John Trapp on Malachi 1:9

Verſe 9. And now I pray you, beſecch God] Heb. Weary God with your prayers, preſſe him till he be even ſick of you: improve your uttermoſt intereſt in him, if at leaſt you have any. Pray hard, if ye can at leaſt: for all men cannot pray, wicked men are gagg'd by the devil: and their character is, They call not upon God. They may cant or chatter out a charm when Gods chaſtening is upon them, yea, be with childe, as it were, of a prayer, and yet bring forth nothing better then winde Iſai. 26.16, 17, 18. In proſperity, they may have ſome few ſhort-winded wiſhes as Balaam (ſatans ſpelman) had; yea, they may by ſtrength of wit or memory deviſe an handſom prayer, and ſeem to ſet it forth with much life, that they may paſſe for men of parts and gifts: But will the hypocrite pray alwayes? Iob 27.10. will he perſevere in prayer when God ſeems to caſt out his prayers, and to multiply his croſſes? will he not rather curſe in that caſe: as Iob's wife, and Micah's mother? will he not how lagainſt heaven as the wolf, when hungerbit? and as the Parrot when beaten, leave imitating man, and turn to his own natural harſh voice? But ſay that wicked men do (Ioab like) run to the horns of Gods altar, when in diſtreſſe or danger: ſay they roar out a conſeſſion, when they are upon the rack,Hoſ. 6. Pſal. 78.34 (as Pharaoh) and call for good prayers: ſay they ſeek him with their ſacrifices as Iſrael did, when he ſlew them, then they ſought unto him &c. and made their voices to be heard on high, as the priſoner at the bar, as the hog under the knife, as a bull in a net; Say they weary out God with their many words, as thoſe ſacrificing Sodomites Iſai. 11. & thoſe hypocrites in the Gofpel, that hoped to be heard for their much babling:Mat. 6. yet all this is but the prayer of the fleſh for eaſe, and not of the ſpirit for grace: it is but the fruit of ſinful ſelf-love, to rid themſelves of Gods rod, or to ſtill the noiſe of their conſciences, or out of a vain hope to ſtop Gods judgements, &c. And hence it is that they miſcarry, that they pray to ſo little purpoſe (as here is hinted) and that they are not a button the better for all their long prayers. For either God anſwers them not at all, he hath no reſpect to their ſacrifices (which was Cains and Sauls unhappineſſe. The Philiſtims were upon him, and God was departed from him) Or elſe he anſwers them according to the idols of their hearts, bitter anſwers; Or if better, its but as he anſwered the Iſraelites importunity for a king, for a ſcourge to them, and for quails to choak them: Deus ſaepe dat iratus quod uegat proprtius, God often gives that in anger which he denies in mercy. If it were otherwiſe, the devil ſhould have received mercy from God, when, upon his ſuit, he was ſuffered to enter into the ſwine. Let our chief and conſtant Petition therefore be in all our our addreſſes to God, that he would be gracious unto us:] that he would caſt a loving aſpect upon us, that what ever elſe he denie us, corn, wine &c. yet that he would lift up the light of his countenance upon us. This David preferred before his crown and ſcepter. He had a crown of gold, but he valued not that, in compariſon of that other crown, Pſal. 103.4. he crowneth thee with loving kindneſſe and tender mercies. Hence Saint Paul having himſelf obtained mercy, beginneth and concludeth all his Epiſtles with wiſhes of Grace, mercy, and peace: as not knowing what better to wiſh thoſe whom he wiſhed beſt unto. This was Abrahams prayer for Iſmael, O that he might live in thy ſight, that is, be joynt-heire of the promiſe of grace with Iſaac. God anſwers, Divers Dukes ſhall come of Iſmael, but with Iſaac (as a token of ſpecial grace) will I make my covenant. This was alſo Ioſephs prayer for Benjamin Gen. 43.29. God be gracious unto thee my ſon. This the prieſts were appointed to pray for, as a bleſſing upon the people, Num. 6.24, 25. The Lord make his face to ſhine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee. And hereunto the Prophet ſeems to allude in this text, q. d. you are the Lords Prieſts, and your office is to preach and pray Deut. 33.10. They ſhall teach Iacob, they ſhall put incenſe before thee. Shew now what ye can do in a time of neceſſity: Beſeech the Lord that he would be gracious unto us. This is the main, the mother-bleſſing that comprehends all the reſt. Every man ſeekes the face of the Ruler, Prov. 29.26. I humbly beſeech thee that I may ſinde grace in thy ſight, my Lord O king: q. d. that's better to me then all the land thou haſt given me, ſaid that crafty Sycophant Ziba 2 Sam. 16.4. How much more is the grace of God to be preferred before all outward bleſſings whatſoever? The Lord that made heaven and earth, bleſſe thee out of Zion, Pſal. 134.3. ſaith the Pſalmiſt, intimating that bleſſings out of Zion are above all the bleſſings beſides, that heaven and earth can yeeld us; What is the ayre without light? what was Haman the better for all his honours, when the king frowned upon him? How can a wicked man be happy though wealthy, ſo long as God is his enemy? As that father ſpeaks of Ahab: he deſcribes him ſitting in his ivory palace in the time of the three yeers famine in Samaria: he had gold, ſilver, and jewels in every place: but what good did all that when the heaven was braſſe above, and the earth iron beneath? Cry therefore as thoſe in Zachary, Grace, Grace unto us, pray for our ſelves and others, as David did for Ittai the Gittite, mercy and truth be with thee, 2 Sam. 15.20. Stir we up our ſelves to take hold of God, and to get of him Gaius-his-proſperity, dona throni, ſoul-bleſſings, and ſuch as accompany ſalvation. Jeſus Chriſt when he came into the world, brought grace and truth with John 1.17. And God was in Chriſt reconciling the world to himſelf, Not imputing our ſins, but ſtretching out to us the golden ſcepter of his grace. Get in to him therefore till this be done; though thou ſhouldeſt ſpend thy time in gathering up pearls and jewels, thou art an undone creature.

this hath been by your means] Heb. From your hand q. d. You Prieſts have effected it, and are in fault about it. It is long of you that I and my ſervice are ſo ſlighted, as hath been before demonſtrated, you have eauſed the people to abhor the offering, 1 Sam. 2.17. you ſhould have better inſtructed the people in their duties, and not have ſuffered them ſo to pollute mine altar with their carrion-ſacrifices, and if God reject your prayers, as here, and even curſe your bleſſings as Chap. 2.2. and curſe your ſeed, ver. 3. you have to thank your ſelves. All this is by your means. Accept therefore of the chaſtiſment of your iniquity, leave quarrelling, and lay the blame of all where it ſhould be, waſh you, make it clean &c. For till then will he regard your perſons? will he receive you to favour, and hear your prayer? Or will he think the better of you, for your office and dignity of Prieſt-hood? No ſure, but the worſe; For, ſcdes prima & vita ima, the higheſt place, and the baſeſt life agree not. Dignit as in indigno eſt ornamentum in luto, even royalty without righteouſneſſe is but eminent diſhonour: and men of mark are therefore the worſe, becauſe they ſhould have been better. Height of place ever addes two wings to fin, Example, and Scandal, whereby it ſoars higher, and flies much further. If the Sun be eclipſed and obſcured, a thouſand eyes gaze upon it: a leſſer ſtar may be darkned, and none take notice. A ſmall flaw is noticed and noted in a jewel; a ſmall ſpot in a ſwan, not ſo in a ſwine. One fly may corrupt a box of precious ointment: when a hundred flies in a tar-barrel, do no hurt to it.