Matthew Poole and continuators on Malachi 4

1 FOR behold , the day cometh that shall burn as an oven , and all the proud , yea, and all that do wickedly shall be stubble , and the day that cometh shall burn them up , saith the LORD of hosts , that it shall leave them neither root nor branch .

The words immediately foregoing, (which as we have the Chapters divided, did end the third Chapter) foretold a day to come then, though 'tis now long since past, in which such Judgments should be executed upon the Iewish Nation as should make the stoutest contemners of God to see and acknowledge his different respects and providences toward the good and toward the evil. Now in this verse (which continueth the discourse) he accounteth how it should be.

Mark well what now the Lord doth foretell.

Before mentioned, the day of visitation and discerning of men.

Though it be at some 400 years distance from you, yet 'tis coming and will overtake you and overwhelm you too about that time; nay you shall have some tastes of bitter cups before, some less and shorter troubles, the presage and assurance of that dreadful day I now speak of, saith our Prophet.

The Refiners fire, chap. 3.2. is now represented to us as a fire burning more dreadfully, which really was more dreadful in the fulfilling then here it is in the prediction. When Ierusalem and the Temple were on Fire, and none could quench it, when the Fire raged every where, but burnt most fiercely where the arched Roofs did make it as in Ovens or Furnaces to double it self, and infold flames with flames, and with dreadful roarings increast its Terrors. This day may well be an Emblem of the Day of Judgment, and this place may be accommodated thereto, but it principally speaks of the times of vengeance on Ierusalem in its final desolation.

Such as chap. 1.13. and 3.13, 14, 15. are described.

This is another part of the character of these persons, and explicatory of the former passage, proud men, such as (the Text mentions) will be wicked workers,

Dried and cast into the Oven, consumed as soon as cast in.

Of which already, chap. 3.15. and this verse let. c.

Totally and speedily consume them.

Added to confirm the certainty of the thing, the Lord of Hosts hath said it shall be, and he can do what he saith he will.

In allusion to the utter extirpation of trees for the fire, whose branches lopt off, the body cleft▪ and the roots stock'd up, and all cast into the fire, so that nothing remains but the ashes, into which all is turned, and this was fully accomplish'd upon the irreligious Iewes when the Rom[illegible: 2 letters]s burnt their City and Temple, and destroy'd the people.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 paragraph]

2 ¶ But unto you that fear my name , shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings , and ye shall go forth , and grow up as calves of the stall .

So chap. 3.16. are they described to us who were writte[illegible: 1 letter] in the book of remembrance, who loved the Law of their God, and kept it, who believed his Promises and rejoyced in expectation of the good promised, who believed his Threats and trembled at them, that they might rest in the day of trouble, as Hab. 3.16. who walked humbly with their God.

Christ, who is Luk. 1.78. the day-spring from on high. Or as most elegantly described Isa. 60.1, 2, 3. who is very fitly compared to the Sun, fountain of Light, and vital heat to his Church, he enlightens and enlivens every one, Ioh. 1.4, 5.

And of Mercy and benignity; for the Heb. word imports both, and neither may be here excluded. His Justice is seen in Executions of Judgment on the proud and wicked, who are consumed in the Fire of his wrath, and his Righteousness and Mercy are seen in the preservation and remuneration of those that fear the Lord, so greatly different shall this time be, to the wicked and the godly; to these a day of benign light and kindly influences through the Mercy of God, to the wicked a day of destruction, and utter extirpation.

His beams and rayes shall bring health and strength with delight and joy, safety and security, it may be (as some have observed from the word) an intimation of the healing vertue that from Christ went forth to such as in faith touched the hem of his Garment, Mat. 9.20, 21. and is as effectual for the healing of Soul Maladies and Infirmities as of Bodily Diseases.

Go out of harmes way, out of Ier[illegible: 1 letter]sale[illegible: 1 letter], before the fatal siege, obeying the Call from Heaven, Go [illegible: 1 span] Pella, and that of Christ, Mat. 24.15, 16.

In Strength, Vigour and Spiritual Stature.

