment: and when they die burneth them with the hotteſt fire in hell. Prov. 2.18. the whores gueſts go down to the dead. Heb. el Rephaim, to the Giants: to that part of hell where thoſe damned monſters are. See 2 Peter 2.10. and mark the word Chiefly.

and againſt falſe ſwearers] A ſin of an high nature, condemned by the height of nature, and puniſhed by the Heathens. Perjurij poena divina exitium; humana, dedecus; This was one of the laws of the twelve tables in Rome. God puniſheth perjury with deſtruction: men with diſgrace. Tiſſaphernes the Perſian General, being ovecrome by Ageſilaus King of Spartans, craved three-moneths truce, and had it: They both ſware to be quiet on both ſides. Tiſſaphernes ſoon brake his oath:Cornel Nepos in vit. Ageſ. but Ageſilaus religiouſly kept it, ſaying, that Gods and men would favour him for his fidelity, but curſe and execrate the other for his perjury. God ſhewed Zachary a flying role long and large, ten yards long, and five broad, full of curſes againſt the falſe ſwearer, with commiſſion to reſt upon his houſe, Zac. 5.3.4. which he he holds his caſtle, and where he thinks himſelf moſt ſecure. Michael Paleologus Emperour of Conſtantinople made the Greek Church acknowledge the Popes ſupremacie, and did many other things contrary to his oath: and therefore lieth obſcurely buried, ſhrouded in the ſheet of defame, ſaith the Hiſtorian.Turk. hiſt. So doth Rodulphus Duke of Sueveland, who by the Popes inſtigation broke his oath of allegiance to Henry the Emperour, and by the cutting off his faithleſſe right hand loſt his life. So doth Sigiſmund the Emperour, for his falſe dealing with John Huſſe. Ladiſlaus king of Hungary, for his perjurious ſetting upon Amurath the great Turk at the battle of Varna, where he was deſervedly defeated. What a blur was that to the old Romans, if true, that Mirchanes the Perſian General ſhould ſay of them, Roman is promitcere promptum eſt &c. Procop. 1. de. bello Perſic. The Romans will promiſe any thing, and ſwear to it, but perform nothing that makes againſt their profit? There were at Rome ſuch as could lend an oath at need: and would not ſtick to ſwear that their friend or foe was at Rome and at Interamna both at once. How ſlippery the Papiſts are, and how bloody, both in their Poſtions and diſpoſitions, is well known to all. But God is the avenger of all ſuch: becauſe they call him to witneſſe a falſhood: and dare him to his face to execute his vengeance. See Zach. 8.17.

and againſt thoſe that oppreſſe &c. Either by denying, diminiſhing, or delaying their wages. The vulgar rendereth it, Who calamniate, or make cavils to detain wages, which is the poor hirelings lively-hood, whereupon he ſetteth his heart Deut. 24.15. and maintaineth his life; which is therefore called the life of his hands,Iſai. 57.10. becauſe upheld by the labour of his Hands. He gets it, and eats it: and is in his houſe like a ſnail in his ſhell; cruſh that, and you kill him. This is a crying cruelty Jam. 5.4. and hath a woe againſt it Jer. 22.13. Jam. 2.13. Laban is taxed for it Gen. 31.7. and for thoſe that are guilty, if they mend not, and make reſtitution, Maſter Latimer tells them they ſhall cough in hell.

the widow] A calamitous name: ſhe is called in Hebrew from her dumbneſſe Almanan: becauſe, death having cut off her head, ſhe hath loſt her tongue, and hath none to ſpeak for her. A vine, whoſe root is uncovered, thrives not: ſo a widow, the covering of whoſe eyes is taken away, joyes not. God therefore pleads for ſuch as his clients, and takes ſpecial care for them: the Deacons were anciently ordained ſpecially for their ſakes Act. 6.1. 1 Tim 5.3. and Phariſees doomed to a deeper damnation for devouring widows houſes, Mat. 23.14. and Magiſtrates charged to plead for the widow, Iſai. 1.17. as judge Job did Chap. 31.16. and all ſorts to make much of her, and communicate to her, Deut. 24.19, 20, [illegible: 2 letters].

and the fatherleſſe] We are Orphans, and fatherleſſe, ſaith the Church Lam. 5.3. And we are all Orphans, ſaid Queen Elizabeth (in her ſpeech to the children of Chriſts Hoſpital) let me have your prayers, and you ſhall have my protection. That Hoſpital was founded by her brother King Edward the ſixth for the relief of father leſſe children, after the example of the ancient Church, which had her Orphanotroph Orphan-breeders. With God the fatherleſſe findeth mercy Hoſ. 14.3. and all his vice-gods are commanded the like, Pſal. 82.1, 2, 3, 4. unleſſe they will conſult ſhame and miſery to their own houſes, and Joab-like, leave the leproſy to their little ones for a legacy. Better leave them a wallet to beg from door to door, then a curſed hoard of Orphans goods.

and that turn aſide the ſtranger] The right of ſtrangers is ſo holy (ſaith Maſter Fox) that there was never nation ſo barbarous that would violate the ſame. When Steven Gardiner had in his power the renowned Peter Martyr then teaching at Oxford,Act. and Mon. fol. 1783. he would not keep him to puniſh him: but when he ſhould go his way, gave him wherewith to bear his charges.

and fear not me] This is ſet laſt as the ſource of all the former evils. See the like Rom. 3.18. and Pſal. 14.1. where Atheiſme and irreligion is made the root of all the ſin in the world. Gods holy fear is to the ſoul, as the banks are to the ſea, or the bridle to the horſe, it was ſo to Iſaac, who reigned in the reverend fear of God, when he ſaw that he had done unwilling juſtice, durſt not reverſe Jacobs bleſſing, though prompted to it by natural affection and Eſaus howlings, Gen. 27.33. It was ſo to Job, Joſeph, Nehemiah, Daniel &c. who could eaſily have born out their oppreſſions by their greatneſſe. And indeed whereas other men have other bits and reſtraints, great men, if they fear not God, have nothing elſe to fear: but dare obtrude and juſtifie to the world the moſt malepart miſdemenours, becauſe it is facinus major is abollae, Juvenal. the fact of a great one, who do many times as eaſily break through the lattice of the laws, as the bigger flies do through a ſpider-web, as Anacharſis was wont to ſay of his Scythians.Exod. 18. Hence Jethro would have his Juſtice of peace to be a man fearing God: And this qualification he fitly placeth in the midſt of the other graces requiſit to him, as the heart in the body, for conveying life to all the parts, or as a dram of musk perfuming the whole box of oyntment Exod. 18.21. Nothing makes a man ſo good a patriot as the true fear of Gods bleſſed name, and a zealous forwardneſſe for his glory, goodneſſe, and good cauſes. This, this alone is it that can truly beautifie and adorn all other perſonal ſufficiencies, and indeed ſanctifie and bleſſe all publick imployments, and ſervices of ſtate. Whereas on the contrary, ſublat à pietate, ſides tollitur, take away piety, and fidelity is gone; as we ſee in the unjuſt judge Luk. 18.2. in Abrahams judgement of the Philiſtines Gen. 20.11. and in Conſtantinus Chlorus his experiment of his Councellours and Courtiers: whence that famous Maxime of his recorded by Euſebius, He cannot be faithful to me, that is unfaithful to God: religion being the ground of all true fidelity and loyaltie to king and Countrey. Hence that cloſe connexion Fear God, honour the king: And that again of Solomon, My ſon, fear thou the Lord, and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change Prov. 24.21.

Verſe 6. For I am the Lord, I change not] I am Jehovah. This is Gods proper and incommunicable name. It imports three things.

1. That God is of himſelf. This Plato acknowledged calling God [non-Latin text not transcribed], and [non-Latin text not transcribed], Julius Scaliger by a wonderful word calleth God [non-Latin text not transcribed] One that hath his being or exiſtence of himſelf, before the world was, Eſay 44 6.

2. That he giveth being to all things elſe, for in him they both are and conſiſt. He ſuſtains all, both in reſpect of being, excellencies and operations, Heb. 1.3. The greateſt excellencies in us do as much depend upon God, as the eſſigies in the giaſſe upon the preſence of the face that cauſeth it.

3. That he giveth being to his word, effecting whatſoever he ſpeaketh. Hence when either ſome ſpecial mercy is promiſed, or ſome extraordinary judgment threatened, the name of Iehovah is affixed. See Exod. 6.3. Eſay 45.2, 3. Ezek. 5.17. The Ancient Jew-Doctours make this diſtinction between Elohim and Iehovah. By Elohim ſay they, is ſignified Middath dir, a quality or property of judgment. By Iehovah, middath Rachamim, a quality or property of mercy. And here unto they apply that text Pſal. 56.11. In God (Elohim) I will praiſe the word, in Iehovah I will praiſe the word, that is, five [illegible: 1 letter]ure agat mecum, five ex aequo & bono, whether he deal ſtrictly with me, or graciouſly, I will praiſe him howſoever. But this diſtinction, as it holds not alwayes; ſo not here. For to ſhew the certainty of the judgement denounced verſe 5. is this ſubjoyned, I am Iehovah &c. And if Iehovah come of Hovah (which ſignifies Contrition or deſtruction) as Heronymus ab Oleaſtro will have it, what can be more ſutable to the Prophets purpoſe? it is ſomewhat like that in Eſay chap. 13.6. Shod ſhall come from Shaddai, deſtruction from the Almighty, or from the Deſtroyer as ſome interpret Gods Name Shaddai.

