John Trapp on Malachi 1:7

Verſe 7. Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar] Bread, that is, Sacrifices and Oblations (ſo Rabbi David expounds it out of Levit. 21.6. and Levit. 3.3. and Num. 28.2.) For the Hebrews call all kind of meat by the name of bread, though it be fleſh of Oxe, Lamb, or Goat, offered in ſacrifice to God, whom they made account that they feaſted in their ſacrifices.Pſal. 50.13. Hence that of the Pſalmiſt in the perſon of God, will I eat the fleſh of Bulls, or drink the bloud of Goates? Now the bread was reckoned polluted when it was neither lawfull, nor acceptable, but prohibited, and therefore abhorred; as much every whit, as Ezekiels bread prepared with mans dung, Cap. 4.13. of which he ſaith, verſe 14. Ah Lord God, behold my ſoul hath not been polluted: neither ever came there abominable fleſh into my mouth. What ſacrifices God had flatly forbidden, ſee Levit. 22.20, 21, 22, &c. Take we heed that we deſpite not the Lord with ſeeming honours: we pollute him with our ſacrifices, whiles either for the matter of them, we preſent him with will-worſhip; as thoſe of old that ſacrificed their children (in a fooliſh imitation of Abrahams offering his ſonne Iſaac) and the Papiſts at this day in their unbloody ſacrifice for the living and the dead, and many other unwarranted fopperies. Or elſe, when for the manner, devotion is placed more in the maſſy materiality of the outward works, then purity of the heart, from which they proceed. This made God complain, Iſai. 1. that all his five ſenſes, nay his very ſoul was offended and vexed at their hypocriticall performances, verſes 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. their very incenſe (that pretious perfume) that was made up of ſo many ſweet ſpices, and pure frankincenſe ſtank in his noſtrils. Gods ſharp noſe eaſily diſcerns, and is offended with the ſtinking breath of the hypocrites rotten lungs, though his words be never ſo ſented and perfumed with ſhews of holineſſe. Never did the five cities of the plaine ſend up ſuch poiſonous vapours to God, as the prayers and other performances of a corrupt and carnall perſon. And God, not able to abide theſe ill ſents, ſends down upon ſuch, a counterpoyſon of fire and brimſtone. Good actions from bad men diſpleaſe: as a man may ſpeak good words, but we cannot hear them, becauſe of his ſtinking breath: and as we abhorre to taſt of a dainty diſh, if brought to table by a foul naſty ſloven that hath been tumbling in a jakes or wallowing in a quagmire. The very Heathens, as they were very curious in the choice of their ſacrifices, that they were every way ſound and of the beſt,Procul hine eſte profani. ſo they carefully ſhut out all profane perſons: the Prieſt cryed out [non-Latin text not transcribed] who is here? thoſe that were preſent at the ſacrifice anſwered, [non-Latin text not transcribed] here are many,Eraſm. Adag[illegible: 1 letter] praefat: & thoſe all good men. And hence it was that Jehu ſees and ſearches that no ſervant of Jehovah be crept into the throng of Baals worſhippers. Well might this ſearch have bred ſuſpition, were it not that in all thoſe idolatrous ſacrifices the firſt care was to avoid the prophane. Even Baal will admit no mixture: how ſhould the true God abide it? Let all Cainiſts take heed how they draw nigh to him: ſo Luther calleth offerentes non perſonam, ſed opus perſonae, all thoſe that offer to God the work done, but do not offer themſelves withall.Luth. in decal. We may fitly call thoſe alſo Caimſts that offer polluted bread: as if Gods table were contemptible; that think any thing good enough for God, that comes next hand,Gen. 4.4. Heb. 11.14. as Cain did: when Abcl brought of the ſirſtlings of his flock, and ſo offered a more excellent ſacrifice then Cain, God teſtifying of his gifts: as likewiſe Chriſt did of Maries ſpicknard of great price, defending her againſt Judas the thief, that held it waſt; whereas he ſecretly taxeth thoſe rich wretches of baſeneſſe, who caſt their braſſe-money into the Treaſury, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Mar. 12.41 as holding the worſt piece they had good enough for God and his poore. Surely Papiſts with their vowed preſents of the very beſt they have to their He-ſaints and She-ſaints: and Turkes with their Moſchees or Temples ſtately built, when their private houſes are low and homely, ſhall riſe up in judgement and condemn ſuch ſordid Chriſtians, as cannot beteem God the beſt of the beſt. Solon the Athenian Lawgiver appointed, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Rous Archae. pag. 57. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. P[illegible: 1 letter]u[illegible: 1 letter]arch. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Plu[illegible: 1 letter]: Cypr, de oratione Chryſoſt. that their ſacrifices ſhould be choſen and ſelected: that the ſacrificers ſhould purifie themſelves ſome dayes before, and that none ſhould ſerve God obiter, ſlightly and ſlenderly, but in all beſt manner, and with the beſt preparation they could make aforehand. Numa Fompilius King of Romans would not have them worſhip their Gods [non-Latin text not transcribed] for faſhion and diſſolutely: but freed from all other cares and cumbers: in the time of Divine Service, the Prieſts, to prevent diſtraction, cryed out oft to the people, Hoc agite, mind the buſineſſe you are about. So in the Primitive times of the Church, the Deacons called oft upon the people ſurſùm corda, lift up your hearts. And again, Oremus, attendamus, Let us pray, let us attend. For why? Prayer without intention, and hearing without attention, is as a body without a ſoule. This ſentence is written in Hebrew upon the walls of the Jewiſh Synagogues, et ſi nullibi minus intentionis ſit quam in ipſorum precibus, &c. ſaith mine Authour,Buxtorf. Abbreviat. Spec. Europ. though there is as little true devotion to be ſeen amongſt them in their ſervices, as among any people, unleſſe it be among the Papiſts (of whom perhaps they learned it) whoſe devotions are prized more by tale then by weight of zeale, whoſe holyneſſe is the very outward work it ſelf, being a brain-leſſe head, and ſoule-leſſe body. In the Iſle of Sardinia, as they give way, in the very time of their Maſſe, to vain talking, and toying, and tumults, ſo after Maſſe done, they fall to dancing in the middeſt of the Church:Heyl. Geog. ſinging in the mean time ſongs too immodeſt for an Ale-houſe. Henry 3. King of France Proceſſiones religioſas non intermittit, at tepidius celebrat, ſaith the Chronicler would not neglect their religious proceſſions, but ſhewed little devotion at them. For betwixt him and his Cardinall, there went at ſame time a Jeſter, whoſe work was to make ſport then, when the buſineſſe required greater ſeriouſneſſe. How much better the great Turke, who when he comes into his Temple laies aſide all his ſtate, and hath none to attend him, but a Profeſſour of their law, whoſe Office is to proclaim before they begin, that nothing be done againſt religion?