Where they are safe guarded and well ordered. So will the Lord keep safe and look well to his preserved ones when the wicked are destroyed.

Marginal references: Eph [illegible: 1 span] 2 Pet [illegible: 1 span]

3 And ye shall tread down the wicked : for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet , in the day that I shall do this , saith the LORD of hosts.

Vid. ver. 2. let. n.

Now the ungodly, proud, and Atheistical despisers of God, Providence, and future Judgmen[illegible: 1 letter]s, do tread down those that fear God and are godly, but it shall not be so always; that word, Psal. 58.10, 11. and that [illegible: 1 word] 66.24. and that Rev. 18.20. shall be fulfilled in the overthrow of the bad, and in the Triumphs of the good. But more particularly this treading seems to be intended of those who, after the sacking and burning of Ierusalem, should return either to view the ruins, or to dwell there, and so should in going up and down, tread upon the wicked, either buried in the Ruins or consumed to Ashes.

By this it appears, that those preserved ones did not barbarously tread upon the entire Bodies of the wicked, but upon the ashes of those bodies by the fire consumed and turned into ashes, and mixt with the ashes of their Houses and Goods.

Burn Jerusalem and the Temple with the Citizens and Priests whose carcasses were slain by the Sword, or their persons surprised with the Flames, shall be burnt up. And so both this and much of the first verse may be literally understood, and was so fulfilled by Titus and his Souldiers, Anno Christi, 73.

4 ¶ Remember ye the law of Moses my servant , which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel , with the statutes and judgments .

Now take leave of all Prophesie, for you shall have no more till the Great Prophet, till Shiloh come and attend ye diligently to the Law of Moses, keep its precepts and directions.

In the full extent, the Moral Precepts, Rules of a Holy and Religious life for all. The Ceremonial Precepts; Rules of your Worship, so long as your Temple shall stand a Type of Christ to come. The Judicial Precepts; whilest you have any Government, or power of Judicatures. By a due keeping this you may escape future Judgments and obtain future blessings, Lev. 26. Deut. 28. beside, by this attending to the Law, they might be enabled to see the Messiah, and own him of whom Moses wrote in the Law. Now though the Law onely be exprest, the Prophets are included, who also wrote of Christ, Deut. [illegible: 1 letter]8.15. Ioh 5.46, 47. Acts 13.27. This was excellent advice to this People, who (had they taken it) had escaped the sins they ran into and the miseries they fell under; They had not crucified the Lord of Glory, nor rejected their own Mercy, nor pull'd fiery Judgments on their own heads, to their utter Ruine.

Whose memory you venerate, in whom you Glory, whose Law therefore ye ought to obey.

Who was my Servant, and delivered my commands to you. I do therefore expect that my Authority, and Moses his esteem among you prevail with you to study most carefully this Law.

With most Majestick circumstances to awe you to the observance of all its precepts and which was an Emblem of that Terrour and Majesty wherein the Lawgiver would appear to Judge, to give rewards or adjudge to punishments.

So long as they should be a people and Church.

Be not partial; Statutes and Judgments, i. e. the whole Law must you attend to, and remember it as God requires, not turn aside from any of its prescripts.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word] 20.3.; [illegible: 1 word] 4.10.

5 ¶ Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet , before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD .

Though the Spirit of Prophesie cease for 400 years, yet at the expiring of those years, you shall have one sent, as great as Elijah, and therefore he is now called Elijah, that shall prepare Messiah's way.

not the same in person, who reproved Idolatrous Israel, who destroyed Baal, though both Iewes and many Christians would gladly have it so▪ in favour of some errours they have adopted and would maintain. But this person here called Elijah, was Iohn Baptist, as is clear from Mat. 17.9. to 13. Elias is come, and they have done to him whatsoever they listed. ver. 12. Then understood the disciples that he spake of Iohn the Baptist. And he was that Elias if they would receive him, Mat. 11.10, 11, 12, 13. Elias was to come when Malachi lived; Elias was come, and the Iewes had ill treated him, and Herod had beheaded him, when Christ here lived; this Elias then was Iohn the Baptist, who came in the Spirit and power of Elijah Luk. 1.17. and therefore bears his name in this Prophesie.