I change not] I am neither falſe nor fickle, to ſay, and unſay, to alter my minde, or to eat my word Pſalm 89.34. The eternity of Iſrael cannot he, nor repent, ſaid Samuel to Saul (and it was heavy tidings to him, as Ahi ah ſaid to Ieroboams wife,1 Sam. 15.29. I come unto thee with heavy tidings) For, he is not a man that he ſhould repent. Men are mutable, and ther's no hold to be taken of what they ſay. Of many it may be ſaid, as Tertullian of the Peacock, all in changeable colours: as often changed as moved. Italians all, as Eneas Sylvius ſaid of Italy, Novitate quadam nihil habet ſtabile, ther's no taking their words. Of a certain Pope and his Nephew it is ſtoried, that the one never ſpake as he thought, the other never performed what he ſpake. But God is not a man that he ſhould repent: or if he do, it is after another manner then man repents. Repentance with man is the changing of his will: repentance with God, is the willing of a change. It is mutatio reinon Dei, affectus non affectus, facti non conſilii. Gods repentance is not a change of his will, but of his work. It noteth onely, (ſaith Mr. Perkins) the alteration of things and actions done by him, and no change of hi purpoſe and ſecret decree, which is immutable. What he hath written, he hath written, (as Filate ſaid peremptorily) there's no removing of him. If the ſentence be paſſed, if the decree be come forth, none can avert or avoid it, Zeph. 3.5. Currat ergo poenitentia ne praecurrat ſententia. Chryſolog. Go quickly and make an atonement, as Moſes ſaid to Aaron, Num. 16.46. Prepare to meet thy God, O Iſrael, Amos 4.12. Mite preces & lachrymas cordis legatos: meet him with intreaties of peace agree with him quickly: who knowes if he will return and repent? for he is gracious and mercifull, ſlow to anger and of great kindneſſe, and repenteth him of the evil, Joel 2.13, 14. It ſhould ſeem ſo indeed by this Text: For even whiles he is threatening, and ratifying what he had threatened, his heart is turned within him, his repentings are kindled together, Hoſ. 11.8. And hence the following words, Therefore ye ſonnes of Jacob are not conſumed. A ſtrange inference, (conſidering the ſence and occaſion of the foregoing words, as hath been ſet forth,) and not unlike that Hoſ. 2.13, 14. I will viſit upon her the dayes of Baalim—ſhe went after ber lovers, and forgat me, ſaith the Lord. Therefore (mark that Therefore) behold I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderneſſe, and ſpeak comfortably to her: And I will give her, &c. So Eſay 57.17, 18. For the iniquity of his covetouſneſſe was I wroth, and ſmot him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly, &c. I have ſten his wayes, and will heal him: Wayes? what wayes? his covetouſneſſe, frowardneſſe, &c. and yet I will heal him. I will deal with him not according to mine ordinary rule, but according to my Prerogative. If God will heal for his names ſake (and ſo come in with his Non obſtante, as he doth, Pſal. 106.8) what people is there whom he may not heal? Well may theſe ſinfull ſonnes of Jacob be unconſumed: well may they have for their ſeventy years captivity,Ezek 20 8, 14, 22, 45. ſeven ſeventies of years (according to Dans ls weeks) for the re-enjoying of their own countrey: and Gods mercies ſhall bear the ſame proportion to his puniſhments, which ſeven (a complete number) hath to an unity. Provided, that they return to the Lord that ſmot them (as in the next verſe) for elſe he will ſurely puniſh them ſeven times more, and ſeven times, and ſeven to that, Levit. 26.21, 23, 27, &c three ſeverall times God raiſeth his note of threatening, and he raiſeth it by ſevens, and thoſe are diſcords in Muſique. Such ſayings will bee heavy ſongs: and their execution heavy pangs to the impenitent.

Verſe 7. Even from the dayes of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances] The more to magnifie his own mercy (by a miracle, whereof they had hitherto ſubſiſted, by an extraordinary prop of his love, and long-ſuffering) God ſets forth here their utter unworthineſſe of any ſuch free favour, by a double aggravation of their ſinnes. Firſt, their long continuance therein, ſo that their ſinnes were grown inveterate, and ingrained, and themſelves aged and even crooked therein, ſo that they could hardly ever be ſet ſtrait again.

from the dayes of your fathers, &c.] q d. Non hoc nuper facitis: nee ſomel ut erroris mereamini veniam: ſed haereditariam habetis impiet[illegible: 1 letter]tem, &c as Hi[illegible: 1 letter]rom paraphraſeth this Text. You are no young ſinners: it is not yeſterday, or a few dayes ſince you tranſgreſſed againſt me: you are a ſeed of ſerpenis, a ra[illegible: 1 letter]e of rebels: you are as good atreſiſting the Holy Ghoſt, as ever your fathers were. Act. 7.51. Secondly, their pervicacy and ſtiffeneſſe: they would not yeeld or be evicted. But ye ſay wherein ſhall we return? as if they were righteous and needed no repentance. Still they put God to his proofs, as Jer. 2.35. and ſhew themſelves an unperſwadeable, and gainſaying people, Eſay 65.2, and this had been their mu[illegible: 1 letter]n[illegible: 1 letter]r from their youth, Jer. 22.21. when they were in Egypt they ſerved idols there, Ezek. 16. and 23. In the wilderneſſe they tempted God ten times, and hearkened not to his voice. Num. 14.22. Under their Judges, and then their Kings, they vexed him, and he bore with them, till there was no remedy, 2 Chron 6.16. After the captivity, they do antiquum obtinere, and are found guilty here of ſundry both omiſſions, and commiſſions, calling for a juſt recompenſe of reward, Heb. 2.2. All which notwithſtanding, Deus redire eos ſibi non perire deſiderat. God ſoliciteth their return unto him here by a precept and a promiſe,Chryſolog. two effectuall arguments, if any thing will work: and ratifieth all with his own authority, which is moſt authentick, in theſe words, ſaith the Lord of Hoſts. A ſtile oft given to God, as elſewhere in Scripture, ſo eſpecially in theſe three laſt Prophecies to the people returned from Babylon, becauſe they had many enemies, and therefore had need of all encouragement: For God is called the Lord of Hoſts, quòd ille numine ſuo & nomine terreat terras,Alſted. temperet tempora, exercituſque tam ſuperiores quam inferiores gubernet, to ſhew that he hath all power in his hand, and doth whatſoever he pleaſeth in heaven and earth. See the Notes on verſe 17. of this chap. doctr. 1 And for the Doctrine of returning to God (from whom we have deeply revolted) by repentance, ſee the Note on Zach. 1.3.

But ye ſaid, Wherein ſhall we return?] This was their pride, proceeding from ignorance: they were rich and righteous, as thoſe Laodiceans, Rev. 3.17. not in truth, but in conceit, vainly puft up by their carnall minds, drunk with ſelf-dotage, as Luke 16.15.Elementum in ſuo loco non ponderat. Hence they ſtand upon their pantofles, and none muſt ſay, Black is their eye. Sin is in them as in is proper element, and therefore weighes not: till by long trading in wickedneſſe, they grow to that dead and dedolent diſpoſition, Epheſ. 4.14. their heart fat as greaſe, their conſcience cauterized, 1 Tim. 4.2. that is, ſo benummed, blotted, lenſeleſſe, filthy, and gangrenate, that it muſt be ſeared with an hot iron: whereupon it growes ſo cruſty and brawny, that though cut or pierced with the ſword of the ſpirit, it doth neither bleed nor feel: and though handfulls of hell-fire be flung in the face of it, yet it ſtarts not, ſtirres not: but is deprived of all even paſlive power, and ſo Satanized, that there's no help for them.

Verſe 8. Will a man rob God?] Adam pillage Elohim? frail weak man ſeek to ſupplant (ſo the Septuagint render it) the great and mighty God? Giant-like boldneſſe! Cacus met with his match, when he robb'd Hercules. Mercury (ſay the Poets) had a mind to ſteal Jupiters thunderbolts, but durſt not meddle, leſt hee ſhould ſpeed as Prometheus had done, for ſtealing fire: or leſt they ſhould burn his fingers. The Eagle in the fable, that ſtole a piece of fleſh from the Altar, and carried it together with a live-coal that ſtuck to it, to his neſt, ſet his young and all on a light fire. Dionyſius, that robb'd his god, was caſt out of his kingdome, though he was wont to boaſt,Aelian. lib. 2. Var. hiſt. that he had it bound to him with chains of Ademant. Belſhazzar paied dear for his bowzing in the bowles of the Sanctuary. Cardinall Wolſey and five of his ſervants, employed by him in interverting conſecrated goods, though perhaps to better purpoſes, came all to fearfull ends, as Scultetus noteth, and thereupon wiſheth, Ʋtinam his & ſimilibus exemplis edocti diſcant homines res ſemel Deo conſecratas timidè attrectare. Scult. Annal. 332. It is a ſnare to the man that devoureth that which to holy, Prov. 20.25. They may be compared to thoſe that, being of a cold and flegmatick ſtomach, eat hard and cholerick meats: well they may pleaſe their palates, but it cannot be for their health: no more can the murthering morſels of ſuch ſacrilegious perſons, as devouring holy things, have their meat ſawced and their drink ſpiced with the bitter wrath of God. See Job 20.23. Polanus reads the Text thus, Will a man rob his Gods? q d. Will any Heathen do ſo? did not they that worſhipped Idols, abhorre ſacriledge? Ws it not one of the lawes of the twelve tables in Rome, Sacrum ſacrove commendatum qui clepſerit rapſeritque, parricida eſto; Let every ſacrilegious perſon paſſe and bee puniſhed for a parricide? And doth not Tully affirme of thoſe Lawes, that they did exceed all the libraries of the Philoſophers, in weight and worth? Did not thoſe old Idolaters freely beſtow their moſt precious things upon their Idols, Ezech. 16.16, 17, 18, 19. Exod. 32.3? yea their very children in ſacrifice to Moloch, or Saturn? 2 King. 16.3. and 17.17. being as mad upon their Idols, as ever was any wicked wanton upon his harlot, laviſhing out of the bag, &c? And are not our moderne Idolaters the Papiſts, as bountifull to their He-ſaints, and ſhe-ſaints? ſo that their Churches are not able to hold their vowed preſents and memories,Spec. Europ. but that in many places (as at Loretto, Sichem, &c.) they are fain to hang their Cloiſters and Churchyards with them? Shall they in their petitions to our Parliaments plead for favour and forbearance upon this ground, becauſe their anceſtours (they ſay) beſtowed ſo great coſt upon this land for church-maintenance: and ſhall it be ſaid (now that they are worthily caſt out) Poſſidebant Papiſtae, poſſident Rapiſtae, Wicked Papiſts had them, ungodly Rapiſts have them: Improprietaries, I mean, that hold by an improper title, and all others that appropriate that to them and theirs which the Almighty is inveſted in. This is here inſtanced as a capitall crime, and called robbing of God, as well it may; foraſmuch as miniſters maintenance (being tythes) is called the Lords, and holy to the Lord Lev. 27.30. becauſe ſeparated from man and mans uſe, and therefore might not be altered. Verſe 28. Or if any had a mind to redeem them, they were bound to add to the price every fifth peny above the true value. Verſe 31.Nunquid homo fraudabit Deum? ſic vertunt Aquila, Symmachus & Theodotion. Let all thoſe look to this whether Impropriators falſe Patrons (Latrones rather) or others that either by force or fraud rob God of his right, doteyning part of the due at leaſt, as Ananias and Sapphira did; God hath a Quare Impedit againſt them, which one day they muſt make anſwer to.

