Matthew Poole and continuators on 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 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.