John Trapp on Haggai 2:10

Verſe 10. In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month in the ſecond yeer of Darius] This diligence of the Prophets in noting and noticing the preciſe time of Gods hand upon them,Scultet. Annal. ſhould teach us to do the like. See the Note on chap. 1. ver. 1.Melch. Adam in vit. Bugenhàg. The churches in Switzerland kept that day yearely as an holiday whereon the Reformation began amongſt them. Bugenhagius kept a feaſt every yeer on that day of the month wherein he and ſome other Divines had finiſhed the Dutch Bible, and called it The feaſt of the Tranſlation of the Bible. Philipp. Pareus in vita Dau. Parei. The Univerſity of Heidelberg kept an Evangelicall Iubilee three whole dayes together Anno Dom. 1617. in the Calends of November, in the remembrance of the renowned Reformation of religion, begun by Luther a juſt hundred yeers before. Hereby Gods name ſhall be ſanctified, our faith ſtrengthened, and our good affection both evidenced and excited. By the time here deſcribed, it appeareth, that they had now been three moneths building, and the Prophet meane-while had given them great incouragement thereunto. But foraſmuch as he found that they ſtuck in the bark, as they, ſay, reſted in the work done, thought they ſhould therefore win upon God becauſe they built him a Temple, the Prophet gives them to underſtand, that there is more required of them then a Temple. viz. that therein they worſhip the Lord purely and holily, in ſpirit and in truth: that their divine worſhips bee right both quoad fontem & quoad finem, for principle and end of intention; for elſe, they impure all that they touch, and are no whit better, but a great deal the worſe for all their performances. This the Prophet teacheth them in the two following oracles propounded by way of demand to the Prieſts. How apt are men to loſe themſelves in a wilderneſſe of duties? To dig for pearls in their own dunghils? to think to oblige God to themſelves by their good works? to ſpin a threed of their own to climbe up to heaven by? to reſt in their own righteouſneſſe? to ſave themſelves by riding on horſes, Hoſ. 14.3? The Prophets deſigne is here to beat them off from ſuch fond conceits: telling them that the perſon muſt be accepted ere the ſervice can bee regarded, as Abels. To the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbeleeving is nothing pure, but even their mind and conſcience is defiled, Tit. 1.15. ſaith the Apoſtle. Calvin upon this Text ſaith no more: and yet Cor. a Lapide is very angry with him for ſaying ſo much.Aug. de vera innocent. c. 56. There is in Peter Lumbard this golden ſentence eited out of Auguſt inc: The whole life of unbeleevers is ſinne: neither is any thing good without the cheifeſt good. This ſentence Ambroſe Rybera a Poprsh Poſtiller, cenſureth for harſh and cruell: But doth not God here ſay the ſame thing?Crudelis eſt illa ſententia. Certain it is that good actions from bad men diſpleaſe: as a man may ſpeak good words, but we cannot hear, becauſe of his ſtinking breath. The facrifice of the wicked is abomination to the Lord, Prov. 15.8. Charity is nothing, unleſſe it flow out of a pure heart, and of a good conſcience, and of faith unfained, 1 Tim. 1.5.