yet ye have robbed me] Becauſe ye have robbed my Miniſters who are in my ſtead 2 Cor. 5.20. and in whom he receiveth tythes, of whom it is witneſſed that he liveth, like as did Melchiſedeck, as a Prieſt and tyth-taker, and type of Chriſt. Heb. 7.7, 8, 9. And as God is ſenſible of the leaſt curteſy done to a Prophet to reward it, even to a cup of cold water Mat. 10.42. (ſo that he is anggard to himſelf, that ſcants his beneficence to a Miniſter) ſo for thoſe that wrong and rob them, that deny them that double honour of countenance and maintenance that he hath appointed them, and hold them to hard allowance: muzzling the Ox, or giving him but ſtraw at the beſt, for treading out the corn, they will dearely anſwer it before God, who holds all done to them as done to himſelf.Legati quòd erant appella i ſuperbius, Corinthum Patres veſtri totius Graeciae lumen extinctum eſſe moluerunt. Cic. pro lege Man. Surely as David could not but feel his own cheeks ſhaven, and his own coat cut in his Embaſſadours; they did but carry his perſon to Hanun: So here. And as there was never any king ſo poor and weak, but thought himſelf ſtrong enough to revenge any wrong done, or abuſe offered to his Embaſſadours: So the king of heaven will not fail to curſe with a curſe whole nations that forget God and forſake his Levites Deut. 13.19. it being all one to God to deal in this caſe againſt a nation or againſt a man only. Ioh 34.29.

in tythes and offerings] He had told them before they had robbd him: or (as ſome [illegible: 1 letter]ead it) ſtabbed him as with a ponyard. And here they ſhould have confeſſed the action and craved pardon. But becauſe they did nothing leſſe; ſtanding upon their juſtification (as before often) God deſcends to the particular wherein they robbed him, In tythes and offerings: The originall hath it, Tythes and offerings, without the particle (in) and it is as if the Lord ſhould ſay, you may eaſily know my meaning without ſo many words, but that you love to conteſt. You cannot be ignorant, that the Levites, for want of maintenance, are ſled every man to his field, and ſo my work and worſhip is leſt undone. Good Nehemiah was ſenſible of it chap. 13.10. and becauſe he knew that, by this means, religion it ſelf would be ſoon undermined and overturned, he contended with the Rulers, and made all the people pay their tythes: and this he worthily reckons among his good deeds, praying God to remember him for it, and not wise it out chap. 13.10. Hezekiah, that great Reformer, ſhewed the like zeal in commanding the people that dwelt in Ieruſalem to give the portion of the Prieſts and Levites, that they might attend upon the law of the Lord (ſo the Vulgar) that they might be encouraged in the law of the Lord, ſo we read 2 Chron. 31.4. that is, that they might not follow their callings heavily for want of maintenance, but cherefully bend themſelves wholy to the ſervice of the Lord. And here (as Ferus once wiſhed for the Romiſh ſynagogue) I would we had ſome Moſes, ſaid He, to take away the evils of the times: non enim unum tantum vitulum ſed multos habemus, for we have not one golden calf, but many: So have we of theſe times cauſe to wiſh we had ſome zealous Nehemiahs and Hezekiahs to ſtickle and ſtand for Chriſts Miniſters, not defrauded of their due maintenance only (a ſigne of gaſping devotion) but trampled upon by the foul feet of the baſeſt of the people, as the filth of the world and the offcouring of all things. Tythes they ſay are Iewiſh: but if Melchiſedech tythed Abraham, by the ſame right whereby he bleſſed him:Heb. 7. and if tythes by all lawes of God, Nature, Nations, have been hallowed to God, as Junius and other modern Divines alledge and argue: and laſtly, if things conſecratd to Gods ſervice may not be alienated, out of caſe of neceſſity Pro. 20.25. Gal. 3.15. it will appear to be otherwiſe. Or if tythes be Jewiſh, and yet Miniſters muſt have a maintenance (Chriſt having ſo ordained 1 Cor. 9.14.) and that both honourable 1 Tim. 5.17, 18. and liberall Gal. 6.6. how elſe ſhall they be given to hoſpitality, 1 Tim. 2.2? (if they be not hoſpitable, they will be deſpicable) how will men ſatisfie their conſciences in the quota pars: the particular quantity they muſt beſtow upon them? The ſcripture ſpeaketh only of the tenth part. Sed manum de tabula. Enough of this, if not more then enough.

Verſe 9. Ye are curſea with a curſe] Vuig. ye are curſed with penury and ſcarcity of victuals, according to Deut. 28.23. &c. and ſo great was this peoples poverty, that they were forced for food to ſell not their fields only, but their ſons and daughters Neh. 5. They had pinched on Gods ſide, and he had paid them home in the ſame kind: they thought in the famine to have kept the more to themſelves, and they had the leſſe, for keeping from him that which was his. A juſt hand of God upon all church-robbers: for moſt part they are alwayes in want and needy, their wealth melting away as ſnow before the ſun, and their fields of blood purchaſed with the ſpoiles of Chriſt, proving as unfortunate and fatall to them as the gold of the Temple of Tholoſe did to Scipio's ſouldiers: of which whoever carried any part away, never proſpered afterward. What get men by ſuch a detiny that ſhall prove their fatall deſtiny? Say they leave the gold behind them, yet they are likely to carry the guilt to hell with them Iem. 5.1, 2. yea to cough in hell, as Latimer phraſed it, unleſſe they make reſtitution, to diſgeſt in hell, what they have devoured on earth, as Auſtin. Becauſe Pharaoh faith the river is mine own, therefore faith God, I will dry up the river Ezek. 29.3, 9. The Merchant that denyeth to pay his cuſtome, forſeits all his commodities: ſo here.

for ye have robbed me] And therefore I have curſed you. God never puniſheth people, but there is juſt cauſe for it, could they but ſee it: but that the are hardly drawn to, as here, and Eſay 26.11. the root of the matter is in themſelves, as job ſpeakes in another caſe; the plague of their own hearts 1 King. 8 38. procureth them all the miſchief, and may ſay to them as the heart of Apo[illegible: 4 letters] us the tyrant ſeemed to ſay to him; [non-Latin text not transcribed] who dreamed one night that he was ſteaed by the Scythians, and boyled in a caldron, and that his heart ſpake to him out of the kettle, It is I that have drawn thee to all this. Let men therefore, when under any miſery, lay their hand upon their heart, thruſt their hand into their beſom with Moſes, they ſhall be ſure to bring it out lepious: let them turn ſhort again upon themſelves, and ſay every man, What have I done? what evill have I committed, or at leaſt admitted? what good have I omitted, or intermitted? Profane Eſau, beguiled of the bleſſing cryes out of his fathers ſtore, of his brothers ſubtlety: not a word of his own prophaneneſſe in ſlighting and ſelling his birthright: he had forgot ſince he did eat and drink, and went his way Gen. 25.4. The leruſalem-Paraphraſt adds, that he alſo deſpiſed his portion in the world to come, and denyed the reſurrection. But this he never taketh notice of. So Pompey beaten by Caeſar out of the field blamed the divine providence for his ill ſucceſſe: when he ſhould rather have faulted his own retchleſſe ſecurity (that he never conſidered into what place he were beſt to retire if worſted) and eſpecially his ſacriledge not long before that defeat, when he ſackt Jeruſalem, and ranſackt the Temple. He might have conſidered what became (a little before his time) for the ſame offence of Alcimus, 1 Maccah. 9.54, 55, 56. 2 Maccah. 3.24, 25. and 4.39, 41.42. and 5.15, 16. and 13.4, 8. and 15.30. 34 Heliodorus, Lyſimachus, Antiochus, Menclaus, and Nicanor, all notorious Church-robbers, and all hang'd u in gibbets, as it were, for example and admonition to all that ſhould come after. Sacriledge is a ſhare (ſaith Solomon, Pro. 20.25.) that 1. catcheth ſuddenly. 2. holdeth ſurely. 3. deſroyeth certainly. Cavete.

even this whole nation] The diſeaſe was grown Epidemicall, like that which Phyſicians call corruptio totius ſubſtantiae, or that which: he Prophet Eſay alſo complaineth of chap. 1.5, 6. The whole head is ſick, the whole heart is faint &c. This ſin of ſacriledge was grown Nationall: there was a conjuncture of all ſorts in this wickedneſſe; a rabble of rebels they were, ripe for judgement: yea though Gods judgements were upon them, yet they perſiſted Neh. 13.18. and encreaſed wrath Ezra. 9.13. God had ſmitten them, but they ſorrowed not:Ier. 5.3. but to be revenged on him, as it were, for laying famine upon them, they took away his tythes &c.

