John Trapp on Malachi 3:1

CHAP. III.

Verſe 1. BEhold, I will ſend my meſſenger] It is well obſerved by the learned, that this whole Prophecy of Malachy, though diſtinguiſhed (as now) into ſeverall Chapters, yet is but one entire Sermon, at once delivered. Thoſe Atheiſts that asked in the precedent verſe, (and they did it with an accent too, that they might not be ſlighted) where is the God of judgement? are here fully anſwered: and that they might the better attend, they have it with a note of pregnancy. Behold, I will ſend, &c. q. d. differtur quidem judicium ſed non aufertur. Tandem veniet, profectò veniet. Judgement comes not ſo ſoon as you call for it: but come it will, be ſure it will. For behold, I ſend (in the preſent tenſe) my meſſenger, the Baptiſt, and (at his heels, as it were) Meſſiah the Prince, who ſhall reforme and rectifie all diſorders. For judgement, ſaith He, come I into the world, that they which ſee not might ſee, and that they which ſee, might be made blind, Joh. 9.39. And then, you that call for judgement ſhall have enough of it: when ye ſee my Meſſenger, harbinger, or herald, know that I am hard at hand. Behold, this is ſet here as the ſound of a trumpet before ſome Proclamation, to arouſe mens attention.

I will ſend] Heb. I do ſend, or, am ſending: though the thing was not done till four or five hundred years after: but in Gods purpoſe and promiſe it was a done thing already. All things are preſent with him, for he is a pure act; his whole eſſence is wholly an eye, or a mind: he is all things eminently, exemplarily, and contains all things in himſelf. Hence he knows temporal things after an eternall manner, mutable things immutably, contingent things infallibly, future things preſently. Hence he calleth things that yet are not, as if they were, Rom. 4.17. and this, as in the works of Creation, Renovation, Reſurrection, ſo in the accompliſhment of his promiſes, which we muſt not antedate, as we are apt to do; but learn to live by faith, Hab. 2.2. Poſſibly the Kalendar of heaven hath a poſt-date to ours. Strive to be ſtrong in faith, and glorifie God.

my meſſenger] Not Chriſt, as Enſebius doated: nor Meſlias the ſonne of J[illegible: 1 letter]ſeph, Lib. 5. de demon. Evang. cap. 28. that is, of the tribe of Joſeph, as Rabbi Abraham would have it. (For the Jews ſooliſhly expect two Meſlians's, one the ſonne of David, and the other the ſonne of Joſeph) Nor an Angel of heaven, as Rabbi David interprets it, according to Exod. 23.20. But John Baptiſt, as our Saviour expounds himſelf, Mat. 11.10. who is here called Chriſts Meſſenger, or Angel, by reaſon of his office: one, by whom he would manifeſt his mind to his people. He was a burning and a ſhining light, Joh. 5.35 or lamp, and ſhone for a ſeaſon, till the Sun of righteouſneſſe came in place: as lights and candles are of good uſe till the Sun riſeth. See 1 Sam. 3.3.

and he ſhall prepare the way] Expurgabit, Everret, emund[illegible: 1 letter]bit. He ſhall clear the way, ſweep it, accoutre, or dreſſe it. He ſhall remove all rubs, and remora's out of the way, he ſhall pare and pave a path for Chriſt into the ſoul, open thoſe everlaſting doors that the king of glory may come in, he ſhall make ready a people for the Lord. Luke 1.17. Mans heart is full of mountains and vallies, Luke 3.5. Theſe muſt be levelled, ere Chriſt can be admitted: and that's not done but by repentance unto life. As John Baptiſt was Chriſts fore-runner into the world; ſo muſt repentance be his fore-runner into the heart: for he that repenteth not, the kingdom of heaven is far from him: [non-Latin text not transcribed] viam apertam & oculis intuentium conſpicuam faciet. ſo he that cannot ſee it (as the Hebrew word here uſed imports he muſt do) for his luſts that hang in his light.