yet ye ſay wherein have we polluted thee?] They well underſtood that by offering polluted ſacrifices they polluted God hinſelf (as much as in them lay) and that the diſhonour done to Gods ſervice reflected upon himſelf, and was a deſpiſing of his name verſe 6. whereof his true worſhip is a part Mic. 4.5. and 1 King. 5.3, 5. Hence they ſay not, wherein have we polluted thine Altar? but Wherein have we polluted thee? This is much more done under the New Teſtament by all unworthy Communicants, and Unhallowed Worſhippers, that preſent the great God with dough-baked duties, ſlubbered ſervices, careleſſe and cuſtomary performances; which they turn over as a task, holding a certaine daily ſtint of them, as malt-horſes do their pace, or mill-horſes their round, merely out of form and for faſhion ſake. Theſe do enough to pollute the God of purity, and to caſt contempt upon him from the ſons of men; who will be apt to conclude, that he is a contemptible God, ſith he will be content to take up with ſuch contemptible ſacrifices and ſervices. But more eſpecially thoſe that come hand over head, and without due preparation to the Lords ſupper, are guilty of polluting Gods holy things, and of crucifying afreſh the Lord of glory, putting him to an open ſhame. Dum enim ſacramenta violantur, ipſe cujus ſunt Sacramenta, violatur, ſaith Hierome. When the Sacraments are violated, he alſo, whoſe the Sacraments are, is no leſſe violated. And as theſe in the text are ſaid to pollute God, in that they offered polluted ſacrifices, though they never touched God himſelf: ſo unworthy Receivers are guilty of the Lords body and blood, 1 Cor. 11.27. although they never touched either his body or blood with their impure mouthes. They are as very Kill-Chriſts as Judas was in a proportion: And look whatſoever blaſphemies, irriſions, ſcorns, contumelies, reproaches, the miſcreant Jews belched forth, and practiſed corporally againſt Chriſt, the ſame are ſpiritually repeated and iterated by the unworthy Receiver: who polluteth the very outward elements that he toucheth, and ſo offereth indignity to Chriſt whom they repreſent: like as he that doth rent, deface, trample under foot, and villanouſly abuſe the image, ſcal, or Letters Patents of a Prince or State, is guilty of high treaſon: ſo is it here: The Donatiſts that caſt the holy Elements to dogs, did it to the diſgrace of Chriſt: and by a juſt judgment from him, were themſelves afterward devoured of dogs. Dr. Monton reports a ſtory of his own knowledge, of one Sr. Booth a Batchelor of Arts in St. Iohns Colledge in Cambridge, who being Popiſhly affected, at the time of the Communion took the conſecrated bread, and forbearing to eate it, convei'd and kept it cloſely for a time, and afterwards threw it over the Colledge wall. But a ſhort time after,Inſtit. of the Sacr. lib. 5. cap. 3. Sect. 5. not enduring the torment of his guilty conſcience, he threw himſelf headlong over the battlements of the chappel: and ſome ſew hours after, ended his life. God ſeemeth to ſay of every one that commeth to the ſupper of his ſon, as ſometime Solomon ſaid of Adoniah, If he will ſhew himſelf a worthy man, there ſhall not an bair of him fall to the earth: but if wickedneſſe ſhall be found in him, he ſhall die 1 King. 1.52.