Verſe 10. Bring ye all the tythes into the ſtore-houſe] All, whether praediall, or perſonall, all, and of every kind.

into the ſtore-houſe] the ſtanding place for tythes, as it is called Neh. 13.11, 12, 13. the tyth-barn, as the Vulgar hath it.

that there may be meat in my houſe] Tereph, unde [non-Latin text not transcribed]: and the Engliſh, prey: that there may be maintenance for my Miniſters;Cibus qui diſcerpi, dividi, diſiribuiq, poleſt. enough not for themſelves only, but for to be diſtributed to thoſe that are about them: that they may not cat their morſels alone, that they may not be ſlaves to others, ſervants to themſelves: that they may not bite with their teeth, and cry peace, teach for hire, and divine for money Mic. 3.5, 11. that is, be fain to maintain themſelves with ſordid and unworthy flatteries. Balaam the falſe Prophet rode with his two men Num. 22. God; Levite had one man Iudg. 19.11. Aug[illegible: 2 letters]ſtin lived neither like a Lord, for he cate his meat in woodden and marble diſhes: neither lived he like a begger, for he uſed to eat with ſilver ſpoons.Poſſidon. in vit. Aug. What pitty was it that Luther was forced to cry out in his Comment on Gen. 47. Niſi ſupereſſer ſpolium Egypti quod rapuimus Papae, omnibus miniſtris verbi fame percundum oſſet. Quod ſi ſuſtentandi eſſent die contributione populi miſerc profectò & d[illegible: 2 letters]iter viverent. If it were not for the ſpoil of Egypt which we have ſnatcht from the Pope, all the Miniſters of the word muſt have been affamiſhed. For if they ſhould be put to live upon the free contribution of the people, they would certainly have a miſerable hard living of it. Alimar ergo &c. We are maintained then, as I ſaid of the ſpoiles of Egypt: and yet that little that we have is prey'd upon by the Magiſtrate: for the pariſhes and Schooles are ſo ſpoyled and peeled, aſ if they meant to ſtarve us all. Thus Luther. Melancthon comes after him and complaines in the year 1559. Principes favebant Luthero: ſed jam iterum vi letis ing ratitudinem mundi orga miniſtros &c. The Princes did at firſt favour Luther: but now ye ſee again the unkindneſſe of the world to the Miniſters of the word. Calvia was ſo ill dealt with at Geneva (together with other faithfull Miniſters there that he was forced once to ſay, Certè ſi hominibus ſerviviſſem &c. Truly if I had ſerved men in my Miniſtry, I had been very ill requited.Melch. Adam. in vita. But its well that I have ſerved Him who never failes his: but faithfully performeth with the better who ſever he hath promiſed them. Our Doctour Stoughton obſerved, that the manner of very many in the City was to deal with their miniſter as Carriers doe with their horſes; viz. to lay heavy burthens upon them, and then to hang bels about their necks; they ſhall have hard work, and great commendations,Serm. [illegible: 1 letter]n 1 Sam. 2.30. but eaſy commons; be applauded for excellent preachers, have good words, but ſlight wages. Thus in the City; but what meaſure meet men with in the Countrey? Hear it from a Countrey-Miniſter mouth. How many thouſands in this land (faith He) ſtand obnexious in an high-degree to the judgements of God for this ſin of ſacriledge, which is the bane of our people, and blemiſh of our Church? Some there are who rob God of his main tythes, yet are content to leave him ſtill the leſſes: they pluck our fleeces, and leave us the taglocks, poor Vicarage tithes, whileſt themſelves and children are kept warme in our wooll, the Parſonage. And and others yet more injurious, who think that too much, would the law but allow them a pair of ſheers, they would clip the very taglocks off. Mr. Reg. his Strange Vin. in Valeſt pag. 303. Theſe (with the deceitfull taylour) are not content to ſhrink the whole and fair broad-cloth to a dozen of buttons, but they muſt likewiſe take part of them away, and nimme the very ſhreds, which only we have left. After they have full gorged themſelves with the Parſonage grains, they can ſinde means either by uncoſcionable leaſes or compoſitions, to pick the Vicaridge-bones &c. Thus He and much more to the like purpoſe. Our bleſſings (faith Another eminent Divine) are more then thoſe of old, our burthen leſſe. And yet how unwilling comes even a little to the painſulleſt Miniſter? And thoſe, that upon a kind of conſcience pay other duties, think all loſt that goes to the maintenance of the Miniſtery, D. Sclaiter. and that wiſh ſuch repining, as if that were mony of all other worſt beſtowed &c.

and prove me now herewith] Dignatio ſtupenda, A wonderful condeſcenſion, that God ſhould call upon man to take experiment of him, to make but a triall, to put it to the proof whether he will not proſper the penitent. This is ſomewhat like that other paſſage Pſal. 34. O taſt and ſee that the Lord is good &c. or that, Come and let us reaſon together. O the never-enough adored depth of Gods goodneſſe, that he ſhould ſtoop ſo low to us clay and dirt, dung and wormes-meat 1 He is ſo high,Pſal 113.6. that he is ſaid to humble himſelf to behold things done in heaven. If he look at all out of himſelf, to ſee but what the Angels do, he doth therein abaſe himſelf. That he will deal ſo familiarly with us (who are no better then ſo many walking-dunghils) as to bid us prove him what he will do for us, this deſerves acknowledgement and admiration in the higheſt degree. Should he have uſed martiall law with theſe malapert miſcreants in the text that had robbed him of his rights: and not only have reproved them and curſed them wit a curſe of penury, but have (Draco-like) written his lawes in blood upon them, he might have juſtified his proceedings. But thus to commune with them, and not only to preſcribe them a remedy for removall of the curſe, Bring ye all the Tythes &c. but thus to perſwade with them,Suheſt jurandi ſpectes. Figuier. and to permit them to prove his bountifulneſſe in giving, and his faithfulneſſe in keeping promiſe with them, and that with an oath (as ſome conceive.)

if I will not open the windowes of heaven] then never beleeve me more; what a wonderfull goodneſſe was this? Surely we may well ſay of it, as Chryſoſtom doth of the happineſſe of heaven, Sermo non valet exprimere: experimento opus eſt; We can never ſufficiently praiſe it, but muſt take the counſell he gives us, and prove it, Prove me &c. There is an unlawfull and damnable proving or rather provoking of God, when men ſeparate the means from the end, holineſſe from happineſſe, will needs live as they lift, and yet preſume they ſhall be ſaved by the unknown mercies of God. Such were thoſe that tempted and provoked he moſt high God, and kept not his teſtimonies Pſal. 78.56. like as before they had luſted exceedingly in the wilderneſſe,Pſal. 106.14. and tempted God in the deſert; whileſt, bearing themſelves over-bold upon their external priviledges, they refuſed to obſerve his ſtatutes, and keep his lawes. This ſin, in the new Teſtament is called tempting the Spirit of the Lord Act. 5.9. Ananias and Sapphira did ſo, when by a cunning concrivance they would needs prove and make triall whether God could deicry and would puniſh their hypocriſy: So did Judas the traytour when he boldly demanded, Is it I Lord. So do all groſs hypocrites that preſent unto God acarcaſe of holineſſe, like Cham, or that curſed Cozener Mal. 1.14. Such alſo as refuſe Chriſts offers of grace: and when he bids them as here, Prove him if upon their obedience to the lawes of his kingdome, he will not open the windowes of heaven and rain down righteouſneſſe upon them, even mercies without meaſure: and (for confirmation) wills them as once he did wicked Ahaz, Ask thee a ſigne of the Lord thy God, Ask it either in the depth, or height above; they churliſhly anſwer him in effect as he did, I will not ask, neither will I try the Lord. Whereupon the Prophet that made the motion, in an holy indignation, Heare ye now ſaith He, ye houſe of David, Is it a ſmall thing for you to weary men, but ye will weary my God alſo? Iſa. 7.12.13.

if I will no open you the windowes of heaven] Vulg. the cataracts or floodgates, or ſpouts of heaven: meaning the clouds, thoſe bottles of raine, which God here promiſeth to ſhour down abundantly,Gorn. & Lapid. tantâ copiâ, impetu, & fragore, ut ruere potius quam fluere videatur. A phraſe noting great plenty 2 King. 7.2. for in thoſe hot countries drought ever made a dearth. Hence the proud Egyptians whoſe land is watered and made fruitfull by the overflow of the river Nilus, were wont in mockery to tell the neighbour nations, that if God ſhould forget to raine, they might chance to ſtarve for it. They thought the rain was of God, but not the river. God therefore threateneth to dry it up Ezech 29.9. Iſa. 19.5.6. and ſo he did: Creditur Aegyptus caruiſſe juvantibus arva. Imbribus,Ovid. at que annis ſicca fuiſſe novem. To teach both them and us, that both plenty and ſcarcity, drought, and rain are his work: he carries the keyes of the grave, of the heart, and of the windows of heaven the clouds, under his own giroſe. Veſſels they are as thin as the Equ[illegible: 3 letters] which is contained in them. There they hang and move, though weighty with their. burden. How they are upheld, and why they fall here, and now, we know not, but wonder at it, as Gods handy work. In the iſland of [illegible: 1 letter]t. Thomas, [illegible: 4 letters]s Grg. pag 251. on the backſide of Airike, in the middeſt of it is an hill: and over that, a continuall cloud, wherewith the whole Iſland is watered. In the middle region of the air, God [illegible: 1 word] made druk[illegible: 1 letter]eſſe his ſecret place: has pavilion round about [illegible: 1 word] is d[illegible: 2 letters]k [illegible: 1 span] cloude of the skie, Pſal. 18.11. Theſe he weighes by meaſure, ſo that not a dr[illegible: 3 letters] falls in vain, nor in a wrong place, Job 28.15. When he uttereth his voice [illegible: 1 word] is a multitude (or noiſe) or waters in the heavens, and he cauſeth the [illegible: 1 word] to aſcend from the ends of the earth: he maketh lightenings with rain, &c. Job. 10.[illegible: 2 letters]. A wonderfull thing ſurely, that out of the middeſt or water, God ſetcheth [illegible: 1 word], and hard ſtones out of the midſt of thin vapours. This is the Lords own do[illegible: 3 letters] and it is (worthily) marvellous in our eyes. Are there any among the vanit[illegible: 3 letters] or the Gentiles that can given rain? or can the heavens give ſnowres? (So the [illegible: 4 letters] raliſis will needs have it: but what ſaith the Prophet?) [illegible: 1 span] Gad? therefore we will wan upon thee: for [illegible: 1 span], Jer. [illegible: 1 word] A pious reſolution ſurely, and that which the Lord here would have this people to take up: viz. in the way of his judgements to wait upon him,Eſay 25.3. and work b[illegible: 5 letters] him, to honour him with their ſubſtance, and with the firſt fruits of al[illegible: 1 letter] their increaſe. So ſhould their barnes be filled with piency, and their preſſes burſt out with new wine, Prov. 2.9, 10. The [illegible: 1 span] [illegible: 1 word] ſhall be [illegible: 1 span], Prov. 11.25.

