John Trapp on Malachi 2:12

Verſe 12. The Lord will cut off the man that doth this] Though the Magiſtrate be careleſſe and corrupt: though he either cannot puniſh this evil, it being growen ſo univerſall, or will not (and ſo impunity in the Magiſtrate maketh impenitency in the offendours) God will take the ſword in hand, and cut off every mothers child that doth this,Metaphora eſt à Medicis [illegible: 3 letters]la. Polan. (niſi currat poenitentia) as a chirurgion cutteth off a rotten member, ſo will God deſtroy ſuch for ever: he will take them away, and pluck them out of their dwelling places, and root them out of the land of the living, Pſal. 52.5. Neither ſhall this be done to himſelf onely, but to his wretched poſterity (ſuch a legacy like Joabs leproſie, leaves every graceleſſe man to his children) for ſo the Chaldee here rendreth and interpreteth that proverbiall expreſſion in the text, both the maſter and the ſcholler, Sic & R. Salom. filium & filium filii, his ſonne, and his ſous ſonne, though he teach never ſo well by wholeſome inſtruction, and politic[illegible: 1 letter] adviſement, to prevent the miſchief: Agreeably hereunto for ſence Piſcator rendreth this text thus, The Lord will cut off his children that doth thus, the children that he begets of the daughter of a ſtrange god. An heavy curſe ſurely, and frequently inflicted, as upon Ahab: though he to avoid it, ſo followed the work of generation, that he leſt ſeventy ſonnes behind him; which yet would not do.

and him that offereth an offering &c.] that is, Although he be a Prieſt, Or Although he ſeek to make peace with me by an offering: as hoping thereby to ſtop my mouth or ſtay my hand to expiate his ſin, or to purchaſe a diſpenſation as thoſe Mic. 6.6, 7. and Eſay 58.2, 3. Thus Saul ſacrificeth, Ahab trembleth and humbleth, Ieroboams wile goeth to the Prophet, Ioab taketh hold of the horns of the Altar: the king of Perſia having loſt ſome of his children by untimely death as Cieſias reporteth) ſends earneſtly to the Jews for prayers for him and his, Ezra 6.10. So did Maximinus in like caſe to the Chriſtians. Tully tells us that they which prayed whole dayes together and offered ſacrifice, [illegible: 1 word] D[illegible: 1 letter]vr. ut ſ[illegible: 2 letters] liberi ſuperſtites ſibi eſſent, that their children might out-live them, theſe were [illegible: 1 word] called ſuperſtitiou perſons: afterwards the word was taken in a larger ſenſe. But devotion without holy converſation availes nothing to avert Gods judgements Iſa. 1.12.15. and [illegible: 1 letter]6.3. He that killeth an Ox unleſſe withall he kill his curruptions is as if he ſlew a man: he that ſacriſiccth a lamb, unleſſe by faith he ley hold upon the Lamb of God, is as if he cut off a dogs nick: he that effereth an old[illegible: 1 letter] tion &c. This men are hardly drawn to, viz. to part with their ſins, to cail the traytours head over the wall, to hang up the heads of the people before the Sun. Sin harboured in the ſoule, is like Achan in the army, or Jonas in the ſhip; much paines the marriners were at, and much loſle too, to have ſaved Jonas from the ſea, they ventured their own caſting away ere they would caſt him over-board: but there could be no calme, till they had done it effectually. So it is here. Full fain men would keep their ſins, and yet lave their foules: but that's impoſſible. God will not be bribed Pſal. 50. nor brought to ſuſter ſin unrepented to eſcape unpuniſhed. Poor ſoules when ſtung by the Friers ſermons, they ſet them penunces, pilgrimages, all ſorts of good works, which ſtilled them a while: and for them they thought they ſhould have pardon. So many run now [illegible: 1 letter]mongſt us to holy duties, but with the ſame opinion they did them, a bribes for a pardon. Theſe dig for pearle, in their own dunghils, make the meanes their mediat urs, [illegible: 1 span] think to ſave themſelves by riding on horſes &c.