in that ye ſay, The table of the Lord is contemptible] Gods infinite patience in vouchſafing not only to reply to theſe malapert Prieſts, but thus to rejoyne, and to approve the Aſſumption of the laſt Syllogiſme, which they ſo ſhameleſly denyed, is much to be admired. How juſtly might he have anſwered them with blowes inſtead of arguments: and have dealt with them as he did with Pharaoh, that ſturdy rebel, that proudly asked, who is the Lord? Hereunto God made a large reply by a great many plagues, one after another, till Pharaoh was forced to anſwer himſelf, The Lord is righteous, but I and my people am wicked. And as Gods patience appeareth in his proceeding with theſe Prieſts in the text, ſo hiswiſdome too, in his thus inſtancing in particulars of their ſins, that he might the ſooner evict them, and bring them to a ſaving ſenſe and ſight thereof. Thus he dealt by our firſt parents in paradiſe: and afterwards by Cain. Whereas, without any more adoe, the Lord God ſaid unto the ſerpent, Becauſe thou haſt done this. curſed art thou &c. Gen. 3. He was not ſo much as queſtioned, or convinced, becauſe God meant him no mercy: but preſently doomed, becauſe of meer malice he had offended.

ye have ſaid] i. e. ye have thought, as Pſa. 32.5. and 30.7. and as good ye might have ſpoken out: for I hear the language of your hearts: I underſtand your thoughts long before, Pſal. 139.2: or at a great diſtance.

the table of the Lord] that is, the Altar of burnt offerings See Ezek. 41.22. which is therefore called a table, becauſe by their ſacrifices God did as it were feaſt the Lord, as is above noted. And as God prepared the Iſraelites a table in the wilderneſſe, ſo they alſo (in a ſenſe) prepared him a table: Hence Moſes tells Pharaoh, Exod. 5.1. that they muſt go to keep a feaſt to the Lord. And how God accepted of their kindneſſe, See Hoſ. 9.10. I found Iſrael, ſaith He, like grapes in the wilderneſſe: which, to a wearied parehed traveller, how welcome are they? And how the good ſoule ſtill entertaineth her Chriſt, as Eſther once did Ahaſhueroſh at the banquet of wine, is ſweetly ſet forth in many paſſages of Solomons ſong. See cap. 1.12. with the Note.

is contemptible] Or, lightly ſet by. Some are poor and cannot: others are prophane and care not to cover Gods Altar with their ſacrifices. Hence the whole miniſtery is ſlighted, becauſe impoveriſhed. For ad tenuitatem beneficiorum, neceſſario ſequitur contemptus Sacerdotum, Panormit. Horat. R. David. Lean benefices make contemptible Incumbents: And Nil habet infelix paupertas &c. Poverty rendreth men ridiculous. Or thus, The table of the Lord is contemptible, ſo they eſteemed it, becauſe the fat and blood powred upon the Altar were things but baſe and deſpicable in themſelves: and they conſidered not for what end God had appointed theſe ſacrifices, and how they were to be led to Chriſt by them. For the ceremoniall law was or ought to have been their Goſpel, it was Chriſt in figure. And this, if theſe Bu[illegible: 1 letter] zards had ſeen, they would never have counted the Table of the Lord contemptible; as holding forth the Lord Chriſt unto them, that Pearl of Price, who is better then Rubies; and the Altar or Table, that typified him, or preſented him to his people, was not an oyſter-board as the Papiſts in K. Edw. 6.Act. and Men Joſeth Antiq. lib. 12. cap. 2. Cedron. comp. hiſt. pag. 817. time ſcornfully termed our communion-table; but far more precious then either that rich table ſent by Ptolemy Philadelph to Eleazar the Jews high-Prieſt, or that coſtly communiontable that had in it all the riches of land and ſea, offered up by Juſtinian in the temyle of Sophia in Conſtantinople.