God will poure him our a bleſſing] becauſe he [illegible: 1 span], as the Hebrew hath it in that place of the Proverbs laſt cited, and he ſhall have rain [illegible: 1 span] pl[illegible: 1 letter]v[illegible: 1 letter]a erir, as K[illegible: 2 letters]chr rendreth the laſt words there. [illegible: 1 letter]e ſhall be a ſweet and [illegible: 1 word] ſhowre to himſelf and others. Thereſore they ſhall [illegible: 1 span] of Zion, and ſhall flow together to the goodneſſe of the Lord, for whe[illegible: 2 letters], [illegible: 1 span] and for oil, and for the young of the ſtock, and of the he[illegible: 1 letter]d: and their [illegible: 1 span] a wa[illegible: 1 letter]ered garden, and they ſhall not ſorrow any more [illegible: 1 span], Gen. 31.12. O precious promiſe, every ſyllable whereof drops myrrhe, and merey! [illegible: 1 span] that [illegible: 1 word] of [illegible: 1 word], (ſo we may call him as the [illegible: 1 span] the [illegible: 1 letter]ather of Vows, becauſe he is the firſt we read of in Scripture that vowed a vow unto the Lord) had this promiſe of abundance plentifully performed unto him. So had [illegible: 1 word] the firſt Chriſtian Emperour, the Churches great Beneſactour. [illegible: 1 span],De civ. Dei i 5. c 25. faith A[illegible: 1 letter]g[illegible: 1 letter]ſtine, Conſtimum Alagnum [illegible: 1 span] mullus under et. The good Lord filled [illegible: 1 span], with ſo many temporall bleſſings, as never any man durſt with for.

There ſhall not be [illegible: 1 span] ] [illegible: 1 span],Nop tan[illegible: 2 letters]m quod ſufficiat, ſed[illegible: 1 letter]ti mquod ſuperſit Rah. Drvil. Ʋltra ſufficiens. Montat. ſo that you ſhall ſay, It is enough: Thus the Chaldee rendreth it. [illegible: 1 span] ſhall hove more then enough, as the areptan had, [illegible: 1 letter] King. [illegible: 1 word] the cruſe never ceaſed running till there was no room. Borrow of [illegible: 1 span], [illegible: 1 word] the Prophet, but ſh[illegible: 2 letters]: the doors [illegible: 1 word]. It was time to ſhut the doors, [illegible: 1 word] One, when many greater veſſels muſt be ſupplied from one little one. ſhee had a Prephets reword with a witneſſe. And ſo had the Shunamite. Her table, and bed, and ſtool was well beſtowed: That candleſtick repaid her the light of her future life and condition; that table, the means of maintenance; that ſtool, a ſeat of [illegible: 1 span] bed, a quiet reſt from the common calamities of her nation. So [illegible: 1 word] a paymaſter is God: his retributions are more then bountifull: he will not be overcome by his creature in liberality, Jam. 1.5. They ſhall be ſure to have their own again with uſury, either in money, or moneys-worth. What they want in temporalls (a ſufficiency whereof they ſhall be ſure of, if not a [illegible: 1 word]) he will a [illegible: 1 word] up in ſpirituals, joy and peace through beleeving, as much, or more then heart can hold. Some holy men have ſo over-abounded exceedingly with joy, that they have been forced to cry out, Hold Lord, ſtay thine hand, &c. their ſpirits were even ready to expire, with an exuberancy of ſpirituall raviſhment: as the Church in the Canticles was ſick of love, and therefore calls to the Miniſters,Cmt. 2.5. to ſtay her from ſinking and ſwooning, to bolſier her up, being ſurprized with a love-qualme: as the Queen of Sheba rapt with admiration, had no more ſpirit in her: as Jacobs heart ſaintd,Godfr. in ult. Bern. Epiſt I. 1. Confeſſ. l. 6. e. 22. when he heard the good news of Joſeph alive. Bernard, for a certain time after his converſion, remained as it were, deprived of his ſenſes, by the exceſſive conſolations he had from God. Cypran and Auſtin teſtifie the like of themſelves.

Ve[illegible: 1 letter]ſe 11. And I will rebuke the devourer for your ſakes] Caterpillars, Cankerwormes, and ſuch hurtiull creatures, Gods terrible army, as they are notably ſet forth in their march and miſchief, Joel 2.2, 3, 4, 5, &c. with chap. 1.4. to tame his rebels to eaſe him of his adverſaries, and to avenge him of his enemies, Eſay 1.24. Theſe he will rebuke (for every creature is at his beck, and check) as he rebuked the red-ſea, and it was dried up, Pſal. 105. and as he rebuked the winds, Mat. 8.26. the fever, Luk. 4.39. the devil, Mat. 7.18. he will ſay unto them, Abite [illegible: 1 word] hine. Get you hence, and that's enough, for they are all his ſervants, Pſal. 119.91, He is the great Centurion (or rather Lord of Hoſts) that faith to this creature Go, and he goeth, and to another, Come, and he cometh, &c. if he do but ſay, Who is on my ſide, who? all creatures look out at their windows, as ready preſt to do his pleaſure: neither is there any ſo mean amongſt them, or ſo deſpicable that cannot, if ſet on by him, make the proudeſt on earth ſtoop, and ſay, This is the ſinge of God. But of this ſee more in the 1. Doſt. on verſ. 18. of this Chapter. Let all that look for Gods bleſſing, either upon their perſons or poſſeſſions, make their peace with God (the genealogie of corn, and wine is reſolved into him, Hoſ. 2.22.) and bring him all his tythes into the ſtore-houſe, &c. leſ hee blaſt their fair hopes, out off the meat from their mouthes, take his own and bee gone, take away his corn in the time thereof, and his wine in the ſeaſon thereof, &c. Hoſ. 2.9. The Jews in our Saviours time, ſuis malis edoſthi, were punctuail in paying their tythes, even to a potherb, Marth. 23. And at this day, though not in their own countrey, nor have a beviticall Prieſthood, yet thoſe of them that would bee reputed religious,Godw. Heb. Antiq p. 277. do diſtribute, in lieu of tythes, the tenth of their increaſe unto the poor: being perſwaded that God doth bleſſe their increaſe the more: For their uſuall proverb is, Dectma in dives fias, [illegible: 1 letter]ythe and be rich. Of the young Lord Harrington (the laſt of that name) it is reported by Mr. Stock, who preached his Funerall, that he conſtantly gave the tenth of his yearly revenue to pious and charitable uſes. And of reverend Mr. Will Whately Miniſter of Banbary, it is likewiſe recorded in his life, that he ſet apart and expended for many years before he died for good uſes, the tenth part of his yearly comings in, both out of his temporall and eccleſiaſticall means of maintenance: and that he never thrived in his outward eſtate, till he took that courſe. Beſides the ſweet comfort that the ſpirits of his wealth thus diſtilled, as it were, brought to his conſcience, both in life and at death: and the bleſſing of a good name left behind him, according to that which follows next in the text, And all nations, &c.

Verſe 12. And all nations ſhall call you Heſſed] viz. for the abundance of outward comforts and commodities, by the which the Nations meaſured mens happineſſe ſaying, Bleſſed is the people that is in ſuch a eaſe, Pſal. 144.15. Cyprus was for this cauſe anciently called Macaria, that is, the bleſſed countrey, as having a ſufficiency of all things within it ſelf: and England was called Regnum Dci, the kingdome of God, or the Fortunate Iſland, and Engliſhmen Deires, as thoſe that were ſet ſafe de ira Dei, from the wrath of God. In the time of Pope lement the ſixth (as Robert of Avesbury teſtifieth) when Lewis of Spain was choſen Prince of the Fortunate Iſlands, and for the conqueſt thereof was to raiſe an Army in France and Italy; the Engliſh Agent at Rome, together with his company departed and gat home, as conceiving that the Prince was bound for England, then the which they thought there was not a more fortunate Iſland in the world. Of the Iſland of Lycia, Sol nus ſaith,Lyciam Horatius claram dicit. that all the day long, the sky is never ſo cloudy, but that the Sun may be ſeen there. Semper in Sole ſiva eſt Rhodos, The Rhodes is ever in the Sunſhine, ſaith Aeneas Sylvius. And of Alexandria in Egypt, Ammianus Marcellizus obſerveth, that once in the day the Sun hath been ſeen to ſhine over it. I confeſſe the ſame cannot be ſaid of England: I remember alſo what I have read of a certain Frenchman, who returning home out of England, and being asked by a countreyman of his that was bound for England, what ſervice he would command him into this countrey? Nothing but this, ſaid the other; When you ſee the Sunne,Per duos enim menſes quibus ibi fui, Solem mihi videre non licuit. Garincieres de tabe Anglica. p 84. Ʋt finem at que initium lucis exiguo diſcrimine in ternoſcas. Noment que ex eo ſortitam. Polyh. c. 17. have me commended to him: for I have been there two moneths, and could never ſee him in all that ſpace. Belike he was here in the deep of winter. For at Summer Soliſtice Tacitus (in the life of Agricola) hath obſerved, that the Sun ſhineth continually in Britanny, and neither ſetteth nor riſeth there; but paſſeth ſo light by us by night, that you can ſearce ſay, we have any night at all: But if we ſpeak of the Sunſhine of Gods grace and favour, either for ſpirituals or temporals: as Delos is ſaid by Solinus, to have been the firſt countrey that had the Sun ſhining upon it, after the generall deluge, and therehence to have had its name: ſo was England one of the firſt Hands that both received Chriſt, and that ſhook off Antichriſt. And for temporall bleſſings, all nations call us bleſſed, and count us a delightſome land indeed, a land of deſires, ſuch as all men would deſire to dwell in, for the exceeding fruitfulneſſe and pleaſantneſſe of it: it being the Court of Queen Ceres, the granary of the Weſtern world, as forreigne Writers have termed it, the paradiſe of pleaſure, and garden of God, as our own Chronicler. The truth is, We may well ſay of England, as the Italians do of Venice, by way of proverb: He that hath not ſeen it, cannot beleeve what a dainty place it is: and he that hath not lived there ſome good ſpace, cannot underſtand the worth of it. Our Mr. Aſcham, Schoolmaſter to Q. Eizabeth, had lived there ſome time, and had ſoon enough of it: for though hee admired the place, he utterly diſliked the people for their looſe living. And the like (alaſſe) may be too truly affirmed of us. We live in Gods good land, but not by Gods good lawes: we eat the fat and drink the ſweet, but we ſanctifie not the Lord God in our hearts, we live not as becometh Chriſtians. Our hearts (like our Climate) hath much more light then heat; light of knowledge, then heat of zeal; our lukewarmneſſe is like to be our bane, our ſinnes our ſnuffes, that dimme our candleſtick, and threaten the removall of it. O ſi ſiat id in nobis (ſaith One) quod in Sole videtur, qui quibus affulſerit, ijs etiam calrem & colorem impertire ſolet! O that the Sun of righteouſneſſe would ſo ſhine upon us, as to warm us, and tranſforme us into the ſame image from glory to glory, as by his Spirit! O that he would ſet up his own kingdome here more and more amongſt us! then ſhould were be more happy then the Iſraelites were under the raigne of king Solomon, or the Spaniards under their Ferdinand the third, who reigned 35. years: in all which time there was neither famine nor peſtilence in the land.Lopez Gloſſ. in prolog par. 1

