John Trapp on Malachi 1:5

Verſe 5. And your eyes ſhal ſee.] The righteous ſhal ſee and fear, and ſhall laugh at him, and ſay, Lo, this is the man, &c. ſaid David of Doeg the Edomite: Pſal. 52. And the ſame is here promiſed by God to his people as a pledge of his love, and a ſpecial priviledge: Others ſhould hiſſe at Edom, and ſay by way of by-word, This is the border of wickedneſs, &c. but the ſaints ſhould make more of it (a Bee can ſuck honey out of a flower, ſo cannot a flye) they ſhould buſie their eyes, and regard the work of the Lord;Iſai 5.12. Pſal. 35.27. Ezek. 3.12. yea they ſhould ſo conſider the operation of his hand, as to ſay ſenſibly, Let the Lord be magnified: Bleſſed be the glory of the Lord from his place. God hath delivered me out of all trouble, ſaith David, and mine eye hath ſeen his deſire upon mine enemies. The Edomites ſtood looking on, and laughing at the Iſraelites deſtruction, Obad. 12.13. God ſaw this and it diſpleaſed him, (as he is wondrous ſenſible of the leaſt indignity done to his people) He therefore payes them home in their own coyn, and promiſeth his Iſrael that they ſhall rejoyce when they ſee the vengeance;Pſal. 58.10. they ſhall waſh their feet in the blood of theſe wicked ones; become more cantelous by their juſt deſtruction. Learn we hence,

Firſt, To have our eyes open upon the judgements of God, whether general, or perſonal: that nothing of this nature paſſe our obſervation, leſt we incur the curſe denounced, Iſa. 5.12. and be made examples to others, becauſe we would not be warned by the example of others.Lege hiſtoriam ne fias, hiſtoriae. Sodom and Domorrah are thrown forth (as Saint Iude hath it) for an example; [non-Latin text not transcribed]. June 7. Ingentia, beneficia, flagitia, ſupplicia. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Lib. 2. ſuffering the vengeance of eternal fire. And Herodotus ſaith, That the ruines and rubbiſh of Troy are ſet forth for an example of this rule, That National ſins bring national plagues, and that God greatly puniſheth great offences. Let him that looketh upon me, learn to fear God. Theſe words were engraven upon the ſtanding picture of Sennacherib (after that God had by an Angel ſlain his Army, and ſent him back with ſhame to his own countrey) as the ſame Herodotus teſtifieth.

Secondly, Learn we how far forth we may look upon the overthrow of the wicked with delight: viz. Not as our own private, but as Gods profeſſed enemies. Not ſimply for their ruine, but as it is a clearing of Gods glory, and of our integrity. Pſal. 9.16. 1 Sam. 25.39. Not out of private revenge, but pure zeal for God and his cauſe. I ſay pure zeal: for it is difficult to kindle and keep quick the fire of Zeal, without all ſmoke of ſiniſter and ſelfe-reſpects.

And ye ſhal ſay, The Lord will be magnified, &c.] Or, The Lord hath magnified himſelf, i. e. hath declared himſelf mightily to be a great King above all Gods, by executing judgement upon theſe Grandees of the earth;Exod. 18.11 and making out, that In the thing wherein they dealt proudly, he was above them. H[illegible: 1 letter]nce it is that praiſe waiteth for God in Zion, 1 Sam. 12.28 his Name is great in Iſrael. He is ſent unto (as ſometime Ioab ſent to David, to come and take the city of Rabbah) to take the glory of all their deliverances and victories. Not unto us, Lord, not unto us, ſay they, but to thy Name be the praiſe. Hunniades would not own or accept the peoples applanſes and acclamations,Turk. hiſt. but aſcribed all to God. So did our Henry the fift at the battel of Agincourt, Speed 799. where he won the day. He would not admit his broken Crown, or bruiſed Armour to be born before him in ſhew (which are the uſual enſigns of war-like triumphs.) He alſo gave ſtrait order that no ballad or ſong ſhould be made or ſung, more then of thankſgiving to the Lord for his happy victory and ſafe return, &c. Dan. 101 Polyd. Virg. lib. 19. So our Edward the third after his victory at Poictiers (where he took the French King priſoner, Anno 1356.) took ſpeedy order by Simon, Arch-Biſhop of Canterbury, that eight dayes together ſhould be ſpent in magnifying the Lord from the border of England.

From the borders of Iſrael.] Or, from beyond the borders of Iſrael; viz. thronghout the wide world. The Saints have large hearts, and could beteem the Lord much more praiſe and ſervice then they have for him.Pſal. 1.45.2. Pſal. 48.10. Pſal. 103. They would praiſe him infinitely, and according to his excellent greatneſs, filling up the diſtance as it were, and calling in all the help they can get, of Angels, men, unreaſonable and inſenſible creatures, as David did, &c.