and the Lord whom ye ſeek] Dominator, that Lord Paramount of whom David ſpeaketh, Pſal. 110.1. and for whoſe ſake Daniel deſireth to be heard, chap. 9.17. Meſſiah the Prince, verſe 25. the Prince and Saviour, Act. 5.31. Lord and Chriſt, Acts 2.36. the God of judgement, whom they called for, Mal. 2.17. and whom they are ſaid to ſeek for. As God he is not very sar from any one of us, ſaith Paul Acts 17.27. not ſo far as the bark is from the tree; for in him we all live, and move, and ſubſiſt. And as God-Man he ſhall ſuddenly come to his Temple] ſuddenly, that is, in the fulneſſe of time, (which is but a ſhort time in reſpect of the long expectation of the Patriarches) and ſpeedily after John Baptiſts birth; ſuddenly alſo, becauſe unexpectedly to the moſt, who ſtood amazed at his preaching, and ſaid, Whence hath this man this wiſdom, and theſe mighty works? Is not this the carpenter, &c? To his Temple he came, when preſented there to be circumciſed, Luke 2. when he put forth a beam of his Divinity there, in his diſputation with the Doctours, verſe 46. But eſpecially when he purged the Temple: 1. By his Doctrine, Matt. 5. and 15. and 2. By his Diſcipline, Joh 2.14, 15, 16. and 12.12. at which time, Tell ye the daughter of Zion, ſaith God, Behold, thy king cometh unto thee, Mat. 21.5. meek and ſitting upon an aſſe, &c. Not upon a ſtately palſrey, as an earthly Potentate. And that was the very cauſe, that theſe in the text that are ſaid to ſee him, when they had him amongſt them, could by no means think well of him in reſpect of his mean and deſpicable condition. They had a certain notion of the Meſſiah: and were in expectation of him, and of temporall deliverance and felicity by [illegible: 1 word]. Of which, when diſappointed, they were as blank, as when they ſaw the hoped iſſue of their late Jewiſh Virgin turned to a daughter: or as when they ſaw Mahomet eat of a camell; whom till then, when they ſaw him ariſing in ſuch powetr, D. Halfs Peacemaker. hey were ready to cry up for their long looked-for Meſſiah.

even the meſſenger of the Covenant] viz. of the covenant of grace: for in Chriſt God reconciled the world to himſelf. And of this covenant Chriſt is the Angel, or Meſſenger, becauſe 1. He revealeth it, and we muſt take heed how we ſlight it, Heb. 2.3. ſhift it, Heb. 12.25. 2. He mediateth it, 1 Tim. 2.5. and in, and by him it hath accompliſhment, 2 Cor. 1.20. Hence Eſay 9.6. he is called the Prince of peace, and (according to the Septuagint there) the Angel of the great Counſel. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Let all that would receive mercy from God, get into Chrſt, and ſo into Covenant For as the Mercy-ſeat was no larger then the Ark, ſo neither is the grace of God, then the covenant of grace: And as the Ark and Mercy-ſeat were never ſeparated, ſo neither are ſuch from God, as are found in Chriſt.

whom ye delight in] They delighted in his day (the better ſort of them) though afar off, Joh. 8.56. they ſaluted him, and were reſaluted by him, Heb. 11.13. They promiſed themſelves through Chriſt malorum ademptionem, bonorum adeptionem, freedom from all evil, and fruition of all good. Hence he is called, the deſire of all Nations, Hag. 2.8. The Church in the Canticles, ſaith he is totus deſiderabilis, altogether deſireable, chap. 5.16. The Church in Eſay deſires him with her whole ſoul, chap. 26.9. and chap. 64.1. as impatient of further delayes, crieth out, Oh that thou wouldeſt rent the heavens, and come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy preſence. Drop down ye heavens from above, and let the skies pour aown righteouſneſſe: Let the earth open, and let them bring forth ſalvation, &c. chap. 45.8. Lo what earneſt pantings and inquietations were in thoſe ancient beleevers after Chriſt, what continuall fallies, as it were, and egreſſions of affection.

behold, he ſhall come] He ſhall, he ſhall: nay he is even come already: for ſo the Hebrew hath it. Hinneh ba, behold, he is come: me-thinks I even ſee him. A like text there is, Habak 2.3. The duty required is, Wait: the promiſe is delivered, doubled, and trebled: It ſhall speak, it will come, it will ſurely come. Nay doubled again. It ſhall not lie, it will not tarry. It is as if God had ſaid, Do but wait, and you ſhall be delivered, you ſhall be delivered, you ſhall be delivered; you ſhall, you ſhall. Oh the Rhetorike of God! oh the certainty of the promiſes! A Lapide his Note is not here to be paſſed by. This word Behold, ſignifieth that this comming of Chriſt in the fleſh, ſhould be 1. New, admirable, and ſtupendious. 2. Sure and certain. 3. Deſireable, and joyfull. 4. Famous and renowned.

ſaith the Lord of Hoſts] And that's aſſurance good enough: for hath he ſaid it, and ſhall he not do it? Here is firm footing for faith: and men are bound to reſt in Gods Ipſe dixit. Abraham did, and required no other evidence, Rom. 4. He cared not for the deadneſſe of his own body, or of his wives womb. He ſtaggered not at the promiſe of God through unbeleef, &c. No more muſt we, if we will be heirs of the world, with faithfull Abraham. Gods truth and power are the Jachin and Bozez, the two pillars whereupon faith muſt repoſe: belee[illegible: 1 letter]ing God upon his bare word, and that againſt ſenſe in things inviſible, and againſt reaſon, in things incredible.