Verſ. 13. Your words have been ſtout againſt me] Or, reenforced, or ſtrongly confirmed. Superant me verba veſtra, ſo ſome have rendred it. By your hard and hatefull words you have been too hard for me, as it were. And it is, as if God ſhould ſay, I have given you my beſt advice o break off your ſinnes, and to bring me my tythes, that I might bleſſe you both with ſtore, and honour. But I have loſt my labour: I ſee well, my ſweet words are worſe then ſpilt upon you, who are ſo hardened in your errour and blaſphemy, Prov. 23.8. Verba quid incaſſum non proficientia perdo. Mal. 2.17. that you are ſtill clamouring and caſting out odious words againſt me. Once before you had ſet your foul mouthes againſt me, and like ſo many wolves (that were wood) you held up your heads and howl'd out theſe ugly words, Every one that doth evil is good in the ſight of the Lord, and he delighteth in them, &c. (was it poſſible that the wit of malice could deviſe ſo high a ſlander?) And now you are at it again, creaking like doors that move upon ruſty hinges, nay clattering and bluſtering out ſuch helliſh and hideous blaſphemies, as at the hearing whereof, it is great wonder if the heavens ſweat not, earth gape not, ſea roar not, all creatures conſpire not to be avenged upon you: as the very ſtones in the wall of Aphek turned executioners of thoſe blaſphemous Aramites, when as being but ignorant Pagans, their tongues might ſeem no ſlander.

Your words have been ſtout againſt me] Yea ſtouter and ſtouter: your wickedneſſe frets like a canker, and encreaſeth ſtill to more ungodlineſſe, 2 Tim. 2.17. Evil men and deceivers grow worſe and worſe, 2 Tim. 3.13. as being given up by God, Rom. 1.28. acted and agitated by the devil, Epheſ. 2.2. ſerving diverſe luſts and pleaſures, Tit. 3.3. which to ſatisfie is an endleſſe piece of buſineſſe. Neither let any here ſay, they were but words that theſe are charged with, and words are but wind, &c. for words have their weight, and are marvellous provoking. Leviter volant, ſed non leviter violant. You ſhall find ſome, ſaith Eraſmus, that if death be threatned, can deſpiſe it: but to be belied they cannot brook, nor from revenge contain themſelves. As a murthering-weapon in my bones, ſaith David, mine enemies reproach me, Pſal. 42.10. Deſperate ſpeeches and blaſphemies that impoſe upon the Lord any thing unbeſeeming his Majeſty (a thing common among the Jews, even at this day) he can by no means away with. See how God ſtomacketh ſuch proud contumelious language, Pſal. 73.11. and 94.4, 5, 6, 7, &c. Zeph. 1.12. Ezech. 9.9. See how he puniſhed it in him that bored thorough his great Name, Lev. 24.11. Ludovike commonly called St. Lewis, cauſed the lips of blaſphemers to be ſeared with an hot iron. Philip the French King puniſhed this ſin with death, yea though it were committed in a Tavern. The very Turks have the Chriſtians blaſpheming of Chriſt in execration: and will puniſh their priſoners ſorely, when as, through impatience, or deſperateneſſe, they wound the ears of heaven: Yea the Jews in their ſpeculations of the cauſes of the ſtrange ſucceſſe of the affairs of the world,Specul. Europae aſſigne the reaſon of the Turks prevailing ſo againſt the Chriſtians, to be their blaſphemies: and among other ſcandals and lets of their converſion, are all thoſe ſtout words darted with helliſh mouthes againſt God in their hearing, ſo ordinarily and openly, by the Italians eſpecially, who blaſpheme oftner then ſwear, and murther oftner then revile or ſlander. Andrew Muſculus in his diſcourſe, intituled, The devil of blaſphemy, hath a memorable ſtory of a deſperate dice-player in Helvetia, Anno 1553. at a town three miles diſtant from Lucerna. Where, on a Lords-day, three wretched fellows were playing at dice, under the town-wall. One of them, named Ʋlricus Schraeterus, having loſt a great deal of money, ſwore that if he loſt the next caſt, he would fling his dagger at the ſace of God. He loſt it, and in a rage threw up his dagger with all his might toward heaven. The dagger vaniſhed in the air, and was ſeen no more: five drops of blood fell down upon the table where they were playing, which could never be waſhed out, (part of it is ſtill kept in that town for a monument) the blaſphemer (to ſay the beſt of him) was fetcht away preſently body and ſoul by the devil, with ſuch an horrible noiſe, as affrighted the whole town. The other two came to a miſerable end ſhortly after. The truth of this relation is further atteſted by Job Fincelius, and Philip Lonicerus, Theat. hiſtor. pag. 142.

yet ye ſay, What have we ſpoken ſo much againſt thee?] Chald, What have we multiplied to ſpeak before thee? As if they ſhould ſay, [illegible: 1 letter]t is not ſo much that we have ſpoken, that thou ſhouldeſt make ſuch a buſineſſe of it. Nothing more ordinary with graceleſſe men, then to elevate and extenuate: great ſins with them, are ſmall ſins, and ſmall ſins no ſins: when as every ſinne ſhould ſwell like a toad in their eyes, and the abundant hatred thereof in their hearts, ſhould make them ſay all that can be ſaid for the aggravation and deteſtation of it: ſith there is as much treaſon in coyning pence as bigger pieces; becauſe the ſupreme authority is as much violated in the one as in the other. But this ſin of theirs was no peccadillo, as appeareth by the following inſtance.

Verſe 14. Ye have ſaid, It is vain to ſerve God] Vulg. He is vain that ſerves God. Ye are idle, ye are idle ſaid Pharaoh to the Iſraelites when they would needs go ſacrifice, and to Moſes and Aaron, Ye let the people from their works. Any thing ſeems due work to a carnall mind ſaving Gods ſervice: that's labour loſt, time caſt away, they think. But this is their want of ſpirituall judgement; they ſee not the beauty of holineſſe, they taſte not how good the Lord is: they diſcern not things that are excellent, they meaſure all by preſent ſight ſenſe, and taſte, as do children, ſwine and other bruit creatures: And therefore they themſelves are vani & vaniſſimi, as an Expoſitor here ſpeaketh, vain, and moſt vain, and that for two reaſons, and in two reſpects. Firſt, for that they take themſelves to be ſervers of God. Secondly, they ſtick in the bark, ſerve him with the out-ſide onely, honour him with their lips, and not with their hearts, to bring him vein oblations, empty performances, ſerve him wih ſhews and formalities which he delights not in, nay he rejects them with infinite ſcorn, as he did the Phariſees devotions, Luk. 16.15. becauſe they were but skin-deep, and not heart-ſprung; therefore they were not a button the better for them. God loves and looks for truth in the inward parts, Pſal. 51.6. he looks that men ſhould do his will from the heart, Epheſ. 6.6. and ſerve him in their ſpirits, Rom. 1.9. In doing whereof there is great reward, Pſal. 19.11. praemium ante praemium, that Euge of a good conſcience: this the ſtranger medleth not with, conceives not of, the wealth of Gods pilgrims ſtanding more in Jewels, and gold, things light o[illegible: 1 letter] carriage, and well portable, then in houſe and land. His ſervants have that here that doth abundantly pay them for their pains afore-hand: righteouſneſſe being it own reward; and they knowing within themſelves, that they have in heaven a better and an enduring ſubſtance. Heb. 10. But hereaſter oh the rich recompence that God ſhall make them! oh the heaped up happineſſe of ſuch at the laſt! when theſe vain talkers in the text, and all that are of their mind, ſhall roar out Nos inſenſati, We fooles counted their lives madneſſe: But now &c. See more of this in the following Note on ver. 16. doctr. 5.

