John Trapp on Malachi 1:10

Verſe 10. Who is there amongst you that would ſhut the doors] To be a door-keeper in Gods houſe, to have any the meaneſt employment about him, David (though deſtined to a Diadem) looked upon, as an high preferment. Thoſe Nethinims, mentioned in Ezra and Nehemiah, were none other but the Gibeonites, who were made drawers of water to the Temple, as a kind of puniſhment. God (who is a liberall paymaſter) made this croſſe a mercy. Their employment ſo neer the Houſe of God, gave them fit occaſion to be partakers of the things of God. The Lord did wonderfully both reward and honour them. So he did all others, though but porters, that had any office about his houſe. Know ye not, ſaith Paul, that they which miniſter about holy things, live of the things of the Temple? and they which wait at the Altar (though but to kindle a fire upon it) are partakers with the altar? 1 Cor. 9.13. Even ſo hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Goſpel ſhould live of the Goſpel. Should have, if not tythes as they had, yet honorary ſtipends, double honour, Calvin. 1 Tim. 5.17. daplex, id eſt, multiplex, as Eſay 40.1, 2. Jer. 17, 18. Or, double, comparatively to that of widows indeed, verſe 2. which yet was honourable maintenance, Et ex publico alebantur. The Prieſts of the old Teſtament were plentifully provided for by tythes and other revenews appointed them by God. True it is, that in the captivity little commodity was made of the prieſthood: whereupon ſome prieſts who had married themſelves into the noble family of Barzillai, took ſcorn to be in the prieſts regiſter, but called themſelves after the family of then wives. Now after the return from Babylon, the prieſtood grew into ſome gain and grace again: and then theſe degenerate prieſts, would fain have thruſt in among the prieſts of the Lord: but the Tirſhatha would not ſuffer them, Ezra 2.61. Howbeit thoſe prieſts that had ſtuck to their offices, and been faithfull in them, did not ſerve God on free-coſt: neither was he behinde hand, or in arrere with any of them, as appears by this text: but as they did their work, ſo they had their wages. God put into the heart of good Nehemiah to take order, that theſe tythes were duely payed in to the treaſurers for that purpoſe appointed, Neh. 13.10, 11. What reaſon had theſe prieſts therefore to be ſo gripple and greedy of filthy lucre? as to take ſuch lame and lean ſacrifices of the people, or if fat and good, to change them for worſer of their own, as holding any thing good enough for God? which becauſe they did,

I have no pleaſnre in you, ſaith the Lord of Hoſts, neither will I accept an offering at your hands] I care not for your perſons, I reſpect not your performances. The Lord had reſpect, firſt to Abel, and then to his offering, Gen. 4.4. and Pſal. 4.3. But know (ſaith David, to thoſe that vilipended him) that the Lord hath ſet apart him that is godly for himſelf: and this he makes the ground why his prayer ſhould be heard. The blood of a ſwine may look better, and brighter then the blood of a ſheep; yet might it not be offered unto the Lord, becauſe it was of a ſwine. Sordet in conſpectu judicis, quod fulget in conſpectu operantis. A piece of wood may ſhine in the night from its rottenneſſe: and that be fair in the ſight of men that is abomination before God, Luke 16. The ſwan was rejected for ſacrifice, becauſe of his black skin, notwithſtanding his fair feather, Lev. 11.18. The wicked mans incenſe ſtinks of the hand that offereth it: and all his devotion is but a beautifull abomination. There is in Lombard this ſentence quoted out of Auguſtin, Omnis vita infidelium peccatum eſt: & nihil bonum ſine ſummo bono, The whole life of unbeleevers is ſinne, neither is there any good without the chiefeſt good. Ambroſ Spiera the Poſtiller ſaith, Crudelis eſt illa ſententia, This is a cruel ſentence. But ſaith not the holy Scripture the very ſame in effect, Prov. 15.8. Heb. 11.6. Joh. 15.5? What though Papiſts talk much of Opus operatum? and teach that good works by whomſoever performed are accepted of the Lord, as juſtice in an Atheiſt is a good and acceptable work to him?Jam. 5.16 Saint James aſſures us, that it is the effectuall fervent prayer of a righteous man onely, and of one reconciled to God, that availeth much. Pſal. 32.6 Pſal. 50 And, for this ſhall every one that is godly pray unto thee, ſaith David. The lepers lips ſhould be covered according to the law. And to the wicked God ſaith, What haſt thou to do, &c? It is ſaid of witches and their good prayers, (as they call them) Si magicae, Deus non vult tales: ſi piae, non per tales. If thoſe prayers be abuſed to witchcraft, God will have none of them: and if they be never ſo good, God will not have them from ſuch kind of people. Before they pray, men ſhould ſee whether they are perſons fit to pray: for God accepts not of a good motion from an ill mouth, Jer. 11.10, 11. Joh. 9.31. 1 Joh. 3.22. Pſal. 66.16. A wicked man wants contrition, humility, faith, hope, feeling, fervency: he hath not a ſpirit of grace and ſupplication, to endite his prayers; he hath not an Interceſſour in heaven to preſent and perfume his prayers. The breath wherein our prayers aſcend ſhould be like pillars of ſmoke perfumed with Chriſts myrrhe and incenſe. Otherwiſe our words will be like the Egyptian pots, recking out the ſtrong ſmelling onions and garlick of our own corruption, ſuch as God can take no pleaſure in, neither will he accept ſuch an offering at our hands.