Who foretold Christ the true Me[illegible: 1 letter]siah's sudden manifestation, who indeed was already among them, but had not yet discovered himself, on whom he perswades the Iewes to believe, and receive his person and his Law, Luk. 1.15, 16, 17. and Mar. 1.7, 8. who was greater than a prophet, Mat. 11.9. nor doth Iohn's denying himself to be a Prophet, Joh. 1.21. in their sense contradict this.

This day was great indeed, yet 'tis not the day of the last and great Judgment, though the Jewes perversly affirm it to evade the acknowledgment of Messiahs being already come. But this day of Messiah was great for the alterations he was to make in worship, and Church affairs, taking down the Mosaie Ceremonies and enlarging the Church; great for the Miracles he wrought and empowred others to do; great for the Reconciliation between God and man, for the conquering of Satan, and casting him out of his Throne. It was great too against the Jewes his obstinate Enemies.

It was a time of Vengeance, executed upon a people whose sins were full ripe and such sufferings fell on the Jewes at that time, as, may very well be an emblem of the day of Judgment, and which may be remotely meant hereby. But the first, literal and plain meaning of the words refer to the times of vengeance upon the Jewes from either the Birth, or first Preaching, or Death of Christ to the final desolation of the City and Temple, and irrecoverable overthrow of their Government of which Christ speaks at large, Mat. 24.1. and Mar. 13. to 32. ver. &c. which places point out first the sad and dismal Miseries of the Jewes, and next by accommodation, the end of the World and last Judgment. Such a description of this day, Joel 2.31. by St. Peter interpreted and applyed to this day of Christ. Acts 2.20. more fully clears this.

Jesus Christ preaching to the Iewes, calling them to Repentance, reproving their sins, encouraging their compliance, threatning their impenitence, and labouring to gather the children of Ierusalem toge[illegible: 1 letter]her under his wings, but they would not, Mat. 23.34. to 39. And therefore at last destroying by the Romans these obstinate and incorrigible sinners.

That is immediately before, so he was born six moneths before Christ, and began his preaching but few years before Christ began to exercise his publick office.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 span] 11.

6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers unto the children , and the heart of the children to their fathers , lest I come and smite the earth with a curse .

Iohn the Baptist, who comes in the spirit and power of Elias.

It shall be his office and work to turn, as 'tis the office of every Preacher. The success is of God who also gives it as he pleaseth, and did give it to Iohns Ministry, and so the words include the event of Iohns Preaching which did, as here 'tis foretold he should, convert many.

There were at this time many great and unnatural divisions and quarrels among the Iewes, in which fathers studied mischief to their own children; they were divided and spitefully bent against them, in Civils and on account of Religion, and these turned hearts from dearest Relations. Some by fathers and children understand Iewes and Gentiles, whose Souls being converted to Christ, their hearts were turned one to another.

Undutiful children estranged by the same means and on the same accounts from their Fathers, but now by obeying the Call to Repentance, embracing the Doctrine of the Messiah, immediately to be revealed, and Baptised into it; Religious quarrels cease, and both Parents and childrens hearts unite to Christ first, and then to each other, and all to God.

God, or Christ who indeed first tenders the blessings of Grace and Peace, and gives them to such as accept, but this the Iewes would not; the Rulers, the Priests, the body of the People refused them, next thing Christ (Lord and King, rejected and disowned) will do, is to curse and destroy.

The Land of Iudaea, and the inhabitants of it.

Which brings with it, and ends in utter destruction: as at this day we read in the story of the Romans invading, subduing, captivating the Iewes, and rasing their City and Temple. That the time is past now 1644 years since a stone was not left upon a stone, as was foretold by Christ, Mat. 24.2. since those unparallel'd hardships and miseries, befell the Iewes which no heart almost can read, and not bleed at reading, (though at this distance of time) and the sufferers so deservedly endured such a curse as leaveth Ierusalem a desolate heap, and a perpetual monument of Gods displeasure, against a people that finally sin against his Sovereignty and his Mercy.