what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance] The Chaldee hath it, Quod mammon adeptiſumus? what mammon or wealth have we gained? Mammoniſts are all for gain, their very godlineſſe is gain, ſtill they have an Eagles-eye to the prey, when they ſeem to ſly higheſt toward heaven: If they may not get by God, they ſoon grow weary of his work. What ſhewes ſoever they make of better, ſure it is their belly is their God, they mind earthly tings. Theſe will follow the chaſe, as Jonathan, till they meet with the hony-combe; or as a curr followes his maſter till he meet with a [illegible: 1 word], Theſe come to Chriſt (as that young Phariſee did) haſtily, but the [illegible: 1 span]; becauſe they conſider not. that with the Lord are durable rich's Prv. 8.18. and that godlineſſe as it hath many croſſe, ſo it hath many con[illegible: 3 letters]ts against [illegible: 1 word];Virtus lecy [illegible: 4 letters] habet in malis like as no countly hath more venomous creatures then Egypt, [illegible: 1 span] Antidotes. This there Senſualiſts, having not the ſpirit, underſtand not [illegible: 1 span] hence their complaint of a diſappointment; caſting a ſtirr upon Gods [illegible: 1 span] as thoſe ſpies did upon the promiſed land,Num. 14. and ready to run back into Egypt toth air fleſh-[illegible: 1 letter]ots, garli[illegible: 1 letter]k, and onions there. Lo, this is the guiſe of [illegible: 1 span], wath whom th[illegible: 1 letter]' the beſt religion that brings greateſt advantage [illegible: 1 span] thi[illegible: 1 letter] life. if the Ark bring a bl[illegible: 1 letter]ling with it, as it did to Ohed-Edom, it [illegible: 1 span] upon as worthy of entertainment; but if a plague of poverty [illegible: 1 span], theſe Philiſtines will be glad to [illegible: 1 letter]id their hands of it. The gariſhneſſe of ho [illegible: 1 word], wealth, and pleaſures do ſo [illegible: 1 letter]azle their eyes, that they think it the only happineſſe to have and to hold. Such fooles they are, and ſuch great beaſts, if David may judge Pſal. 73.22. to fly a fooles-pitch, and to goc hawking after that that cannot be had, as Solomon faith Pro. 23.5. Or if had, yet cannot be held, as being of ſwiſreſt wing, and [illegible: 1 word] ſoon gone, as a poſt that paſſeth by. Godlineſſe hath the preomiſe of [illegible: 2 letters]th lives: and we read of ſome godly men in ſcripture, that were richer then any other. But God will have it ſometims to be otherwiſe that godimeſſe might be ad[illegible: 4 letters]d for it ſelf: and to ſhew that his people ſerve him not for [illegible: 1 span] Iob 1.9. But that none ſerves God for nought, no not ſo much as [illegible: 1 word] a d[illegible: 2 letters] or [illegible: 1 span]. See before ch. p. 1.10.

that [illegible: 1 word] have kept his ordinances] which if they had done indeed, they would never have th[illegible: 2 letters] [illegible: 2 letters]gged, much leſs blaſphemed: they would have accuſed themſelves, [illegible: 1 span] livine providence; they would have ſaid with holy Ezra, All this is come upon us for our [illegible: 1 letter]vill deeds, and for [illegible: 1 span]: and thou, our God, haſt puniſhed us leſs then our iniquities deſerve. A[illegible: 4 letters]teſt thou not be juſtly angry with us till thou hadſt conſumed us, ſo that there ſhould the no remnant nor eſeaping? Ezr. 9.1[illegible: 1 letter], 14. Thus the good wheat falls low at the feet of the fan[illegible: 1 letter]er, when th[illegible: 1 letter] chaff [illegible: 1 word] and flyes at his face. Thus the ſheep, when ſhorn, H[illegible: 1 letter]at and lookes downward: whereas the hang rbit wolf lookes up and howlesagainſt heaven. Hypocrites uſe to wrangle with God and expoſtulate the unkindneſs of his non-acceptance of their ſervices as Eſay 58.3. Wherefore have we faſted, ſay they, and thou ſeeſt not? wherefore have we aſlicted our ſoule, and thou takeſt no knowledge? God was, in their opinion, far too ſhort and much behind with them; and therefore much to blame, and they muſt give him the telling of it; They do ſo: and they have their anſwer. So they ſhall have here in the following verſes, and the next chapter, which ought not to be divided from this, as ſome conceive. They upbraid the Lord as with their obſervances, ſo with their humiliations.

and that we have walked mournfully] Or, in black, the habit of mourners: whence that of the Heathen Oratour, Athenienſes non niſi atrati &c. The Athenians are never ſo good as when they are all in black; that is, under ſome heavy affliction. And a great Sateſman of this kingdome had this verſe written upon his ſtudy door.

Anglica gens eſt optima flens & peſſima ridens.

Great Brittain all in black, is in its beſt condition. But what is it to wear ſackcloth,1 K[illegible: 1 letter]ng. 21.27. and walk ſoftly, with Ahab, when he had ſold himſelf to do wickedly? what is an humbling day without an humbled heart? not only an irreligious incongruity, but an high provocation; like Zimri's act, when all the congregation were weeping before the dore of the Tabernacle. Surely God may ſay to ſuch pretenders, as Iſaac did to his father, Behold the fire and the wood, but wher's the lamb for a ſacrifice? or as Jacob did to his ſons that brought him the bloody coat, Loe her's the coat, but wher's my child? your garments are black, but your hearts and lives are much blacker. Go, cleanſe your hands ye ſinners, and puriſie your hearts, you double-minded. Be afflicted, in good earneſt, and mourn to ſome purpoſe, and weep, ſoak and ſouce your ſelves in teares of true repentance: let your ſorrow for ſin be deep and downright: turn your laughter to mourning, and your joy to heavineſſe. Jam. 4.8, 9. And then come, let us reaſon together, ſaith the Lord. All theſe unkind conteſtations ſhall ceaſe, and all loving correſpondencies ſhall paſſe betwixt us. God had ſaid as much as all this before to them verſe 7, 10, 11. Sed ſurdo fabulam, their adamant was too hard to be mollified. Their bulruſhes, though bowed down for a day, while ſome ſtorm of trouble was upon them, was now ſo pierkt up, as if it would threaten heaven. witneſſe their continued contumacy, their robuſtious language in the next verſe alſo, ſtouting it out ſtill with God.

Verſe 15. And now we call the proud happy] Such as, boyling and ſwelling with ſpite and ſpleen againſt God and his people, deal arrogantly and inſolently, doing wickedly with both hands earneſtly Exod. 18.11. and 21.11. and working their own ends confidently and daringly: theſe we call and count happy, becauſe wealthy and well underlaid, as they ſay, becauſe they live in the height of the worlds blandiſhments. But the whole book of Eccleſiaſtes is a clear and full confutation of this fond conceit, had they but ever read or regarded it. How can the proud perſon be happy that hath God for his profeſt enemy? what was all Hamans honour to him, when the king frown'd upon him? what was Ahah the better for his ivory palace, his gold, and his jewels in every place, when the heaven was braſſe above, the earth iron beneath? Surely God abhorreth pride as an abomination of deſolation:Pſal. 31.23. and though he preſerveth the faithfull, yet ſooner or later he plensifully rewardeth the proud doer. Like metall in the fire when they ſhine brighteſt, they are neareſt to melting: and like a bulging wall, they will ſhortly fall. Swelling is a dangerous ſymptom in the body, ſo is pride in the ſoule. Telluntur in altum, ut lapſu graviore ruant. Neither are they therefore to be reputed ever awhit the more happy, becauſe they come not in trouble like other men, but proſper in their wickedneſſe. For God is never more angry with ſuch, then when he ſeemes beſt pleaſed. Pharaeh had fair weather made him, till he was in the middeſt of the Sea: fatting cattle are but fitting for the ſhambles. Never was Jeruſalems condition ſo deſperate, as when God ſaid unto her, My fury ſhall depart from thee, I will be quiet and no more angry Ezek. 16.42. Nor Ephraims, as when he ſaid, I will not puniſh your daughters when they commit whoredom. And, Ephraim is joyned to idols, let him alone Hoſ. 4.14, 17. ſc. till I come and ſetch my full blow at him. Clem. Alexandrinus cites Plato expreſſing himſelf thus: Although a righteous man be tormented, although his eyes be digged out, yet he remains a bleſſed man: and the contrary.

they that work wickedneſſe are ſet up] Heb. they are built up] ſc. in poſterity, and proſperity of all ſorts. The Pſalmiſt expreſſeth it thus: They are full of children, and leave the reſt of their ſubſtance to their babes. Pſal. 17. Thus God built the midwives houſet, that is, he gave them children, for their mercy to thoſe new-born-babes Exod. 2.21. Thus he builded David an houſe 2 Sam. 7. And thus thoſe that return to the Almighty have a gracious promiſe that they ſhall be built up Iob 22.23. That theſe ſtout and ſtift Stigmaticks were built up and proſpered, though (after ſo ſweet an invitation) they turned not to him that ſmot them, we need not wonder, ſith it is their portion, as David ſheweth, all they are like to have, or muſt everlook for. Beſides, Is not God the true proprietary of all? Is not the earth the Lord; purſe, with the ſulneſſe thereof,Mat. 20.13. and may he not do with his own as he pleaſeth? Add hereunto that what wicked men have, they have it with a curſe, and for miſchief: their table is a ſnare to them; they are like to pay dear for their ſweet morſels, as Haman did for his wine at Eſthers banquet. Bernard calles the wicked mans proſperity miſericordiam omni indignatione crudeliorem, In Pſal 91. a merey more cruel, then any adverſity. Auſtin affirmeth, Nullum mare tam profundum, quam eſt Dei cogitatio ut mali floreant &c. No ſea is ſo deep as the divine diſpenſation that good men ſhould ſuffer, bad men proſper. They are built up with bleſſings, as they ſay the Phenix builds her neſt with hot ſpices, wherein ſhe is afterwards burned. They build as thoſe at Babel, and feather their neſts, as if their lives were rivetted upon eternity: but as their foundation is laid upon fire-work, ſo brimſtone is ſcattered upon their habitations Iob 18.15. If the fire of Gods wrath but touch it, all will be quickly conſumed. Diocleſian that bloody perſecutour deſpairing of ever rooting out the Chriſtian religion as he had endeavoured to do, gave over his empire in a diſcontent, and decreed to lead the reſt of his life quietly. But he could not eſcape ſo: For, after that,Fuſeb. de vita Conſtant. lib. 5. his houſe was wholy conſumed with lightening, and a flame of fire that fell from heaven, he hiding himſelf for fear of the lightening, died within a little after. Their inward thought is (ſaith the Pſalmiſt of ſuch wicked Atheiſts) that their houſes, (honours, riches, nephews) ſhall continue for ever: and their dwelling place to all generations; they call their houſes after their own names; as Cain called his new-built city Enoch after the name of his ſon, that he might leave him Lord Enoch of Enoch. Nevertheleſſe man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beaſts that periſh Pſal. 49.11, 12. The uſe to be made hereof ſee ver. 16. Be not thou afraid when (a wicked) one is made rich, when the glory of his houſe is increaſed &c.

