John Trapp on Malachi 2:11

Verſe. 11. Judah hath dealt treacherouſly] Judah the conſeſſour) as his name imports) Iudah that once ruled with God, and was faithful with the Saints: Hoſ.: 1.12. Ind[illegible: 2 letters]h in whom God was known, his name was great in Iſrael Pſal. 76, 2. Proſpers conceit was, that Iudai were ſo called becauſe thy received us Dei, the law from Gods mouth: whence Ioſcphus calls the Common wealth of Iſrael [non-Latin text not transcribed] a God government. For, to them pertained (among ſundry other precious priviledges recited Rom. 9.4, 5.) the Covenants, that is, 1. The moral law in two tables. 2. The giving of the law, that is, the Judicial law. 3. The ſervice, that is, the ſeremonial law, which was their Goſpel: whence Iudea is called the glorious land Dan. 11.41. (or the land of delights, or ornaments as the Hebrew hath it) a pleaſant land, or a land of deſire Ier. 3.19. becauſe as it is Ezek 20.6, 15. it was the glory of all lands. Jeruſalem the metropolis, was not onely the moſt famous of all the cities of the Eaſt, as Pliny confeſſeth it,Pſal. 31.21. but alſo of the whole world ſi inſignia Dei ſpectemus beneſicia, as one ſaith, if we conſider Gods marvellous kind cſſe ſhewed to it in a ſtrong city, as David hath it. But, as ingentia beneficia, flagitia, ſupplicia, the greater the priviledges of any place or people are, the more hainous are their offences, and the more hideous their puniſhments; ſo ſell it out with this nation ſo advanced, ſo obliged, ſo ſhameleſly, ſo lawleſly wicked. They were but newly returned from captivity, ſcarce yet warm in their neſts, when they fell afreſh to their old trade of treachery, doing wickedly with both hands earneſtly. Abomination was committed in Iſrael and in Jeruſalem, even ſuch as Gods ſoul abhorred, and was ready to be looſened or dis oynted from them Ier. 6.8. becauſe in the land of uprightneſſe they dealt unjuſtly, and would not behold the majeſty f[illegible: 1 letter]he Lord ſay 26.10. Indah had profaned the holineſſe of the Lord which he loved, that is, the very place that he had eſpied out for himſelf, and that was dedicated to his name and ſervice, the holy and ſeparate land, the Iſle, as it is called Tſai. 20.6. (though part of the continent) becauſe compaſſied about with Gods favour as with a ſhield. Pſal. 5.12. In ſuch a conſecrated countrey to act their villany, was no ſmall aggravation of their wickedneſſe: this made it ſwell like a toad in the eyes of the Almighty, it was an abomination. Filthyneſſe in a ſtewes, in a ſtrumpet, is nothing ſo odious, as in a pretended Virgin. A nettle on the waſte is better born with then in a garden. To ſee the Devil in hell is no wonder: but what makes he in Paradiſe? England was anciently called the kingdom of God it may much better be ſo called now,Auglia reg[illegible: 3 letters]i Del. Pol. Vhg. that Goſpel of the kingdom is preached amongſt us. It was alſo called Albion quaſi Olbion (Happy or fortunate, the fortunate Iſland ſay ſome) or ab albis rupibus from the whiteneſſe of the rocks. True it is, we were black all over with ſuperſtition, firſt Pagan, and then Papagan; But Chriſt hath made us white again as ſnow in Salmon. And do we again ſully and ſoil our ſelves with ſinnes filthineſſe, with that unclean kitchin-ſtuffe? do we profane the holineſſe of the Lord, which he loved, to drive him away from us by degrees, as thoſe Jews did, Ezek 8.9, 10, 11. ſinne is the leaven that defiles our paſſeover; and urgeth God to paſſe away and depart from us. Sin is the ſnuff that dimmes our candle-ſtick, and threatens the removall of it. Let thoſe that live in Gods good land, but not in Gods good Laws (as Ariſtotle complained of his Athenians to like purpoſe,Laert. l. 5. c. 1 and as Seneca ſaid to the Romans, that they were become more filthy ſince they had bathes to waſh in) look forward to the following verſe, and tremble at that utter deſtruction there threatened to ſuch, Diſperdet Dominus &c. And thereunto Saint Paul ſeemeth to allude 1 Cor. 3.17. If any man defile the Temple of God, him will God deſtroy.

and hath married the daughter of a ſtrange God] This is that particular ſin whereby they had dealt treacherouſly againſt their brethren, profaned the Covenant, polluted the Church, and committed abomination in Iſrael: they had married with women of a ſtrange worſhip, and joyned in affinity with the people of thoſe abominations, as holy Ezra phraſeth it Chap. 9.14. and withall ſetteth it forth for ſuch a ſin in thoſe newly-returned captives, as he thinks heaven and earth might well be aſhamed of. A ſin it is, flatly forbidden in both Teſtaments, Deut. 7.3. 2. Cor. 6.14. and reaſons added: as 1. Danger of defection at leaſt, from former forwardneſſe: but moſt commonly of infection, as in Solomon 1 King. 11. Nehem. 13.26. what's the reaſon the Pope will not diſpenſe in Spain and Italy, if a papiſt marry a Proteſtant; yet here he will, but in hope to draw more to them. See 1 King. 12.25. and 2 King. 8.27. 2 Great inconveniency: as 1. Of grief to the godly parents Gen. 26.35. and 27.36. 2. Ill education of children, who commonly take after the mother (as did moſt of thoſe Idolatrous kings of Judah) and follow the worſer ſide, though it be the weaker, as the concluſion in a Syllogiſme follows the weaker propoſition. The birth, we ſay, followeth the belly: and moſt men, we ſee, do matriſſare take after the mother, in matters of religion. Hereunto might be added, that Gods ſervice muſt by theſe unequal matches neceſſarily be hindered, if not altogether omitted, (to gratifie a froward Zipporah, or a mocking Michol) and the better party forced to ſee and hear that, that cannot but grieve the Spirit of God. Beſides danger of diſloyalty, and a curſed poſterity, as Edomites of the daughters of Heth. D. Hall. Here then I could joyn with that Reverend Contemplatour in that holy wiſh of his, that Manoah could ſpeak ſo loud that all our Iſraelites might hear him; Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all Gods people, that thou goeſt to take a wife of the uncircumciſed Philiſtines? If Religion be any other then a cypher, how dare we not regard it in our moſt important choyces? how dare we yoke our ſelves with any untamed heifer that beareth not Chriſts yoke? what mad work made that noble pair of naughtypacks, Iezabel and Athaliah in the kingdoms of Iſrael and Judah, the later beginning her reigne in the ſame year that the former periſhed, as Bucholcer obſerveth? And who knoweth not what a deal of miſchief was done to the poor people of God in France, by Katherine de Medices, Q. Mother, with the advice and aſliſtance of the Cardinall of Lorrain? Concerning which two it was ſaid, Non audet ſtygius Pluto tentare quod ander Effraenis Monachus plenaque frandis anus.