John Trapp on Malachi 2:16

Verſe 16. For the Lord the God of Iſrael ſaith, that he hateth putting away] Heb. Put away, q. d. God hates that Put her away, Put her away, that is ſo much in your mouthes. For, becauſe you are juſtly reproved for Polygamy, for keeping two wives, you think to mend that fault by putting away your old ones, and plead you may do it by a law, licenſing divorces. But the Lord would ye ſhould know, that he hates ſuch your practiſes: and the rather becauſe you maliciouſly abuſe his law, as a cloke of your wickedneſſe. Divorce is a thing that Gods ſoul hateth, unleſſe it bee in caſe of adultery, (which breaks the marriage knot) and malicious perpetuall deſertion. This laſt was the caſe of that noble Italian convert,1 Cor. 7.15. Galeacius Caracciolus Marqueſſe of Vico (as is to be ſeen in his life, written by my much honoured brother, Mr. Sam[illegible: 1 letter]el Clark, in the ſecond part of his Marrow of Eccleſiaſticall hiſtory, pag. 101.) who by the conſent of Mr. Calvin, Peter Martyr, and other learned Divines (who met and ſeriouſly debated the caſe) ſued out a divorce againſt his former wife, who had firſt maliciouſly deſerted him, and had it legally by the Magiſtrate at Geneva granted unto him: after which he married another, Anno 1560. The Civill Law of the Empire permitted divorce for diverſe other cauſes. And theſe Jews, for every light cauſe (if but a blemiſh in the body, or crookedneſſe of manners) pretending to hate their wives, would write them a Bill of divorce, and turn them off. Our Saviour deals againſt this, matth. 5. and 18. See the Notes there. This ſinne was alſo rife among both the Athenians (who were wont to put away their wives upon diſcontent,Archcol Attic. 140. or hope of greater portions, &c.) and the Romans, whoſe Abſceſſionale, or Writ of divorce was this onely, Res tuas tibi habeto; Take what is thine, and be gone. It is ordinary alſo among the Mahometans: But the Lord God of Iſrael ſaith here, that he hateth it: and it appeareth ſo by his practiſe to his Spouſe the Church. See Jer. 3.1. Joh. 13.1. and then ſay, that Gods mercy is matehleſſe; and that he takes not advantages againſt his revolting people, but follows them with his favour: no otherwiſe then as when a man goes from the Sun, yet the Sun-beams follow him, ſhine upon him, warm him, &c. Zanchy (and ſome others) reads the text thus, If thou hateſt her, put her away, in that diſcourſe of divorces, which he wrote upon occaſion of Andreas Pixzardus his divorce, as indeed agreeing beſt with the matter he undertook to defend. But in another book of his he utterly diſliketh the doings of Luther, and ſome other Dutch Divines, who adviſed Philip, Lantgrave of Heſſe to marry, alteram, hoc eſt, Zanch. Miſc. Epiſt dedit. adulieram, his former lawfull wife being yet alive. Archbiſhop Grindall, by cunning practiſes of his adverſaries, Leiceſter and others, loſt Queen Elizabeths favour, Camb. Elizab. Arſlibiſhop Abbots alſo died in diſgrace for oppoſing Semmerſets abhorred match with the Counteſſe of Eſſex. Figuier. as if he favoured Prophecyings, &c. but in truth, becauſe he had condemned an unlawfull marriage of Julio an Italian Phyſician with another mans wife, whileſt Leiceſter in vain oppoſed againſt his proceedings therein.

for one covereth violence with his garment] This Text had been eaſie, had not Commentatours (the Hebrew Doctours eſpecially) made it knotty. Rabbi David in opening of it, obſcurior videtur, quam ipſa verba quae explicare conatur, ſeems to be more obſcure then the words themſelves which he undertaketh to open; ſaith Figueir, who alſo reciteth the expoſitions of ſeverall Rabbines. Concerning which, I may ſay as One did once, when being asked by another, whether he ſhould read ſuch a Comment upon Ariſtotle? anſwered, Yes; when Ariſtotle is underſtood, then read the Comment. The plain ſence is this: Theſe wicked Jews pretended the Law of God, as a cloke and cover of their ſinne, that it might be no ſinne to them. And though the Lord had proteſted to hate their divorces, yet they pleaded I know not what liberty permitted them by Moſes: but this was but a politike coverture of iniquity, Mat. 18.8, 9. The like hereunto was the ſin of Saul, 1 Sam. 15. of Jezabel, 1 King. 21.13. of thoſe Jews, Joh. 19.7. of thoſe Libertines, 2 Pet. 2. Jam. 2.8, 9. of all Heretikes, that plead Scripture for their hereſies: and ſome others impudently impious, who leſt they ſhould ſeem to be mad without reaſon abuſe Gods holy word to the defence of their unreaſonable and irreligious practiſes. Theſe mens judgement now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation ſleepeth not, 2 Pet. 2, 3.

therefore take heed to your spirit] A repetition of the dehortation: of which ſee verſe 16. Good things muſt be often inculcated, Phil. 3.1. one exhortation muſt peg in another, till they ſtick in our ſouls, as forked arrows in the fleſh. Men do not uſe to lay ointments onely upon their lame limbes, but rub them, and chafe them in; ſo here. Auſtin perſwades the Preacher, ſo long to inſiſt upon a neceſſary point, till by the geſture and countenance of the hearers he perceiveth, that they underſtand and reliſh it. Chryſoſtome being asked by his people, when he would give over preaching againſt ſwearing? anſwered, Never till you leave your ſwearing.