yea they that tempt God are even delivered] Still theſe Miſcreants are grunting out their grudges aginſt God. What this ſin here inſtanced, viz. of tempting God is, hath been ſhewed before in the note on ver. 10. of this chapter: Here it is to be taken for an audacious daring of God to take vengeance, as Num. 15. Theſe very worſt fort of ſinners are ſometimes not only ſpared, but proſpered Ier. 12.1. &c. Their Epha is not yet full, their iniquity not found to be hatefull enough yet. But the wicked is kept (by the patience of God) unto the day of deſtruction: and ſhall be brought forth to the day of wrath, as condemned Malefactours are to execution, ſome by poſterns and by-gates, others thorough the market place: ſo here. He that hath ſtollen a good ho[illegible: 1 letter]ſe, ride gallantly mounted for preſent, till ſhortly after, followed cloſe by Hu[illegible: 1 letter] and cry he is ſoon apprehended, ſentenced, and brought to condign puniſhment. And this is the very ſtate of preſumptuous ſinners, and will be. I know well, that becauſe ſentence is not preſently executed, therefore the hearts of the ſons of men are ſet in them to doe wickedly. Felix ſcelus virtus vocatur, as we ſee here, The proud are called happy, Eccleſ. 8. Cicero. becauſe, for preſent, in proſperity. See the like Ier. 44.11. Gen. 30.18. Dionyſius, after the ſpoile of an Idol-temple, finding the winds favourable in his navigation, Lo, ſaid he, how the Gods approve of Sacriledge. But the weakneſſe of this argument ſee ſet forth by Solomon Eccleſ. 9.1, 2, 3. with the Notes there. God gives outward things to the wicked, no otherwiſe then as if a man ſhould caſt a purſe full of gold into a jakes. He gives them riches to furniſh their inditement out of them: as Joſeph put his cup into their fack to pick a quarrel with them, and lay theft to their charge. The ſunſhine of proſperity ripens their ſin apace, and ſo fits them for deſtruction. Let God therefore be juſtified, and every mouth ſtopped.

Verſe 16. Then they that feared the Lord &c.] Then: Gen 6.12. Hoſ. 4.1. when all fleſh had corrupted their wayes: and the whole world turned Atheiſts. Then when there was no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land (none, to ſpeak of) but that it was even darkened with profaneneſſe, as Egypt was with thoſe very grievous locuſts that covered the eye thereof, Exod. 10.14, 15. Then when the faithfull city was become an harlot: Eſay 1.21, 22. her ſilver turned into droſſe, her wine mixt with water: her people not dilute onely, but diſſolute: her ſelf exaurea facta eſt argentea, ex argented ferred, ex ſerred, terrea (as One once ſaid of Rome) of gold become [illegible: 1 word], of [illegible: 1 span] iron, of iron earth, or rather muck.

[illegible: 1 span] the Lord] Thoſe few names that had not deſiled their garments in ſo [illegible: 1 word] a ſeaſon:Rev. 2.4. 1 Jch. 5.18. but had kept themſelves unſpotted of the world, undefiled in the way; ſo as that that wicked One had not touched them, had not thruſt his deadly ſting into them, had not transformed them into ſins image. Theſe ſtood up to ſtickle for God, to ſtop the mouth of blaſphemy, and to ſtabliſh one another in perſwaſion of Gods holy truth, and conſtant care of his dear children.

ſpake often one to another] Montanus renders it, Tune vaſtati ſunt timentes Deminum; ſc. ab impijs & Atheis impune cos invadentibus; That is, Then were thoſe that ſeared the Lord Waſted and deſtroyed, viz. by thoſe wicked Atheiſts, who fell from fierce words, to bloody blows: ſo the word is uſed, 2 Chron. 22.10. Pſal. 2.5. But this is far ſet, and nothing ſo agreeable to the mind of the Holy Ghoſt here, as our Engliſh after other approved Tranſlations. It is the ſame word that is uſed verſe 13. Thoſe ſpoke not ſo much againſt God, as theſe did for him, and about him to each other,Heb. 12.13. for mutuall confirmation, that that which was halting haply might not be turned out of the way, but healed rather. Great is the benefit of Chrillian conference, for ſtrengthening the weak knees, and comforting the feeble minded.Job 6.25. How Forcible are right words? One ſeaſenable truth falling upon a prepared heart, hath oft a ſtrong and ſweet operation: as ſome ſpeeches of Staupicius had upon Luther: Liſe of L[illegible: 2 letters]k. by Mr Clack pag 85. Of whom it is alſo ſtorted, that he was much cheared up by conference with an old Prieſt diſcourſing about [illegible: 1 span] by faith, and explaining the Articles of the Creed to him. Latimer likewiſe was much furthered by hearing Bilneys confeſſion, and having frequent conference with him, at Heretikes-Lill, as the place where they moſt uſed to walk in the fields at Cambridge,Acts & Mon. fol. 1574. was called long after. Surely, as a little boat may land a man into a large Continent: ſo may a ſew good words ſuggeſt matter ſ[illegible: 4 letters]ient for a whole lives meditation. This [illegible: 1 word] well knows, and therefore as he did what he could to keep God and Daniel aſunder, Dan. 6.7. So he doth ſtill to keep the ſaints one from another, that they may not build up themſelves in their moſt Loly faith pray in the holy Choſt, pull one another out of the fire, &c. How were the Ap[illegible: 2 letters]ies perſecuted for their Chriſtian meetings, the primitive Chriſtians baniſhed and confined to Hes and Mines,Jude 2[illegible: 1 letter], 23. where they could not have acceſſe one to another, as Cyprias complains: the poor faints here in times of Popery, [illegible: 1 span] meeting as they could for mutuall edification; and therefore accuſed of ſedition: for prevention whereof it was ordained, that if [illegible: 1 word] ſhould flock ſecretly together above the number of ſix, they ſhould be attached of treaſon: [illegible: 1 span] ſo the Proteſtants at Milcenburg in Cermany were forbidden upon pain of death to ſpeak together of Scripture-matters And at Nola the Jeſuites ſtraitly charged the people not to talk of God, [illegible: 1 span] either in good ſort or in bad. See more of this in my Treatiſe on theſe words, called The kighteous mans Recomponſe. Chap. 4. Docl. 3. annexed to this Commentary.

and the Lord hearkened and heard] He not onely heard, but hearkened, or liſiened; Giſt us hit eſt diligenter auſcultantis, Eſay 32.3. It imports, not onely attention of body, but intention of minde, (as when a man liſteneth as for life, and makes hard ſhift to hear all) and retention of memory. For which purpoſe alſo a booke of remembrance is here ſaid to be written before him, or by his appointment. Liber monnmemi, A book of Acts and Monuments, in alluſion to the cuſtome of Kings. See Eſth. 2.23. Tamerlan (that warlike Scythian) had alwayes by him a catalogue of the names and good deſerts of his ſervants,Turk, hiſt. ſol. 227. which he daily peruſed, and whom he duely rewarded: not needing by them, or any others in their behalf, to be put in remembrance. Much leſſe doth the Lord, who bottles up the tears of his people, files up their prayers, puts all their holy ſpeeches and practiſes on record, that he may make all honourable mention of them at the laſt day, in that great Amphitheatre, that generall Aſſembly: not once remembring any of their miſdeeds, Mat. 25.35. Heb. 8.12. See more of this in the Righteous mans Recompenſe, Chap. 5. & 6.

and that thought upon his Name] That had God before their eyes, Pſal. 10.8. that minded his glory, 1 Cor. 10.31. that thought upon his commandements to do them; Pſal. 103.18. that can truly ſay with the Pſalmiſt, How precious are thy thoughts unto me, O God? how great is the ſumme of them, Pſal. 139.17. See more of this verſe in my Righteous mans Recompenſe, Chap. 7. Doct. 16.

Verſe 17. And they ſhall be mine] by peculiar right: Et ſuum cuique pulchrum: we all affect and admire our own things moſt: God chuſeth them for his love: and loves them for his choice. I will be a Father unto them: and they ſhall be my ſonnes and daughters, ſaith the Lord Almighty, 2 Cor. 6.18. which is all one with that here, They ſhall be mine ſaith the Lord of Hoſts. Concerning all which ſee my Righteous mans Recompenſe, Part 2. Chap. 1. and 3.

In the day when I make up my jewels] viz. from the worlds malignities, and miſuſages. They ſhall not plunder him of his Jewels, rob him of his chief treaſure. None ſhall take, or pluck them out of Chriſts hands, Job. 10.29. they that attempt it, ſhall find it a work not ſeiſable. When one deſired to ſee Great Alexanders treaſure, he bade one of his ſervants ſhew him not his gold and ſilver, but his friends.Liban. prog[illegible: 2 letters]. Chria. 1. Henceforth I call you not ſervants — but I have called you friends, Joh. 15.15. And a friend is as a mans own ſoul, Deut. 13.6. The Church is the dearly beloved of Gods ſoul, Jer. 12.7. yea his dearly beloved ſoul, as the Septuagint, and Vulgar render it, &c. See my Righteous mans Recompenſe, Part 2. Chap. 2.

and I will ſpare them] Or, indulge them, as David did Mephiboſheth, 2 Sam. 21.7. Vide ubi ſupra, Chap. 4. & 5.

Verſe 18. Then ſhall ye return and diſcern] See The Righteous mens Recompenſe, ad calcem.